The ultimate LEGO experience: why Mumsnet parents rate LEGOLAND Discovery Centre as a top attraction

The summer holidays are fast approaching and you’re likely to be looking for ideas for keeping the kids entertained. If you have a LEGO fan in your house, then a trip to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is sure to be a hit.

A Merlin Entertainments indoor family attraction located in Birmingham, the centre features models and activities such as exhilarating rides, a 4D cinema and a virtual reality experience all inspired by the different characters and LEGO toys.

Unlike the LEGOLAND Resorts, the LEGOLAND Discovery Centres encourage building memories with your family through the numerous activities on offer without the theme park thrills. Our Mumsnet users said you can spend up to three hours there, riding, building and playing. We asked them for their tips to help us put together this guide - here are their recommendations when visiting the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre!

Explore MINILAND

"We all loved Miniland so much to look at, we were all very impressed. We went back to Miniland before we left for a second look." Sleepybumble

Explore this interactive LEGO City, built from over 1.5 million LEGO bricks! See familiar Midlands landmarks including the Mailbox, the BT tower, the Bullring, Villa Park, the Spaghetti Junction and many more! Can you spot some of the other Merlin attractions inside? Look out for the Bear Grylls Adventure, Cadbury World and Warwick Castle. Top hint: check below Warwick Castle for the dungeons down below!

Watch a 4D movie

"The children (3 and 6) enjoyed the 4D cinema and the soft play the most. Me and DH enjoyed MINILAND and the coffee shop (although the tea was literally hotter than the sun)." MumOfTwoDCs 

When you need a bit of a break, you can take a seat in the centre’s 4D cinema. Watch LEGO characters come to life in an action-packed movie with fun special effects including rain, wind and snow.

The films last around 20-30 minutes with a choice of 4D movies, including LEGO® NINJAGO® 4D: Master of the fourth dimension, in which the audience is invited into the ninja’s training Dojo to learn some of their NINJAGO moves, and LEGO® CITY 4D: Officer in pursuit!, a story following police officers who are chasing a mischievous crook through the streets of the metropolis. So, pop your glasses on and enjoy the action!

Take a ride on the Kingdom Quest

"They liked the Kingdom Quest Ride and the soft play the best." completelypleased 

For children who love the thrill of the LEGOLAND theme park, you can enjoy two fun rides. Take a seat on the Kingdom Quest Ride and use the laser guns to zap trolls, skeletons and spiders and save the princess.

The ride can seat up to five people and each of you gets your own gun. The highest scorer wins! It is suitable for all, however, children under 1.3 metres must be accompanied by an adult and it is not suitable for babies or infants who can’t walk.

Enjoy the magic of Merlin’s Apprentice Ride

"She LOVED the soft play and Merlin’s Apprentice Ride." chezybabes89

This ride may require a bit more effort but is just as much fun. Go round and round on the Merlin’s Apprentice Ride while pedalling fast to conjure up magic to move your cart up towards the sky. Children will love pretending they are Merlin’s wizarding apprentice. It’s suitable for children 90cm and above to ride alone or 1.2m to ride with an adult.

Create and race your own vehicles

"They all really enjoyed Miniland and building wheeled vehicles. I thought the play value in the vehicle section was great. They had really imaginative ideas and seemed to really enjoy themselves." Sleepybumble

Know a budding engineer? Take them to the LEGO Racers: Build and Test zone where thousands of bricks and you can build your own car.

Once you’ve gone wild with your imagination and created your own vehicle, you can race your cars against each other on the speed test track to see who gets the quickest time. If you want to make sure you cross the finish line first, you can get some building tips from a Playmaker. There’s even the chance to get your photo taken on the winner’s podium.

Immerse yourself in virtual reality

"My children's favourite part was the 3D cinema and VR ride. My favourite was the coffee shop!" Lndnmummy

While all the other attractions in our guide are included in the admission fee, this one you do need to pay extra for. In this virtual reality ride, you’ll experience a car race against LEGO Minifigures, such as a pirate, wizard and surfer.

The 360 video takes you across rocky mountains, rushing rivers and hot lava, combining sight, sound and motion to give you a fully immersive experience. The Great LEGO VR Race is included with the Legoland Discovery Package or you can add to your order online or pay for it at the Admissions Desk when you arrive.

Another add-on experience is the VIP Master Model Builder Workshop, a private two hour LEGO building workshop.

Run around the soft play

"I really enjoyed the rides, the cafe was nice, the kids loved playing in the soft play area." MarriedMama23

Of course, there’s soft play too! In Birmingham, children can burn off some of their energy climbing, jumping and sliding around the LEGO City themed soft play. Younger children can also spend time creating in the DUPLO Farm, with bricks and giant soft bricks for making their own creations. During weekdays you can attend the Little Play Squad sessions which are designed to help children learn a wide variety of skills.

About LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is an indoor LEGO-themed attraction that offers families a fun and interactive experience in a safe and stimulating environment. Founded in 1999, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is part of the global family of LEGOLAND attractions, and it is designed to inspire and educate children through the power of play.

Located in both Birmingham and Manchester, UK, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre features a variety of LEGO-themed play areas, interactive rides, and hands-on activities that encourage children to explore, create, and learn. From building their own LEGO creations to taking part in workshops with LEGO Master Model Builders, children and families can enjoy a wide range of immersive experiences that cater to all ages and skill levels.

About the author

Gemma Wilcock is a freelance writer and copywriter who grew up in the North-East of England but has lived in and around London for almost 20 years. At Mumsnet, she creates content filled with useful parenting advice, information and top products to make life easier – as a mother of two children herself Gemma knows how important it is to get the right advice.

 With almost 20 years of experience writing for women’s magazines, such as Bella and Woman’s Own, she loves writing content that will be helpful to the reader. She always makes sure to thoroughly research the product or activity, drawing recommendations from our Mumsnet users and online consumer reviews. As a mum herself, she’s often looking for ideas about how to keep her children entertained, especially during the school holidays, so she knows how helpful reviews can be when it comes to figuring out if something is worth spending your money on. This helps Gemma to create content that helps make parents’ lives easier.