GIVEAWAY: Legoland Malaysia for Pre-Schoolers

EDIT 02.06.16: Congratulations Karen Low! You have won yourself 4 combo tickets to Legoland Malaysia! 

I never thought visiting Legoland in Malaysia was this convenient! It is almost the same distance to travel to Legoland as it is to Changi Airport from our home. The drive from Singapore customs to the Everything Is Awesome theme park took only 10 minutes! Best of all, you do not even need a GPS because the drive in is a straight-forward-follow-the-road-sign experience. 

For the month of May, enjoy Free Entry to the park for children who turn up dressed in full Star Wars costume! Do note that Star Wars designed T-shirts are not eligible for free entry. You can choose to redeem a 1-Day Theme Park or 1-Day Combo [Theme Park + Water Park] ticket. Ewan's Darth Vadar cosplay costume and light sabre would have gotten him the free entry but not Faye's, although she looked absolutely adorable in that mask!

We visited the theme park on a weekday and it was not congested at all. There was little or no queue to each ride and that was a big bonus. It definitely made the day-out in this sweltering heat a lot more enjoyable.

If you have younger children, aged four and below [like mine], you will be glad to know that Legoland's Baby Care Room is beyond awesome! It is located at the IMAGINATION zone [map] in the park and I was naturally attracted to it because of its welcoming facade. There at its entrance, stood two adorable giraffes beckoning me to "come on in!". Upon entering, we were treated to a very large area with a pantry, high chairs, private diaper changing rooms, nursing corners, play area for crawlers, a baby cot and two lego building stations. I have never seen a baby room put together with so much thought in the interior designing. This room must had been designed by a team of mothers! I could spend an hour nursing my baby or putting her to sleep, knowing that my toddler will be occupied with Legos in the presence of an in-house staff. This is not a vacant Baby Care Room. You have a staff stationed there to help you out at your every need, at no additional fee! If it was a wet and rainy day, this is the perfect place to hide in.

Opening Hours: 1230 to 1600 hours, daily

Exploring Legoland. Now the problem is, how should we maximise our time at the theme park with little ones who can probably play through the day but fight sleep at the same time because they still need their naps? There are 12 rides in five zones suitable for a child with a minimum height of 100cm and 4 years of age in Legoland.

You can either study the map before going for this family fun excursion or just heed my advice: Turn Right Upon Entering The Theme Park. There at LEGO CITY [map], your 100 cm tall [and below] kids will find themselves high on fun at the:

1. Junior Driving School [3 - 5 years old]
When we saw the Driving School, we were so disappointed that it is opened only for children aged 6 to 13. I could not break this unfortunate news to Ewan because he beamed with delight when he saw children driving cars around the circuit. I was so relieved when we found the Junior Driving School next to it! That meant, he could go be a Lego race car driver! Even though it was only an oval track without any challenges, it kept him really happy.

2. Legoland Express
The train ride saw us through MINILAND and LEGO CITY [map]. This was the only ride in the whole park that two-year-old Faye could ride on. She was pointing at every ride and went, "I want to sit." but we had to disappoint her time and time again. When she finally went aboard the train, we heard her squeal!

3. Rescue Academy [min. 90cm; 4 years old]
This was not only a ride but an fun and interactive activity between parent and child. Families race each other to put our fire and stop robbers. The strongest team wins! Why strongest? It is because to get the fire truck or police car moving, you will need to pump a lever in the vehicle! The faster you pump, the faster it reaches its destination. It is an exciting race where you get to spray water out of hoses as well.

4. Lego City Airport [min. 80cm; 3 years old]

This is a merry-go-round ride on colourful lego planes. As Faye could not go on the ride, I was not able to accompany Ewan on it. Although the minimum height is 80cm, he still needs to be accompanied by an adult because of his age. Very kindly, a big sister in the line offered to sit the plane with him. Yay to kindness! I heard you can control exactly how high you can go!

Moving on, the LAND OF ADVENTURE [map] reminds me of Egypt. I really loved the fact that all the figurines on display are made out of Lego! Talking about rides, there are only two in this zone that are suitable for Ewan but he was not keen to try them out because the playground [more on that later in the post] and lego play area kept him totally occupied.

5. Beetle Bounce [min. 90cm; 2 years old]
Ewan and I went on this bouncy ride in Gardaland, Verona last year. It brings you up to 15 feet in height and drops you gradually down to the ground. I wouldn't say it is terribly frightening but for a little person with a small heart, this can be tagged as thrilling! Ewan however, found this rather boring. He came down angrily and commented, "NOT FUN!"

6. Lost Kingdom [min. 80cm; 2 years old]
A treasure hunt ride with laser guns where you accompany your child in a car for 4 persons. This is   a dark ride where you will pass through many scenes including a spider's lair, dancing hieroglyphics, a professor's lab, a mummy, a gauntlet and a treasure room. Should your child be adverse to darkness, sit this ride out and enjoy the other Worlds in Legoland. This is the entrance of Lost Kingdom adventure.

The IMAGINATION [map] zone houses the Lego Studios where 4D movies are being screened. We were in time for the latest 'The LEGO Movie 4D A New Adventure" when we arrived. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the experience because the effects weren't impressive enough and I actually dozed off for a little while. There were sprays of water but was probably slightly faulty because some seats were wet while others weren't. I didn't get much of the 4D effect during the show. That said, it was Ewan's first 4D experience!

The only ride available here for our young ones is:

7. DUPLO Express [min. 80cm; 1 year old]
It is a small train designed for the younger ones. Duplos are bigger and easier to grasp for eager toddlers. Naming this train ride a DUPLO Express is more than appropriate for the 2 to 3 year olds. Unfortunately, Faye did not meet its minimum height. Look how dismayed she was.

By the time we arrived at LEGO KINGDOM, it began to rain. We missed quite a bit of fun here  because there are three rides that Ewan would have loved other than the only one we managed to sit. This is also the reason why we will be back at Legoland again! We've got to conquer the roller coasters for kids!

8. Merlin's Challenge [min. 100cm; 4 years old]
It doesn't look like anything but it is really high-speed! I was thrown to a corner after two rounds with Ewan squashed tightly next to me. We took this ride just minutes after lunch and I was thinking if we would throw up! Going round in circles after food is not the smartest choice. Thank goodness no one had an upset tummy and Ewan had a great spin.

9. Royal Joust [min. 92cm; 4 to 11 years old]
The moment I saw this ride, I wanted to go on it myself! Alas! Maximum age is 12. Although Ewan fit the requirements, it was not in operation on our day of visit. Such a pity. What fun it'll be to be involved in a medieval contest on the saddle of a Lego horse!

10. Dragon's Apprentice [min. 100cm; 4 years old]
As the name suggests, it is a smaller Dragon's ride. The height minimum is the same but it has a shorter and smaller track for the less adventurous kid. You could take this ride as a benchmark before trying out The Dragon!

11. The Dragon [min. 100cm; 6 years old]
Roller Coaster! The entrance to this ride is medieval grand and stepping into a Lego castle is just too whimsical. I almost felt like I was walking in the thick of an arcade game. We wanted to explore more here but dark clouds were looming and before it started to pour, Ewan urinated through his pants. He was too excited to announce his need for the toilet. Bookmarking the ride! Crediting A Happy Mum for the roller coaster picture once again. Read her 8 favourite activities in Legoland here.

The last zone at Legoland is the LEGO TECHNIC [map]. This is catered more for older children with a minimum height of 110cm and a braver heart. There is only one ride Ewan could take here and that is the:

12. Aquazone Wave Racers [min. 100cm; 6 years]
I went with him on this one and it was fun! This is a merry-go-round ride on water. Be ready to laugh and scream at the same time with the speed and water bombs! We did not get extremely wet but if you are not keen to walk around with wet tops, you can choose to ride this with a poncho. Alternatively, there is a blower prominently placed outside the ride which costs MYR10.

What about Faye? Our barely 80cm daughter who could only take one ride [Legoland Express] in the entirety of the theme park? They have the most beautifully themed playgrounds all around and may I say, the park has cleverly added in game stalls and toddler-sized lego figurines for them to interact with all around!

13. Lego Ninjago Ride [min. 115cm; 6 years old to go unaccompanied. Below min., to go accompanied]
Read about our experience at the Media Launch. There are eight trains in total where each train has two cars in it. Each car takes four passengers and they will be brought down the rite of passage every Ninja-Wannabe will have to undertake. There is no need to hold any props to be immersed in the game. All that is required are your hands. Using hand gesture technology by Triotech, riders are able to throw virtual projectiles onto the screen! We were terribly excited to go on the ride and especially stoked since we were the first to try it before the public on 4th November 2016! My son can finally demonstrate his Ninja skills in a real game!

PLAYGROUNDS
1. The Shipyard in LEGO CITY [map]

2. Pharoah's Revenge in LAND OF ADVENTURE [map]

3. Duplo Playtown in IMAGINATION [map]

4. The Freshmen's Hideout in LEGO KINGDOM [map]

GAME STALLS
These stalls are fun but comes at a price. We thought since we were already there for some good fun, let us not be a spoil sport and let Faye play some games suitable for her age. We brought home quite a number of soft toys from their sure-win games!

LEGO FIGURINES
I loved the life-sized lego figurines a lot! Especially the smaller ones that were the same height as Faye. While her brother went around the rides, she 'interacted' with these lego men in the park!

My husband was reluctant to go because his expectations of Legoland was marred by some negative reviews. As I write this post and sharing with him some pointers I've put out, he wanted me to add his testimony of his park experience.

"Legoland is surprisingly clean, family-friendly and very well-maintained. It has activities catered for the whole family and we are sure to return."

May 2016 - Ewan at 4 years old and Faye at 2 years old 

Click on our Travel tab to read all about our travel tips and tricks
including our write-up on:

 Lego Ninjago at Legoland Malaysia 
Legoland Malaysia Hotel
Legoland Malaysia Hotel - Ninjago Room
Legoland Water Park

... ... ...

For the giveaway, one lucky family will walk away with 4 Combo tickets to Legoland Amusement Park and Water Park
(valid for one-day entry only)

Steps to win the giveaway: 

1) like A Million Little Echoes Facebook page
2) like Legoland Malaysia Facebook page
3) comment in this Facebook post, your favourite ride or activity and leave your email address for contacting purpose

To increase your chances, like and share this blogpost (make it public)!

Giveaway ends on 31 May 2016, 2359 hours and results will be announced the next day at A Million Little Echoes Facebook page. 

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