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LEGOLAND® California Resort is Adding a New LEGO® Ninjago™ Area and Ride for 2016!

July 28, 2015 / Family Fun, LEGOLAND, Lifestyle, San Diego

Have you heard thee latest news coming out of the LEGOLAND® California Resort? Well, they just announced that they’re adding a new expansion for 2016….a New LEGO® Ninjago™ Area and Ride is scheduled to open in spring 2016! Such exciting news for LEGO fans of all ages! I know WE can’t wait!

LEGO NINJAGO tells the story of four young Ninja heroes – Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane – who train under the watchful eye of Sensei Wu to master an ancient martial art – Spinjitzu.

LEGO® NINJAGO fans had 22 new building sets loaded with features and functions to choose from that were released this year. There have also been brand new episodes of the popular series, NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu aired on Cartoon Network. Now with this new LEGO NINJAGO being added inside of LEGOLAND California Resort, fans of all ages will be able to have hands-on experiences with interactive elements and a new ride featuring the key characters from the NINJAGO universe.

The new NINJAGO area will be included in the cost of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. To find more information and tickets prices, click here.

Connect with LEGOLAND California Resort on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own. Images property of LEGOLAND California Resort and LEGO®.

Calling All LEGOLAND Heartlake City Fans! Take This Fun Quiz to See Which LEGO Friend You Are!

July 16, 2015 / Family Fun, LEGOLAND, Lifestyle, San Diego

Have YOU had the chance to visit LEGO Friends Heartlake City at LEGOLAND California Resort yet? We are big fans of the entire resort but after visiting Heartlake City on our last visit, it instantly became our favorite area in the park! It’s absolutely adorable and you are made to feel like you’ve stepped right into one of the Heartlake City LEGO sets.

I also love visiting because you have the chance to see the Heartlake City LEGO friends sing and dance and you can also interact with them!

My daughter actually started building with LEGO when she was around 3 when she was given about 5 tubs of original LEGO bricks that were her dad’s when he was a boy. She played with those LEGO bricks, which included some of the original Star Wars sets, without thinking twice about the fact that there were no pink ones in the tubs. I’ve never believed in “boy” vs. “girl” toys and taught her to appreciate all toys equally. However, when the first Heartlake City LEGO sets showed up at the LEGO Store with a whole bunch of pink and purple, we were excited to get our hands on those!

As a mom, I adore the Heartlake City LEGO friends! You can find Andrea, Emma, Mia, Olivia and Stephanie all hanging out in Heartlake City when you visit LEGOLAND. I appreciate most that they each have a distinct personality and different interests but all encourage each other and have a very strong friendship!

Now YOU can find out which LEGO Heartlake City Friend YOU are by taking this fun quiz! It said I’m most like “Mia”. You can take the quiz too by clicking here! Don’t forget to come back here after you take it and comment which friend you’re most like! Have fun!

Connect with LEGOLAND California Resort on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post.

LEGO Friends Heartlake City Is Now Open at LEGOLAND California Resort and It’s Adorable!

May 23, 2015 / SoCal Fun, Travel

Have you heard the exciting news? LEGO Friends Heartlake City is now open at LEGOLAND California Resort! The newest area at the resort is a must-see for all LEGO fans of all ages! As soon as you walk through the entrance to the city brought to life straight out of the “LEGO Friends” TV show, you can meet your favorite LEGO friends, Mia, Olivia, Andrea, Stephanie and Emma and get a glimpse inside of their LEGO lives!

Throughout Heartlake City there are several clever LEGO brick creations and life-sized figures of each of the LEGO friends. There are lots of great photo opportunities there.

Mia’s Riding Camp: Guests can experience an adventure on a carousel that’s perfect for riders of all ages and heights. Take a horseback ride atop one of 60 carousel horses (both moving and non-moving. Guests can also opt to sit inside one of the stationary jeeps on the carousel.
Heartlake Stables: Inside of this shaded stable area, guests can enjoy LEGO brick building activities and learn a little bit about horses. There’s plenty of seating here for adults to rest their legs while watching their little ones play. You’ll also want to take advantage of the cute photo opportunity to sit on one of the horses in the front area of the stable! (As a convenience, your photos are available for purchase inside the park)
Heartlake Fountain: This heart-shaped fountain is a focal point in the center of the city. Guests are welcome to play in the water, which is especially perfect on warm days. If you plan to have “splash time” on your visit, you might want to bring an extra change of clothes.
Friends Forever Stage: Mia, Olivia, Andrea, Stephanie and Emma perform their “LEGO Friends to the Rescue” show live on stage. Guests can sing and dance along with them. There are also opportunities to meet the LEGO Friends sometimes, if you hang around after the show. To check for showtimes, click here.
Heartlake City Boutique: Guests can shop til they drop here for LEGO Friends toys and a bunch of adorable items. Once you head into this boutique, I can guarantee you won’t come out empty handed! You’ll also find the LEGO Friends Hot Air Balloon in the center of the store.
The LEGO Movie Experience: Experience a bit of movie magic as you get a behind-the-scenes look at a real movie set! Step onto the LEGO Movie soundstage, check out movie footage and explore some of the awesome models which helped inspire the new and completely original 3D animated adventure THE LEGO MOVIE. You can even find characters from the LEGO Movie to take pictures with!

City Park Crêperie: Enjoy sweet, delicious crêpes at this pop-up crêperie located in the center of Heartlake City. The menu features a sugar crêpe, a Nutella crêpe, a Nutella & bananas crêpe, and a berries crêpe. We tried a Nutella crêpe this time but need to go back soon and try a different one. What a treat!
Wok n’ Bowl Ramen: This gourmet Japanese style Ramen House features freshly prepared stir-fry dishes such as orange chicken and teriyaki and ramen noodles with pork belly, chicken, or vegetables. Kids meals are also offered here.

We had such a fun day visiting Heartlake City! When I asked my daughter what her favorite part about the day was, she told me it was getting to talk to Stephanie and Emma and seeing them perform on stage with the other LEGO Friends.

My heart melts when I see her so happy. She also asked if we could return to LEGOLAND tomorrow. For me, it’s all about spending time together and creating new memories. In LEGO Friends Heartlake City there’s the opportunity to do just that!

For more information and to purchase tickets to LEGOLAND California Resort, click here. *Heartlake City is included in the cost of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. Connect with LEGOLAND California on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

A very special thank you to LEGOLAND California for inviting us to attend a special media day in the park and providing us with lunch. All opinions are 100% my own.

LEGO® Travel Adventure and National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers Traveling Exhibits Open at Discovery Cube OC on January 17!

January 15, 2015 / Discovery Cube OC, Family Fun, Lifestyle, Orange County

Get ready for the ultimate adventure with LEGO® Travel Adventure and National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers opening at Discovery Cube Orange County on January 17, 2015. Adventurers of all ages will enjoy this interactive journey as they build a transportation vehicle out of LEGOs and explore Earth’s most extreme eco-zones in Earth Explorers.

In Lego Travel Adventure, young creators will create vehicles of all shapes and sizes that will drive, fly, or float through exotic terrains. Suit-up as a pilot, ship captain, or racecar driver to find inspiration for your vehicle or check-out a display of vehicles made from LEGO bricks, including: a spaceship, boat, motorcycle, and more. Build a vehicle with pieces from popular LEGO sets, take a photo with a kid-sized racecar made from LEGO® Duplo® blocks, and take the “Travel Challenge” to build a virtual LEGO vehicle that will travel through lava, swamps, rivers, and oceans.

LEGO Travel Adventure also features creations by LEGO Master Builders including recreations of the driving of the Gold Spike in the Transcontinental Railroad, the building of the first Model T, the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk, and an ocean liner. The exhibit also features a diorama of the Travel Adventure Vehicle (TAV) – a vehicle designed to travel across land, water, and through the air.

Age-appropriate build tables featuring parts and pieces from popular LEGO sets are available in the exhibit for children to create their own vehicles. Visitors are also invited to take photos of their exhibit creations to email to their friends.

The adventure continues as guests explore some of the wildest places on the planet in National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers. Follow some of National Geographic’s explorers through this family-friendly exhibit to research some of the most extreme eco-zones on earth including polar regions, oceans, mountains and caves, rain forests, and the African Savanna. Adventurers will discover new species, study animal behavior, and learn how technology plays an important role in the exciting discoveries.

Explorers will also test their ability to live in an ice-covered world while exploring an arctic cabin, dive into the ocean with a 3-D submersible to learn about life forms living deep beneath the surface, and identify insects from the Amazon while trekking through the largest rainforest in the world during this interactive exhibit.

Each of the six areas in Earth Explorers feature a unique interactive digital experience that utilizes an advanced technology to bring animals inside the exhibit to life.

Doors open to the public on January 17, 2015. LEGO Travel Adventure and National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers are both included in general admission fees. Tickets can be purchased at Discovery Cube OC or online at http://www.discoverycube.org/oc/. General admissions prices are as follows: adult ($16.95), senior ($12.95), and children ages 3-14 ($12.95).

LEGO Travel Adventure is the second in a series of traveling exhibits to be produced by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in conjunction with LEGO Systems, Inc. The previous exhibit, LEGO® Castle Adventure debuted at The Children’s’ Museum of Indianapolis in 2009, and will travel to museums and science centers throughout the United States for a five year period. Additional LEGO exhibits are planned for the future.

This is not a sponsored post. I was provided with images and information about these amazing exhibits to share with my readers.

Spend a Kid-Friendly New Year’s Eve This Year at Legoland California Resort!

December 4, 2014 / Celebrations, Holiday Fun, Legoland, Travel

If you are looking for a super fun way to spend New Year’s Eve with your kids this year, you need to see what’s going on at Legoland California! Our family hasn’t been there for New Year’s Eve before but we’re hoping to make it this year. It looks like they throw a great party over there!

If you DO make it that day, you can still enjoy all of the fun at their Holiday Snow Days. LEGOLAND is planning another very kid-friendly New Year’s Eve Celebration this year, which includes an amazing lineup of performances by Recess Monkey, The Pop Ups, The Not Its, Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players, and Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band! It’s like a kids super concert!

(photo credit: LEGOLAND California)

There will also be a New York style “brick drop” at 6pm when LEGOLAND California re-creates the Times Square ball drop with a giant LEGO brick falling 22 feet in the air! A special celebrity will be leading the countdown. Guests are given festive hats for the occasion, as well as 3-D glasses for the spectacular fireworks display which follows the brick drop and illuminates the sky! What a great ending to an amazing year!

Here’s a clip from their celebration last year:
Seriously…how fun does that look? It’s literally San Diego’s largest Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party and you won’t want to miss it! For more information, to download the New Year’s Eve Entertainment Guide, and to purchase tickets, click here.

I forgot to mention one more thing, one VERY important thing…. LEGOLAND’S gift to you this year is a free ticket offer to return in 2015. Receive a second-day return ticket to LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE Aquarium for FREE on the day of your visit when you present your one-day paid admission ticket at Guest Services or the Our Gift To You kiosk, inside the Park, any time between November 1, 2014 – January 4, 2015! You must request your second-day ticket on the day of your first visit. Your second-day ticket must be redeemed between January 5 – March 1, 2015. Other restrictions may apply. See the LEGOLAND website for details!

Well, doesn’t New Year’s Eve at LEGOLAND sound fun? Hope to see you there!

Holiday Snow Days + Winter Nights November 22-January 4 at Legoland California Resort! #HolidaySnowDays

November 24, 2014 / Holiday Fun, Legoland, Travel

Disclosure: We attended a media preview of Holiday Snow Days and Winter Nights. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

I’m always excited for the start of the holiday season! Emily and I had the opportunity to kick ours off by spending a special day together at LEGOLAND California Resort to preview their Holiday Snow Days + Winter Nights!

It was a beautiful Southern California day and we enjoyed skating and playing in the snow, while wearing short-sleeved shirts and getting a little bit of a suntan!

Every day at LEGOLAND from November 22 through January 4 is a Holiday Snow Day! With a regular admission, park guests also get to enjoy a ton of fun activities! The Fun Town area is transformed into a snowy wonderland for the holiday season!

On Holiday Snow Days, park guests can have fun:

Snow Tubing
Snow Play, including getting to build a snowman and throwing snowballs at fun targets
Watching live entertainment
Doing a Holiday Village Build in the LEGO Clubhouse
Enjoying special holiday treats available for purchase on the Fun Town Holiday Food Truck.

Also, enjoy the spectacular 30-foot tall LEGO Christmas Tree, made of more than 245,000 green DUPLO® bricks and adorned with ornaments made of LEGO bricks. Look out for special holiday characters like LEGO Santa, Lego Toy Soldier, and more. There are definitely lots of photo opportunities!

As part of Legoland’s Holiday Snowy Days +Winter Nights, the Winter Nights portion will take place on November 28, 29 and December 6, 13, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 from 5-7pm. Holiday Snow Days activities continue into nighttime and guests can also enjoy watching holiday entertainment, including The Big Test Holiday Show, and see the magic of holiday lights come to life after dark as the buildings, trees and the LEGO Christmas Tree twinkles along to Festive Holiday tunes throughout Fun Town. Guests can also enjoy Holiday Fireworks will at 7pm on December 26-30.

New this year…..Ice Skating!

It’s so exciting that LEGOLAND California Resort has set up a real ice skating rink, between the ticketing booths and the Legoland Hotel! It’s was so fun to skate outdoors in the sun! Admission for ice skating is separate from park admission. Although you are welcome to bring your own ice skates, the cost of your ice rink admission tickets includes skate rentals and helmet protection for guests requesting extra head protection.

Guests may also rent a “bobby”, which is a seal-shaped skate aid. A child or adult can push it in front of him to help balance. A small child can also sit on the front of the bobby while the adult pushes the bobby. I used one to push Emily around and it helped me avoid the embarrassment of falling down! I think the bobby was the best invention ever created!

When you purchase your ice skating ticket, you will be asked to reserve a specific time slot. Session are 90 minutes long and there are 6 ice sessions available each day* and there is limited capacity, so book your ticket now by clicking here. *There are only 4 sessions available on the following dates: Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17.

Skaters must be ages 3 and up, and must be able to walk unassisted. All skaters (or guardian for under 18) must sign Release and Waiver of Liability and Assumption of Risk Agreement (fill out the waiver once for entire season). Go straight onto the ice by filling out the Ice Skating Waiver form in advance! http://www.smartwaiver.com/v/LEGOLANDiceskate

After you spend time out on the ice, you can purchase a s’mores kit and head over to the fire pits to make your s’mores. They’ll even provide a long dowel so you can roast your marshmallows over the fire. This was one of our favorite parts about our day! I think everyone loves s’mores!

LEGO® Christmas Tree Lighting

This year, the official annual tree lighting ceremony will take place on December 1st. There will be a surprise celebrity guest who will help light the world’s tallest LEGO Christmas tree. Families in the park are invited to gather around the Lego Christmas tree in the middle of Fun Town at 5:30 pm. Other opportunities to view the LEGO Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will take place at 5pm on December 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Here comes a cool part….One lucky child has a chance to light the LEGO Christmas Tree December 4-Decemeber 24. Winners will be selected each night through LEGOLAND California Resort’s Facebook Page, so keep an eye on their page if you’re planning on visiting the park during that time.

Legoland’s Free Ticket Offer

LEGOLAND California has a very special gift for you. When you visit LEGOLAND between November 1, 2014 and January 4, 2015, you’ll receive a FREE ticket to return between January 5 and March 1. You must present your paid admission ticket at the Our Gift To You kiosk inside the Park on the day you visit to receive a ticket to return to LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium. Additional restrictions may apply. For more information, click here!

We had such a fun time at Legoland Calfornia Resort and can’t wait to go back again!