7 key insights before visiting Legoland New York Resort

As a parent of a 6-year-old daughter, I was thrilled about the opening of Legoland New York Resort.

At heart, I'm a theme park enthusiast. However, a quick trip to Walt Disney World isn't feasible for us. While Six Flags Great Adventure is a day trip from our home in Manhattan, it's not exactly tailored for younger children. Conversely, Legoland caters specifically to kids aged 2 to 12.

In April, I had the chance to attend a hard-hat press tour. Unfortunately, we weren't able to experience any rides or sample food from the vendors at that time.

Recently, my daughter and I took a little road trip to Legoland.

It was an enjoyable trip, featuring rides perfectly suited for her age. My only letdown was the lack of compliance with COVID-19 mask mandates. In the two indoor rides and the gift shop, fewer than 40% of guests were seen wearing masks.

Here's what we discovered throughout the rest of the park.

It's very near New York City

The 150-acre park is located in Goshen, New York. From Manhattan's Upper West Side, we made the trip in an hour with no traffic. If you're looking for a nearby landmark, the park is just about 10 minutes beyond Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.

For residents in northern New Jersey or suburban areas in New York's Rockland or Westchester counties, the park is even more accessible.

While some families may opt to turn their visit to Legoland into an overnight getaway — the hotel was fully booked throughout August, as per a park spokesperson — it's also a straightforward day trip that allows you to return home in time for dinner.

Purchase tickets ahead of time

Same-day tickets are priced at $89.99 for adults and $79.99 for children aged 3 to 12.

Buying tickets just one day ahead reduces the price by $10 per person.

Weekday tickets are also more affordable than weekend ones — online checks revealed a $5 difference for kids and a $12 difference for adults.

The same applies to parking fees. If you buy your parking pass online in advance, it costs $20 plus $1.63 in tax, whereas purchasing it at the park will set you back $27.03.

The park actually opens 15 minutes earlier than stated.

On the day of our visit, the posted opening time was 10 a.m.

As a theme park enthusiast, I made sure to arrive ahead of time. Accessing the parking lot and finding a space was easy. The security checkpoint was operational well before 10 a.m., allowing us to enter a spacious plaza with restrooms, a ticket booth, and some Lego figures.

At 9:45 a.m., Legoland New York swung open its gates with its signature opening dance. (We missed it as several hundred guests were already ahead of us in line.) Ticket scans commenced, ushering visitors into the park.

While the rides officially open at 10 a.m., arriving early is crucial for those wanting to make the most of their day—or at least enjoy a popular ride with minimal wait.

The Driving School attraction was a big hit!

The idea of my daughter driving makes me quite anxious.

Fortunately, I have a few more years before that becomes a reality.

At Legoland, there are small cars and a network of roads designed for kids aged 6 to 13. If they successfully complete the course (hint: everyone does), they earn their "driver's license."

I was pleasantly surprised by how well my daughter handled the driving. Check out the video below to see her skills.

As they finish the course, each child receives a paper driver's license. This is where the upsell opportunity arises.

I hurried her away from that area. However, other kids were being sent to a kiosk where they could purchase a more official-looking plastic license featuring their photo. Call me a bad dad, but I wasn't willing to pay an extra $25 for a novelty license. (Additional copies cost $10 more.)

Shade is virtually nonexistent.

I noticed this during the hard-hat tour in April and hoped it would have been addressed by now.

Unfortunately, it hasn't been.

The park is located on a large hill with no trees in sight. There are a few saplings planted, but they will take time to grow.

There are some umbrellas over benches in select areas, and most rides feature covered spaces for their waiting lines. But that's about it.

Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to get splashed with water (no need for swimsuits) in the Lego Pirates area of the park.

On a recent 86-degree day, we spent a lot of time in the sun, which caused my daughter to tire out sooner than I expected. By 1 p.m., we opted to leave the park as it was just too hot.

Terrifying, yet not overwhelmingly so

This is where Legoland truly excels.

The park strikes an ideal balance of thrill. It’s frightening enough without overwhelming young children.

For example, the park’s main roller coaster, Dragon, is perfectly designed for a child’s inaugural coaster ride. There are no steep drops or excessively frightening turns. For younger adventurers, there's Dragon's Apprentice, a smaller coaster to prepare them for the larger Dragon. Unfortunately, it was closed during our visit.

At Lego Ninjago: The Ride, two features help prevent any tears from kids.

First, everyone uses their hands to activate sensors and battle the villains. It’s really exciting and allows kids to feel involved in the action.

Secondly, the ghosts, ninjas, and snakes popping up from the screens are quite cartoonish. This softens the scare factor and makes it easier to reassure young ones that it’s merely a ride and all pretend.

The food was quite tasty, especially for a theme park.

Sure, the dining options won't earn any Michelin stars. But hey, you are at a theme park.

For me, a major concern at theme parks and ski resorts is the variety of choices available.

We dined at Brickbeard's Food Market – located in the Pirates section, of course – and discovered a wide range of options.

We found the usual double cheeseburger priced at $16 plus tax, along with a grilled chicken sandwich for $15. But there were also some Chinese dishes like orange chicken for $12 and sesame deep-fried tofu for the same price. A large salad cost $16, and a smoked turkey club panini was available for $12.50.

For kids, there was a burger or chicken tenders combo that included fries and a juice box or water for $9.99. That’s a solid deal for a theme park.

(I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to pay, and the meals categorized as dining allowed me to earn 3 points for every dollar spent. It’s not uncommon for theme park food to not register as restaurant dining, so I was pleased to see it tracked correctly here.)

The park has numerous food options, mostly featuring similar menus. The highlight for me was Brickolini's Pizza and Pasta buffet, which offers unlimited pizza, pasta, desserts, and sodas. While the adult price of $24.99 is a bit high, $12.99 for kids is reasonable. However, a family of four can enjoy a meal for $49.99—a great deal if you love carbs, soda, and sweets.

Pro tip: Bring along a refillable water bottle to save money and help the environment. There are plenty of water fountains around the park, all equipped with bottle-filling stations.

In conclusion

This park is fantastic for little ones.

There are plenty of clean family restrooms available.

The attractions are perfect for young children, featuring numerous interactive components, like musical instruments activated by sensors and levers around Miniland that set Lego figures dancing or singing.

As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed Miniland—it was a delight to see Lego's take on famous places like Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, and many other iconic American landmarks.

There were also fairground-style games that can quickly add to the expense of your visit.

Fortunately, credit cards were accepted throughout the park.

Notices at the registers reminded patrons: "Yes, we accept cards!"

After all, this is Legoland.