As an Insider Blogger for LEGOLAND California, I was provided with complimentary tickets for park admission and the opportunity to experience NINJAGO World before it opens to the public. However, all opinions are my own.
A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to attend the press preview for LEGOLAND California’s latest attraction, NINJAGO World, on April 28th. My family and I were already planning a trip to LEGOLAND California this summer, but because we decided that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, we decided to reschedule our visit to coincide with the preview 🙂 Plus, April 28th is my birthday, and what better way to spend it than getting a behind-the-scenes look at an upcoming theme park attraction! As a parent, I’m happy to see that LEGOLAND California is constantly trying to find ways to expand the theme park, from LEGO Friends Heartlake City to the LEGO Movie in 4D. And beginning on May 5, 2016, NINJAGO World, including the ride.
LEGO NINJAGO tells the story of four young ninja heroes – Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane – who train under the watchful eye of Master Wu to master an ancient martial art – Spinjitzu. NINJAGO The Ride enables guests to demonstrate their ninja skills without the use of a hand held device and instead, they simply use their hand gestures. Riders collect points for their training and battle efforts throughout the ride and scores are displayed when their quest is completed. *Information Provided by LEGOLAND California
Besides NINJAGO the ride, NINJAGO World is comprised of several other interactive attractions: Zane’s Temple Build, Kai’s Spinners, Cole’s Rock Climb, and Jay’s Lightening Drill. These attractions are designed to help guests train to become a ninja. Asian cuisine can also be found in the NINJA Kitchen and shoppers can find NINJAGO merchandise at Wu’s Warehouse
The day started off with a bit of rain, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. As you can see from the picture below, my son was extremely excited, and no amount of rain was going to change that.
I checked in and received this super cool badge.
After checking in, we were taken to NINJAGO World for an opening ceremony!
We were greeted by LEGO statues and were able to experience the attractions mentioned above. We were also able to sample the food in the NINJA Kitchen. And to our relief, the rain went away quickly and the sun later made an appearance.
The highlight of the morning, though, was the spectacular opening ceremony which included a special performance by Tiko Drummers and the “Sideswipe” Ninjas as seen on America’s Got Talent.
My son was also able to practice his ninja moves with Kai!
And take a picture with some of the performers 🙂
Afterward, we were able to experience the ride, which had amazing special effects. The graphics were very vivid and true to what I’ve seen on the cartoon, and it wasn’t scary for my son. He was excited that he could train like a ninja.
The ride itself is quite a workout. Because the ride is basically like playing a video game, it can get very tiring since you are solely using hand motions to play the game. For example, you use hand motions to throw fireballs at your target. It’s also difficult to play - I would have liked to have received better instruction beforehand. The rest of my family experienced the same difficulties, even my husband who loves playing video games. We basically tried to figure it out by trial and error but even then, our scores were very low. Our scores were also incorrectly displayed on the scoreboard after the ride was over. Overall, though, it’s a fun addition to an already awesome theme park 🙂
Do you have any plans to visit LEGOLAND California this summer? Stay tuned for a review of the rest of our day at LEGOLAND California.