DISCLAIMER: I hate amusement parks. My stomach hates amusement parks. My husband, who traveled with me and my stomach, hates amusement parks. This evaluation is based on the reactions of my three kids, who despite having two amusement-park-hating parents, all managed to inherit some recessive amusement-park-loving gene.
Legoland in Billund, Denmark is the original Legoland park-an entire park based on the interlocking plastic bricks of childhood. Legoland was established in the town where Legos interlocking system bricks were created by Godtfred Christiansen in 1958. His Lego design evolved from Automatic Binding Bricks developed in 1947.
The Legoland parks in the United Kingdom, United States and Germany are offshoots of the Denmark original. Since we were going to be in nearby Ribe, some 45 minutes away, it was unthinkable- to the kids anyway- not to spend a day at Legoland.
Legoland is organized around themes- Piratland, Miniland, Legoredo Town, Imaginationzone, Adventure Land, Knight’s Kingdom, Duploland and Lego City.
Legoland’s Best Activity
There are two standout activities that make this park unique. The first is the Traffic School. Legoland Traffic School is so popular, it requires reservations, with approximately a two-hour wait. Driver license applicants should sign up at Statoil Traffic School the middle of Miniland upon arriving at the park so as not to miss out on this superlative attraction. There’s a charge for Traffic School, but it’s well worth it.
At their scheduled time, children from a smorgasbord of countries appear at the traffic school. Just like real beginning drivers, they are instructed about the rules of the road before being awarded the privilige of driving miniature electric cars shaped like Legos. They learn to keep to the right side of the road, a particularly important skill, considering that kids from places like Great Britain might instinctively drive on the left and cause collisions. They learn what road signs and traffic signals mean. They learn about the gas pedal, brake and directional signals.
Finally the child drivers are set loose in Lego cars, using their newly learned rules of the road, on a miniature roadway marked with real lanes and dotted with road signs and traffic lights. When they finish, they are gathered together again, this time for the awarding of driver’s licenses. This was a favorite souvenir for all three of my kids and the driving school is a cherished memory.
Legoland’s Best Ride
The favorite ride at Legoland for the two who were old enough for it, was the Power Builder’s ride. Before the ride starts, the passengers program the ride for speed, motion, and intensity. That empowering attribute let this ride soar above all the others in its standing. This is also an extremely popular activity that involves long lines. Power Builder’s is located in Lego City.
Other Exciting Legoland Attractions
There were several other rides, less unique, that nevertheless met the excitement test. The canoe in Legoredo Town that comes down with a splash was so much fun even I went on it twice. Since our visit, a new Viking ship splash ride has been introduced in Knight’s Kingdom that appears to overshadow the less dramatic canoe ride.
Knight’s Kingdom’s dragon coaster was a bit scary for the younger kids but gained the approval of the 9-year-old, certified coaster fan. Legoredo’s timber ride likewise was fast enough to fascinate those with the roller coaster genes. The x-treme racers roller coaster in Adventure Land won the most prized roller coaster review, though at about this time, stomach churning affected one of those coaster-loving kids and a need for respite was declared.
In the Jungle Racers, also in Adventure Land, riders dodge around in water on a water-ski-propelled cart while spectators waiting for a ride squirt blasts of water at them. Although it looked like fun, this ride had such excruciatingly long lines, we skipped it.
Duploland is a zero for anyone beyond toddler age. Even our 5-year-old looked upon these slow-moving rides with disdain.
Piratland offered a tower free-fall ride that gave kids the giggles as well as a workout, since they had to pull cables to get themselves to the top of the tower. A pirate who stole a shoe from my eldest daughter while her feet helplessly dangled out of her reach on this ride, left her cheerfully hollering “Lego of my foot!”
Overall, our children loved the rides at Legoland. However, the lines were long and the ride lengths short. There was a lot of waiting for what turned out to be a quick spin. Compared to other major amusement parks the kids have visited including Disney parks and Six Flags parks in the United States, these were the shortest rides they can remember.
One way to bypass some of the waiting is the Quick Pass system. Available online, the Quick Pass provides timed access to the Dragon, the Falck Fire Brigade, or Vikings River Splash.
Imaginationzone’s Fare
Imaginationzone introduces kids to Lego products and innovations. There are tables full of Legos for them to play with and video screen games. Imaginationzone was a fun concept, and the kids did find it interesting for a short visit, but it hardly competes with the amusement park outside. For families who have never been exposed to the Lego Mindstorms robots, there is a worthwhile introduction to the system, which involves both computer programming and robot building- before parents decide whether to invest hundreds of dollars to buy the kit.
Lunch at Legoland
Long before coming to Legoland, rave reviews of the Lego shaped French fries had reached our ears. These promised to be construction-worthy and so fascinating that kids left the park chattering not about the rides but the French fries. We were surprised to find that most of the food booths didn’t offer these fries. But after asking around, we learned that there were two places to get them. One of these was the on-site hotel where we were not staying. The other was the restaurant in Legoredo town.
We headed into Legoredo town and ordered multiple baskets of Lego fries, expecting a very entertaining lunch. To our disappointment, the fries didn’t lock together, so only a few layers could be piled atop one another. We could have done as well building with ordinary crinkle fries I expect- and they would have tasted better for sure. Lego fries were grainy, tasting of processed potato mix and not fresh-cut potatoes.
Where to Stay When Visiting Legoland in Billund, Denmark
If you are coming to Legoland and leaving again in a hurry, it probably makes sense to stay in Legoland’s own hotel. The Hotel LEGOLAND is at Aastvej 10, DK-7190 Billund, Tel. 45 7533 1244, hotel@legoland.dk. Outside the park, but still in Billund, is LEGOLAND Village, Ellehammers Alle, 7190 Billund, Tel. 45 7533 2777. This is a family hostel with Lego themed décor and its own water park. For those spending more time in Jutland, the Denmark peninsula on which Billund is located, the preserved medieval city of Ribe is but a 45 minute drive, an easy drive at that.
