HotelWe were so excited to hear that LEGOLAND was opening a theme park in New York. The park itself opened in the spring of 2021, but the hotel didn’t open for a few months after that. We wanted to wait for the hotel to open since it would be a three hour drive to NY.
We actually had a reservation for Disney World, but with everything happening in the world, we decided to cancel. We needed an epic fall back plan for Harry and Lizzie’s October birthdays, so we decided it was time to book a trip to the LEGOLAND NY hotel.
To say that my kids are obsessed with LEGO would be an understatement. I knew that visiting an entire world of LEGO would knock their socks off.
The kids had no idea what our plans were and I think Harry was starting to think that we had forgot his birthday altogether. We had them dismissed early from school and hit the road. When we pulled into the park, screams and cheers erupted from the back.
Arriving at the LEGOLAND NY Hotel
We had already received a text that our room was ready, so we head to the self check-in kiosk. After scanning the barcode on our reservation, our room keys spit out of the machine.
The package we purchased included a two night stay along with two days worth of park passes. It doesn’t matter how you break it up as long as you use the tickets within 3 days.
Since we left on a Thursday around noon, we wouldn’t get to the resort until 3:00. We planned to just hang out at the hotel that first day because we didn’t want to waste one of our park tickets when it closed in a couple of hours.
It worked out really well because as it turned out, there was SO much to do at the hotel. The kids went straight for the Little Big Shop for armor and swords and then head for the castle in the lobby to defend their little princess. Dad and I sat down at the lobby bar and settled in with beer and some appetizers. I highly recommend the Build it Boss beer which was made specifically for the theme park.
Tip: make your dinner reservations as soon as you arrive, or before if possible. Bricks Family Restaurant is the only sit down restaurant on site and it books up quickly. We could only get a reservation for 7:00 that night. You can also order food at the bar in the lobby.
Hotel rooms at LEGOLAND NY
When you book your hotel room, you can choose between four different themes: Pirate, Kingdom, Ninjago or LEGO Friends. Harry is really into ninjas, so we went with Ninjago.
We could not wait to get upstairs and check out our room. The hotel had only been open for two months so everything was brand new. Even the hallway had a themed rug so the kids played floor is lava everywhere we went.
Each room has a kids suite with a bunk bed and pull out trundle. In their separate area, they had their own television that could play any LEGO movie ever made. There was, of course, a LEGO wall with a bin of bricks.
On the other side of the bathroom, was our main bedroom with a king-sized bed and a second television. A sitting area was off to the side as well as a desk area that was used for nothing other than building LEGOS.
There were intricate LEGO builds decorating our walls. The Ninjago swords over the bed lit up like a night light. It was such a cool theme and the kids loved it. It really felt like we were in a different world.
Hotel staff no longer clean your room unless you request it by putting a door hanger on your doorknob. We also had a number to text if we needed more towels or water bottles.
The staff had left a birthday gift and card for the kids and I just love when hotels go out of their way to make kids feel special. There were also snacks and juice boxes that were replenished each day.
The kids were delighted to find a scavenger hunt that led them around the room to find clues. The numbers they wrote down opened a safe where there was a treasure inside.
We head down for dinner and got to meet one of the LEGO characters who was there greeting visitors.
For dinner, meals are served family style. That means that you get one large meal to share. James and I shared a meal and the children ordered regular kids meals. For dessert, our waiter brought the kids a brownie sundae and they all sang Happy Birthday to them.
If you are celebrating, let them know when you book the reservation because they will give your child a birthday badge. If you aren’t staying at the hotel, you can also pick them up at the ticket counter as you enter the park.
The hotel has a Creative Workshop which you have to sign up for at the front desk. They go on throughout the day. At the Creative Workshop we attended, kids got to build whatever they wanted at their station. There are workshops for older kids where they follow along with a master builder.
In the morning, we head down to Bricks Family Restaurant again. Breakfast is set up buffet style and there were loads of different options each day. My kids loved the waffle bar and basically ate candy for breakfast. There were much healthier options for adults. Breakfast was included with our stay.
We head straight to the park which opened at 10:00, which was just a short walk from the hotel. The kids giggled as they put their swords through security. We purposely went on a weekday to avoid the crowds. The following day was a Saturday and there was a big difference. We had printed our tickets but you still have to wait in the queue to get in. Luckily, the line moved quickly.
We stayed at the resort from Thursday until Saturday, but used our passes on Friday and Saturday to get the most time in the park. On Saturday, we just checked out after breakfast, packed the car and head to the park for the rest of the day. It actually worked out really well that way.
On the second night, we were so tired after the park, we just wanted to have a pizza in our room. There is no room service set up, so I still had to go to the restaurant at the time of my reservation, order food from the table and ask for it to go. It seemed a little silly to go through all of that for a pizza, but at least the kids could rest in the room with their dad while I waited for the food.
Is it worth staying at the LEGOLAND NY hotel?
That would be a resounding yes from our family. Staying at the resort really made the weekend. It was everyone’s highlight of the trip.
Some of our other favorite experiences at the LEGOLAND hotel in New York were making our own minifigs in the Little Big Store and trying to find the Joker on the minifig wall.
There are a lot of fun surprises like the disco party elevator. Tip: ride the furthest elevator for the full experience. The first and middle elevator are sensory-friendly.
Being in close proximity of the park made life easier because it was just a short walk away. If you have younger children that need a nap, you can easily head back up to your room for a rest.
There is a nice outdoor pool at the resort but sadly it was closed for the season when we went in October.
The down side to staying at the resort is just the expense. It is not cheap. The food and drinks were really expensive. Maybe it was our proximity to New York City where people are used to it, but we are not used to paying $12 for a beer or $30 for a pizza. They did mention that some people Door Dash food from local restaurants to the lobby.
The Best Rides at LEGOLAND
We had an awesome time staying at the LEGOLAND NY hotel. I would highly recommend taking a trip with any child age 2-12, just brace yourself for the cost. To price out your trip, visit their website by clicking here.
Have you visited? What were your thoughts?
Pin for later-
