Legoland’s Halloween offerings do the trick

While Disney puts on a full-fledged costume for its Halloween event, Legoland Florida’s annual Brick-or-Treat is more like throwing on a bedsheet. It’s not elaborate, but it gets the job done.

To be fair, Legoland’s Halloween offering is free with park admission; Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a not-so-cheap extra ticket.

Also, Legoland’s events take place throughout the day; Mickey gets his party started closer to sunset. That means the youngest of the young set can get into the Halloween spirit without battling crankiness, or forcing parents to rely on candy-fueled sugar rushes to get through the day.

And while there’s no elaborate stage show or parade, Legoland has peppered its park with lots of little Halloween touches to make it a memorable visit. They include custom Lego name tags, concocted by employees, that have the minifigure’s head removed from its normal perch atop the shoulders and instead smiling on the end of an outstretched hand.

Visitors should remember to bring some minifigures to trade as well, but don’t forget the hair or an accessory. It’s eye for an eye at Legoland, and if you want that Lego Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, hair included, you’d best have a full minifigure to trade.

The park also has its share of larger-than-life Lego models tied to Halloween, including the world’s largest Lego pumpkin and the 13-foot-long Vampire Hearse, a blownup version of a 2014 Monster Fighters Lego set.

Kids and adults can try their hand at creating autumn-themed Lego creations on napkin-sized Lego boards that will be judged from among all the creations across the seven Brick or Treat days being held this year at the park.

There are also meet-and-greets with “scary” Lego characters including Frankenstein, Lord Vampire, the Mummy, the Mad Scientist and the Witch.

Probably at the top of most kids’ required Halloween activities, though, is the Brick or Treat Trail, in which kids 12 and younger get a bag for an assemblyline trip that serves up fistfuls of candy appropriate to Florida’s decidedly non-fall-esque weather (no chocolate).

The trail has some nice decorative touches, including a Lego pumpkin field and Spot the Lego dragon in his doghouse.

The end of the night also promises Halloweenthemed fireworks at the conclusion of a new show titled “Tale of Pirates’ Cove.” The fireworks are designed to be viewed with 3-D glasses that let viewers see Lego bricks when staring at any bright light. Unfortunately, this year’s opening-night pyrotechnics had technical difficulties.

Other tidbits offered up this year include roving Lego ambassadors giving out prizes to those in the best costumes, new musical shows, three animated Lego jack-o’-lanterns that sing spooky tunes, a giant Lego Halloween globe photo opportunity, a vampire magician, a scavenger hunt of hidden skeletons in Miniland. Holiday food offerings are a pumpkin spice version of Granny’s Apple Fries as well as a gummy-worm dessert. What kid doesn’t want to eat worms in dirt for Halloween? There’s also a popcorn and candy corn mix and pumpkin pie-flavored ice cream.

The Halloween touches aren’t everywhere, but there are enough of them that you feel the park is putting in a lot of effort to make the Brick or Treat days special.

And because it’s free with admission, it’s definitely worth the cost.

RICHARD TRIBOU/STAFF Legoland Florida’s Halloween event is called Brick or Treat, held on weekends leading up to Halloween night.