Legoland Rules

Our final day in California was spent at Legoland.

This is a theme park meant for the younger crowds. Most of the rides are geared for small children. The boys did enjoy the Technic Test Track roller coaster.

But it was the only really big coaster in the park.

And it wasn't that big.

Legoland does a great job and making their rides really look like legos, though.

And you can't beat the giant lego sculptures that abound the park.

The favorite ride of the boys, though, was this torture device.

It picks you up and throws you all around.

You can pick what level of an experience you want, from level 1 to level 5.

Team Danger picked Level 5.

The scariest, most intense level.

They LOVED it.

Needless to say, Carl, Chris and I sat this one out.

The boys were super thrilled because Ryan cleared the "can ride without an adult" bar by a quarter of an inch.

It was also the bar for being able to ride at anything beyond Level 2.

And these boys were feeling like Level 5 all the way.

Some of my favorite lego sculptures.

We built our own lego racers and raced them, Pinewood Derby style.

Mine won every time. Go, Mommy.

We met a princess!

I don't remember lego character meet and greets the last time we were here, but Ryan was thrilled  to meet lego characters. Even if they can't sign autographs. ;)

Ryan has always loved his lego city police.

And then there is the Lego Driving School.

Alex couldn't wait to do this. This, apparently, was the only thing he remembered from when we were here five years ago, and it made a big impression on him that you don't have to drive on a track.

That, or you are supposed to be six to drive the cars, and he was five when we were there last. We made him six for the day (hey, he was tall) but he reminded us how we had stretched the facts a little. Which just goes to show that your kids totally remember when you change their age around so you can get them in at a kids' price at Disneyland, or to be a kids meal, and that one is totally setting a bad example that they will apparently never forget when you do so. Sigh... This time around, however, he was practically too big for the cars. It was for kids aged twelve and under, but this ten year old had a hard time.

Another favorite ride is this one. You have to "pump" you lego emergency vehicle to get it to move, and then you get to the burning buildings.

Ryan, Alex, and Chris were a team, and they pumped really hard and were the first to the buildings.

And then they were the first to put out the burning fires!

Woohoo!

Ryan loves to rock climb. Loves, loves it.

Its tougher for Alex. He's got a lot of muscle and he weighs a good twenty-five pounds more than Ryan.

Still, he gave it his all.

Legoland also has a water park. It was an additional $25 per person, and since the weather was in the mid-seventies, I wasn't sure we would do this. Try telling that to Team Danger. They do have a big water play area that is included with your admission ticket. They ran around here for an hour, and then we struck a bargain. I offered them $20 in lego gift shop money to NOT go to the water park. Sold!

But before we could hit up the gift shop, we had a date to meet Emmit!

Ryan was stoked. He is all about 'The Lego Movie' these days.

And almost better than meeting Emmit, was getting to visit the set for The Lego Movie, as part of the Lego Movie Experience.

When I had read that you could visit the movie set, I assumed we were talking about a shop where they animated the movie. turns out, it was for the live action scenes with Will Ferrell at the end of the movie.

Well, color Team Danger super excited and super thrilled!

There was even a Death Star, a real, live Lego Death Star, the object of many a Team Danger fantasty and wish list.

Okay, these weren't in the movie, but I thought this lamp was the coolest thing ever, and I want to try and make it for Ryan's room (its decorated with lego themed items).

And Ryan wants one of these for his minifigures. In a bad, bad way. Preferably with every single Lego Movie minifig he can get his hands on, like here.

Finally, there is Mim-Land, one of my favorite places at Legoland. Our pictures really, really suck here thanks to the broken camera lens. Love Las Vegas in legos.

Love Washington D.C. in legos. We even found the paddleboats we rented last summer around the Tidal Basin!

Love New York City in legos. My favorite, which you can sort of, not really see here, is that they are still building the new World Trade Center (the building on the right). I can't wait to see it completed, in real life and in legos.

And we loved seeing all the California landmarks we had just seen in person, like the mission in Santa Barbara.

The Chinese Theatre, and the "Legowood" sign in the hills above Los Angeles.

And Chinatown, in San Francisco.

But the absolute best/ Star Wars Mini-land.

Every movie was recreated in extensive lego detail.

They also had a Star Wars minifigure wall of fame.

To get an idea of how big these are, here's Ryan with Captain Rex (or as we've always called him since the year Ryan was Rex for Halloween, Rex-Ryan).

Finally, the giant Darth Vader made of Legos was still there.

Just, in a different spot than five years ago.

And minus Ryan's R-T2.