LEGOLAND® Dubai is a paradise for LEGO®-loving kids and sun-loving parents as Rochelle Streater and her daughter found out on a recent thrill-seeking mission.
Family pool, LEGOLAND® Hotel Dubai
LEGOLAND® Dubai mixes winter sun with extreme fun
Dubai has been on my bucket list for a very long time and my daughter had never been to a LEGOLAND® before. So a trip to this fun-packed theme park in the UAE seemed like the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. We loved both.
After packing for three days of beautiful sunshine, we flew to Dubai with Emirates on my daughter London’s 6th birthday. As she had no idea where we were headed she was super-excited as we boarded the plane.
We hadn’t mentioned London’s birthday to Emirates, so we were amazed when the crew walked down the plane mid-flight with a cake, singing Happy Birthday. And my daughter was absolutely thrilled, of course, especially when they also took picture of her dressed up in her uniform.
Dancing in the Disco Elevator, LEGOLAND® Hotel Dubai
A hotel made out of LEGO® bricks? It’s every kid’s dream
We arrived in Dubai at about 10pm and were picked up by coach for a seamless transfer to the LEGOLAND® hotel. On arrival the property completely surprised everybody, particularly London who started jumping around and singing in excitement. Not only was the building huge it seemed to be made out of what looked like giant LEGO® bricks and was guarded by a bright green LEGO® dragon. If you’re thinking kids’ dream hotel, you are so right!
In the reception area, kids can entertain themselves in the soft play zone while parents check-in. One of the hotel’s many nice ways to limit boredom. Then it was up to the LEGO® Friends Rooms’ floor, reached on a LEGO® disco lift complete with clap-sensitive lights sparking (no pun intended) a disco ball, and even more lights.
Even sleeping is an adventure at LEGOLAND® Hotel Dubai
Themed family rooms are next level exciting
As soon as we stepped out of the lift, my daughter started to squeal as we took in walls, carpets and ceilings all covered in her favourite LEGO® characters. There were even life-size LEGO® models in the hallways.
The room itself didn’t disappoint either. We were staying in the LEGO® Friends room, which had a separate room for kids featuring a bunk bed and TV, as well as a treasure map with a treasure chest and a trunk of LEGO®.
The adult room followed the same theme, only with a huge bed in the middle of this kids’ paradise. LEGOLAND® Hotel had also gone out of its way to include balloons, a birthday card and a present for London’s birthday. And, regardless of it being nearly 12pm, she couldn’t help but start her excited treasure hunt around the room!
Build A Raft, LEGOLAND® Dubai Waterpark
LEGOLAND® Waterpark is just minutes from LEGOLAND® Hotel
The next morning we woke up early to brilliant views of the theme park which got us excited to go outside and explore. Breakfast was included in our Ultimate LEGO® Adventure package so we made full use of the amazing international buffet in the hotel restaurant. Then it was off to LEGOLAND® Waterpark, just two-minutes’ walk from the hotel and also included in our package.
Like the hotel, and all the other LEGOLAND® theme parks, the waterpark follows the theme of the closest holiday, so the upcoming Easter festivities were being celebrated during our visit. The park is built around a main swimming pool and toddler splash area. It’s very easy to navigate with kids, plus there’s a place where you can relax after all the thrilling rides and slides.
A great mix of rides for kids of all ages and every mood
There’s a great mix of rides for under-12s and every mood is matched, whether you’re an adrenaline-seeker or just looking to ride the lazy river. And of course, there are also plenty of LEGO®-themed attractions and activities to enjoy.
One of the nice touches we experienced in the park was the presence of photographers to capture perfect family moments, they even take underwater photographs. The park itself wasn’t over busy, everything seemed well spaced out and there were many lockers, as well as restaurants and drink stands.
Kids in play area at Bricks Restaurant
Dinner is fun for kids and peace for parents
Our buffet dinner at the LEGOLAND® Hotel restaurant offered several great options for kids. We also loved that the soft play was open during dinnertime, especially as it was supervised by hotel staff and activities were arranged to entertain children once they’d finished eating, so parents could finish their dinner in peace. Priceless!
Riding the Dragon Coaster, LEGOLAND® Dubai Theme Park
LEGOLAND® Dubai Theme Park doesn’t disappoint
The next day of our stay we headed to the LEGOLAND® Dubai Theme Park. I’d really been looking forward to this and was completely blown away. Unbeknownst to me, every LEGOLAND® builds a LEGO® city that mirrors the landscape of its host city. In this case that meant ceiling-high skyscrapers, a pretty impressive metro system and moving construction workers, à la Dubai proper only made out of LEGO®.
I was amazed to learn that 20 million LEGO® bricks were used to build the cityscape and the Burj Khalifa alone took around two weeks to complete. I think I spent around an hour just taking in the fine details and admiring the skilled mastery.
Lost Kingdom Adventure, LEGOLAND® Dubai
The air-conditioned City Dome is an inspired idea in Dubai
The air-conditioned City Dome sits at the centre of the park and features separate doors leading to each of the different theme park lands. This is a brilliant idea because as you finish one section you can return to the Dome, cool down, regroup and have a drink from the little restaurant before heading off to your next land.
There are many rides for every age group and even a Dragon Apprentice mini-coaster for kids not old enough to go on the main Dragon coaster. However, my personal favourite was the Submarine Adventure and London’s was definitely the Driving School. Unsurprisingly she took this super-seriously, stopping at all the red lights and following the very realistic road signs. It’s worth mentioning that a nice split between indoor and outdoor rides was another feature we liked a lot.
51st National Day Event, LEGOLAND® Dubai
Wait-time for rides at LEGOLAND® Dubai is 10 minutes max!
Even at peak times, the maximum waiting time for rides in the LEGO® theme park is 10 minutes, which is rare. In fact staff actually aim to get visitors on a ride within three minutes! This is a complete joy compared to the two-hour-plus queues we’re used to in the UK.
In addition to everything else, LEGOLAND® also has an awesome special events line-up year round. These include shows that kids can get involved in and they usually reflect the holiday period. So you can expect anything from Easter egg hunts to spooky Monster Mash dances for Halloween and they really do make the day feel even more special, plus children love them.
Kids making LEGO® robots, Creative Workshop
Making LEGO® robots and chilling by the pool
On our last day, we decided to relax at the hotel and take part in a Master Model Building class where we were shown how to build a LEGO® robot, then program it to dance, drive and sing. It was a really fun family activity as we had to work together to get the robot operational and kids’ instruction-following skills were put to the test.
The rest of the day was spent in the hotel pool and splash pad which was a really nice way to round off our incredible trip.
We had an amazing time at LEGOLAND® Hotel in Dubai and can 100% recommend this holiday for families with kids of 12 and under. We’re already planning our next visit and can’t wait to go back.
Book a stay at LEGOLAND® Hotel in Dubai
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