I’ve been to LEGOLAND New York once prior – during park previews about three and a half years ago – and immediately remarked how beautiful the valley overlook must be during the fall with all of the colorful leaves. I found myself with a free day during a long weekend this fall and an itch to do something while the weather was still nice, so I made the relatively impulsive decision to head up to Goshen, NY for the afternoon to see what the park was like during the fall. Spoiler alert: it was an autumn dream.
For quick reference, I was a huge fan of LEGOs growing up and made some of my favorite childhood memories at LEGOLAND California when I was about eight years old. I went to LEGOLAND Florida not too long after it opened and was enamored with the branded spin on the Cypress Gardens section of the park. I love a good theme park, but the closest for the longest time were Sesame Place (a family-oriented park) and Hershey Park (technically an amusement park, but Chocolate World gets the themed bill in my book). On the flip side, I love seasonal events, but the only other theme park I’ve been to that truly experiences the seasons is Busch Gardens Williamsburg, which does a lovely Christmas event. I was so curious to see how LEGOLAND New York would handle their own seasonal event.
In typical LEGO fashion, the park was dressed for “Brick or Treat” – a family-friendly Halloween event (I, of course, was dressed thematically and seasonally appropriate oversized FP movement sweatshirt – very much added to the cozy fall vibes). From the first sight of the main entrance, there were comically large spiderwebs wrapping year-round fixtures with the addition of new seasonal sculptures and area music. Most of the park’s regular attractions remained open but the highlights, of course, were the Brick or Treat specialty offerings. The Nature Trail Path became a treat trail with candy stations that handed out a variety of sweet treats. If you didn’t bring your own candy bag, Model Citizens were handing out branded paper bags to guests. The offerings ranged from Haribo Gold Bears to M&Ms and, my personal favorite, GoGo Squeez apple sauce pouches. I was shocked to see some stations even had the jumbo pouches! The path connecting LEGO Castle to LEGO City followed a pumpkin patch theme with giant LEGO jack-o-lanterns along the way and a pumpkin patch build site. There were traditional meet and greets with the Spider Lady and the Mummy, and a new model with the Monster Rocker where you got to pick out a song and have a mini-dance party with just him and your family. There were also street shows that featured Lord Vampyre, zombies, the Wolf Man, and other Halloween characters. LEGOLAND New York felt fully immersed in the Halloween and fall spirit – no area felt ignored or untouched.
Some of the traditional offerings got special seasonal treatment, too. The Dragon rollercoaster received a “Disco Dragon Party” overlay, and the 4D Theatre was promoting a special Halloween show. Most of the food stands offered a special spinoff, too. I tried the Goblin Toes from the Granny’s Apple Fries kiosk, which were green pancake-coated apple fries with cinnamon sugar, and I really enjoyed them. My favorite overlay, though, was Miniland. Each city received a ghost as part of an area-wide scavenger hunt, but little Easter eggs were hidden throughout. I saw trick-or-treaters and what I believe were Ghostbusters in the New York set and a pumpkin patch in the Midwest set, as well as the horserace on the Goshen set turned into a race between the headless horseman, a witch on a broomstick, and two skeletons running wheelbarrow-race style, but there were more that I missed. Being perched on multiple levels on the hillside, Miniland offered a gorgeous backdrop to the sets with what might be some of the best views of the fall foliage in the valley beyond. While there was a lot for kids, Miniland was the clear highlight for the adults.
Brick or Treat is absolutely a family-friendly event with attractions and activities for multiple ages, which falls perfectly in line with LEGOLAND New York’s target audience and branding. However, I was surprised to see quite a few adult couples or small groups simply enjoying an afternoon walk through the park. I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon and felt like it was the perfect balance of “exciting outing” and “relaxing weekend plans.” I did see a few promotions for the Holiday Bricktacular posted around the park, and as a Christmas lover, I know I’ll be taking another afternoon ride up north for some seasonal fun and gorgeous landscape views.
Have a terrific day!
