A must for little Lego fans (Legoland Windsor)

Member Name: pagso

Product:	Legoland Windsor
Date:	17/08/09 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great rides for small children, very safe

Disadvantages: Slow moving queues

I have been going to Legoland for the last 10 years with my children and must have clocked up about 15 visits over this time. The last few occasions have been in school holidays or on summer INSET days which have been very busy and have left vowing never to return! I can still remember a few early visits when the queues were short and the rides perfect for my young children; perhaps we have just outgrown the attraction. Certainly the queues have got longer, living locally I have learned that if the overflow car park is being used then the attraction is too busy and I go straight home.

Like other theme parks the park is divided into themed areas with a mixture of rides suitable for very young children and some only available to accompanied children over a certain height etc. There are only one or two rides which would appeal to older children seeking a greater thrill and the queues for these are considerable. There are a couple of water rides and the newer one - a viking themed ride - does take more riders per boat and hence the queues move quicker.

The big problem seems to be that Legoland have many rides which take too long to get riders on and off, many have only one member of staff who has to measure the height of riders, then go round each car and lock them and return to the booth to start the ride. This makes the turnover between each ride take far too long - if you had to pay per ride I think they would provide at least two if not three times as many staff. I don't think this aspect bothers the management as there have been two new rides introduced this season which can only take a few riders at a time and the queues have been so long we haven't tried them out.

There is a driving school where very young children can learn to steer a car around a small circuit and are given their own driving licence at the end; all my children have loved this but it can only handle about 10 children at a time and the queue can be horrendous. The same applied to the driving school opposite for the slightly older child for which the queue moves even more slowly.


The outdoor show is very well done and has some audience participation - some of the closer audience do get squirted - and there is lots of acrobatics to enjoy. The show is only performed every couple of hours and it seemed that people were having to sit and wait up to 45 minutes to ensure they get a good view. I think it would be much better for them to put the show on hourly at busy times as it is such a waste of visitors time.

The food outlets are disappointing with big queues at busy times, a lack of healthy food choices, the quality isn't great and the meals are expensive. I am rarely organised enough to take my own snacks so the best of the bunch I think is the restaurant alongside the lake where they put on the show. This has lots of lego to keep the young ones occupied while you queue for the food. The worst has to be the hot dog carts around the park; these have no water supply and the servers handle money and food without washing their hands in between - probably for their entire shift. If you do take a picnic there is a good spot to sit down to eat outside the Rat Trap which is an adventure playground type place - if the children are old enough to go in here on their own you can stretch out on the grass outside and have a break.

I often use discount vouchers available or have bought discounted tickets online so am not sure what the current entry cost is; anyway it is the same price for all 3+; I often think that adults should have a discounted price as the park is clearly aimed at children.

There is a large Lego shop at the entrance/exit - this has a great selection of Lego toys but they are full price unless you have an annual pass which entitles you to 10% off. Lego fans will love the miniworld area where a world in miniature has been created out of lego complete with a working London Eye and lots of other recognisable landmarks.

Toilets are plentiful which is good when you consider how many young children are in the park but they are not always as clean as you would like and they should empty the nappy bins more often!

This perhaps reads as quite a negative review but the park is wonderful for smaller children but can only be enjoyed properly at quieter times.

Summary: Go in off peak period if you can