I wanted to dedicate a whole post to Legoland because we thought it was awesome and of course having boys (and a husband) who are Lego mad, we had to go and check it out whilst we were in Japan.
Legoland is located in Nagoya which is in between Tokyo and Osaka (about 2.5hrs from Osaka and 4.5hrs from Tokyo). The park is a 30 minute train ride from Nagoya’s main station and then roughly a short 10 minute walk from the station. Due to our itinerary we could only spend a night here but there is definitely more to do in Nagoya if you wanted to stay for a few days.
We went to Legoland on a Sunday in April and were surprised with how manageable crowds were. The line to get in was about a 20 minute wait but after walking in, the park felt very spacious after everyone dispersed in different directions leaving minimal crowding. Obviously this is not as big as the likes of Disneyland or Disney Sea but it is still hugely popular with the locals and tourists passing through.
Firstly let’s start with a couple of tips:
- Purchase your tickets online, it will save you the hassle of lining up when you get there and then joining another line to get in.
- Legoland is tailored for young kids up to the age of around 12. Anyone older than that may find it boring as the rides are not thrilling but more family orientated. Because of this reason tickets are obviously cheaper than the likes of Disneyland but still around $70 NZD (adults) & $40 (child). However, you will definitely spend an entire day here which makes the cost worth it.
- The park is outdoors so I would check the weather before choosing what day you go. Because a lot of rides are water based, it may not be great in the rain. I would also suggest packing some spare clothes for the kids if possible as we got quite wet from some of the rides. There are drying machines that you can pay a fee to dry yourselves off.
- You are NOT able to take in your own food aside from baby food but there are plenty of food options on site and also before you walk in. I would suggest having a big breakfast before arriving so you don’t spend a tonne of money eating out.
- There are fantastic baby change room facilities that are quiet if you need to get your little one to nap or at least have some downtime. They have Duplo play areas in them and plenty of seating options for parents.
- There is a Legoland hotel on site that you could stay in overnight if passing through. I am not sure on the cost but the park is easy to get to regardless by train if you stay in the city.
From the moment you walk in, everything is bright and colourful and decorated like Lego pieces. There are amazing Lego sculptures everywhere throughout the park and when we arrived in the morning we were greeted by Lego characters at the front entrance where we got some photos.
The park is made up of different areas including Bricktopia, Adventure, Pirate Shores, Knight’s Kingdom, Miniland, Lego City and Lego Ninja World. There are actually a lot of rides in Legoland (up to 40 I believe) so we definitely didn’t get to do them all as well as a great variety of interactive games and stations for the kids.
Duplo Valley located in Bricktopia is perfect for younger children and little Leo had a blast stacking the giant Duplo blocks and playing on the big Duplo playground. They also had an adorable family carousel with all the rides made out of giant Lego pieces.
Knight’s Kingdom is where you’ll find the largest roller-coaster in the park, The Dragon. I actually found it terrifying but Finn had a blast! Can you spot us?
There are a few other rides in this area and in the King’s Market shop, you can personalise your own Lego people to match your personality! We bought our whole family to take home as collectables.
Lego City was Finn’s favourite area as it had stations filled with thousands of Lego pieces allowing you to built to your hearts desire. He and his dad spent quite a bit of time here whilst Leo and I explored.
There are also a few small parades throughout the day and you will see boards with the times displayed throughout the park. The kids loved the Lego characters and the Ninja’s.
In between all of the interactive activities, we managed to get a few other rides in like Coast Guard HQ and Splash Battle (which will leave you wet!) and were so much fun!
Lastly, for all the real Lego fans, Miniland will absolutely wow you. It features 10 popular locations across Japan entirely built out of Lego and the detail is mind-blowing. There’s even a giant blossom tree! Apparently there’s roughly 10,496,352 pieces used in this zone.
We would totally recommend checking out Legoland when visiting in Japan and including it in your itinerary especially if you’re travelling from Osaka to Tokyo. It’s a great relaxed day out for both the kids and the adults and an absolute treat for the Lego fans.
For more info, check out the website here.
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