Westchester’s Lovely Land of LEGOS

0

With Spring not yet sprung, my seven-year-old son has been clambering to visit our favorite indoor play space and Westchester County Moms Blog sponsor, LEGOLAND Discovery Center. We spent a Sunday there recently and had a great time.

Legoland

For first-timers here is what you can expect: LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester is located at Ridge Hill in Yonkers. From the outside, it looks like a retail store, but looks are deceiving! My first tip is to book online. You can save a ton of money and there are often discount codes or passes offered (starting at $16.95). This does, however, require some planning because you have to choose a date and entry time. If you’re a fly by the seat of your pants kinda gal, then LEGOLAND does sell tickets at the door, but they will be a bit more expensive (starting at $22.95).

LegolandLegoland

Upon entering you are immersed in everything LEGO. They snap a family picture you can purchase later on. (If they aren’t busy they will also take one with your phone). In this entryway, you see characters hanging from the walls and learn about how LEGOs are made. This part is a bit more children’s museum than it is an amusement park, but don’t get discouraged.

Follow the signs to wait in line for the first of their two rides, Kingdom Quest an interactive LEGO laser ride. On this ride, you try to save the princess from all sorts of medieval beasts by hitting targets with a laser gun. You earn points which are calculated in front of you, compare scores, talk smack, and then exit. Next stop on your adventure is a walk through MINILAND®.

legolandlegoland

For parents, this was the most interesting (and quietest) part of my day at LEGOLAND Discovery Center. You see miniaturized versions of famous New York City (and Westchester) landmarks. I love it because I am always at a loss when my son asks me to build with him. We produce the same four walls and flat roof and then try to pass it off as a Ninja Turtle lair or the Batcave. So, here I took some mental notes on arches and landscapes to use next time we play.

Brace yourself, because at the end of MINILAND® you are greeted with the full throttle LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester experience. This includes character builds you can take a picture with, LEGO Racers: Build & Test, Merlin’s Apprentice Ride, Model Builder Academy, The LEGO Shop, DUPLO® Village, NINJAGO City Adventure, The LEGO Factory, LEGO 4D Cinema, LEGO Friends, a Café, and Birthday Rooms!

LegolandLegoland

My son’s favorite is always the LEGO Racers. In this area, you build your own race car and then test its speed on three different tracks. He likes the competitive aspect of this (interacting with other kids, seeing who is fastest) as well as being able to build, crash, and then try a rebuild to make it even faster. This is the quintessential LEGO experience that all generations can enjoy. I can’t really climb through the NINJAGO City Adventure play place a 2,300-square-foot interactive play area, and my son’s second favorite part of LEGOLAND Discovery Center, but I can build with him and race. We often spend the first hour of our time here doing just that.

legolandlegoland

The newest part of LEGOLAND is their LEGO® City Builder exhibit. It is an interactive city that you can build on, adding your own elements into the display and collaborating with other visitors. My son is an only child and often when we go out on the weekends he is looking for a kid to play with. This is where that happened for my son. He met a boy a year younger and they followed each other around for the rest of our time. He even asked to sit next to him and his family when we went to the 4D Cinema (quick tip: you get a little wet during the 4D movie, so put your jacket over your purse).

legolandlegoland

Ultimately, this is what I love about LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester, it is an opportunity to play and meet friends. When the weather doesn’t allow for a trip to the park this is our go to. If you too have a LEGO obsessed kid and are looking for an indoor play place, I recommend a trip. If you love it, like we do, consider an annual pass ($62.50 per person). It makes financial sense if you visit more than three times a year and it comes with 10% off in their LEGO store.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester is located at 39 Fitzgerald Street in Yonkers, NY. They can be reached at 866-243-0770 or by visiting their website. For the latest news and updates, follow @LDCWestchester on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

This post was sponsored by LEGOLAND Discovery Center, but the opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting our sponsors.