If your kids are anything like Miss 3, they love all things Lego. I knew we had to check out LEGOLand for some summer fun. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know before you go to LEGOLand Chicago.

LEGOLAND CHICAGO – Before You Go

• If you live locally, check with your local library to see if you can snag a free Buy 1 Get 1 pass for your child. Currently, the Gail Borden Library has free passes for numerous attractions you can check out with your library card. Make sure to enter the promo code printed on the pass when you checkout online at Chicago LEGOLand Discovery Center.
• LEGOLand’s hours change depending on season, so always double check the hours for your selected date.
• Buy your tickets online and save money on admission.
• Plan to go when it’s not busy. (During the school year, you can go on a weekday right after school and stay until close.)

Our Visit TO LEGOLAND CHICAGO

We chose to go to LEGOLand Chicago on Thursday, July 11, 2019, during summer at 10:00am. There were 3 different school groups there, but it was surprisingly empty. The groups primarily stayed together so we were able to navigate LEGOland around the groups plans and it worked out great.

families with allergy friendly needs

• Bring your own allergy-friendly foods.

I have a gluten allergy and spent a good amount of time speaking with Christian in the Coffee Shop. They have a binder with an allergen list, but the list is out of date. The chocolate muffins show gluten free on the list, however, after checking the packaging in the office, they in fact, are not gluten free. Our gluten free options were a hotdog with no bun, or a veggie salad. I opted for the house salad (no meat.)

When it comes to allergies, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I highly recommend bringing your own allergy-friendly food/snacks.

With more and more families developing allergy sensitivities, I hope to bring these much needed changes to LEGOLand’s attention for further consideration.

Coffee Shop Menu Options

LEGOLand Chicago Experience

You start your journey with a family photo op in front of their green screen, which is available for optional purchase before you leave.

Miniland

Next, you walk through the amazing Miniland, which is a LEGO display of downtown Chicago, and other very cool surprises.

Jungle Expedition

Then, trek through a tropical Jungle Expedition full of amazing LEGO animals.

LEGO Star Wars Display

Next, wind your way around to the LEGO Star Wars Display, and enjoy The Great LEGO Race: VR Experience for $6 per person. (Must be at least 6 years of age to participate.)

Kingdom Quest

Afterwards, march over to Kingdom Quest and test your shooting skills as you rescue the captured princess. Miss 3 was very scared by this ride, so I don’t recommend it for young toddlers, but you know your child best.

Master Model Builder Academy

Finally, it’s time to head upstairs. You can take a class in the Master Model Builder Academy classroom.

Lego Friends

After that, you can around the corner to LEGO Friends. This was one of Miss 3’s favorite areas! She wanted a picture with every single LEGO friend and she worked on building a super cool jeep for over an hour. Woohoo!

LEGO 4D Cinema

You wait in line for the show. Once inside, you are each given a pair of glasses to wear during the 4D short film.

Since this was Miss 3’s first time seeing 3D animation, she got pretty scared when the bug flew towards us. She immediately took her glasses off and I held her for the duration of the film.

Afterwards, my husband said they had a minimum age requirement so they weren’t able to see it previously. Again, use your best judgement, and you can always ask an employee for further details.

Merlin’s Apprentice

After our 3D spider debacle, we headed straight to the fun at Merlin’s Apprentice. There was no line, and Miss 3 loved it so much that we rode it twice.

This ride goes in a circle and relies on pedal power to move higher. The faster you pedal, the higher you go. She conquered her fear and we rode up high the entire flight!

Pirate Adventure Island

From the ride, she spotted Pirate Adventure Island and there was no turning back. Kids can climb through the pirate ship and steer the ship with the helm like a true captain.

LEGO Duplo Village

If you have infants to toddler age children, they’ll love to explore the LEGO Duplo Village. It’s spacious, with a smaller slide, and safe flooring.

The large LEGO Duplo island makes for excellent fine motor skills building. Plus, there are plenty of photo ops.

LEGO Build and Test

Our final stop was the LEGO Build and Test center. Miss 3 had a blast sending wheels rolling down the ramp and watching them fly up into the air. All of the kids did a great job taking turns to test out their creations.

LEGO shop

Our journey ended in the LEGO shop. The Pick a Brick display is an amazingly organized LEGO display!

We had a wonderful day making memories at LEGOLand and can I just say, it was followed by the BEST NAP EVER!

Swimming with Dolphins

If you would like to plan a vacation outside of Illinois, and take your kiddos swimming with dolphins, click here to learn about Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida.

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