Winter Vacation Pt. III – Legoland

Before we start, I’ve been thinking about how to add pictures of everyone while still keeping it secure. To this end, I have made a Google Drive folder that I will add relevant pictures to. You will have to request access the first time, but then you should be able to access the pictures at any point in the future. We’ll at least try it out. Just click here. Ok, now back to the show.

Some of you may know how much I loved Legos (That’s right, Europeans, I pluralized Lego. Telling me to call them “Lego bricks” instead of “Legos” is the same as telling me to call Velcro “hook and loop fasteners.” Get outta here.). When I was younger, I had a big box of bricks, though I moved on to the Technic/Bionicle stuff as I got a little older. I stopped for a long time, though I’d occasionally get little micro-Lego things. Then they started making Nintendo sets, and I was pulled back in. However, by that time J had either just been born or was about to be born. (He has since made me promise not to build anything else before he was born because he wanted to build those sets, too.) Being the choking hazards that they are, I was only able to do a little in the extra room. Then it was just a matter of waiting for them to stop putting everything in their mouths. They have two small boxes of the big Duplo blocks that they love to play with, but about a year or so ago, J and I started building normal sets together. In the past few months, he’s also started to love making his own minifigures. We usually have to do this while C is napping, however, more as a precautionary measure in case she decides to see how one tastes. So now that the kids are older and the whole family knows how great Legos are (Maki actually enjoys building things, too), we’ve started making seasonal trips to Legoland.

There is one Legoland in Japan, and we happen to live like 20min. away from it. In addition to the theme park, there’s a hotel and an aquarium there (and a non-lego train museum next door). This was our first trip to the hotel. 

The first day we arrived, we checked into the hotel then went to the aquarium. It’s a pretty standard aquarium, but with added Lego fish and props scattered around the tanks. J had been begging to go to a zoo or aquarium, so it worked perfectly.

We got a pirate room, complete with a locked “treasure chest” with what was essentially a 4-digit bike lock on it.On the counter in the main bedroom was a kind of scavenger hunt for the kids to figure out the combination to the lock. Inside the chest were two small Lego bags (that got refilled every day you stayed there). Throughout the weekend, J insisted I keep putting different things in the safe and give him new clues. The hotel restaurant has a buffet in the mornings and at night (at least during holiday times). I love Legoland, but you’ll never hear someone speak highly of their food. Also, have you been to a buffet where most of the people in line are children? It’s chaos. You have to balance your food while dodging dozens of little kids with no spatial awareness or patience.

Since Christmas had just passed, I didn’t want to buy a bunch of new stuff. Hahaha, jk. We got so much. I didn’t get any big sets though because they wouldn’t fit in my car (and if I buy them online later I can get free bonuses). We got a few small things, as well as a lucky bag. Lucky bags, or fukubukuro are super popular here around new year. They’re those bags that are filled with random junk they couldn’t sell at Christmastime prizes. Though the Lego ones turned out not to be random because I got exactly what was on the sign (a train set, a cloth, a box for drinking sake, and a Lego snake (this year is the year of the snake)).

Legoland is not near as big as theme parks like Disney or Universal Studios, but it’s also not near as crowded. Last year we went when C was a baby and were able to do most of what was in the park. Once she started walking however, it became much more difficult to get around to everything. In the middle of the park are huge recreations of the most famous places in Japan. All around are little buttons that the kids can push (often many many times) to get some part of it to move. Similar to Disney, each section of the park is themed (knights, pirates, underwater, Ninjago, etc.). Each section has a play area (for kids 6+, which J was very understanding of (note: he wasn’t)), a few rides for kids of all ages, and other little shops or food stalls. You can also get a sticker form each area if you ask the staff. Kids can also trade minifigs (Lego people, in case you’re not up on the Lego lingo) with any of the staff around the park. They pick one they want, then touch them together and trade. It’s really cute. There’s a little Build-a-Minifig building where you can dig through parts to make your own 3 minifigs, too.

Here’s a tip to get the most out of your theme park experience – don’t bring little kids. Yes, the park is made for kids. But kids are not made for the park. At least not young kids. First of all, packing for young kids is a pain. You need so many diapers, a ton of “just in case” things to prepare for the many disasters that happen around kids (extra clothes, water-proof sheets, etc.). Also, all planning has to revolve around their nap time. The park opens at 10, but we only had about an hour before having to eat and then nap. J doesn’t normally have to nap, but he didn’t adjust well to the hotel bed the night before, so all four of us needed the nap. We went back in the afternoon. C refused to walk or go in the stroller or be held by me. J could go on most rides, but of course fixated on the few he couldn’t ride, resulting in his first cases of running away from us. Luckily we had him chipped (by which I mean he was wearing an Airtag), and it wasn’t too crowded, so I never lost sight of him. I would convince him to ride a new ride, which he always enjoyed until he remembered the thing he couldn’t ride. He even got to drive a go-kart on his own. There were a few crashes, but he drove way better than last year. Watching a bunch of 4-6 year olds attempt to drive around a track is hilarious. Also the poor workers having to run back and forth to re-orient the cars. The whole thing basically shuts down around 5, which seem early, but is honestly for the better with kids that age. Finally we left the park with two frazzled parents and two kids on the verge (actually past the verge) of a meltdown. Just outside there were a few restaurants, so we got some hamburg steaks to go and ate in our room.

The next morning, we packed everything, built some last minute minifigs, then drove home. About 5min. after we left, J started crying that he wanted to go home. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING. He kept insisting I go faster and faster. I tried to explain that our little kei car, while a nice reliant automobile, is not built for speed. Also the police would come after me if we went too fast. Though Japanese highways are crazy. The speed limit is technically 60kph, but everyone goes 90-100. (Edit: crazy in that they go 1.5 times the speed limit, not that it’s actually fast. 100kph is only 60mph. Our car’s max is 140k/86mph.) Except I took a wrong turn because the roads are so twisty, so we had to be in traffic under the highway for longer than I would’ve liked and remember when you were refreshed after vacations? It seem so, so long ago. Guess I’ll have to reduce my stress with some shopping therapy (more Lego, of course)…

When will C stop making us carry her everywhere? What will be our next Lego build? Why did the stupid mall near me close their Lego store? Find out on the next episode of the Gaijin Chronicles! Dah dahh dadahhh da dahh duuhhh.