Whether you're a New York area local or a far-flung Lego lover, visiting Legoland New York should definitely be on your summer checklist. It's a great one or two-day alternative to pricier all-inclusi... View MoreWhether you're a New York area local or a far-flung Lego lover, visiting Legoland New York should definitely be on your summer checklist. It's a great one or two-day alternative to pricier all-inclusive family resorts in international locations and a budget-friendly weekend alternative to Disney.
But there's plenty to know before you go, which is why we wrote this helpful Legoland New York review.
Where is the Legoland New York theme park and resort?
Legoland New York is located in Goshen, an adorable little town about 90 minutes north of New York City and roughly an hour south of Albany. If you're looking to make a longer adventure out of your Legoland stay, consider booking some time nearby Catskills hamlets like Woodstock, Hunter or New Paltz.
Or, just stay in the on-site Legoland Hotel (it's as cute as you imagine it might be) or venture around the town of Goshen. The choice is yours.
legoland new york, goshen, legoland new york reviewBryce Gruber
While summer is certainly the most popular season to visit, our friends have visited in both the fall and spring seasons and reported having "wonderful" times thanks to the Hudson Valley's relatively temperate climate.
Our Legoland New York Review 2023
We headed to Legoland with four of our kids in June on a typically hot, overcast New York summer day. It was muggy, but that didn't stop the kids from trying (and riding!) just about everything Legoland had to offer. They had a blast visiting the main part of the park, the newly-opened water park and teeny-tiny, very realistic Lego cities positioned near the exit of the park.
Overall, we found that our four-year-old, six-year-old and nine-year-old children enjoyed the park the most. Truly, they're just the right age for the rides there and are still very much in the Lego-loving-and-building stage of life. I mean, our floors are littered with Legos at home—so a whole theme park? Pssh. Heaven for them.
legoland new york review, legoland goshenBryce Gruber
I loved that it only took an hour or so to drive to, gave them something to look forward to for two straight weeks leading up to the big day and helped me clock in my daily 10,000 steps goal. Get ready to walk a lot. I mean really, a lot—the park has loads of winding paths and you may end up going back to favorite rides.
Wear comfortable shoes to meander around all the themed lands.
Pros
Loads of rides for young children and elementary school-age kids
Wide, easy-to-navigate walking paths
Much of the park is wheelchair accessible and friendly
You can buy a refillable drink cup to carry with you throughout the day (and park) and it's worth every penny on a hot day
About six to seven hours is enough to ride just about everything in the park
Budget-friendly
Day-trip driving distance from New York City, Albany, New Jersey, Hartford, the Poconos and Western Massachusetts
Cons
Parking is somewhat expensive
Food options within the park are limited
There's literally no shade in the park—if you go on a sunny summer day, you absolutely MUST wear hats and bring loads of your best sunscreens for kids
Wait times for Legoland, NY rides are typically about 15 minutes—sometimes more—and the rides are relatively brief. One teacup-style ride we went on lasted less than a minute after about 20 minutes of waiting.
Rides
As you might expect, every ride in the park has a major Lego-themed twist. Whether you're diehard brick builders or just looking for a few fun rides, the park delivers—especially if you're between about three and nine years old. Many of the rides aren't suited for toddlers or babies younger than about three, and older teens and adults might find a good portion of the attractions a bit too juvenile.
We loved the Lego Ninjago ride (an air-conditioned, indoor option) for our kids ranging from four years old all the way through middle school. To be frank, my husband and I got a kick out of it too. There are also a handful of small and medium rollercoaster options, go-karts shaped like Lego cars and plenty of rides that look like they were plucked right out of a local carnival and spruced up with adorable Lego accouterment.
Food
Soft drinks, juice, water, milk, pretzels, icy slurpee-like drinks and ice cream are plentiful throughout the park. Hearty sit-down meals are far less plentiful though, and if you have strict dietary needs, the food may fall short of what you're looking for.
Come with a full belly, have an ice cream or drink along the way, and then go for dinner somewhere in the surrounding Orange or Ulster Counties. Just about everything you can imagine is within a short drive.
Parking
Parking is plentiful, even on a warm summer day. That's definitely positive! But you should know that it's not included in the cost of admission. Carpool if you can, because each car costs roughly $30 per day to park near-ish the Legoland entrance. If you're coming with an umbrella stroller, car seat stroller combo or wheelchair, we're happy to report the parking lot is paved and easy to navigate.
Overall value
Tickets for visitors ages three and older run about $80+ each for the day (sometimes more depending on the date and season). Babies and toddlers ages two and under go free.
It definitely pays to book in advance though (we suggest clicking here for the best rates) because tickets at the date are often significantly more expensive. If you're comparing it to Disney, Legoland New York is definitely way cheaper to visit and ideal for families with young kids simply unable to walk as much as Disney demands. And, if you live in the New York metro area, it's a fun day trip instead of a whole vacation.
As with all the best amusement parks in America, food and beverage is a bit expensive, though not overwhelming.
What to know about the Legoland New York water park
The water park is pretty new—literally just weeks old, and a perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day. It has rides for both little kids and big kids (and adults that act like big kids), but several of the water attractions actually require advanced reservations. It's important to make those reservations before you get to the park if you want access to all the features.
If you fail to make reservations for all the water park features, that's okay—there are several rides that don't require any pre-planning. If you're just there for the water park though, know that it's relatively small in comparison to the rest of the theme park and probably won't be nearly enough to fill a whole day.
It is, however, the perfect way to cap off a long, hot day riding roller coasters, eating ice cream and basking in all the Lego-themed glory. Our nine-year-old son insisted on riding a pirate-themed Legoland water park ride about a zillion times if that's any indicator of the park's overall success with kids.
Other important things to note:
Definitely bring a credit card—Legoland is mostly a cash-free zone
A stay at the Legoland Hotel is separate from park tickets
We said it before, but we'll say it again: invest in the refillable water bottle when you get to the park's entrance and use it for basically anything that pours from the drink fountains. It's worth it, and you'll definitely be thirsty.
If you're thinking about staying the night (or more!) at the Legoland New York Resort, ask about park packages that include both the hotel stay and park tickets to bundle and save
Wear comfortable athleisure or lounge clothes to venture around the park, and definitely pack a bathing suit and toddler water shoes
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