Trip Report englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

englanddg · Sep 9, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 2)

So...the "walk-through" has three sections. The first section has a nice seating area with a (probably too small) TV that plays a very funny animated short. Worth a watch!

The second part is the Factory. Here is the whole factory.

Yep...that's it. It has a button that you can press that starts a self guided "walk through" of each step where certain parts automate. There is no soundtrack. All of the information is on placards. Sortof cute...but very underwhelming. The whole area is about the size of my living room at home. So, you turn the corner and...viola...GIFT SHOP! I won't even bother with a picture of it...though, it was a very nice Gift Shop (all of them at Legoland are, I would find out).

We walked over to the Fresh from Florida Greenhouse. This is the first "miniland" style attraction we had come across, and this was exactly the sort of thing I was excited to see. They had "action buttons" that would make the lego models move, and I thought the integration with actual plants to simulate orange trees and other things was very nice. It was pleasant.

I personally enjoyed the real waterfall in the middle of the exhibit!

Now, so far I've had a rather lukewarm experience. Not thrilling, just meh. But, I am not talking about one EXTREMELY cool thing to do there. Take pictures with Lego figures!

We saw this guy!

He's bird-watching...but the bird is on his head! The kid thought that was hilarious.

Also, Bambi photobombed us once.

Another theme that I noted which I think Lego has done extremely well is including Legos in normal displays. You really need to keep your eyes peeled, because you'll find legos in the most interesting places. For example, did you notice the Lego owl in the picture above?

And then of course there is the Lego Art!

But, the kid was more attracted to Chima!

I'm still clueless at this point. I'm thinking...what is this? Lego Lion-O (yes, I just dated myself with a Thundercats reference)? I told this to the kiddo. She was not amused and went into a very long explaination about what Chima is, and what these characters mean. I will save you the entire explanation for later in this report once we get to the Legent of Chima section, but...lets just leave it for now that the kiddo takes this franchise VERY seriously!

Also, I appearantly did not know how to say it. I called it Ch-eye-mah (like China)...right? That's right? No...that's WRONG! It's Ch-eee-mah, like Cheese. JEEZ, DAD, GET IT RIGHT!

From here we puttered in a store, and I was introduced to the Legoland version of "pin trading". Here, Cast Members all have Lego nametags with bumps. They can then customize their nametags by sticking Lego minifigs on them. At first, I thought this was just a fun little thing for Cast Members, but nope. It has a larger purpose. Minifig trading!

So, they have these little bags which contain one of 20 collectible minifigs. You can trade with other guests, you can trade with Cast Members, or you can just buy a bunch and see what you get! We picked up a bag and the kiddo got a knight (at least, I think it was a knight...). Another kid in line saw this and asked if she'd like to trade. See, his brother had gotten one, and he desperately wanted it! He offered the kid this.

Lego Paris Hilton? What 8 year old could say no to that! Trade complete, I picked up another 20 bags (yeah, I went a bit overboard...but hey, it's lego) and we were off. Outside the shop is a two story carousel with lego horses. Neat! We decided to give it a go.

So, second ride of the day, and what happens? Guess.

Go ahead, I'll be patient. Think carefully.

Yep...it broke down. Unlike Island in the Sky, there was no reason why they couldn't have just let us off the ride, but they didn't. So, we sat there in the heat on an increasingly uncomfortable horse (yeah, those square saddles may LOOK neat, but they really aren't that comfortable at all!) while the Cast Members argued over what to do.

This is something else I've noted so far in this trip (it will change)...some of the Cast Members seem openly bored, and even distasteful. The exception being the shops. Now, I can imagine (first hand) how much standing in the heat all day dealing with rowdy kids and parents who didn't seem to understand the concept of lines (yep, it was here too...just like at Disney...not something I'd noted so often in previous years, but <shrug>)...but, sometimes the tone of the Cast Members was downright nasty.

But, I want to be clear, this was my experience up to this point. NOT my overall experience. It does get better. But, as you can imagine...second ride of the day breaking down, I was dreading that this whole excursion would come to a premature end.

Eventually, they got us going, and it was ok. The kid loves carousels, so we have done plenty of them. This one was by far the worst. How can a carousel go wrong? Well...as I mentioned, it's the horses. While a very cool idea, they are not comfortable! This is compounded when the ride is running because the horses go very high and the carousel itself is jittery.

So, hobbling off the ride (which, the kiddo didn't have any of these observations, for the record...she had a blast), we started to head deeper into the park.

Again we ran into Lego Lion-O.

The look on her face? Well, she spotted a face-painter just as I took the picture. So, of course the kiddo wanted to get made up!

Don't ask me what that face was about, she was just in a silly mood I guess. Anyhow, the face-painter and the braid artist next door were extremely nice. They do a neat thing at Legoland with face-paint. If you keep your receipt, you get free touch-ups all day. And, if you want it redone, you can do that for $5 (instead of the full price). Cool! I can especially see this being a perk for people who do the water park (or Legend of Chima...but, as I've said repeatedly, we'll get to that later...keep reading!).

Face done up, we went over to catch a movie. But, not without stopping to admire one of the darker citizens of Legoland!

Creepy!

The Wells Fargo 4D Theater was pretty empty. It was also freezing cold! I don't normally get cold...I mean, heck, I consider 65 degrees "shorts weather"...but this place felt like I was taking a tour of Hoth. Which, was appropriate, because the previews started. All Lego previews, of course. And the first one was for the upcoming "Yoda Chronicles".

Can I say...it looks AWESOME! I will certainly keep an eye out for it on sale at Target! I loved the humor. Following this was another trailer...for Lego Batman the Movie.

Yep, this also looked pretty good. I'm actually excited about these Lego movies. Odd, eh? But, I mean, come on, they look better than some of the normal movies that are coming out! I also thought it was amusing, as Lego and Disney share these properties now. I wondered how much collaboration there was (if any) on these movies, and if they would continue. I certainly hope so!

Anyhow, on to the main event! We were watching Spellbreaker 4D. A cute tale of an inventor who has to save a mid-evil Kingdom from skeleton hoards and an evil Sorcerer. The show started up and the 3D was fantastic. Easier to do with CGI modeling, I'm sure...but still, good 3D to me adds to the movie and doesn't take away from the story. This certainly was very good use of 3D. The movie started up and I was just getting into the story (another interesting note, there was no speaking, also something you don't see very often, and very cool!)...when...

Well...guess.

Go ahead, I'll be patient again.

<taps his toe>

Ready?

Yep...the movie broke down.

To their credit though, they did get it going again rather quickly. But, we had to start the movie from the beginning all over again. So far...I was not impressed. But, the movie was good, the 4D effects were very well done, and in many ways I found this more enjoyable, even though it was a simpler presentation, than Muppets 4D (shocking, I know!). I wish we had made time to see the other two movies, but we didn't. Still, all malfunctions and frozen toes aside, this is certainly a great place to sit down for a few minutes of relaxation out of the heat with the family.

By now, I hadn't eaten. Only the coffee from this morning. The kid was so excited by things she didn't seem to mind being hungry, but my stomach was protesting. It didn't help that just outside the theater is this guy!

He even talks. "Come and get your fresh-a pizz-a from me-a". Yep, Mario's long lost pizza baking cousin!

I stepped inside and took a gander at what people had on their trays. It...didn't look very appetizing. Sort of like school cafeteria pizza. So, I decided, even though I was famished, I'd wait and see what else there was to be had deeper in the park.

We stopped off at a gift shop (they have a LOT of gift shops...<grin>) and the kid has now found her new favorite toy set.

Lego Friends. Now, I looked at these when they first came out, but passed because the kits were all small and rather simplistic. Now, though, they have introduced a whole line. The kid, of course, wants all of it! We'll see...birthday coming up, and then there's Santa, right?

<Continued Next Post>

Lynn1030 · Sep 9, 2013

So fun! Loving your report and photos!

englanddg · Sep 9, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 3)

So, here's another neat thing Legoland does...and something I had wondered about. Imagine if you want to purchase one of those large sets, would you really want to lug it around all day? Or, would you want to run out to the car?

No need. All the Legoland shops will deliver your package to the World of Lego store at the front of the Park. Neat!

Of course, this didn't mean that we were getting anything at this point. I had planned that we would walk out with some lego for the kiddo and her 13 year old Uncle as gifts, but I wanted to see what all was offered before we made final decisions.

This...of course, didn't go over so well with the kid. She had found her fascination, and knew EXACTLY what she wanted! <grin>

Our time was approaching for the Battle for Brickbeard's Bounty show (well, in an hour), so we went off in that direction. To get there, you have to go through Miniland. Miniland is where Lego artists have recreated real (and fictional) buildings, and to me is the highlight of the trip. I've mentioned before that I love Lego, and that I love Models. Well, since that is the case, this place is heaven!

There are 8 sections to Miniland. Florida, Kennedy Space Center, Pirate's Shores, California, New York, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and hidden in the back, the newest area...Lego STAR WARS!

So, lets take a tour, shall we?

The scale of the Kennedy Space Center model is impressive. I thought back to how we could see it from our deck on the Fantasy

It was also nice to see the old shuttle still being honored.

I have a similar lego I got in 2011 at my house on display in my office.

Near there is the Daytona Speedway. Now, I'm not a NASCAR fan, but the kid's mom is. So, she had great fun with this exhibit! Press the buttons, and watch them do all sorts of things, from pit crews servicing vehicles to race cars speeding around. One of the cars had gotten off it's track, and we got to watch a maintenance guy put it back in place before we could see who won the race! You can see him exiting the exhibit in the picture.

Then we went to take a tour of Florida!

Miami Beach...again I love how they used real plants to add to the overall effect.

We went on a treasure hunt!

And a short tour of St. Augustine!

Little Havana is a fun place!

But, don't get into a heated Chess match!

And then it's off to Vegas Baby!

I actually stayed here once, years ago...

I still prefer the Bellagio...but then again, there's always New York New York!

Or Treasure Island!

Or the Luxor (Hrm, I wonder if they have LEDs to do the light from the top of the Pyramid at night?)

Nope...not a Disney Castle...

So, at this point, while I wanted to keep enjoying all this, we really needed to move on to our show time. Plus, even though this distracted me quite well, my stomach was still complaining. Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors would have been proud. FEED ME ENGLANDDG!

We hiked back towards the theater, but the kiddo noted something. Test Track. Not what you are thinking...at Legoland, Test Track is a Mad Mouse style coaster. The ride was a walk on, so we did it. Like any Mad Mouse, it whips you around in all sorts of directions. It was a short ride, it was cramped, and...I didn't enjoy it. The kid, however, loved it. But, not enough to go on it twice, I noted. Well, at least it didn't break down! <evil grin>

Now, with a bit of a headache partially from being spun in various directions and partially from hunger, I really wanted to just get something to eat and sit down.

A sign pointed the way to a sandwich shop, which I thought would be perfect. I could pick up a sandwich and drink and eat it while we waited on our show to start.

Along the way we passed by the entrance to Cypress Gardens, and a waterfall. Remember what I said before, keep your eyes peeled for crafty inclusions of Legos!

Also near there was this family of friendly foxes. (say the 10 times fast).

<Continued Next Post>

englanddg · Sep 10, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 4)

Next stop! The Sandwich Shop! (hey, that rhymes!)

I was famished. Oh, man, I really needed to eat something. The kiddo also wanted a snack. So, we popped into the Sandwich Shop. To my vast disappointment, this wasn't a restaurant at all. Rather, it was more like a 7-11...with less appetizing food. In the picture you can make out the rear display. This is where the "sandwiches" are. All cold, all pre-packaged...none enticing.

I don't have a better picture of it, but they are equivalent to what you'd get at a gas station...and not a good gas station. They weren't terrible, but for the prices, they were just not appetizing at all. I picked up a soda and the kid got some chips, and we exited. Down at the bottom of the hill, I spied something that appeared far better! A burger shack!

Along the way we ran into these guys.

That's quite a treasARR you have there! <grin> I wish I could say I was in a great mood, but I wasn't. I really needed to EAT! Burgers were calling my name...but...alas...

The burger shack was closed...

We were too close to our showtime at this point, and the amphitheater was literally right there, so I decided to suck it up and go see the show before we continued the search for food!

The Lego Pirate Ship set is really cool. I loved all the minor details on it, and it reminded me of sets I had as a kid. We grabbed seats up front in the "blue zone". Yep, we would be getting wet! Though, I didn't realize how wet until a bit later...but I'll save that for now! The kid got to man one of the 3 water cannons they have on the edge of the stage. She enjoyed this, squirting the bad guys in full costume!

The show was...loads of fun!

The plot is simple, so I don't feel any remorse in sharing it with you. There's a Princess who years ago saved the Lagoon from the evil Pirate Blackbeard, who terrorized the land. She banished Blackbeard, but allowed any pirates who wished to change their thieving ways to stay and become citizens of her realm. That's exactly what "Swampy" (I think that was his name), our host, had done. He told the story, and introduced us to our Princess, who happens to have a Royal Court who are expert water skiers!

The Princess has a special friend, who happens to be a Shark, who helped her win the battle and save the Lagoon from Pirates. Throughout the show you are asked to keep eyes out for pirates, and if you see one, yell out! It's campy, it's fun, and it's obviously aimed at children.

I thoroughly enjoyed it! This is a DO NOT MISS show. I won't go into to much other detail as I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but they do some really neat things. One final thing I'd note...sit on the far left, not the far right as we did. You'll get a better view of the Water Skiers and their fantastic stunts!

However...you will get soaked, as the kiddo showed Batman and Robin after the show!

After the show the lead performers will come out to take pictures. We skipped this, however, as I really wanted to continue our search for passable food!

We ran into this crazy "wabbit", as the kid called him.

As we entered the Imagination Zone, we decided to do a ride. The Kid Power Towers!

A very simple concept. Basically, you are on a hydraulically supported chair, and you get to lift yourself up by a rope 34 feet in the air. If you let go of the rope, you slide down (at a rather fast speed!). It...was awesome! I would HIGHLY recommend this ride. It's fun, it allows you to set your own pace and thrill level, and I admittedly thoroughly enjoyed scaring the socks off the kiddo!

One thing I noted here, which had been building all day, is a CM behavior that they feel they must remind you that you are at Legoland Florida at the conclusion of everything. Like, at the end of the ride they say "<insert instructions>. We hope you had fun and enjoy the rest of your day at LEGOOOOLAAAND FLOOORIDA!" The first few times this is fine, you don't even notice it...but by now, it was becoming a tad annoying. Oh well...

Oh, the Imagination Zone...what little there is to say about this section of the park. Well, outside of...avoid it! Well, not completely true. It is a good place to get some free A/C! First there is the WB Games Zone. It looks really cool on the outside, but it's nothing more than a room where they have Lego Video games on display with different consoles (Xbox, PS3, etc)...it's ok. It's like the video game wall at EPCOT...something I'd rather not spend a whole lot of time on when at a park. The kiddo enjoyed it though.

Then there are the "building" concepts...where kids can build their own things. One is the Hero Factory.

This is based on a line of Lego I'm not very familiar with, the Hero's line. And, while a neat concept...it sort of stinks. Why? Well...just imagine a bunch of kids playing with Legos all day. Parts get mixed together, popular parts get hidden/stolen/moved so you really can't finish your character without doing a lot of searching (and being patient and lucky)...it reminded me of being a kid again in day care where I had to play with "shared" Lego sets as opposed to my own personal collection at home.

If you've ever had that frustration...well, here it is...in a Theme Park! As always though, the kiddo had fun, and we built a "hero" character before moving on (though, we couldn't find all the pieces to finish him!).

Then it was off to Lego Racers!

Man, what a cool idea! You can build your own race car and then test it on crazy looking tracks! Yeah...cool idea...not so cool in practice...for many of the reasons I mentioned before. To give you an idea of how bad it is...they make you check in and check out your wheels for your car! Even worse, they tell you that you have to remember a "number" to return your wheels. I'm not kidding. When you enter, you are issued four wheels, which you must sign for, and are expected to return to the front desk before you leave! Big MEH!

We tried to build a car, but with the available pieces it just wasn't going to happen. Plus, I was famished, and while I like to think I have vast patience...my meter was running low. I pulled a parental veto, and we left.

Along the way we ran into this display of a Lego version of the (what I assume is) AIDS quilt from the NAMES project, which I thought was cool due to the reference to Atlanta.

At this point, I didn't care what the next food venue served, I needed something, and I needed it now. As it turns out, around the corner is a Panini place. Good enough for me!

I had the roast beef Panini. Roast beef, horseradish sauce, Havarti cheese, red onions, fresh tomatoes and arugula. Sounds yummy, but it was merely...ok. See, some of this has to do with how they view foodservice at Legoland. All the Panini's are premade, and the Cast merely unpacks them and "heats" them up in the Panini Press. Not bad, not great. Just...ok. The center was cold, and it wasn't very flavorful. But, being famished, I really didn't care.

We went outside to grab a table, but all the tables were dirty. Also, there were flies everywhere. So much so that the kid refused to sit down...but, I was starving and had to have something, so we toughed through. I also wasn't so thrilled that they only had Lay's baked products. Not that I mind Lay's Baked chips, but it would have been nice to have had more choice.

Now, here are two of the most impressive Lego Statues (in my opinion) at the park. One is a giant bust of Einstein (in keeping with the Imagination theme, I suppose)...

And then there's this bad boy! A reticulated Giraffe (thanks awesome driver at Animal Kingdom a few days ago!).

I love that they include random facts next to each piece.

360 man hours to build...wow!

After this, we went off to Lego City, and first stop is the Boating School. Man, this ride is hilarious. First off, the theme is great. Little Lego boats which you take on a short journey with Lego Characters doing funny things. The queue theme is fun...as usual, look up!

<Continued Next Post>

englanddg · Sep 10, 2013

Uploading pictures. Thanks for everyone who is following along. TR should be done soon! I walked back into a mess at home/work that took a lot of my attention.

TheMouseFan · Sep 10, 2013

Thanks for sharing Legoland. I haven't heard very many good things about it, so it is nice to actually see pics and hear your thoughts! You should check out a Lego Kidsfest for you and the kiddo if you haven't done one already. It is a traveling Lego show that is awesome. We attended one in Cincinnati last year and Louisville this year and the kids love them. They have lots of models built, a big Lego pile to build in, and lots of themed areas such as Chima, Ninjago, and Friends. I can post pics if you would like. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

LuLaSue · Sep 10, 2013

FYI... Your videos are awesome, they always make me cry, happy tears! Your trip report is incredible, thanks for sharing!

englanddg · Sep 10, 2013

LuLaSue said:
FYI... Your videos are awesome, they always make me cry, happy tears! Your trip report is incredible, thanks for sharing!

Thanks. I'm working on the video for this years trip. Lots of footage to go through!

Here's a VERY rough draft of the second video (the first was the Fantasy walkthrough)! (final video won't look like this at all, gotta clean up the editing and I'm still trying to storyboard it all while going through the clips)...

Enjoy!

englanddg · Sep 10, 2013

TheMouseFan said:
Thanks for sharing Legoland. I haven't heard very many good things about it, so it is nice to actually see pics and hear your thoughts! You should check out a Lego Kidsfest for you and the kiddo if you haven't done one already. It is a traveling Lego show that is awesome. We attended one in Cincinnati last year and Louisville this year and the kids love them. They have lots of models built, a big Lego pile to build in, and lots of themed areas such as Chima, Ninjago, and Friends. I can post pics if you would like. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

I will check that out! Not quite done with Legoland yet...waiting on pictures to upload! <grin>

englanddg · Sep 10, 2013

@LuLaSue

Of course, I did have custom music written for this trip (it wasn't that big a deal, a group I enjoyed that I did a crowdsource donation for and this was part of the reward)...

Not sure what I'm going to do with those songs quite yet...but, if the voice / style sounds like Ben Folds...it should, it's his brother Chuck.

LuLaSue · Sep 11, 2013

Absolutely awesome! I love the music! Amazing!! Thanks for sharing! WOW! :happy:

meyeet · Sep 11, 2013

Those songs are awesome! Can't wait to see your final video!

joanna71985 · Sep 12, 2013

Legoland looks interesting! Thanks for sharing

englanddg · Sep 13, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 5)

So, what could he be doing? "Catching the Bad Guy!" the kid thinks...well, I just think they are inept fisherman in an unfortunate situation, but we'll go with the Kiddo's assessment as it's more exciting. <grin>

About the ride. Well, the Boating School is fun...but it has some issues. The ride itself is no different than you would expect. You are allowed to free steer your boat around a small "river" with neat Lego sculptures in the middle doing all sorts of zany things. If there's a story they are trying to tell here, I don't get it. But, it is fun to do. Kids, especially, will enjoy the fact that, unlike many of these style of boat rides, this one allows you full control over the boat.

This...however...is one of the problems. Since there is no track, guests can sort of go at their own speed. To get around this the "river" is wide enough in most places for two boats, so you can pass someone who decides they want to go a little slower. Problems? Well...it also means that you can get your boat turned around. And even stuck! Look in the back in this picture, you'll see a boat going the wrong way! Seems the kid wasn't done with the ride after all! His dad was frantically trying to get them turned back around. I must admit, in rather dark humor sort of way...it was very amusing to watch.

While waiting in line (less than 5 minutes) I saw at least 3 families get stuck and Cast Members have to go out there and help them either turn their boat around or push them off of the wall (where rubber meets rubber).

Still, a fun ride!

After this we went off to the Driving School. Along the way we ran into these guys. The kid loved the car. When I told her she could drive one, she got uber excited!

There are two versions of this ride. One for smaller kids, and one for older. The older kids ride entrance is near this bad boy!

Here, you check your kiddo into driving school and go wait with the other parents. They go through a short class and safety video and then are unleashed onto the unsuspecting streets of Lego City!

Of all the unique ride concepts at Legoland, I think this was my favorite...even though I only got to experience it vicariously through the kiddo. See...I'm too tall for this one! A group of kids ran out to their cars, but I didn't see the kiddo. Seems she failed Driving School! (nah, there was just a group ahead of hers). So, while I waited on her to graduate, I went into the gift shop and purchased her a Drivers License. When you get there, they take all the kids pictures individually. Then, you can get a custom license with the kids name and picture on it. Neat! For $16.99 it comes with a lanyard.

I eyeballed the "Lego Brickwall" picture item for $39.99. But decided against it. It is cool though. They take one of your "Picture Perfect Pass" (think Photopass) photos and put it on lego bricks as a display. Neat idea...but not worth $39.99...to me at least.

Another note...you can get the Picture Perfect unlimited pass if you are an annual pass holder for a steal at $99.99! Um...no thanks. Unlimited Digital Downloads are $49.99. Also...no thanks. While Lego seems to have tried very hard to emulate the Photopass system at Disney there's one major fault. Lack of Photographers. Our whole trip we only saw two...the one at the front gate and one near the carousel. I'd probably skip on the whole system if you are planning a trip there...I know I did.

So, shopping done, it was back outside to where other parents were waiting for their kids to finish the experience...and, I was very impressed with how the Cast Member handled the kids. They trained them to have a safety measure of putting their thumbs in the air, and if they get stuck they are to assume that position until a Cast Member can get over to help them out. The cars all vary, and one is even a police car with a working light (no siren...thankfully!).

The cars also go faster than I expected they would. While still not "fast" by any means, with the reduced scale I can imagine they are a lot of fun. The kiddo agreed!

A hike up a rather large hill and we were at Flight School.

This is a flying roller coaster. The type where they put you on bicycle seats and your legs dangle. It's the first coaster of this type that the kiddo has been on. Like all rides at Lego, it's scaled down from some of it's more famous cousins. I pretty much noticed that every ride had a height requirement no taller than 36". This means this is a perfect park to take a young thrill-ride enthusiast who hasn't quite reached the required heights to do the Disney or Universal coasters.

There was no wait here...and based on the kids excitement at being able to do a "big coaster" (not that she hasn't done "big coasters"...but the uniqueness of the dangling legs put this into the same realm as the Hulk at Universal, which she wanted to ride but was, alas, too short! <hums the Randy Newman song Short People>

I had a suspicion that we would be doing this ride multiple times...but, I was mistaken. First, it's rough (this one also gave me a headache)...but, it's so rough that the kid was quite literally in shock. She didn't cry or want to get off, and she did enjoy it...but, she had zero interest in doing it again.

From here we spied the Water Park. It's cute. It looks very pale when compared to the Disney Parks. One neat thing they do have is the Lazy River...with monster sized foam Lego blocks floating in it. We could have gone and checked it out, but we still hadn't done the other three sections of the Park yet, and I wanted to make sure she got to do the Chima rides she'd so desperately talked about on and off all day. "Dad, when can we go to Chima!"

You'd think I would have taken her earlier...but...well, that's a problem. I didn't know where it was! So...we just kept following the natural course of the Park, and I figured eventually we'd run into it.

The kid didn't want to walk (see, I told you she was shaken up), so I carried her piggy back down the hill. At the bottom is a restaurant. It's an American Diner theme...but it serves Fried Chicken. Now, I know Fried Chicken is an American staple...but, when I think of Diners, I think shakes, burgers and fries...not...Fried Chicken.

I popped inside and glanced at the food. So far, this place looks like it has the best food I'd seen all day! Had I not eaten so recently, I certainly would have picked something up...and I regretted not waiting just a bit longer and skipping the mediocre Panini and getting some of the fried clucky goodness.

I asked the kid if she was hungry, but she just wanted something to drink. Ok...

Rescue School was after this. Tucked away in a corner they have remote control Monster Trucks. I remember loving things like this as a kid...and I seem to vaguely recall that even Disney used to have something like this with boats in Adventureland...long gone of course. Anyhow, once again I was disappointed. They...were broken. Oh well.

We went next door and walked on to Rescue School. This ride is a WORKOUT!

So, the basic concept is that you are a Rescue Crew. Each team has a different vehicle theme, from fire to police, and your missions are based on that. Of course...each one is really the same. They just changed out the graphics. But, it's still fun.

It's more of a race with the other teams. But, I digress...the vehicles have a handcar style pump system...youknow, like those handcars you sometimes see in old cartoons? This powers your vehicle and propels you forward. There is also a space where someone can "drive"...yeah, this thing is on a track though. Good for smaller kids while mom and dad work off the Fried Chicken they just had for lunch though!

Once you get to the end of the "road" you have to get out and blast waterguns at targets to "complete your mission". During all this a Cast Member on the loudspeaker is egging everyone on to "hurry up!". I'm trying! I haven't had this good an upper body workout in years!

After that, you return to the vehicle and pump yourselves back to your starting position. If the Cast Members feel your team is going to slow, they will come out and push you back into position.

Fun? Yes. Tiring? Yes. Do it again? No. <grin> Even the kid was beat. You can see it in her face in this picture we took just afterwards.

We headed over to the Big Test, which is a stage show. I wish I could tell you more about it, but it had already done it's final showtime of the day...so...we missed it. <sigh>

Also, all of the vendors in this area were closed. I saw a BBQ Shack, and a "Waffle Spear" shack...both of which sounded pretty tasty...but, alas.

Even the drink vendor was closed. We rounded a corner and into Dino Country!

This is a single ride, an old wooden roller coaster style. I think Lego did a great job with the theme. It's obviously supposed to be Jurassic Park, and it's not nearly as impressive as the section at Islands of Adventure...but, I'd actually say I liked it better than Dinoland USA at Animal Kingdom, as far as theme.

The queue had all manner of neat things to look at...not that we needed to look at them...again, there was no line!

You don't want to meet this little guy on a dark stormy night on Dino Island while trying to smuggle frozen embryos out in a Barbosol shaving can! His size is deceiving!

<Continued Next Post>

englanddg · Sep 13, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 6)

The ride was fun. Like a said, it's an older style wooden coaster. The seats are a bit cramped, and I actually had to sit in the back of the first car giving the kid the front seat! For the most part the theme is fantastic. Lots of lush plant-life (probably some of it brought over from the Gardens section of the park). They've also added little Lego figures in all sorts of compromising situations with dinos, and the ride goes slow enough that you can take that in.

I enjoyed it. Next stop...a Jungle Safari!

As I've noted before...keep your eyes peeled! They have put Lego Animals everywhere! The kid thought this money was funny looking.

And that these parrots were silly.

The ride consists of a small Lego jeep done up in Zebra print. The ride is on a track though, so it merely gives the illusion of driving. The Lego animals here are fantastic, as is the foilage. It's quite fair to call this a very small, but very well done Lego recreation of the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom, and...I enjoyed it almost as much!

The car, alas, was too small for the kiddo and myself, so to her excitement she got to ride it alone. The whole ride she kept looking back and waving at me. She had a blast here, and this ranks as my third favorite ride of the day. It's relaxing, it's fun to take pictures on, and...well...just pretty much everything I would expect Legoland to be about. I loved it.

Oh, pictures! One thing I haven't mentioned is my camera...normally I am very good about bringing my external charging pack with me to the parks...but for some reason today I had forgotten. In addition, I ALSO forgot to charge the camera the night before. So...all the pictures you see I took with my iPhone 5. Shame on me! A mistake I will not make again!

By this point I had made sure that I glanced at a Park Map and learned the location of Chima. It was around 5:30, and the park would be closing in a few hours. Even though the rides had all been walkons, I wanted to be sure we did this since the kid was so excited to see it.

So, while we could have gone forward to Lego Kingdoms (the medieval), I decided we should backtrack and finish up Miniland USA before moving forward.

First section...Star Wars!

Darth Maul has some serious competition! I don't think the lady in green was very impressed, however...

Jedi's fighting for the future of Naboo and the Republic! (if you pressed a button it would cause them to move and lights and sounds would flash...)

The Gungam army at the ready!

Will the Trade Federation Droid Army succeed?

In the background, covered by the chaos of battle in the valley below, this fighter...possibly with a young Anikin inside...takes off to join the fray in orbit!

How do you like my Palace? It's a little cramped at times, but it's hard to beat the view!

Off to Endor. Vader is inspecting the shield generator on the forest moon to be sure that the new Death Star is well protected from the upcoming Rebel Assault!

Fighting was fierce, but thanks to C3PO winning over the natives, the Ewoks come to the rescue!

I loved how they put not so obvious things, like the Ewok village in the background here...

Chewie saves the day by hijacking an ATST! Lets get those shields down!

Darth Vader isn't happy!

But, Obi-Wan Kidnobi is here to stand up to the Dark Side!

Time to rejoin our Rebel friends to defend the ice world of Hoth! But, for that we need a navigation droid, right? Hi R2D2!

On Hoth, the battle has started...and it's intense!

One ATAT down...but the Imperial Force is mighty!

Luke, being the hero.

Nearby, an impressive battle between the Droid Army and the Imperial Clones takes place.

<Continued Next Post>

englanddg · Sep 13, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 7)

After all these epic battles, it's time to relax a bit at the Mos Eisley Cantina. At least in this version I can pretend that Han Shot First!

But, the battle for the Republic wages on! The Wookies are putting up quite a fight!

But Order 66 has been declared...the ultimate betrayal...

So, it's time to hop into our "bucket of bolts"...

And zoom out of here. Engage hyperdrive Chewie!

So, intergalactic adventure over, we decided to catch a nice concert.

And then see some of the sights in LA. First...Grumman's Chinese Theater! Hey, look, there's Darth Vader...is he following us?

Then over the Observatory, and the infamous Legowood sign!

San Francisco is off in the distance. I used to live just south of there in Monterey. Lets go check it out!

Sea Lions on the wharf!

Of course, no trip to San Francisco is complete without eating some Rice a Roni and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. No Rice A Roni vendors handy, so we'll settle with the latter.

In the shortest cross country trip ever, we were back on the East Coast. This time visiting the Nation's Capitol, Washington D.C..

We even got to spot some VIPs! The President and his family!

The view from the Jefferson Memorial is one of my favorites.

But, there is more to this grand city than memorials! People live and work here too! The kid lives just north of DC, in Maryland...and she kept looking for her house. "Why didn't they put MY house in, Daddy?" Um...I dunno kiddo, I'll leave it in the suggestion box.

The National Mall is grand.

And, of course, we had to stop by the Smithsonian!

And one last look at the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials and the Reflecting Pond.

But, while DC is grand...these little town blues...are getting to me. It's off to be a part of it...New York, New York!

Times Square...busy as always. I liked the piggy bank billboard!

<Continued Next Post>

englanddg · Sep 13, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 8)

Rockefeller Center was all decked out, with working dancing fountains. Cool!

And the Chrysler Building. One of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the world. If you ever have some time, look into the competition between it and the Empire State for tallest building during construction. It's interesting!

We are getting close to Central Park!

I know...lets go to the Zoo!

And after that we'll join a Hippy Circle! Far out man!

But, our time in NYC was coming to a close. We needed to move on if we were going to make it through the remaining three sections of the park before closing (yes, there are THREE sections left!). So, we went over to Grand Central Station to catch a train. It was busy...as always...

So, we went off to the Land of Adventure!

This area actually includes the Safari Trek and Coastersaurus rides we did earlier, but we only focused on the quite well themed...obviously trying to invoke an Indiana Jones style Egyptian adventure! There are two rides here, a small play area, and...carnival games.

Now, I don't mind carnival games from a financial standpoint because I understand that they are money makers for the park. But, I personally do not like games of chance that much...even if they argue that it's skill. I didn't like seeing them at Universal (they were in Islands of Adventure), and I didn't like seeing them here. Why? Well...because the kid would want to do them! Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice...and I certainly wasn't pointing them out (we would have spent the next half hour trying to catch a floating duck or pop a balloon!). <grin>

The playplace is called Pharaoh's Revenge. It reminds me of the play area at Curious George at Universal. They have the same ball guns and feeding systems. Kids have a blast shooting at each other (or shooting at nothing many times) as they scurry around to collect more nerf ball ammunition for their air guns. It's got cannons and "ball exploders" (for lack of a better term)...and is just a lot of fun.

Apparently adults don't go in there much, because I was the favored target of the day! (thankfully it was all nerf...I guess that's why it's called "Revenge"?)

I played with / let the kid play for about 15 minutes, but we had to keep moving. The park was closing in nearly an hour! So, off to the rides.

The Beetle Bounce is another ride here, and it basically consists of some seats that are lifted up a pole and then it shakes the riders. While it was operating when we entered Pharaoh's Revenge, it was either closed or out of service by the time we finished playing. So, on to the Lost Kingdom Adventure!

It was a lot of fun. It's a dark ride shooting ride, similar to MIB at Universal or Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom. Like MIB (and the Disneyland version of Space Ranger Spin), you have complete control over your gun. As you go through the ride, you shoot targets (which are far better marked here than at Universal or Disney) and they come to life. Each scene is made up mostly of Legos. It is fun, lots of fun, and ties my #2 slot as favorite rides in the park so far.

I actually wanted to ride it again (we were the only ones on the ride)...but we still had two sections of the park to do, including Chima! So, we pressed forward!

As we wandered into the Lego Kingdom, the kiddo decided she wanted a snack. So, we picked up an Ice Cream Sandwich. Off to the side we noted the Forestman's Hideout, and I prayed my kid didn't notice it. She loves playgrounds, and this one looked pretty cool...but we were running out of time. Thankfully, again, she didn't notice (or at least didn't ask to go play...maybe she is getting this whole "can't do everything right now" thing down?).

Still, the playground looked very neat, and was well shaded. On a longer visit, I could easily see this as a good spot to camp out at for a while as the kiddo worked off some excess energy.

However, she did see a ride she wanted to do! The Royal Joust! On this ride, kids get onto a Lego Horse and get taken on a track through various Lego based scenes. I...was too large to ride. So, I happily babysat the Ice Cream Sandwich (which...I may or may not have licked to keep it from melting into goo) as the kid went to prove her mettle on a royal steed!

Next stop...well, first...lets finish our Ice Cream, shall we?

We also took a picture with the Blacksmith. I think his name is Roy (he looks like a Roy)...but the kiddo says he is Shrek. <shrug>

Oh...and Lego has quite an eye for detail. I'm sorry, I had to take this picture...

Ice Cream consumed, as we entered the Castle, the kiddo decided that she wanted to ask permission to enter like a "grand lady"...

Lego Kingdoms has two rides inside the "Castle" area. The Dragon, which is a Roller Coaster, and Merlin's Challenge. The kiddo decided she wanted to do Merlin's Challenge...but I didn't really want to. It's a fun ride that is similar to carnival "snake" rides where you are whipped around in a circle at high speed over a track with small hills. She adored it. While she rode, I peered this...

Oh...THAT'S where I can get a burger. I was getting very hungry by this point. That Panini really hadn't done it's job. I wanted to get something to eat, but it right around an hour until Park Close, and we still hadn't done Chima...so...I passed. So sad...my stomach was...also, I did spy a few others who did order from there, and the burgers looked pretty good. Oh well...off to the Dragon.

<Continued Next Post>

englanddg · Sep 13, 2013

Day 15 - Do the Danes do it Better? Lego find out! (Part 9)

Now, this ride is very cool. Why didn't it make my Top 3? It could have...maybe tied with the Lost Kingdom Adventure? You get into a giant roller coaster train that's made to look like a Lego Dragon. Then they take you through a short "storyline" where Merlin is trying to save the countryside from evil. As with other rides, everything is done with Lego, and it's neat. Then you are taken out on probably the best Roller Coaster at the park.

It was just loads of fun. Another one that, considering there was no line, I would have done again. But, we had to be off. Chima was calling!

The area is nice...but there are really only two things to do here...wait, did I say two? Let me make that one. Get wet! This is a water section of the park. You WILL get wet if you do the ride, don't even try to avoid it. Not wet as in Splash Mountain...I mean completely down to the bones and knickers soaked.

So, be ready for that!

There's a small water playplace here called Cragger's Swamp. It's ok...I actually thought it was a bit dirty, especially since this area had just opened up last month (July 2013). Anyhow, it's got the normal popjets and other things, geared for younger kids. It's off to the side of the main ride. The kiddo played here for a while, but the park was closing in about a half hour, so I pushed us on to the ride she wanted to do since we got there! The Legend of Chima!

Here we experienced our longest line of the day.

Terrible, eh? <grin> I think the wait was 2 minutes or less...

Another thing I enjoyed here (as with the front gates) is the area theme music. It was almost John Williams style music. Epic, and worked very well for the ride.

I got to meet Lego Liono again...

And, I discovered his true name...Prince Lavel the Lion. He is in an epic struggle against the Crocodile King Craggor to keep Craggor from stealing the CHI, a mystical energy source (which...glows blue, cause that's mystical, right?)...

Apparently, there is a Cartoon based around this. One day I'll have to check it out to get the whole story. The kiddo, however, knew it all, and insisted on explaining it through the ride (not that my addled adult brain understood much!).

The ride itself is tons of fun. Easily the best attraction there (when it comes to rides). You sit in a boat that is taken through nearly a dozen "themed" areas. What makes it cool is that each rider has their own water cannon! You can shoot the Lego models, helping Lavel protect the CHI! Or...you can shoot other boats. Or, you can shoot people in the observation areas. To be fair, Legoland has given them cannons to shoot back at you with. Imagine a ride mixed with a childhood summer water gun fight, and you have "The Quest for CHI". It's...fun. A LOT of fun...but, you WILL GET SOAKED!

They also have the "Speedorz Arena" here, which is where you can build "Speedorz" and race them against other kids. But, being so close to park shutdown, this was closed. That's ok, we had to be off to get our Lego Friends!

Yep, we'd still done NO lego shopping. I had told the kiddo that she could have a few Lego Friends sets, and we had to pick up some Lego Star Wars kits for her Uncle (who is 12). So, after the ride...and a short stop by the restroom, we were off through the World of Duplo.

I really can't tell you much about this area, as it's geared for kids who are younger than my precocious 8 year old, but it looked pretty well done. They did have a car ride that reminded me of Mr. Toads (RIP Mr. Toad's Wild Ride...Pooh is a greater IP than you!)...

They've got a small playplace there called Playtown, obviously for kids under 5.

And an indoor playplace / shops that we didn't have time to explore.

So, back at the two story carousel, we hung a right and went to pick up some Friends! The kiddo really wanted the Yacht set, but it's expensive. I told her she could get two smaller sets or that set...but she wanted it that much. Unfortunately, a lot of the sets on display, including the Yacht, were new to the Friends line, and while displays had been delivered, actual sets had not! So, she wasn't able to get it. Again, there's always B-day coming up and Santa, right?

So, she decided on one large set (a mansion) and two smaller sets (a pool and a vets clinic). I also got her the "playmat" so she could build a small town.

I like to encourage her to play with legos because...well...secretly I hope she becomes interested in construction and engineering...like me. Yep...there is a selfish motive. <grin>

Thankfully, Legos are so cool...that much encouragement isn't required.

The Park was closing soon, and we still had to pick up lego sets for her Uncle! She chose Darth Mauls fighter.

And a Y-wing. She actually wanted to get him the Millennium Falcon...which, I would have shelled out the cash for because it's a fantastic set...but, they were...out of stock. Hrm...

So, Lego purchases in tow, we headed out of the park just as it was closing.

One other side note I'll make before I move on to our trip home...

They sell misting fans here that are the same type they sell at Universal. And these are MUCH better quality than the ones they sell at Disney. If you want to buy a Misting Fan for your kiddo...save it for one of these parks. The ones at Disney really just don't work well at all, and are actually more expensive. It has to do with the foam blades vs plastic blades. Random observation, I know, but I thought I'd share...

On our way out I spied the Legoland shuttle getting loaded up to depart.

In retrospect, we probably could have just done the shuttle instead of renting a car. There is a lot to see and do at Legoland, and even with one day, though we got through almost everything, there were still areas I would like to have lingered more, done for a second time, or checked out (like Cypress Gardens or the Waterpark).

Overall, I was pleased. It was a very fun day. It's a different vibe than Disney or Universal, largely because it's smaller and less crowded. You can tell where recent investment has been made in the park, and I hope that continues. I would certainly go there again, but it's also very much a park geared towards younger children. At 8, I'd say my kid is really at the top end of the scale. The rides are smaller and shorter, but still offer some thrill (and some pains in the neck for a few of them)...but, was it worth it? Yep. No question.

In fact, the only major gripe I'd have is food service. There are better restaurants quite literally just outside the gates of Legoland. The quality was lacking, and I didn't like that so many food venues were closed. Then again, I'm not in Park Operations and faced with a P&L to submit, so while I don't question their decisions...I do regret that halfway decent food wasn't readily available.

But, speaking of food...a few items to check out. The Diner with the Fried Chicken looked really good, so did the burgers. The Apple Fries are sold near the Two Story Carousel, and are worth a buy. We would have gotten some, but they were closing up as we left. The sandwich and Panini places are not worth even trying, but if that's really what you crave, I'd do the Panini place over prepackaged sandwiches sold in a grocery store cooling display.

Must sees? Well, we worked the park from left to right. If I had it to do again, I think we'd do the opposite. The highlight attractions are all on the right side of the park. Driving School is a must do, as is the Dragon, Safari Trek and Lost Kingdom Adventure. All will feel quaint compared to Universal or Disney, but if you go into it with a mindset that it's just about having fun, you will!

As far as Chima...well, this area is a MUST VISIT...but be sure you are dressed accordingly!

The Pirates Cove show is loads of fun, and as I mentioned in a previous post, sit on the left side or center, not the far right. You'll get to see more of the awesome water show that way. If you can snag a seat with a water cannon, your kid will thank you, I promise!

Overall, the park is fun. It has some cleanliness issues (I'd like to see them take a hose to the Lego models every now and then...some were rather...icky), and anywhere there is standing water, be it Miniland or other places, it is most likely rancid. But, all that being said, I'm impressed. Considering how new the park is, and how they are attempting to turn it around financially, you can certainly tell where they are going...and I think it's a very good direction.

This is not a one day park, once you include the waterpark. Rather, it's a two day experience. Unless you rush through the whole thing (which, we...did not)...but, with one day you can see pretty much all the major aspects of it. Lots of fun, and I give it a thumbs up. Thanks, Kiddo, for asking to go!

So, off to the car...we stopped by McDonalds (I was famished) and got some food. First McDonalds for either of us in weeks...not that we eat it often. But, the fries were hot and fresh. Not much is better than hot, fresh McDonalds fries! <grin>

After her nuggets and fries (are you surprised) the kiddo didn't last long.

So, radio blasting and top down, I enjoyed the uneventful ride back to Port Orleans. One interesting point of the trip was that this was the first time I'd actually driven through the archway at Disney in nearly 25 years. I've always used the Magical Express...so, that was neat for me.

We enjoyed the car so much I decided to keep it through the rest of the trip.

Once back in the room, I went off to fill our drink cups and pick up some more food...while the kiddo played with her new Lego sets.

It was dark when we got back, but not due to time alone. There was a storm blowing up. I got myself a Shrimp Po Boy. And...it was delicious! I also picked up some Chicken Strips for the kiddo...well, two of them actually. And for dessert? Beignets.

We ate and watched some TV together while the kiddo played with legos. She soon had the house built...but I could see it in here eyes. It was bed time.

So, cuddled up with Nala, she passed out. And slept well into the next day.

So, how did we do with the Dining Plan?

We need to spend around $127 a day to break even...

Dinner
Shrimp Po Boy - $18.20
Chicken Nuggets - $17.00
Brownie - 2.50
Beneights - 3.00

This makes our total to $40.70 (my summary post was wrong). Another huge deficit! But, we'll see. Still have a few days left.

So, with that...time for tomorrow...Day 16 - Cowabunga, Dude!

Tiggerish · Sep 17, 2013

Back from the Girls Cruise and all caught up. You should know that you were referred to so often on the cruise, you might as well have been on the ship with us. So if your ears were burning at any point last week, we were talking about "England dog".

(only good things, of course!)

I loved the Lego NYC, especially the Lipstick Building (which is what we call that oval building they built next to the Lego Chrysler Building)

englanddg · Sep 18, 2013

Tiggerish said:
Back from the Girls Cruise and all caught up. You should know that you were referred to so often on the cruise, you might as well have been on the ship with us. So if your ears were burning at any point last week, we were talking about "England dog". (only good things, of course!)

I loved the Lego NYC, especially the Lipstick Building (which is what we call that oval building they built next to the Lego Chrysler Building)

Not sure what you all would have said about me! (now I'm curious)...But, I'm glad you all had fun!

I'm certainly hoping that @Disneyfalcon does a "non-limited" wdwmagic cruise sometime in the future (or, I'll just use the kiddo as my "girl" to join along...as long as the schedule works for us <grin>)...no worries, we would want our own room. No roomies for us!

Legoland was fun, if you like that sort of thing. I'd give it a shot next time you are in that area!

Trip Report englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

One Little Spark...

Well-Known Member

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

One Little Spark...

Resident Redhead

One Little Spark...