Our 2024 Legoland New York Review: Why Legoland NY should be soaring high on top of your family’s to-do list 

If you’re looking for a fun, family escape from New York City in the warmer months, we highly recommend Legoland New York Fun Park and Legoland Resort Hotel. Plus, it’s only minutes away from the major shopping mecca of Woodbury Commons, one of the hottest destinations for bargain hunters. It’s affordable, accessible by bus and car, and just an hour and a half away. So, join us in our Legoland New York review and see why we recommend it for families with kids under 13.

Legoland New York is an ideal day trip from Manhattan for families

It may surprise visitors to New York City that there are, in fact, a heap of amusement parks within a couple of hours of NYC. There’s Legoland up at Goshen, Dreamworks Waterpark, Nickelodeon Universe, and Big Snow Indoor Skiing over in New Jersey’s American Dream Mall, Six Flags Great Adventure for the big thrills and mega rollercoasters, Splish Splash on Long Island for waterslides, Playland NY at Rye for old-style carnival fun, the Crayola Experience at Easton, PA., Hersheypark in PA., and not to forget the beachside fun of Coney Island and Atlantic City.     

Legoland NY is the new kid on the block for fun park fans

Legoland New York, at Goshen, is the newest theme park in the United States and, in fact, the largest Legoland in the world, even larger than the mothership in Denmark. Opened at the tail end of the epidemic, it offered a breath of fresh air for families looking for good, clean fun close to New York City. Today, it’s already introducing new attractions, including a mini waterpark and, this summer, a gondola ride, which will make it easier for families to get between the entry and the thrill rides. 

The Watt Where How Legoland New York Review – Do This First 

1. Buy tickets to Legoland New York before you go 

Tickets to Legoland are heavily discounted online compared with buying them at the gate. Earlier in the season, you’ll get the best savings, with tickets as low as $54 for adults and $29 for kids. Like Disney parks, the ticket price can fluctuate depending on the day of the week. 

2. Download the Legoland NY app

We’ve always liked to have and hold a physical park map to pore over whilst downing our first coffee of the day. You’ll find them on Brick Street, but why wait? You can download the app beforehand and start planning your day. The app offers the map, ticketing, and even wait times on all the park’s rides and attractions. Most ride lines move fairly fast, but the popular ones can have wait times over 30 minutes. There’s the Lego equivalent of a fast pass available for purchase and activated through the app. 

3. Work out if you want to stay at the Legoland Resort

Legoland Resort is a family-friendly resort hotel with Lego-themed guest rooms. It’s located just adjacent to the park entrance, making it an easy trek there and back to your room. If you’re traveling with little ones, an afternoon nap can make the day more enjoyable, or if you like to partake in a sneaky boozy drink or six, you won’t want to drive. The resort offers room and ticket packages, so plan ahead and save. 

4. Book a spot at the Legoland water park (the day of)

If you want to play in the water park area, you need to book before the park opens. 

Reservations are essential. The water playground is a seasonal attraction that is open from late May until early September.  

5. Bring your credit card. Legoland NY park is 100% cashless

It’s the way of the future, and most amusement parks are following this trend. Just beware: rather than withdrawing wads of cash before your visit. 

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Where is the Legoland New York theme park and resort?

Legoland New York is located in Goshen, New York, in the Hudson Valley, halfway between NYC and the state capital, Albany. If you’re traveling between the two, vacationing in the Catskills, or want to escape the rat race of New York City, consider adding a visit to Legoland to your itinerary. 

How to get to Legoland NY, by train

The closest train station to Legoland New York is Campbell Hall, which is about a 10-minute drive from Goshen. The best way to get there is to depart from Penn Station. Take the NJ Transit train to Secaucus Junction. Get off and change there to the Port Jervis line and take it to Campbell Hall. Once there, take an Uber, cab, or lift the ten minutes to Legoland Goshen. 

How to get to Legoland NY by bus from Manhattan 

Coach USA runs the best and only official bus to Legoland, New York. The air-conditioned bus takes about an hour and a half and only stops at Woodbury Commons. During the season, you can buy combo park and bus tickets or individual bus tickets. 

How to get to Legoland NY driving

How far is it to Legoland from Manhattan? If you have a car (we, like most New York City residents, don’t), Legoland is close to the city, and on a good run of traffic, you can get there within an hour and a half. 

Driving to Legoland From Albany takes 1 hour and 40 minutes

Driving to Legoland From Philadephia takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes

Driving to Legoland From Boston takes 3 hours and 40 minutes

The Legoland Entrance

The car park is directly adjacent to the Legoland Resort entrance and the park entry. It costs about $35 to park for the day, and if you haven’t come by bus, it’s really the only way to deal with your car as there are no immediate side streets or off-street parking in the area. Thankfully, the parking is right at the entrance area, though they charge a premium ticket ($50) for the rows closest to the main park gate. 

If you haven’t bought tickets online ahead of time (which will save you up to 50% of the park entry price), there is a ticket booth to the left of the main entry. Even before you’re inside, you’ll find Lego creations that make for perfect photo opportunities. The iconic gateway features Lego characters and pieces representative of Technic, Lego City, Lego Knights, Ninjago, Lego Pirates, and Lego Friends. 

Meet the Model Citizens

Before you enter the park, the security staff will take you through a basic metal detector. Security is some of the friendliest we’ve experienced at theme parks, and the metal detector/bag search process is non-threatening or intrusive. What you’ll notice from your first interaction with Legoland staff is their name tags. Each has a mini figure lookalike attached to their badge. In fact, each general staff member is known as a Model Citizen, and their bosses are called Block Heads. True story! 

Once you’re through security, another batch of Model Citizens will scan your tickets, whether you’ve printed them or have them on your phone or tablet. Then, it’s straight into a world of magic and creativity. 

Can you bring food into Legoland New York? 

You can bring in snacks, water bottles, small handheld coolers, and sandwiches, but the park does not allow full picnics, trays of food, meals from outside vendors, and roller coolers or wagons. Strollers are perfectly fine, but they must be within reasonable limits—a maximum width of 31″ and a maximum length of 52“. ​

The best way to navigate Legoland New York 

We found Legoland NY easy to navigate, and it’s only going to get easier now that the new Mini Figure Sky Flyer is about to open. The theme park is built into the side of a hill, with the Legoland Resort and entrance at the top (along with Bricktopia and Ninjago), Miniland halfway down, and the Lego Pirates, Lego City, and Lego Castle at the bottom. 

If you’re a parent with young kids, you’ll probably want to start at the top and go clockwise down the hill before returning up through Miniland. But if you want the more exciting rides, to see Miniland, or to get to where the adult drinks are, turn right before Bricktopia and walk the park counter-clockwise. 

Thankfully, the park is new enough that it doesn’t attract the chaos of a Disney park “rope drop,” meaning if you know where you’re going and head straight to the hottest rides from opening, you can beat the crowds and queues. But first, coffee! 

Best Legoland Rides and Attractions

The beauty of Legoland New York is that it is designed specifically for kids. This means that most rides can be ridden with an accompanying adult, with only a few that you can’t ride under a certain age. Most notably, it’s rides like The Dragon and Driving School, where it’s best to steer your under six away from to avoid tantrums and potential meltdowns. 

BEST THINGS TO DO AT BRICK STREET, LEGOLAND NY

Disney has Main Street, Sesame Street has (um, well) Sesame Street, London’s Shoreditch has Brick Lane, and Legoland has Brick Street, the main esplanade from the entrance to the first rides. Brick Street is the civic center of the fun park, a place to orientate, get organized, find out essential information, and equip yourself with coffee, snacks, and water (if you didn’t bring them). 

A colorful dragon greets new arrivals at the start of Brick Street, and you’ll come across your first creative area, where your kids can match patterns and colors on Lego tiles with single bricks to create a mini mosaic. These can then be attached to a larger Lego wall to become part of an epic Lego creation. There are so many more colors than I had when growing up in the 80s, and the stand is tended to by older model citizens, a lovely touch that ensures locals are employed, even if senior or disabled. 

The righthand side of the main court is the service part of the park. There are public restrooms, stroller hire, guest services, first aid, a photo shop (where you can get a photo pass), and mobile phone chargers (which can be hired for a fee). 

To the left of the dragon is The Big Shop, a massive Lego retail shop with everything you’ve ever wanted from Lego. There are also some fun photo opportunities to find inside. At each gift shop around the park, you can construct mini versions of you and your family, with three figures for around $15 – a priceless souvenir. 

Brick Party 

Brick Party is the Legoland carousel and a smash hit with little kids. Instead of the ornate, carved wooden horses of yesteryear, you can ride motorbikes, chickens, tigers, and giraffes. Due to the accessibility and popularity of the carousel and the fact that it’s the first ride you see on the way into the park, queues can blow out for what is basically a very short ride time. 

Bricktopia

At the end of Brick Street, the park transforms into Bricktopia, a creative zone with outdoor play, photo opportunities galore, a barbecue restaurant, and musical fountains. 

Build and Test

Air-conditioned for an escape from the peak summer heat, Build and Test is a zone where kids can get extra creative with their constructions and then test them, like trialing your car down an eight-foot ramp. For a more educational approach to building with Lego, kids will dig the Lego Creative Workshop with all-age classes that teach different construction techniques. For sunny play, Rebuild the World is an area for open play where you can add your construction skills to a giant brick globe. 

DJ’s Dizzy Disco Spin

Our two-year-old is obsessed with teacup-style spinning rides, and DJ’s Dizzy Disco Spin at Legoland didn’t disappoint. It’s a short ride in colorful Lego cups that spin on a rotating platform. The only stipulation is that your child has to sit on the inside of the parents (if possible). 

Duplo’s Express

If you’ve got a little one, they’ll love Duplo’s Express. A larger rendering of a Duplo trainset, it chugs delightfully around a small set of tracks, giving children a sedate but charming ride. Siena, our two-year-old, was lucky enough to ride in the engine and you couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. 

Prof Brick’s Lego Factory Adventure Ride

It’s hard to judge what an almost-three-year-old will love the most at a theme park, but Siena was blown away by Professor Brick’s Factory Adventure Ride. It’s a trackless experience (using similar technology to Disney rides like Rise of the Resistance and Ratatouille. Each car holds up to six people, and there are no height restrictions. 

Entering into the ride, you walk through a gallery of classic Lego print ads before entering a depiction of a brick artist’s studio, which hints at what goes into the building of one of the park’s major models. It’s a great way to kill wait times, learn about the 3D programs they use, and peek behind the curtains of the park’s operations. 

The ride itself is a rollicking ride through reality as you’re spun around the factory, waking a fire-breathing dragon to melt the bricks and then being turned into mini figures. At times, you’ll be lifted and rocked in the car, but it’s nothing too frenetic for the little ones. Smile; there’s a group shot coming up before you’re “tipped” into a box and transported to a child’s bedroom. Our little one gave it rave reviews, and it was her “last ride” choice before we left the park. 

One warning about the Lego Factory Adventure ride (and some of the other park rides), they exit through the gift shop, and unlike most gift shops, these ones have open play areas, making it very hard to extract the kids from the area. 

BEST THINGS TO DO IN LEGO NINJAGO WORLD

Wander beyond Bricktopia, past a mini figure swap station (for the fanboys and girls), and you’ll find the Asian-inspired world of Ninjago. Created as the sweet spot between Lego City and Technic in the Legoverse, it’s a world that captures martial arts in brick form, with ornate figures and adventure playground fun in the form of climbing frames and structures. 

Ninjago World has a strange blend of carnival games, adventure rides, and a ninja training camp to burn off some of that excess energy. We missed out on Jay’s Gravity Force Trainer as our little one was too young and short – you have to be 42 inches tall to ride it. 

Lego Ninjago The Ride

One of the most popular rides for children under 12, Lego Ninjago The Ride, has no height restrictions. Wearing modern 3D glasses, you’re taken through a Monastery, where Master Wu passes on the secrets of the elements before motion sensors allow you to take on enemies by hurling 3D virtual fireballs. If you’re at the park at opening time, we’d recommend heading here or to the Dragon or Driving School as our picks for the hottest rides in terms of long lines through the day. 

Our little one really enjoyed the Ninjago dance party, where dancers dressed in ninja wear, and a larger-than-life mascot figure taught an adoring crowd the way of the ninja dancer. “Chop, chop, slice, slice, turn, and pose!” Siena thought it was the best and has been doing the moves ever since we visited. 

BEST PARTS OF MINILAND AT LEGOLAND New York

I’ve been a fan of Lego since my post-toddler creative explosion. I honestly can’t think of anyone who isn’t. As a kid, we’d go each year to see the touring Lego World Show at the main shopping center. Here, we’d see Amsterdam realized in brick form, complete with water-filled canals and tour boats chugging between the character apartment buildings. It was epic and impressive. 

Again, as a 13-year-old, I was able to experience the original Legoland in Billund, Denmark, where Europe was brought to life in miniature. The Miniland at Legoland in the northeast USA is a different story. Instead of palaces and canals, North America from the East Coast to the West Coast comes to life in Lego. 

Entering Miniland from above, a gently sloping pathway from Brick Street winds through a mini Goshen, NY, the nearest major town. Goshen’s claim to fame is its historic trotting and horse racing, and as part of the display, you can compete in an interactive race, pushing simple buttons to propel your horse along. It’s the blend of amazing Lego work, motion, and interactivity that makes the experience so enticing. 

The Big Apple isn’t so big at Legoland 

You can’t have a Legoland New York review without mentioning its unique New York touches. Much of Miniland is an homage to New York City, with all five boroughs represented in some way. Expect to see everything from Central Park’s Belvedere Castle and Bethesda Fountain, Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, and the Empire State to the 9/11 Memorial Pools in the Manhattan section. Brooklyn’s museum, Prospect Park, and Coney Island all get a hat tip, and Queens’ World Fair site and Citifield are well represented. 

Moving through Miniland, you’ll see everything from the Capitol and White House in Washington DC to South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore to the famed Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. Vegas is well-represented, along with a few Texan touches before we land in California, complete with Hollywood and San Francisco sites rendered from the 22 million plus bricks that have gone into the construction of Miniland.

Launching skywards this summer, the Lego Mini Figure Sky Flyer 

The newest ride addition to Legoland New York opens Summer of 2024, and when we visited, builders were still finalizing the construction of the two stations for this gondola ride, but we were able to see the colorful gondolas in their glory. In total, there will be seven of these pods traversing the skies above Miniland, each of which can hold up to ten people (or slightly less when your party has a stroller on board). It’s a ride that will make the park more accessible for families with little ones not up to the return walk up the hill to Bricktopia. 

THE BEST LEGO PIRATES ATTRACTIONS

Dominating the view from up on Brick Street, the pools and pirate ships of Lego Pirates will draw your kids down like a super-powered electromagnet. The lure of pirates, cannons, and the chance to get soaking wet can be too much, so expect it to be high on their to-do lists. 

In fact, Legoland Pirates World has something for everyone. Our toddler was all over the pirate ship playground, Shiver Me Bricks, with its wood and rope rigging, slides, and hiding places. If Siena could write her own Legoland New York review, she’d be raving about the place spaces over the actual rides!

Families will love the chance to burn off tensions with an epic ship-to-ship water fight called Splash Battle, while those unencumbered with offspring can happily while away the afternoon with a frosty beer, wine, or cocktail from Brickbeard’s Food Market. 

Anchors Away!

For those who like just a little thrill, Anchors Away! is a sedate take on a pirate ship ride, gently rolling and turning as it moves back and forth across its simple rail. This was a popular adventure for Miss 2, who liked the gradual turns and elevation. Guests must be at least 36 inches tall to ride. A supervising companion over the age of 14 must accompany guests less than 42 inches tall.

Rogue Riders 

Rogue Riders is a spinning water ride where you skim above the churning waters on a barrel that is somewhat like a swamp airboat. Due to its speed and build, you must be at least 4 years of age and 42 inches tall to ride.

Splash Battle

We really wanted to try Splash Battle, as it looks like a lot of fun. You get to board pirate ships and spray larger-than-life water cannons at other pirates. However, as we were there so early in the season, it wasn’t turned on for foolhardy types like us who don’t mind getting drenched in the spring breezes. When it is running, there are pay-for-use jet dryers, so you don’t need a towel. 

Pirate Meet-and-Greets

Over the course of the day, you may run into groups of marauding model citizens dressed as pirates. They’re super friendly and up for selfies and family photos. If you’re around at the right time, you may get to meet the legendary Captain Brickbeard the pirate, who appears outside Brickbeard’s Food Market.

THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN LEGO CITY

Lego City was one of the first modern Lego sets and was particularly popular with boys due to its police force, firefighter, rescue boats, and other civic-themed playsets. But Lego City is for everyone; it is a place where the buildings are life-sized, even if most of the visitors are mini. The chance to walk down the main street, join a team of firefighters, climb on police vehicles, learn to drive, or go to the movies is a way to live like a Lego mini figure.  

Coastguard Academy

Why keep all the fun of toy boats in the bathtub, pond, or pool? Coastguard Academy puts you behind the wheel of oversized Lego boats that chug slowly along a watercourse, very much like a lazy river. Guests must be at least 34 inches tall to ride, and kids under 52 inches tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion.

Ocean Explorer 

All aboard the Lego Ocean Explorer. This swinging ship ride offers a more intense buzz than Anchor’s Away as it plunges below and above the waves. 

Driving School 

Everyone’s a backseat driver. At Legoland, you can put your kids in the driving seat if they’re three or over. In Lego City, you’ll find two driving schools, a junior driving school for three to six-year-olds and the main kid’s driving school. Learn the basics and take to the streets in a mini Lego car once you’ve earned your license. It’s a simple concept but a hit with the kids. Guests must be between 6 and 13 years of age to ride, though the Junior Driving School is available for 3 to 6-year-olds. 

Fire Academy 

Grab your family or friends and get pumped (or pumping). The Fire Academy is a group experience where you have to pump an oversized fire engine to get it from one side of a courtyard to a “burning” building. Once you’re close enough to the fire, you can pump out the water to suppress the fire. We wanted to join the fun, but by the time we’d gotten to the city part of the park, the queues were longer than we were prepared to wait. Guests must be at least 34 inches tall to ride, and kids under 52 inches tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion.

The Wharf

The Wharf is another adventure playground kids will love. It’s themed around ships you can climb aboard and take over, riding down cascading slippery slides. For the lack of bells and whistles, it’s proof that you don’t need crazy thrills to keep little minds amused. 

The Palace 4D Cinema 

Cinemas may be slowly going the way of the buffalo, but thankfully, The Palace serves as a focal point on the main street of this micro-city. We found it a pleasant stop away from the foot traffic to get absorbed into the world of Lego in 4D (complete with the wacky glasses) rather than the ultra-reality the rest of the park offers. 

Water Playground 

Don’t come to Legoland, NY, expecting a water park. It’s first and foremost a theme park, with the addition of this small water playground. It’s basically an oversized splash pad with a cascading water drop bucket with a couple of gentle slides. There are two for littlies and two for older kids. Guests over 40” tall may ride all slides in this area. Surprisingly, the Lego water playground is reservation only, so make sure you book ahead to avoid tears.  Guests over 36” and under 40” may only ride the two lower slides

THE BEST RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS AT LEGO CASTLE

I’m not going to lie. This 80s child had quite a few sets of Lego Castle toys. I loved the knights, their colorful shields, and very stiff white, brown, and black horses. The medieval experience is brought to life in a much more imaginative way. For starters, you can buy smoked turkey legs from street vendors, scale towers, build your own towers, and ride on the tail of a dragon. 

Merlin’s Flying Machines

More in the spirit of the Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines than Merlin the Wizard, Merlin’s Flying Machine is a spinning ride where you can “self-propel” with pedal power as you spin 15 feet above the earth. Guests must be at least 34 inches tall to ride, and kids under 52 inches tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion.

The Royal Market 

Find garments fit for your little princess or king at this medieval-themed gift shop and its adjacent food vendor, Royal Feast. We were surprised to find vegan options for sale (not that we’re vegan, but we weren’t expecting to see them alongside turkey drumsticks).

Builder’s Guild 

Like most of Legoland’s lands, the castle area has a creative zone. The Builder’s Guild is attached to the Royal Market. It’s an inviting space away from the elements where one can focus on building a central castle structure. 

Tower Climb Tournament

Modern in look but medieval in spirit, this is the most traditional ride in the whole park. You compete as a group using ropes and pulleys to pull your basket up a pole. Train up to rescue your Rapunzel, but you need to be at least 3 years of age and 38 inches tall to ride.

The Dragon

A blend of dark rides and thrilling roller coaster, The Dragon is the most popular ride in the park for those tall enough to ride it. But don’t worry, there are no dramatic drops, loops, or zero-G forces to deal with, just the giggles that come with having the time of your life. Guests must be at least 4 years of age and 42 inches tall to ride, but strangely, if you’re taller than 76 inches (193 cm), you can’t ride either. Take that, dad! 

The Dragon’s Apprentice

If you’re too small (or tall) to ride The Dragon, you don’t need to miss out on the fun of the Lego Castle. The Dragon’s Apprentice is a scaled-down version of The Dragon, minus the inside, dark castle element. The photo of Jess and Siena tells you everything about the fun of this ride.  Guests must be at least 36 inches tall to ride.

Food options at Legoland NY

While nowhere near Disney parks for variety, we were pleasantly surprised by the food and drink options for families and all ages. It wasn’t a food desert of hot dogs and burgers. Instead, there was everything from smoked turkey drumsticks to Beyond vegan burgers. The park caters to all tastes and even fussy eaters. If you have dietary requirements, you can check the list of vendors at the Guest Services Office on Brick Street.  

Vegan and Gluten-Free Food at Legoland NY 

If you’re looking for vegan and gluten-free food options at Legoland, you’re in luck. Brickatinis not only has gluten-free pizza; it’s cooked in a separate oven to avoid cross-contamination. If you like barbecue, Smokey’s Brick-B-Que has a few GF options, like Smokey’s South West Salad, Hickory Smoked Baked Beans, Alabama White Coleslaw, Ms. Kathy’s Potato Salad, and Texas-style Corn. We recommend the beans, which were as sweet as they were smokey. 

The Royal Feast in the Lego Castle area offers simple options like a smoked Turkey leg, but it also offers a gluten-free cheeseburger combo and, for vegans, a Beyond Burger Combo. 

Legoland New York Review: Our votes are in

Is Legoland NY worth the money? Is it worth the travel time? We say a resounding yes! If you are a forward planner, you get the best bang for your buck either by visiting the park before summer, when ticket prices are at their lowest, or by purchasing a season pass. 

We found the park offered decent value, manageable wait times, and there was an easy option to get there on public transportation. This, compared with our time at Sesame Place, was ten times better. The staff were friendly and helpful, the rides were clearly marked, and the food wasn’t astronomically expensive. 

Throughout the day, there were fun moments of education and entertainment and more than enough places to chill out when you needed it. Definitely bring sunscreen and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated and sun safe. 

Will a toddler enjoy Legoland NY? 

Toddlers who are confidently walking will love Legoland. There are plenty of rides for little kids, and if they’re closer to 36 inches/3 years old, nearly every ride is available. Even tweens and teens will love Legoland due to the spread of rides, innovations, and, for the older ones, nostalgia. The Wattwherehow Legoland New York Review is unpaid, unsponsored, and entirely our own views.

Looking for more vacation and road trip ideas across the northeast of the United States? We have great ideas across New York State, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine.

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