This weekend LEGOLAND California kicked off its 25th anniversary celebration with the opening of the brand-new Dino Valley. We had the opportunity to check out this new prehistoric-themed land with a serious dinosaur fan and seasoned theme park critic: our four-year-old son. Featuring over 1.8 million LEGO bricks, three attractions, and an interactive play space, Dino Valley is sure to draw families with kids of all ages to the park this summer.
While the new land is essentially a retheme of preexisting areas, it still has that exciting new land feeling. Let’s explore…
EXPLORER RIVER QUEST
Explorer River Quest is the highlight of Dino Land and features 16 newly constructed giant dinosaur animatronics – all made from, you guessed it, LEGOS. These LEGO models from Merlin’s Magic Making Studios are truly impressive and include a 672 pound, 11 foot-long stegosaurs crafted from 119,000 LEGO pieces.
After spending the full day at LEGOLAND, our son shared that his favorite ride in the whole park was Explorer River Quest. So make sure to carve out time in your day to check it out.
DUPLO Little Dino Trail
DUPLO Little Dino Trail will take kids on an interactive dinosaur safari with cameras to snap photos and a hide-and-seek component to keep the play alive.
We loved the story telling element of a scavenger hunt as we were commissioned to search for a missing dinosaur. Each vehicle is equipped with two steering wheels and play cameras in the front row, and kids are encouraged to snap photos of any clues they find along the way.
Little Dino Trail is geared toward younger kids ages 2-7. If you have older children in your travel party you may want to skip and head straight to the coaster, but little ones will love everything about this attraction. Because this ride is at the front of the land, and a low capacity attraction, the line got long quickly first thing in the morning. So, if you plan on riding, consider hopping in the queue as soon as the park opens or utilize LEGOLAND’s “Reserve and Ride” service to skip the line.
COASTERSAURUS
Longtime LEGOLAND fans need not worry because the beloved Coastersaurus has been incorporated into this new land, offering a more thrilling option for older kids. It’s nice to see how seamlessly they’ve integrated this roller coaster into Dino Land, making it feel like it was built especially for the new addition. It feels like it’s found a place to belong.
The combination of Coastersaurus and DUPLO Little Dino Trail makes Dino Land a place where both older and younger children can join in on the fun. And with Explorer River Quest appealing to the whole family, LEGOLAND has truly created a space where everyone can enjoy their time together.
DINO OUTPOST
One of things LEGOLAND does best is incorporating interactive activities built with child development in mind. Dino Outpost provides a place for kids to get their hands dirty – literally! Grab a pail and shovel and find out what it’s like to be a paleontologist when you dig for dinosaur fossils in a giant sand box. This was no playground sandbox either. The fossils were buried deep and encouraged parents to dig alongside their kids, getting the whole family involved in the quest.
Dino Outpost also includes an area to build your own LEGO dinosaur. The build area features kid-size tables and a variety of LEGO blocks leaving opportunities for creativity and imagination.
We enjoyed the character meet-and-greet station where they rotate different characters throughout the day. As a mom, it was nice to meet a female paleontologist so my son could see that women can be scientists too!
THE PHOTO OPS
We enjoyed the themed LEGO models throughout Dino Land. As we walked between attractions there were so many fun creations to stop and see. The models were clearly built with photo ops in mind. We took several of our own and enjoyed watching other families interact and take photos with the models.
Dino Land brings something special to LEGOLAND California that elevates the park in a way that communicates the LEGOLAND franchise is actively exploring new ways for guests to interact with its brand. It’s wonderful to see a refresh of an older area of the park just in time to celebrate 25 years. This particular refresh is a strategic one with a strong choice in theme that genuinely appeals to kids – what little boy or girl doesn’t love dinosaurs? Built with little ones in mind, you’ll find something for every age and developmental level making it a must-see part of the park for every family who visits.
I’ll leave you with one review the sums up LEGOLAND’s success at creating a new space that dazzles, entertains and educates young people. On our drive home, my son called loudly from his car seat in the back, “That was a GREAT day!”
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