Disclosure: My family and I received complimentary tickets to visit LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia. All opinions are my own.
Ever since LEGOLAND Discovery Center announced that they would be opening a play space in Philadelphia, my kids’ anticipation has been building. (See what I did there.) My kids have loved LEGOs for as long as I can remember (I even have indents on my feet to prove it). The thing I love most about LEGOs is that even now as they have gotten older (Aidan is now 14 and Hailey, 10), they still enjoy the challenge of creating masterpieces with them whether it be from a kit or from their imagination. Since LEGOLAND is geared mainly for families with kids ages 3-10, I was a bit worried as to whether they may be too old for the new LEGOLAND Discovery Center. The only way to find out was to go check it out for ourselves! And boy are we glad we did!
LEGOLAND Discovery Center really does have something for everyone from toddlers to adults! With everything from soft play areas and bricks for the smallest of toddlers to Duplo blocks and slides for growing toddlers to creative workshops, race car builds and challenges, play and climb, free play and more, LEGO lovers of all ages will find plenty of opportunity to build and create and explore their love of all things LEGO here at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia. During our visit I really enjoyed looking around at all of the parents who were sitting down actually playing with their children and who seemed to be enjoying playing with the LEGOs as much as their children were. There really is nothing better than good quality family time and I found that we had plenty of it during our visit.
Here are just a few of the cool exhibits that topped our list of favorites on our first visit to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia:
Of course we couldn’t help but to stop and take a picture with the awesome LEGO giraffe outside of the mall. What perfect timing after April just gave birth to her baby a few short weeks ago. I love how this giraffe got the conversation started with “I wonder how many LEGOs it took to build it?” and “I wonder if they used a ladder or a lift?” and “I wonder how many people built it?” It is always a wonderful thing when their eyes are wide and their little minds are already going before they even walk in the door!
Once inside the facility we were quite surprised just how grand it is! Inside you will find a variety of different play zones. There is plenty of space to move around between play zones and areas are quite spacious. Despite visiting on the weekend with a bit of a crowd, I never felt “overly crowded”. We were able to move around pretty freely during our visit. Lines moved pretty quickly when waiting to enter various exhibits and not all exhibits had lines.
Since my kids are older, they were immediately drawn to the Miniland Philadelphia exhibit. Filled with an entire miniature replica of Philadelphia, the glass encased exhibit allows guests to interact with the little city via buttons to allow minifigures to row, dig, race and more. You will see everything from historic Philadelphia buildings and landmarks to Philadelphia stadiums and even the subway system! It truly is amazing. And just when you think you have seen it all – the lovely city changes from day to night, where the town goes dark and all of the buildings light up just as they do at night in Philadelphia. The details are mind-blowing. This was my favorite! (This is just a small sampling of pictures. The exhibit is HUGE!)
Next up the kids were eager to try their luck at LEGO NINJAGO Training Camp Laser Maze where they needed to dodge lasers and test their flexibility and agility to see how quick they we to dodge the lasers. They had a great time competiting to see if they could beat my husband. I have no idea why but this made my daughter giggle like a hyena. She absolutely loved it!
Pirate Adventure Island is a huge climb structure that is awesome for some climbing and playtime. Remember to bring socks as kids will not be allowed to enter barefoot. This is where parents really get to kick back, sit and relax while the kids burn off some energy. I should note that my 14 year old (who is 6 foot tall) was too tall to enter but it is a great way for the younger active kids (between 36 ” and 60″ tall) to enjoy some jumping and climbing. What 10 year old doesn’t love to climb and play??!!
My daughter has really fallen for the LEGO Friends line since it was released a few years ago. The center has a huge LEGO Friends area where kids can build and play with various LEGO friends structures and pieces. My daughter really enjoyed sitting and creating in this area. I had to practically drag her away to move on to the next exhibit. So cute! (While my daughter was playing in this area, my son was over with my husband sitting at one of the other free build tables in another area free building their own creations together.)
(Oh – and I am pretty sure my husband and son stopped off at the LEGO Café for a snack because my boys are always, always looking for a snack!)
Next we met up at the LEGO 4D Cinema where we enjoyed a fun short interactive movie complete with rain, snow and wind! It had that awesome Disney feel to it. It looked as if there were several different movies that rotated throughout the day which is fun if you were planning to spend the whole day at the center!
My kids couldn’t help but notice the cool party rooms on the way out from the 4D cinema. How much fun would it be to have your birthday party here??!! There are currently several party packages to choose from and I am pretty sure a LEGO Discovery Center party would be a HUGE hit – not to mention a fun and unique party idea!
Both kids were pretty bummed (admittedly I was too) when we found out that the Imagination Express ride was down for maintenance during our visit. They were really looking forward to checking this out. From what I have heard, the ride has been compared with similarities to the Toy Story ride in Disney. I’m pretty sure my kids really would have enjoyed this one. I have heard great things from others who have already visited so be sure to check it out if you go!
All in all my family had a great time visiting LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia. We spent about 2 hours during our visit but I could easily see spending more time hanging out, especially since my children are much older and do not tire easily like a small child would.
My best tip to you for visiting is to purchase your LEGOLAND Discovery Center tickets online prior to visiting. By purchasing your tickets in advance, you will pay $19 per ticket (a savings of $5 off the walk up ticket price of $24) as well as reserve your time slot so that you will not have to wait in line when you arrive. When we arrived on a Saturday, it was getting busy and some of the people who were walking up to purchase tickets were told that the wait was already an hour or more. Save yourself the hassle and buy them in advance! Also, if you plan to visit regularly, consider purchasing an annual pass. For $59.99 per person, guests will enjoy 12 months of unlimited entry from the date of your first visit along with other discounts and perks. Annual passes also make great gift ideas!
Since LEGOLAND is located at the mall, parking is free. Although LEGOLAND has its own café, there are also various food court options within the mall as well. Dress comfortably and bring a jacket or sweater for the theater – it does get chilly in there with the water and Air conditioning and if wearing sandals or flip flops be sure to bring socks for the Pirate Adventure Island! But most of all – have fun! We had a great time and we hope you do too!
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia
located at Plymouth Meeting Mall
500 W Germantown Pike
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Tel: 866-841-3659
Twitter: nesheaholic
says:
We have to check out the cinema next time. How long was the movie?
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