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Legoland Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

“Different climate, same rides”

Legoland Dubai is part of Dubai Parks & Resorts, a huge entertainment resort in the desert between downtown Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Legoland theme parks have never really blown my mind in the past. The Californian park provided one of the worst amusement park days in history and the original Legoland Billund was cool, but it’s mainly focused on families with young children. As a result, Legoland Dubai was low on my to do list. However, admission was included during our stay at the Lapita Hotel, one of Dubai Parks & Resorts’ on-site accommodations. That’s why we decided to spend a few hours here.

ROLLER COASTERS

Interestingly, the park’s two coasters are in the same area and they’re both themed to dragons. The smallest one is Dragon’s Apprentice, a standard junior coaster manufactured by Zamperla. We ride it for the credit, but we are obviously more interested in its larger brother. We’re talking about Dragon, a modern Zierer coaster. And just like most of its namesakes at other Legoland destinations, it features a dark ride section through a medieval castle. It’s clear that Legoland Dubai is a fairly new park, because that dark ride part looks fresh and shiny. The dark ride ends with a surprising descent, after which the experience continues outside. The actual coaster part is pretty fast and it’s got powerful curves, so this is a great family roller coaster if you ask me.

DARK RIDES

An Egyptian theme is frequently used by amusement parks, but I’ve never experienced it as convincing as here. Due to Dubai’s high temperatures, it actually feels as if you’ve arrived in the middle of an Egyptian desert. The accompanying attraction is less impressive, though. Lost Kingdom Adventure has a boring layout and the scenes are just too simple. Then I definitely prefer the park’s other dark ride. I’m talking about Submarine Adventure, a ride that’s themed to Atlantis. We take our seats in a Lego submarine and we then admire a colourful underwater world. For the record: that underwater world isn’t fake. Lego figures were added here and there, but the sharks and rays are definitely real. It’s unusual to see such a Sea Life-like experience while being inside a submarine. That’s why I consider Submarine Adventure as a very cool ride, even though it’s very short.

MINILAND

Miniland is the centrepiece of every Legoland theme park. This zone consists of huge structures and monuments, entirely built out of Lego bricks. Miniland usually focuses on famous landmarks from the park’s region. The skylines of San Francisco and Las Vegas were rebuilt at Legoland California and you’ll see lots of British sights at Legoland Windsor. Here at Legoland Dubai, the focus is obviously on the Middle East. Striking elements are a 17-metre tall replica of the Burj Khalifa, the skyline of Sheikh Zayed Road (Dubai’s busiest highway) and an impressive Lego version of Burj Al Arab. I’m also encountering some stunning replicas of the Taj Mahal and the stone-carved city of Petra.

With a total of approximately 20 million (!) Lego bricks, Miniland is the unparalleled highlight of Legoland Dubai. Besides, Miniland is located in the centre of the park and it connects the various areas with each other. It may be nice to know that this version of Miniland is completely indoors and air-conditioned. So it’s not just the most impressive part of the park; it’s also the ultimate location to cool down during those hot days.

WORTH A VISIT?

Our visit to Legoland Dubai may have been short, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve missed anything. We’re not a part of Legoland’s targeted audience and therefore, most attractions fail to impress us. Still, I do believe that families with young children can have a great time here. The park has a lot of fine family rides, the atmosphere is pleasant and Lego remains one of the world’s strongest brands anyway. The only thing which could be improved, is the balance between indoor and outdoor park areas. Most of the theme parks in this region are largely covered, so a visit during the summer months is actually no problem. Legoland, however, is a fairly standard outdoor park. That makes it less than ideal to visit this park during the hottest days of summer. My compliments to the staff, by the way. They do their jobs in a very professional way, despite the heat.

What’s your favourite Legoland theme park? Have you been able to visit the park in Dubai yet? What’s the nicest Lego structure in Miniland? Share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

This article reflects my personal experience at Legoland Dubai during a visit in February 2025.