After being delayed due to Covid, Legoland NY officially opened July 9, 2021.  With my eight year old niece visiting in August, I planned a visit for the day.

The first stage of buying tickets found that it was not inexpensive.  You need to purchase tickets in advance as they are date based and you must visit on the day you have purchased the ticket for.   Currently the price is $80 for adults and $70 for children.   It took a bit of time searching online but I did finally come across a code for a free child admission with the purchase of an adult ticket.   I would have gone anyway but the discount was nice to have.

You also have the option to pre-pay for parking.  Parking is $20 in advance and $27 on the day of.   Definitely pre-pay for parking.  I will explain the parking situation later but besides saving a little bit, it will make your departure so much easier if you pre-pay.

The park opened at 10 am.  We arrived at 9:30 and there were already some guests in front of the gates.    We made our way over there and found some photo ops available in the area in front of the gates.

At 9:45 am, the model citizens (that is the term for Legoland employees) did a little opening song and started to allow guests through the gates in the main courtyard area.   There were restrooms, the big gift shop and a grab n go food / drink area.  There were also some more photo ops in that area and Lady Liberty was out for photos as well.

From the courtyard area, you can either go left or right.   The park is one big loop.   It is also one big hill.  So you may enjoy the downhill at first but you will be coming back uphill eventually.  I checked my Apple Watch and it was a little over 2 miles all the way around.

If you go left, you will get to the first themed area that is Bricktopia.  In this areas is one of the popular rides, the Lego Factory tour.    If you go to the right, you go into Miniland which is a walk through area where different cities are built out of Lego.  

My instinct was to go to the left and do the popular ride at opening when it isn't as busy.  However, I had read a few trip reports online that suggested doing the Miniland first so that by the time you got all the way around to Bricktopia in the afternoon, it would not be crowded.    I hadn't really decided what do but what ended up happening was that it was still before 10 am and the left side wasn't open yet.  But you could start walking through the Miniland on the right so that is what we did.     It really worked out great for us but it also was not very crowded at all on this day.   On a weekend, I am not sure if it is still the best plan.

Miniland was my favorite part of the park.   Besides the fact that everything was Lego, there were so many fun details to spot.   I could have spent a lot more time there but I had an 8 year old that was anxious to get on the rides.   Here are just a few photos.
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From here we made our way through the other lands.  The areas are Pirates, City, Castle, Ninjago and Bricktopia.    The highlight for my niece was driving a Lego car on the city streets and then getting her drivers license.  (Each child gets a little drivers license card for free.  The license and lanyard were $27. )
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My favorite attraction was the 4D movie.  It was funny and had a lot of "4D" effects.   

There are plenty of Lego figures around in all the areas.  Again I was impressed by the details.

Be sure to check your child's height.   Under 52 inches means that they will need to ride with an adult.  This is the case for the main rides.

Let's talk food.   I already knew where I wanted to eat.   We started with a snack of apple fries.   Yes, these are apples cut like French fries, battered and fried.   You can get them with ice cream but we went with just the standard fries with whipped cream and a little cup of caramel sauce.   They were yummy!

For lunch, we went to Smokey's Brick-B-Q.   You have a few options for different bbq meats and sides.  There are also chicken tenders and fries for kids.   I got the brisket with mac n cheese and fries.   The brisket was really good.   It was fork tender and had great flavor.   The mac n cheese was also really good.  Fries were pretty standard.   You could definitely share this meal.   

There is also a pizza buffet and another place with your standard burgers and nuggets.   I also noticed that each area had a smaller snack bar.   As far as drinks, you can purchase bottled beverages or there is a refillable mug system.  There are multiple freestyle Coke machine areas around the park.

Of course there is a big gift shop.  There were a lot of Lego kits available.  My niece did a "build your own" mini figure set in one of the smaller gift shops.   

If you are a fan of Lego Masters (which I am), definitely go into the big gift shop.  They have the winning build from Season one on display.

We had made our way all the way around the park by 1:30 pm.   It was really not crowded at all.  The longest we ever waited was 10 minutes.    I have seen other guests report long lines on the weekends so I would be prepared for that.

There is a "Fastpass" / virtual queue type system set up there called Reserve n Ride.  It is a bit confusing.  It is not through the Lego app but it is a separate website.  However, you need to create an account with the same email you used to purchase your tickets.   There is a paid version but that was not available on the day we visited.   There is also a free version.  At 10 am, I was able to activate the free version for us.   However throughout the day, it was never available.   My guess is that it was not busy enough today for them to activate the system.

Now for parking.  As I mention you should pre-pay your parking.   As we walked out of the park, I saw a few signs that said Stop at Guest Services or the Ticket Booth to Pay for your Parking.   I saw the signs...but I could easily see them being missed.   When you get to the exit there are lanes with machines and gates that are down.  For me, it was easy.  Scanned the QR code on my prepaid voucher and the gate opened.   However, I could see guests getting there without paying and needing assistance which would back up the exit, especially on busy days.

Overall we had a fun day.   I would recommend a weekday if you can.  I would not say that the rides are worth more than a 10-15 minute wait.  I would think the lines are much longer on the weekends.

The Legoland Hotel actually opens tomorrow.    My niece was eyeing that up already for next year!

A blog post for this day can be found at:

​https://50disneydays.com/2020/11/09/disney-day-23/

Blog post can be found here:

https://50disneydays.com/2020/11/08/disney-day-22/

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My Disney trip reports from this trip are going to be found on my "50 Disney Days" website.

Here is the one for my Epcot day:

https://50disneydays.com/2020/11/05/disney-day-20/


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Guests staying at Universal Resorts get one hour early access to the Harry Potter area of Islands of Adventure.   Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure is a roller coaster that is new since my last visit in 2018.  I know the wait times are long for that during the day, so I wanted to take advantage of the early entry for that ride alone.

The early hour was from 9 – 10 am.   Anticipating that the line to get in may be long, I was down at the food court for breakfast at around 7:30 am.   I was happy with the selections available.  I chose a breakfast sandwich with potatoes on the side and found a seat completely alone outside.   It was already quite humid and warm out.

There were several other guests at the bus stop but again there were plenty of buses lined up and waiting so it was a quick trip over to Citywalk.   I was there at around 8:15 and found a bench to sit on and wait a bit as I didn’t want to stand for too long.

I went over to the park entrance around 8:40 am.  They had three lines of guests waiting for the early park entry.   There was plenty of team members to answer questions and direct guests as well as a team member with a microphone who was talking to guests and providing information.

They started entry about ten minutes before 9 am.  As you walked into the park, the main area was open to all guests.  When you approached the Harry Potter area, it was roped off and you needed to show your room key so that only resort guests were admitted to that area.
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I was in line for Hagrid’s by 9:10 am and finished with the ride at 9:30 am.   It was mostly walking the through the queue with a little bit of a wait at the loading area.  The ride was so much fun though maybe a little too much for my stomach… I am really getting old!    

Side note: I wanted to note about the ride vehicle for Hagrid’s.   I am a plus size lady and fitting on Universal rides always causes me some anxiety.  On my very first visit to Universal, many years ago, I was at a heavier weight and didn’t fit on the roller coasters.   When we visited two years ago, I did a lot of research and tried all the test seats before we got in line for the attractions.  I would not say I had a lot of wiggle room, but I was able to ride everything without any issues. 
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    I researched Hagrid’s vehicles before I left.  There are two options because there is a motorbike and a side car.   The side car is a tighter fit while the motorbike seems to give a little more space as it is open on the sides.  I did not try the test seats this time and just went for it.   I was able to fit in the motorbike section with no problem.   I did see two ladies try the test seat in the loading area and they were turned away.    I don’t love that this is a consideration at Universal, but it doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.

Anyway… after riding Hagrid’s, I went right over to the other Harry Potter attraction in Islands of Adventure, Forbidden Journey, which was my favorite on our last trip.  Again, it was just a matter of walking through the queue and I was on the ride.    I was done with both Harry Potter attractions by 10 am.  The park was open to all guests at that point and the wait time for Hagrid’s was up to 75 minutes.   There is a threshold at which Hagrid’s changes to a virtual queue system where you can receive a return time in the app.   At that point, it was still a stand by line.
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Riding Hagrid’s was really my main goal for the day, so with that accomplished, everything was icing on the cake.   Limiting my walking was also important so I decided to take the Hogwart’s Express over to Universal Studios.   A perk of the social distancing guidelines was having your own car on the train.   It was so nice and cool in there!

​I did the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon attraction with no wait time.  I also went to see the Bourne Stunt show again.  No long wait this time.  

​I stopped for a late lunch at the Today Café which is themed for the Today Show.  I love the Today show so of course I liked the theming.  There was a team member at the door who was allowing guests in 3 at a time to order at the counter.  I asked if I could sit at a table outside to eat.  He said it was not a problem at all and he gave me a table number to tell my cashier.   I wanted something light and healthy, so I order the avocado toast.   It was like a little salad with mashed avocado on top of toast.   Tasty.

After lunch, I went to see the Horror Make Up show.  This little show is easy to bypass but it is completely worth doing.   It was somewhat about showing how effects are done in horror movies but it is also just fun.   Beetlejuice was entertaining the audience while the theater was loading.  He talked to everyone and was quite funny.

​I was fortunate to spend October 25 – 27, 2020 at the Universal Orlando resort.   Full disclosure – My hotel accommodations and park tickets were provided for me by Universal Orlando as a travel agent FAM (familiarization) program.  My experience and opinions are my own.
 
I used Mears, a town car service, to get from Orlando Airport to Universal Orlando.  I have used Mears in the past and have always been happy with their service.   My experience this time was no different.  The driver asked if I had other Mears transportation booked for the week – which I did – so he made a note of my transfers and said he would request to be my driver for those as well.
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I checked in at Cabana Bay resort at around noon and my room was ready.   As you enter the lobby, you are stopped for a temperature check.  I had mine checked and was given a colored wristband.  The wristbands indicate that you have had your temperature checked for the day.  Even when you go to Citywalk or the theme parks, your wristband means that you can bypass those temperature check areas.

Cabana Bay has a retro theme based on the 50s and 60s.   The prices are on a moderate level and the resort has standard rooms as well as family suites.  The theme is evident throughout the whole resort.

My first stop was to check out my room and drop off my bags.   I was in the Americana wing, which turned out to be very convenient.   I was only an elevator ride down to the main food court area and the door that leads to the shuttle bus stop. 
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I loved the theme of the room – especially the retro bath products and the alarm clock.   The room itself was on the small side.   Certainly, it was fine for just me.   I would think it would be a little tight for a family of four and definitely small for 4 adults. 

​I took a walk around to explore the resort.   There is a Starbucks in the lobby, several outdoor food locations, and a lounge area in addition to the food court.   There are two pool areas, one with a lazy river, a gym, and a bowling alley.   The hours do vary right now due to COVID (for example one pool area is only open on the weekends) so you need to check on availability during your stay.

I landed at the Hideaway Bar and Grill for a frozen cocktail and some fish tacos.  The cocktail came in a souvenir cup which entitles you to refills for $2 less.   Due to Covid, they don’t actually refill your cup.  You present it and they give you a drink at the reduced cost in a plastic cup.
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Throughout the trip, I made sure to eat outside, as I am not comfortable with indoor dining.  I was able to find a nice quiet table in the shade to enjoy my lunch.

After my meal, I wanted to go to Universal Studios.  Both parks had been reaching their capacity limits on weekends.   This was a Sunday and I had seen a post at 11 am that both parks were full at that time.  There is a capacity phone number that you can call to check on the status.  I called and the parks had reopened for guests.

The shuttle bus was sitting at the bus stop when I arrived.   As I would find throughout my time at Universal and Disney, the buses have been divided into zones.  The driver will tell you what zone you are assigned to as you board.   There was only one other party on the bus, so it was easy to get on and the ride was about five minutes.  

All the shuttle buses drop you off at Citywalk and then you walk to either park or dining /restaurants at Citywalk. 

Another personal factor for this trip was that I was having knee issues.   I had seen my orthopedist for the second time two days before I left.  He had given me a stronger anti-inflammatory and a gel injection for my arthritis.   I was still not walking well and this would be a factor on my touring throughout the trip. 

Due to my knee and the fact that it was the weekend and wait times were high, my plan was to stay in one section of Universal Studios and do the Bourne Stunt Show and the Animal Actors show and then call it a night.  

The Bourne show was first up and there was a huge line when I arrived.  The team member said that the next show was already full and the line was for the show after that.   I did not want to stand for 45 minutes so I sat on a bench across from the show to see when it would start letting in.    It didn’t take long for the team member to start allowing guests in so I joined the end of the line.   I didn’t realize that I would still be standing for about 30 minutes as I moved through the queue and into the pre-show area.

The entire pre-show area was divided into boxes on the floor.  You are assigned an area to wait in.  When the theater opens, team members lead guests in lines into the theater and assign your seats.  Every other row is left empty and three seats are left empty between each party.  When the show was over, team members directed rows to leave one at a time to minimize crowding at the exit.

I don’t want to give too much away about the show.  I don’t even know if I could describe it enough.   In simple terms, it is a stunt show based on the Jason Bourne character / movies.   There is a huge screen across the entire back of the stage that is so clear it is hard to tell what is real and what is on the screen.  The show is about 15 minutes long with a lot of action and stunts.   I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.

After the show, I grabbed a Powerade and sat on a bench to take a break.   I didn’t mention it before it, but it was hot and humid.   Add on wearing a mask and it is easy to lose track of your hydration.   While I was sitting, I checked on the time for the Animal Actors show.   It started in about 45 minutes so I made my way over there. 

Again, as guests entered that theater area, a team member was directing us to our seats to maintain social distancing.  As I was walking forward, the team member saw me limping and said “I don’t want you to have to walk more than you need to” and he sat me in the handicap area by the entrance.  I was certainly grateful for that!
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I have seen the Animal Actors show on previous visits.   It’s always cute.  Some of the show demonstrates how animals are trained to work in movies and television.  And some of it is a variety of animals coming across the stage doing cute things.   I especially got a laugh at a cat that was supposed to run up a path but decided to sit down halfway and chew on some grass.  

It was about 5:30 pm at this point.  The wait times were starting to come down around the park and it was open until 10 pm.  However, I had 5 more park days ahead of me, so I decided to go back to the hotel to ice my knee.   

Of course, I needed an evening treat!   I knew that Voodoo Doughnuts was on the way from the exit to the bus stop.   They provide mobile ordering.  Just as I exited the park, I placed my order.   When I got to Voodoo Doughnuts, it was ready, and I walked right up to the mobile pick up area to get it.  

Doughnuts in hand, I made my way back to the shuttle bus area.   There were 3 buses lined up and waiting so even though the buses have a limited capacity, I was on a bus quickly and back at my hotel within 10 minutes.
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On last thing to note for this day is that Universal offers a “chat to the front desk” feature.   It was about 9:30 pm and I realized I could use an extra blanket.   I sent a message through this feature, got a reply right away and five minutes later there was a knock at the door with my blanket.   That was awesome!

​I have just returned from a trip to Orlando.  I visited Universal Orlando for two days and Disney World for four days.   I will be doing a trip report for each but I wanted to sum up my experiences and thoughts on the safety procedures in place for each location.
 
Resort Experience
               Universal – Cabana Bay

• Temperature check daily.  You are given a colored wrist band that changes daily.  Once you are checked once, you don’t need to get checked again for the day, including at Citywalk and the theme parks
• No housekeeping at all during your stay.  There are extra trash can liners in the room.  You can tie up your garbage and place in it in the hall.   If you need anything, you can use the “chat to the front desk” feature and they will deliver it and leave it outside your door.   I found that this worked great.   I was looking for extra blankets at 9:30 pm and had them within five minutes.
• Food court and Starbucks were a typical experience.
• Masks are required in all public areas, except for in the pool area.
• Typical check in experience at the front desk.
• Shuttle buses have separate zones with plexiglass dividers.  The driver will assign you a zone.  This limits the capacity of the buses but there were always empty ones right behind.  I never waited more than five minutes for a bus.

 
Disney – Caribbean Beach

• Housekeeping comes into your room every other day.   They clean the bathroom, leave fresh towels and empty the trash.  They do not change the bedding or make the bed.
• The food court was a mobile order location.   You could eat inside at tables that were social distant, outside at tables or back at your room (which is what I did)
• Masks are required in all public areas, except for in the pool area.
• Online check in is encouraged.   You receive a text when your room is ready and you go directly to your room.   You do not visit the front desk.
• The buses are separated into zones with dividers.  You are assigned a bus.  I did not have any issues waiting for a bus at the resort or going back to the resort from the parks.  For the Skyliner, each Skyliner is allowed only one party.

 
Park Experiences
               Universal

• No park reservations are required.  On my first day there it was a Sunday and the park had closed to capacity before my arrival.  By the time I got to the parks in the afternoon, it had reopened.   There was some confusion about Universal resort guests being able to get in even if the park is at capacity.   Some information said yes while other information said resort guests would have priority to enter once more guests were allowed.
• Temperature checks are done at entry, if you did not do it at your resort.
• A ticket scan with a fingerprint was required for entry.  A team member was wiping down the fingerprint scanner between guests.
• A team member was at the boarding area of every ride manually squirting hand sanitizer into each guest’s hands.  This was not optional.   There were hand sanitizer stations at the exit of each ride and all around the park.
• At shows, guests were directed to stand in certain areas in the pre-show sections.   When it was time to enter, team members escorted guests in lines and seated everyone.  Every other row was blocked off as well as 3 seats between parties.   At the end of the show, a team member would release each row one and a time to reduce crowding at the exit.
• All lines had social distancing markers. 
• Express Pass is in effect for guests at certain resorts or guests that purchase it as an add on.
• Where lockers are required, capacity was limited in the area and controlled by a team member.  Fingerprint scans were still required and I did not see a team member cleaning the screens between guests.
• There were characters out for selfies at a distance and one parade float with characters would come through.
• Masks are required at all times, except for eating and drinking.
• “U Rest” zones were available in the parks.  Seating was distanced and you can remove your mask at the seats even if you were not eating or drinking.

 
Disney Parks

• Park reservations are required in advance.  There is no park hopping so you reserve one park for each day of your trip.
• Temperature checks are required at the entry to the park.
• The fingerprint scan was eliminated at the park entry.   You only scan your magic band.
• Hand sanitizer stations are set up at the entry and exit to every ride / show.  They were not monitored.  I did see most guests use them, but not all.
• At shows, guests were directed to stand in social distant areas for the pre-show.  When the show was loaded, guests were directed to choose a row that was open and to not sit in seats that were marked off.   Cast members did monitor the theater to ensure everyone was seated correctly.  At the end of the show, guests were advised to maintain social distance when exiting (which really didn’t happen).
• All lines had social distancing markers.
• Fastpass is not in effect currently.   Personally, I found this to be a big plus.   All of the stand by lines were constantly moving because the ride constantly loaded from one line.
• Character cavalcades would appear at random times.  Some individual characters were also around in distant areas as well.
• Masks are required at all times, except for eating and drinking.  You must be stationary while eating and drinking as well.
• “Relaxation stations” are available for a mask break throughout the parks.
• Cast members often wore masks and shields.  Universal only wore masks.  I completely understand the safety element for the cast members.  I would just mention that it did make it a little challenging to hear them at times, particularly in noisy ride areas.

 
Overall Impressions and Thoughts

• Masks can be a challenge in the Florida heat.   I brought with me a variety of different kinds and I was glad that I did.  Masks that often wear in New York felt too hot in Florida.   Once I found which one worked for me, I was good to go.  Also, if you are not used to wearing a mask all day long, you may want to practice extending your wearing time before you go.
• I was impressed with the behavior of other guests.  Everyone followed the guidelines for the most part.  I saw a few people (I would say 5 or less per day) that had their mask under their nose.   I had no issues with guests following the social distance markers in lines.
• I was comfortable in both Universal and Disney parks, but I do think Universal did it a bit better.  They were more vigilant about hand sanitizer when boarding rides and they were more organized with show seating and dismissal. 
• If you would be uncomfortable if any other guest is closer than six feet to you, this would not be a good time to visit.   It just happens at times.  Even though the park capacity is low and there are markings in place, sometimes people will bottle neck in some areas while walking around.
• I enjoyed the absence of pushing and shoving that often happens when guests are entering a show or other attraction.
• I also enjoyed never having to stand on a crowded bus.
• Pay attention to your hydration.  I usually sip on a water bottle all day.   I had to make sure that I took breaks to sit down and drink.

 
 
Overall, I had a great time in both parks.  It felt more relaxing and the low wait times were a big plus.   I think so much of visiting right now has to do with your mindset.   If you want to bemoan attractions or experiences that are not currently operating or complain that you must wear a mask all day, you can easily make yourself miserable.    I had some great cast member interactions and saw some cast members make some little magical moments for families.   I enjoyed everything that I got to experience, especially two rides that were new to me.   The magic and fun are there.  You just have go in with the right expectations and frame of mind. 

We board the Disney Dream for a 4 night cruise


​https://50disneydays.com/2020/03/13/disney-day-7/


https://50disneydays.com/2020/03/14/disney-day-8/

This blog installment has a lot of information about my experience running the Princess Half Marathon

https://50disneydays.com/2020/03/11/disney-day-6/

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Here are two more posts from my recent trip to Walt Disney World:

50disneydays.com/2020/03/08/disney-day-4/ 

​https://50disneydays.com/2020/03/10/disney-day-5/