LEGOLAND New York theme park is where kids and adults can play and experience attractions inspired by LEGO. In this review of LEGOLAND New York I am sharing all the details for how to plan your visit to the LEGO NY theme park.
LEGOLAND New York is a LEGOLAND theme park located in Goshen, NY. It is about an hour from New York City and offers rides and attractions inspired by LEGO.
At the LEGOLAND resort you will find the LEGOLAND theme park and the LEGOLAND hotel.
We had our first visit to LEGOLAND New York and my first impression was really great! The park is best for kids 10 and under. It is very clean and the layout is easy to navigate.
Little kids will love this park! There are LEGO bricks to play with around every turn and the rides at LEGOLAND NY are very kid friendly.
Let’s get into how to plan your day at LEGOLAND NY and what to expect for your visit.
Planning Your Day at LEGOLAND New York
LEGOLAND NY is a one-day park and you will have time to see and do the most popular attractions during your visit.
How to Get to LEGOLAND New York
LEGOLAND is located in Goshen, NY and accessible by car. There are bus packages out of New York City but most people will park on-site at the park.
LEGOLAND NY Ticket Prices
Before you arrive at LEGOLAND NY be sure to purchase tickets and check the park times for the day you are planning on visiting.
Layout of the Park
LEGOLAND New York is a relatively small and easy park to navigate. It is located on a hill and can be a lot of walking but it has an overall small footprint.
If you are pushing a stroller or have mobility issues be prepared for a lot of ramps winding up the hill. The park is divided into different lands and includes a Miniland area.
Overview of the Park:
- Brick Street
- NINJAGO World
- LEGO Castle
- LEGO City
- LEGO Pirates
- Bricktopia
- Miniland
Hotels at the LEGOLAND Resort New York
The LEGOLAND Hotel is located next to the LEGOLAND park entrance and is the best place to stay if you are visiting LEGOLAND NY. It offers themed rooms, on-site dining, and activities.
The hotel can be a bit pricey during peak season but they often offer vacation packages that include admission to the parks and free breakfast.
If you are looking to stay off-site you will need to stay in Goshen and then drive to the park. Be sure to price out parking and consider convenience when deciding where to stay.
LEGOLAND NY hotel is walking distance to the park making it very easy to take a mid-day break. They have 4 themed rooms that include: NINJAGO, LEGO Friends, Pirates, and Knights.
Check the latest prices for LEGOLAND hotel.
Rides at LEGOLAND New York
The rides at LEGOLAND NY were family fun and we had a good time but my kids are almost all in their teens are were on the older size for the rides.
LEGOLAND parks are best for kids 3-11 years old.
We have visited the LEGOLAND Florida and LEGOLAND California parks and felt LEGOLAND NY had less attractions. This could also be because my kids were getting older and looking for more thrill rides and roller coasters.
The best rides at LEGOLAND NY are: LEGO Ninjago The Ride, The Dragon, Splash Battle and the LEGO City Theater. There is also a LEGO Factory Adventure Ride that is unique to this park and is worth riding at least once.
The entire park can be done in a day and there are indoor attractions and outdoor attractions.
LEGOLAND NY Rides and Height Requirements
When planning a visit to LEGOLAND New York it is important to check the ride height requirements to make sure your group can ride the attractions you want.
Here is an overview of the rides at LEGOLAND NY with height requirements:
- Brick Street:
- Brick Party (Carousel) Must ride with an adult if under 44″
- Bricktopia:
- DJ’s Dizzy Disco Spin Must ride with an adult if under 42″
- Duplo Express (Train) Must ride with an adult if under 34″
- LEGO Factory Adventure Ride Must ride with an adult if under 52″
- LEGO Ninjago World:
- Jay’s Gravity Force Trainer Must be 42″ to ride, must have an adult if under 52″
- LEGO NINJAGO The Ride Must ride with an adult if under 52″
- LEGO Castle:
- Merlin’s Flying Machines Must be 36″ to ride, must have an adult if under 48″
- The Dragon Must be 48″ to ride alone, Must have an adult if 42″
- Tower Climb Tournament Must be 38″ to ride, Must have an adult if under 52″
- Dragon’s Apprentice Must be 36″ to ride, must have an adult if under 42″
- LEGO City:
- Junior Driving School (Ages 3-5)
- Driving School (Ages 6-13)
- Coast Guard Academy Must be 34″ to ride, 52″ with adult
- Fire Academy Must be 34″ to ride, must have adult if under 44″
- Ocean Explorer: Must be 42″ to ride.
- LEGO Pirates
- Anchors Away! Must be 36″ to ride, must have adult if under 42″
- Splash Battle Must have an adult if under 52″
- Rogue Riders Must be 42″ to ride, must have an adult if under 52″
- Water Playground
- This area requires free reservations and features a splash and play area.
- Minifigure Skyflyer
- Gondola style transportation to get across the park. Each gondola fits 10. This opens June 24, 2024.
Expected Wait Times at LEGOLAND NY
Wait times during our visit got longer as the day progressed making it very important to do the most popular attractions first.
Surprisingly to us the LEGO City attractions had some of the longest wait times. If they are on your list to ride the best time would be at park opening or later in the evening.
This is because these rides have very slow load time and capacity. They can only put so many guests through the attraction. The longest posted wait time of our day was 100 minutes for Coast Guard Academy, we did not wait for in this.
This is a boat ride that is very slow. If you want to ride this head over there within the first few hours of park opening. I share our itinerary later in the post of how we avoided waiting for rides.
Where to Eat at LEGOLAND NY
LEGOLAND NY has a great variety of dining options.
There are 17 different options to choose from. These range in restaurant sit down dining, food stands and food carts.
We opted for sit down meals for lunch and dinner. The restaurants in the park are counter service with a large sitting area.
We ate at Brickolini’s Pizza & Pasta for lunch and Smokey’s Brick-B-Que for dinner.
Lunch at Brickolini’s Pizza & Pasta: Family 4 Pack, a large pizza, a order of pasta, a salad, and 4 drinks. It was $59.99 and fed our family of five.
Dinner at Smokey’s Brick-B-Que: BBQ platters to share. Dinner was $74.00 and came with plenty of food. If you are trying to save a bit you can share these meals.
One of the “famous” snacks at LEGOLAND New York are the Granny’s Apple Fries. These were green for the Halloween event going on during our visit and they were okay.
I have had these at the other LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND Florida parks and loved them. This time they were not as good. I do not know if it was the green dye that made them a bit soggy or just a not so great batch.
Either way they are worth trying for yourself. They come with caramel and whip cream dipping sauce!
Shows and Entertainment at LEGOLAND NY
At LEGOLAND NY guests can meet characters and see shows. We visited during the Halloween Brick or Treat event and the characters were in costume.
There are also singing and dancing shows and hands-on activity building through out the park. Meeting characters at LEGOLAND is so much fun!
Tips for Your Visit
- Arrive early to the park. 30 minutes before official park opening.
- Purchase tickets ahead of time.
- Stay on-site at the LEGOLAND hotel if it works for your budget.
- Bring hand sanitizer. There are lots of LEGO to touch and build with, and you want to stay clean! There were stations throughout the park but I find keeping our own close hand is best.
- Watch LEGO City or LEGO Ninjago before your visit to build excitement and become familiar with the characters you may meet.
How Many Days do You Need at LEGOLAND New York?
One day is enough to tour the entire LEGOLAND park.
What age is Legoland New York best for?
LEGOLAND NY is best for kids 10 and under. The attractions and activities are geared towards younger kids. There are playgrounds through the park and most attractions are all ages.
2 and 3 year old’s will enjoy this park but older kids may not find enough thrill rides. My kids are at the top age for the park.
How close to NYC is Legoland NY?
LEGOLAND NY is a little over an hour drive from New York City without traffic. It is 69 miles and the drive will be dependent on traffic.
Is there a water park at LEGOLAND New York?
There is not a water park at LEGOLAND New York but there is a water playground. This is a splash bucket climbing structure and is best for kids under 10.
Expect to wear bathing suits and bring towels. Guests also must reserve time during their park day to experience the water area.
The LEGOLAND Hotel also has an outdoor pool.
Do you need LEGOLAND Reserve n Ride Pass?
The Reserve n Ride pass is an add-on to your admission ticket and offers an option to skip the lines. I don’t think it is necessary if you arrive early on the day of your visit but it might be helpful on busy days and if you want to sleep in.
Special Events at LEGOLAND New York
LEGOLAND NY is a seasonal park open from May through December. The hotel is open year round.
LEGOLAND has Brick or Treat and the Holiday Bricktacular. These seasonal events are included with your admission ticket. There are specialty food and character meet and greets.
During the Halloween event there is trick or treating as well as a special LEGO 3D show. The park is decorated for the season and it is a fun event.
Our LEGOLAND NY Itinerary
I prefer to have a plan when we visit any theme park because, they cost a lot of money to visit and I want to see and do everything we can.
We had a very flexible plan when visiting LEGOLAND NY and I wanted to share it to help you plan your visit.
We had one day and the park was open 10:00am-5:00pm. We were visiting after an overnight in New York City and planning to drive home to Rochester after the day.
We arrived about 30 minutes before park opening and planned to do the most popular attractions first and then do a second loop of the park with the attractions we missed.
Our day looked like this:
- Ride LEGO Brick Factory Adventure
- Ride NINJAGO the Ride (2x)
- Ride The Dragon (2x)
- Driving School
- Coast Guard Academy
- Fire Academy
- Lunch at Pizza & Pasta
- LEGO City Theater (2x) They have 4 different shows that run every 15 minutes.
- Anchors Away
- Rogue Riders
- Granny Apple Fries Snack (This is located in LEGO City. My husband went to order as the kids rode Anchors Away)
- Explored Mini-Land and made our way back to the start of the park.
- Brick Party
- DJ’s Dizzy Disco Spin
- This is a good time to go into any activity buildings you may have skipped and to take your time exploring each land. Play at the playgrounds, take pictures with the LEGO statues.
- We did one last loop and rode any attractions that had short lines.
- Before we left the park we had an early dinner at Smokey’s Brick-B-Que
Overall we fit a lot in for our day at LEGOLAND NY. I hope these LEGOLAND NY tips help you plan an awesome day at the park.
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.