Legoland Windsor is our favourite theme park in the UK these days.
Flea has outgrown the “little kid” areas in other theme parks but isn’t yet quite tall enough for the rollercoasters at the major theme parks. Legoland sits nicely somewhere in the middle – at eight, she’s big enough to go on everything, without an adult, and there is a great combination of rides and attractions.
This Easter, we were invited to Legoland for the day to check out the all-new Pirate Shores area, so I took along Flea and her best friend Zara, who is also eight.
So what did we make of our day?
In short, Flea loved it.
If you have little thrill-seekers, then the best options are:
- The Dragon: We were allowed into the park for an hour before it opened. This meant Flea and Zara (and me, natch) could go straight onto The Dragon, a rollercoaster that’s perfectly pitched for under 10s. So perfectly, that we went on it seven times in a row. And three more times later in the day.
- Jolly Rocker: A rocking pirate ship in Pirate Shores that goes ridonkulously high, and then pauses, just long enough for your stomach to drop alarmingly, before whizzing back towards the ground. We did this one six times over the day, which tells you how much the kids loved it.
- Pirate Falls: On a sunny day, head down to this Pirate Shores first so you can a) skip the long line that builds up later and b) you have time to dry out before sitting in the car – it’s basically a log-flume style ride with a BIG splash at the end. We did this one three times in a row, and I basically looked like I’d been swimming by the end of it. Although for maximum amusement, tell the kids that the person at the front doesn’t get hit by the water because it splashes right over them to hit the person behind. This is – of course – a total lie, but the loss of trust is more than made up for by the hilarity. Oh, yes.
- Traffic School and Boating School: These two rides are right next to each other, and the driving school in particular is a big hit with Flea – and it’s easy to see why. Who wouldn’t want to drive a little Fiat made out of LEGO round a series of real roads with traffic lights and roundabouts? It’s hilarious watching all the kids take the driving lesson and then utterly ignore every imaginable rule of the road once they’re behind the wheel.
- Climbing Wall: We’d never noticed it before but there’s a climbing wall for kids at Legoland, and both kids loved it – it’s £3 for around five minutes of climbing, which we thought was well worth it. The climbing wall is tucked away opposite the burger restaurant.
- Q-Bot: It’s not a ride, as such, but Legoland offers pagers that let you virtually queue for rides, costing from £15 to £70 per person depending on how many queues you want to jump, and how fast! I know this adds at least £60 to the cost for a family of four, but I always think given what you’re spending on a day out at Legoland, why not spend a little extra and squeeze a lot more fun into the day? We’ve been lucky enough to be given VIP wristbands for the last couple of trips we’ve made to Legoland which (I think) are equivalent to the £70 Q-Bots and they’ve made such a huge difference to the overall experience, that I’d recommend them, if you can afford them.
- The new Castaway Camp will be open from May, replacing the old play area next to the Jolly Rocker with a fab new play area – it’s not quite finished yet but looks really good fun.
- Brick Brothers: There are lots of LEGO shops dotted around the park and it’s tempting to wait and shop at the Big Store at the end of the day – but personally, I think it’s easier to buy during the day and have your purchases sent to the reception for you to collect on the way out. At the end of the day, the big shop near the exit is crowded and queues are long, and kids are tired and cranky. Avoid it if you can.
Thanks to Legoland for a fab day.
