I took my 8 year-old godson to the Legoland Resort in Goshen NY on Labor Day. The tickets were purchased from Groupon so I was able to save some $$$ on admission. I could write a tome about my experience but I will do my best to break it down into bits. The park has potential (given the amount of space the operators have for future growth); however the current experience leaves a lot to be desired. Even for an 8 yr old.
For the cost of a regular one-day ticket ($80-$90) plus parking ($27), the attractions don't measure up at all. There are only 17 rides in the park, and only 13 of them were operating the day we visited. Of those in operation, many of them weren't being filled to capacity (due to mechanical issues with the safety latches/lap bar). This created a problem as the day went on, because the lines then got longer and the wait times increased.
The duration of the rides (which were all less than 2 mins) needs some rethought. The whole thing is over before you even realize its happening, and that doesn't compensate for the long wait times. It also appears the target age is 8 and under (though the website says up to 12). My godson enjoyed a few of the rides but complained that they were too short or too slow for his liking. Only one of the two rollercoasters were running during our visit, which was a bummer.
Some of the food and drink kiosks were closed. It appears the park is struggling with staffing issues across the board, except for the merchandise stores and the game booths (the one where you pay to win prizes). Those were manned. A kids meal will run you about $10 and an adult meal around $20. I suppose that is normal for theme parks these days. Outside food and beverages are allowed inside the park and I wish I knew this before going.
The 4D Cinema shows were amazing. We watched two different shows (each 13 mins long) and we loved them both. This is where Legoland shines and there is room for them to grow in this area by expanding with different shows and more showtimes. The Miniland attraction was also quite impressive and is really the reason I didn't give this place 2 stars. You have to see it for yourself to appreciate the attention to detail and accuracy.
An attendant at the park told us that there was a rush to get the park open, so kids would have something to do this summer. While the intent was good, there are still a lot of kinks that need to be worked out. I personally don't think the experience is worth the cost of the ticket. Not right now, at least. Maybe in a few years when the park has expanded and there's more to see and do. Also, being that this is a new park, there shouldn't be this many mechanical issues, forcing rides to breakdown and be taken out of service.
Legoland NY needs to go back to the drawing board and reassess a few things to make the experience more enjoyable and worthwhile.