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Travel Weekly

Dispatch, Legoland New York: Theme park is clearly building on its success

GOSHEN, N.Y. -- As the parent of a Lego-loving 7-year-old, I can confirm that much of the toy's magic lies in the fact that you're never really done playing with them. There's always one more piece to add, a new tower to build or another world to imagine. Legoland New York, located 60 miles north of New York City in Goshen, has embraced this philosophy, treating its sprawling, 150-acre site as a perpetual work in progress and expanding with fresh experiences and attractions each year. Last week, my family and I returned to the theme park for the first time since my inaugural visit during its debut 2022 full season. The park's ongoing transformation was immediately apparent, as we spotted the new Minifigure Skyflyer just beyond the front gates. The gondola-style ride, added last year, does double duty, offering a birds-eye view of the park while also serving as a practical shortcut across Legoland New York's steep, hillside terrain. Rather than skip to the lower section of the park via the Skyflyer, however, my family opted to take the long way around, with the older members of our party lining up for favorites like The Dragon coaster and the interactive, indoor Lego Ninjago: The Ride. A place for Peppa Pig fans My 3-year-old daughter and I, meanwhile, made a beeline to the new Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground, which debuted this year. (For the uninitiated, Duplo is Lego's toddler-friendly offshoot, featuring larger, chunky bricks designed for tiny hands.) The area bursts with cheerful primary colors and plenty of playground equipment, but the real draw was the tented theater, featuring a puppet show perfect for shorter attention spans. My daughter and I arrived just in time for one of that day's five performances. The experience blends a digital backdrop with oversize puppet versions of Peppa Pig and her brother, George, and offers interactive moments in the form of various sing-alongs, count-alongs and dance-alongs. For those in their prime Peppa Pig years, consider it a can't-miss. The Lego City Water Playground was a welcome oasis on a scorching summer afternoon. Photo Credit: Photo by Christina Jelski A splashing success Post-show, we reunited with the rest of the family for a much-needed cooldown on a scorching summer day. We had a slot scheduled for the Lego City Water Playground, which launched in 2023, and we raced downhill to make it before our entry time. (It's important to note that free, 20-minute reservations for the Water Playground can be booked at 7 a.m. the day of your visit via Legoland New York's app. Reservations are required, and on hot summer days they book up fast. For those seeking a longer playground experience, a one-hour afternoon session was also bookable for $12 per person.) Maybe it was the fact that it was new to us, or the fact that it was now well over 90 degrees, but the Lego City Water Playground proved to be the clear highlight of our visit. The attraction packs a whole lot of water features into a relatively condensed space, including a multilevel playground structure with four slides and a massive, 318-gallon bucket that periodically tips and douses families, adding some thrill into the mix. My 7-year-old son was in his element, racing from one slide to the next, while my 3-year-old was perfectly content in the playground's calmer splash pad areas. All of us got thoroughly soaked, which made our subsequent walk uphill through Miniland -- which showcases detailed Lego re-creations of famous U.S. landmarks and cityscapes -- far more enjoyable in the late-afternoon heat. 'Tis the season Legoland New York held its first Christmas in July event this year. Photo Credit: Photo by Christina Jelski It wasn't just the new rides and attractions that enhanced our second visit, though. Legoland New York has also earned a reputation for its inventive seasonal programming, with our visit coinciding with the park's first Christmas in July celebration. The whimsical 12-day initiative, running from July 21 to Aug. 1 this season, weaves various Christmas-themed moments into the Legoland New York experience, from photo ops with members of the Rockettes and Lego Santa to holiday-inspired Lego builds throughout the park. The celebration also features $5 Yuletide-inspired refreshments, including popcorn and pretzels topped with holiday sprinkles and a mint ice cream sandwich that quickly became our go-to treat. Taking photos with Lego Santa and a towering brick wreath during a July heat wave felt wonderfully absurd. But it also proved that this 4-year-old park has hit its creative stride. I can't wait to see what they build next.