A miniature Lego version of Hong Kong’s observation wheel turns languidly above the ferry terminals of Victoria Harbour, whilst beneath one of Hong Kong’s old trams, also made of Lego, trundles to and fro. Cute little taxis and small buses zip through the streets. Not far away a Lego model of the Big Buddha sits cross-legged, looking down upon the stilted city of Tai O whilst replica pink dolphins frolic beneath the waves.
For a grown-up Lego enthusiast, and aficionado of all things Hong Kong, this has to be the highlight of the museum. For the kids, though, there is more; although perhaps not quite as much as the ticket price might suggest.
So, give me the low-down
Hong Kong’s Legoland Discovery Centre is a nice place to spend a few hours with the kid. You probably won’t need much more than that. There are some excellent models of Hong Kong, a couple of rides to try out, a small play area, some Lego pits to get creative, a cafeteria and of course the obligatory gift shop.
A single entry ticket, for both adults and children, costs HK$240 – or you can go for an annual pass (HK$799 for unlimited entry during the weekdays, or HK$1099 for unlimited entry at any time). Given the size of the place – not terribly big – these prices are a little on the high side. All of this said, though, the place is still a big hit with the kids: after more than 80 years, Lego still has the power to capture children’s imagination.
What are the highlights?
For this particular researcher, the favourite part of the Legoland experience were the very life-like replicas of areas of Hong Kong. But kids are likely to prefer other parts of the Discovery Centre.
There are two theme park-style rides that are likely to captivate any kid’s imagination. One is a small ride through a mythical kingdom, where passengers are armed with a gun to zap skeletons and trolls, and rescue the kidnapped princess. The other is a merry-go-round through the magical chamber of legendary wizard Merlin; the harder you pedal the higher the magic will take you! Both are fairly simplistic rides – but kids tend to enjoy them.
Another top highlight is a 4D-cinema featuring a Lego cartoon, where the special glasses that everyone wears really brings the film to life!
Other highlights include a soft-play area, a craft workshop where instructors explain how to build certain Lego models and Lego pits where kids can just play.
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What about food?
There is a small cafeteria in the Discovery Centre, which serves passable food (though nothing particularly great). A basic spaghetti Bolognese costs HK$68, a pizza HK$89. At peak times it can be fairly hard to find a seat here.
Note that everything is served in plastic, and the eating utensils are all plastic – so if you are on a mission to save the environment, this is certainly not the place to come!
What do the kids say?
We went to the Legoland Discovery Centre with Flavio and Ken.
Asked what his favourite ride was, Ken said, without a moment’s hesitation, “The shooting game because it’s dangerous!”
Flavio nodded emphatically in agreement, and suggested it was on the par with the one at Disneyland. The rides are very different. At Disneyland it’s all about shooting the targets, whereas with the one at Legoland Discovery Centre is much slower and you get the chance to shoot animated monsters on the television screen (in much the same way as you would play a video game).
The other point that Flavio made, a little later, about the centre was that “it’s a bit on the small side”. That is certain something that is difficult to disagree with.
So what is the verdict?
Legoland Discovery Centre a nice place to entertain the kids for two or three hours, but very over-priced for what it is. Do not expect anything even close to what you might get in Legoland in the UK or in Malaysia. The place is more like a glorified playroom than a bona fide theme park, which is why the prices seem so eye-wateringly high.
Think hard about whether it is worth investing in the annual pass. As already noted the place is not terribly big and families are unlikely to want to visit too many times in a year – although Ken did point out that he has already been eight times in the past six months, so this might depend on the kid too!
If you enjoy Lego – as we certainly do – you’ll probably want to check this place out at least once. And the kids really love it. But, once you’ve seen everything that the place has to offer, it might be a little while before you think about returning.
Give me a fun fact
Lego comes from the Danish word leg godt, which means “play well”.
Where is it?
Just next to the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station, inside the K11 Mall.
You can find more details about the Legoland Discovery Centre here.
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