Confession time now: it’s not only my two kids who can’t get enough of Legoland, it’s me – oh, and my wife – too. But that’s what the resort at Windsor is all about: fun for all the family, and we definitely had plenty of that.
Value for money is so important these days when it comes to theme parks, fun fairs and resorts like this. But you won’t come away from Legoland Windsor feeling short-changed because it’s worth every penny of the entrance fee.
My first impression was how well it has been designed. The well-sculptured 150-acre site, once home to Windsor Safari Park, is punctuated with trees, shrubs and flowers; walking around is a pleasant experience rather than a trudge between rides – and there isn’t a shortage of rides!
In fact, there are nearly 60 interactive rides and attractions. As Legoland’s informative website explains, you can “fly through the treetops to escape fearsome dragons, ride the thrilling rapids with a Viking Fleet, join Lego divers on a magical underwater adventure on Atlantis Submarine Voyage or enjoy the UK’s only Lego Star Wars Miniland Model Display.” Around two million people visit each year and it’s easy to see why.
Among the new features for 2013 is Duplo Valley, where kids can splash, play and visit Brickville, a village complete with police station, princess castle and even a caveman’s home. Then there is Lego’s Legends of Chima 4D movie. We enjoyed donning our 3D specs and being absorbed by this short film while the special effects, adding the fourth element, came at us from seemingly every angle!
We enjoyed too many rides to single out one as our ultimate favourite. But among those we returned to was Driving School; my children enjoyed steering their little cars around the streets, stopping at junctions and traffic lights. All of us jumped into a fire engine at the Fire Academy and burnt off some calories racing the engine along the track in order to extinguish a fire.
Other highlights included Laser Raiders, an exciting indoor ride where everyone gets to play an adventure hero. Armed with laser guns, we had to shoot our way through a labyrinth, battling evil mummies and dodging traps and skeletons enroute to discovering lost treasure. My wife and eldest child enjoyed being whizzed around in The Dragon, a mini-rollercoaster, while all of us climbed on board the Dragon’s Apprentice, an even smaller rollercoaster.
We spent a lot of time just exploring and admiring Miniland, where nearly 40 million Lego bricks have been utilised to painstakingly produce mini replicas of scenes from Europe and America; you’ll also see a hive of activity in some displays with boats chugging in and out of harbours, planes starting their engines for take-off, etc.
If possible, hire a Q-Bot Ride Reservation Device. There are three options – beginning with the “Regular” (£15pp) covering 20 rides and attractions – which allow you to beat the queues; it will definitely enhance your overall experience of Legoland.
Around the park there are plenty of places to eat or grab a takeaway, lots of seats scattered around on which to relax and rest tired limbs and many staff willing to answer queries. In fact, that’s just one area where Legoland Windsor scores very highly. Everyone we saw wore a big smile, were knowledgeable and genuinely wanted to help.
Our Legoland experience was made even more enjoyable by staying overnight at the fabulous Resort Hotel (see the separate review within the “Accommodation/Hotel” section of this website for full details); it proved the icing on the cake, especially for our kids. Anyone interested in Lego – and I’ve got two children who are mad about it – will love spending a night here. Go on, treat yourself, you won’t regret it!
Further information:
LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
Winkfield Road,
Windsor,
Berkshire,
SL4 4AY
t: 0871 222 2001