Legoland for toddlers, is it worth it? Over recent school holidays we decided to invite one of Ella Grace’s really good friends (and his mama!) to Legoland in Johor. Two mamas, two toddlers, one short plane ride away, an adventure awaited – here is our Legoland Malaysia review!
After we checked into the LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, we got our tickets to the theme park and off we went just a couple of steps and a very cool elevator ride away (read our LEGOLAND hotel review here).
Immediately, the kids were mesmerized by the sheer scale of the place. We quickly realized that the two days we had planned for the kids to explore the park would not be enough so we strategically picked out the attractions that we thought they would enjoy the most.
Our children are really into service vehicles or transportation of any sort so they headed straight for the boat, train, and car rides.
We were happy to see that they have awesome child-sized life vest that fit well and were in good condition for the littles to put on when boating. The train ride takes you through a small part of the park and the car rides were an absolute delight! Split into two sections by age, the smaller course for little ones was perfect for our three-year-olds.
Another of their favorite sections was The Shipyard, a giant playground with only one entrance and exit which meant the kids got to roam freely while the mamas sat on a bench and enjoyed a little fruit break!
A quick note about restrictions: quite a few rides were not accessible to them because of their age and height. One of the more disappointing ones was the fire engine attraction that requires the children to pump water to put out the fire. We got there just after it rained so the park was quite quiet and even though they weren’t allowed ride on it, the really kind attendant let them check it out which completely made their day.
The service throughout the park was very consistent. Friendly, approachable, helpful, it made our trip really pleasant on both days and the attendants sometimes went out of their way to welcome the kids.
We got a combo ticket for the theme park and water park (the sea life section hadn’t opened yet) and I would highly recommend it as the kids really enjoyed both. The combo ticket allows multiple entries to both which also was a nice perk.
Legoland water park
The kids LOVED the water park! They really didn’t get to go on any of the rides (except the Build-A-Raft River which they enjoyed) and again, left most of the park unexplored but oh how they loved it! There is a smaller section with little slides (Duplo Splash Safari) that is perfect for them to play contently in. We had them keep their vests on and they were so happy just splashing around. There is also Joker Soaker, a bigger area with larger slides and spouts (very similar to the Spongebob Splash Adventure) but they were quite overwhelmed with the giant bucket. Older toddlers or ones with more water confidence would love it!
Photo credit: LEGOLAND
Get a cabana!
I highly highly highly (said three times for emphasis) recommend getting a cabana or gazebo for the day especially if you have napping toddlers. We paid RM280 for a full day cabana which seemed like a lot at first but we both agreed was worth every penny at the end of the day. The cabana gave our very tired toddlers (and mamas!) a safe, quiet, dark place to recharge and go off again happily without melting down from being overstimulated.
It comes with bath towels, beach recliners, chairs, a table, fan and shade, a safe (so awesome!) and a chiller with drinks. You can order food from the counters and have it delivered to the cabana without wrestling the crowd.
We weren’t sure at first what the difference between the cabana and gazebo was so opted for the cheaper option but on hindsight, we may go for the gazebo the next time as it comes with air conditioning. We were hit with a large storm halfway through and were so grateful the kids were sleeping in the cabana (they didn’t even flinch!) but the water was pouring in from the sides.
Ella Grace woke up a little earlier than her friend so I took her out around to explore and grab a snack while waiting for the storm to pass and were pleasantly surprised to find the lifeguards making little balloon animals in the café area for the little ones. That was really the heart of the service at Legoland that we loved.
Visiting Legoland with toddlers in a nutshell:
The theme park is open from 10am – 6 or 7pm (selected days) but with napping toddlers with little feet, I would highly recommend you allocate ample time for both your sanity and for the littles to really enjoy the park – and consider staying overnight in one of the hotels near Legoland (see a list with prices here).
Accept the fact that you may not be able to cover all of the theme park. On our last day, I threw the idea of “wasting time” out of the window and just let the kids ride the same ride over and over and over again, enjoying their squeals and giggles, even though I knew it meant that there would be an entire area (Ninjago and anything further back) that we didn’t venture to at all.
PROS
- Really fun “transportation” themed rides that the little ones love, like- Boating School, Junior Driving School, Legoland Express, Miniland.
- The Shipyard – a huge play area that allows the children to just run around and explore and only has one entrance/exit so they are free to roam.
- Our toddlers LOVED the water park even though they were restricted to only a few areas.
CONS
- It’s HUGE! Lots of walking for little ones but also definitely plan accordingly and allocate enough time to explore the whole park
- There were quite a few rides that the little ones couldn’t ride due to age and height restrictions
- Food is quite pricey and with not a lot of fresh fruit/veggie options though you can choose to bring some food along and save it in the Chilled Food Lockers or pop by Bricks Restaurant in the hotel next door which has an amazing selection!
The good news? We will definitely be back and would definitely consider annual passes as the kids had so much fun. We can’t wait to explore the rest of the LEGOLANd theme park as we go along and really looking forward to the SEA LIFE opening in April!
We stayed as guests of LEGOLAND Malaysia. All opinions are honest and our own, as always!
