lego fun - supersized

This past weekend, we surprised the kids on Sunday and took them to the Legoland Discovery Center here in Grapevine, TX. It took quite a bit of coordination in advance to get here. Several months ago when we wanted to go, we checked online, and everything was "full." This time, we purchased a time slot that was available days in advance - as the site advised. But we didn't realize until we got there, that this only secured our time slot... to wait in line!



And we can see why. The place is wall to wall covered with families making stuff, playing, jumping, climbing, riding, eating, and even just standing there on their smart phones {which was frustrating}. Other than the sheer crowds, I was impressed by what the center offered young kids.



For example this play area - requires children to wear socks. Which we didn't have or know we needed. Good thing the lego shop stocked them - $1 a pair. Children were also not allowed to exit the play area until a staff person matched them with their parent... which is a relief.

And the rides were pretty sweet - thrilling enough for the kids' brave hearts, and fun enough for us to ride a long.





The real lego action came when the kids built their cars and raced them. This giant ramp was an exuberant idea for Noah, as he loves anything and everything that has to do with vehicles. At home he races them on the floor... but here, he got to see the car he made practically fly off the ramp and crash. By rebuilding it, he learned how to make it light enough, but sturdy to win... over and over again.



Ava enjoyed the car races... but perhaps the karaoke stage in the Princess castle area even more. She sang Itsy Bitsy Spider and Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes... with complete passion...  feeling like like an instant star... something she's always wanted to do.




But as a family - I have to say, our favorite part was catching the 4D shows. We got rained on, snowed on, felt like we were riding in a helicopter with our hair blowing.... the simulations were fantastic! The good part is that they are also short enough to enjoy the experience. After 10 minutes of trying to use the glasses, I was ready to take them off.



There is something so timeless about Legos. And the Discovery Center is worth exploring at least once. 2-3 hours is plenty of time to explore the fun and watch all the 4D shows- but by 5pm, the place started to clear up, and we were able to zig zag freely... which meant a longer stay. By 6:30, we were tired, and ready go... especially the kids who snoozed during the car ride home.

Before you go....
Definitely check out their website before you go - discounted tickets are available for purchase online. Plus this will help ensure you can get in line.

Plan on bringing socks and yummy food with you {cafe selection is minimal}.

Also, be prepared for crowds. If you have a thing about germs - then this place isn't for you. The play areas are touched by thousands of hands - and I didn't see any cleaning done at any point of our 4 hour stay. Be sure the kids wash up often! Also, have a plan of action of what the kids should do if they should get lost.

Make the best of it -  at times I wanted to approach other parents who were just sitting on top of the play area dividers and using their smart phones, to move so that the kids could have a space to build - it just wasn't worth it. The kids quickly learned to work around the chaos - hopping from one area to the next - as the flow of the crowds pushed them... which I think takes away from the actual time, environment and concentration kids need to be creative and encouraged to build.