LEGOLAND Parks - A World of Colourful Bricks

Since the Danish company LEGO launched the first plastic construction set made of stitchable bricks in 1949, colourful Lego pieces have become indispensable in children's games.

Valuable and practical toys became so popular with children worldwide that in 1968, Theme Park "LEGOLAND" was opened in Denmark, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it was created by adults who were fond of building with this constructor in their childhood.

How many LEGOLAND locations are there in the world? Now there are already eight such parks (in Billund (Denmark), in Günzburg (Germany), in Windsor (UK), in California (USA), in Florida (USA), in Malaysia, Dubai (UAE) and Nagoya (Japan), and our article is dedicated to all the most interesting that they can give to adults and little visitors.

If your children, with parental help or on their own, have already built Lego houses or cars, they will surely appreciate the craftsmanship of the Miniland, the name given to the central part of each park.

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Miniland features miniature replicas of the world's landmarks, assembled from nothing but Lego pieces. The toy cities are lively — pedestrians and cars roam the streets, ships sail on the rivers, and the lights in the houses go on at night.

There are many lovely and amusing details everywhere: brave guardsmen marching at Windsor Castle, clones from Star Wars at the American NASA base, and dolphins jumping out of the water in a toy dolphinarium. Many objects are set in motion by the visitors themselves: at the push of a button, for instance, elephants start pouring water on each other.

The vast area of the Lego parks is divided into zones with different attractions. The main zones are Adventureland, Pirate's Land, Knight's Castle, Pharaoh's Kingdom and Imaginarium.

But the British park also boasts a Viking Land. Each area entertains all ages. But first of all, we want to tell you that the park has a particular play area for the smallest visitors — "Duploland". It's all padded, so you can run and jump around on it without hurting your knees.

Active kids enjoy mastering the slides and climb, having fun bathing in the waterfall or running between jets of water that suddenly erupt from the ground (we recommend bringing a swimming costume and a change of clothes for such activities).

Calm children can explore the area in a train or aeroplane or play with a Duplo constructor. It is in this area that Traffic School operates, where you can take driving lessons and, after obtaining a driving licence, drive an electric car around the toy city. This attraction is only for children 3-5 years old.

All other areas of the parks are filled with an incredible amount of adventure that both children and adults are eager to get involved in. Daredevils will encounter pirates, knights' fights, duels with dragons and meet with beautiful princesses.

Courageous explorers can set off on safari or hot air balloon rides, embark on a boat trip or join the fire brigade. Need we say that the animals in the jungle, filibusters on a pirate schooner, and fire-breathing dragons are made from Lego parts?

The dizzying roller coaster and merry-go-rounds, spiced up with an interesting story, are much more fun. Other activities for active visitors include a shooting gallery, rock climbing, "Mountain River", gold mining and much more.

But how easy is it to resist the temptation to make something yourself out of Lego? It's not easy — and there's no need to be: the parks have facilities for young constructors. Not only can they build a model, but they also test it in a particular technical centre. By the way, you can even build a computerised robot here.

And Legoland invites its guests to the factory to see how coloured construction pieces are made and how human and animal figures for thematic sets are created.

Angry spectators then have the chance to buy Lego bricks by weight in the park's shop. The pieces are sorted by size and shade, making it easy to choose the right one — and challenging simultaneously because the variety is so eye-opening.

What's different about the Legoland parks in warmer climes? Of course, there's a water park. California, Florida and Malaysia have colourful water rides for the whole family.

Artificial wave pools, fun slides, extreme slides, the 'Lazy River', waterfalls and fountains are just what you need for fun on a hot day. Every year, the parks put on something new. For example, the Danish park's theme for 2014 was Ghostbusters: an enchanted maze and an ominous house where you can encounter spirits and otherworldly beings for those who like to tingle their nerves.

And Germany's Legoland has dedicated 2014 to Star Wars, with themed shows featuring characters from the famous film saga.

With such a busy programme, visiting Legoland should take at least one day. For a complete experience, two days should be allotted, and accommodation can be provided at the park's hotel.

Lego Land's infrastructure makes for a comfortable holiday, with shops, cafes, restaurants, toilets, drinking water fountains and rooms where you can feed and change a baby.

Despite the basic similarities, each park has at least one unique attraction in its arsenal — not to be missed; check out our list's 'highlight' section. And whichever Legoland you choose to visit with the kids, rest assured: the toy world offers nothing but real fun.

Address: Nordmarksvej 9, 7190 Billund, Denmark
Open: From April to October
Highlight: The Pole amusement area, where you can watch real penguins in the wild, on land and underwater
Website: http://www.legoland.dk/

Address: Legoland Allee 89312 Günzburg
Open: From April to October
Highlight:  a gallery of football stars whose figures are made of Lego
Read more about Legoland Günzburg on our website page.

Address: Winkfield Rd, Windsor, United Kingdom
Open: From April to October
Highlight: Atlantis submarine dive and fishwatching
Website: http://www.legoland.co.uk/

Address: 1 Legoland Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Open: All year round
Highlight: Dino Island, where dinosaurs roam the lawns and young palaeontologists have work to do as they search for fossil lizard bones
Website: http://california.legoland.com/

Address: One Legoland Way, Winter Haven, FL 33884
Open: All year round
Highlight: Botanical garden with a unique plant collection
Website: http://florida.legoland.com/

Address: 7, Jalan Legoland, Bandar Medini, 79250 Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia
Open: From March to August
Highlight: Miniland with Asian attractions
Website: http://www.legoland.com.my/

It is the newest theme park to open in Dubai at the end of 2016. It is part of Dubai Parks and Resorts. It includes 40 rides, shows and play areas, 15,000 LEGO models, more than 60 million LEGO elements, and six playgrounds with educational games and activities for children.

Address: Sheikh Zayed Road , Opposite Palm Jebel Ali - Dubai
Open: From January to December
Highlight: BUILD A CITY area with a 25 meter Play Table
Website: https://www.legoland.com/dubai/

The theme park opened not long ago, in 2017. It is the first Legoland in Japan and the eighth Lego park in the world.

Address: 2-2 Kinjo-Futo, Minato-Ward, Nagoya-City, Aichi Prefecture
Highlight: The Sea Life Nagoya aquarium
Website: https://www.legoland.jp

Kidpassage wishes you a pleasant choice and a real trip with the whole family to one of the theme parks described in this article.