Since the closing of Nascar at Vaughan Mills, signs of Legoland Discovery Center have come up and the girls have been eagerly awaiting its opening for months. So, two days after Legoland opened, we took them to check it out—a prize for good behavior.
While we knew there was a café inside and that food would be available, we figured the prices were going to be outrageous. So, we decided to have lunch first at the food court before heading in. Despite having bought tickets online and believing that we would be able to go right in, it took about 20 minutes to queue. For single admissions, the processing of entry was pretty fast. However, families getting annual memberships were in the same line and it took a while for each group to fill up forms and have pictures taken. The girls kept themselves entertained by playing with the bricks that were put up on the walls.
Upon entry, your family can get a picture taken with a green screen behind (superimposed later on at the photo booth on Lego landscapes. Different print packages are offered--from single photos to key chains). Then, you go through Lego Factory where the process of making Lego bricks is explained. You can even check your weight and height in Lego bricks!
The Kingdom Quest ride is next. A "charriot" seating up to five people and equipped with laser guns, goes around the “kingdom” and your team is supposed to zap trolls, skeletons, spiders and such, in order to rescue the princess. Each seat would show a score and we all had a great time. Photography is not allowed inside but an action shot is taken and can be purchased as well at the photo area-- you know the drill if you've been to Disneyland or other amusement parks.
After you’ve checked out your pictures and gotten your souvenirs (or not), you will pass through MiniLand where a miniature Toronto is displayed, including the CN tower, Air Canada Centre, Toronto City Hall, Nathan Philips Square, and even the Harbourfront!
Other Ontario landmarks were on display, too. A miniature Parliament is set up beside the Niagara Falls (complete with Maid of the Mist and the Aerocar).
What’s cool is that the display transforms into a night scene complete with the CN tower changing colours. There are several interactive stations where you can push a button to make sounds or make some objects move. There is even a fireworks display.
When you’re done checking out this city made of over a million Lego bricks, there is a large area with various activities and you can decide what you want to do next. The girls started off with the Racers: Build and Test where they made race cars (from Lego bricks, of course) and let them run down the speed ramp. We skipped the Duplo area for kids 2-5 and went straight to watch a 4-D movie.
Clutch Powers was a pretty good 3D movie about 10 minutes long. It was hilarious to watch DD#2 reach her hands out to touch the floating objects. The 4th “D” made it more fun with water spraying (yes, we did get a wee bit wet) and “snow” falling from the ceiling. Both kids and adults in our group enjoyed.
We breezed through the Construction site (with stations of bricks to build anything you want) and skipped the Master Builder Academy (where mini-workshops are held on Lego-building).
The girls went straight to the Fire Academy (a huge jungle gym). We thought the girls would never get tired of this as hubby and I waited for them—there are a few seating areas. After a long while, the girls realized they had more things to discover, so they gave the gym a break for the moment.
We lined up next for the Merlin’s Apprentice ride which only took 12 passengers (both adults and kids can ride, with some restrictions, of course) per batch. Each ride takes about 2-3 minutes. The ride goes up and down and around while “apprentices” pedal to help Merlin conjure magic. The rides come equipped with spellbooks and sorcerers’ hats. Our family is still debating whether pedaling actually makes your ride go up. Guess we have to come back to validate.
While DD#1 tried to get a turn at the Earthquake Tables (where you can build bricks as tall as you like and press the shake button to see if your structure survives an earthquake), DD#2 happily made some Lego cupcakes over at the Lego Friends area. There is even a sing-along section where you can make guitars and pianos and sing to the song on the screen. The girls weren’t in a singing mood, though. These two areas flank the Café where you can get kids’ meals: pizza, pop, coffee, sandwiches, etc. A kids’ meal costs $15 for a pizza, a wrap, a juice box and a Lego lunch box. Didn’t get a chance to see how big the portions were or if the lunch box was worth the price.
After another run at the Fire Academy, we were ready to go home—or actually check out the Discovery Center shop. Lego sets in all shapes and sizes are available. Other items such as key chains and clocks can also be purchased. One can even design Lego people and buy them. As well, if you are missing a brick or two, you can get them here by hundred-gram increments (yes, they’re weighed for consistency).
The Discovery Center is certainly a Lego fan’s dreamland. This was also something that my girls, who are not such fanatics, were able to appreciate and thoroughly enjoy.
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