To be shocked how expensive Legoland is?

[vivizone]

including other theme parks.

Legoland even with offer comes to £116.00 for 2 adults and one child. Online price.

Then rail tickets to get there, spending money and so on.

Is this normal or am I correct in thinking it's a bit of a rip-off.

[Manchesterhistorygirl]

YANBU. It's a massive rip off. We had one free ticket and used tesco for the adults. Still a massive rip off. Drayton manor is much better.

[absolutmum]

Always used to book through lastminute.com, not sure if you still can? DS has moved on to Thorpe Park now....

[newgirl]

I really like legoland but queues can be rubbish. Plenty of other stuff to do though - shows, water park etc and def take own food

[ImagineJL]

Rice Crispies are doing free tokens at the moment. Free adult with a paying child.

[Timeforabiscuit]

I second Paultons Park (Peppa Pig world) - all the other older style rides were brilliant and very few queues for those, excellent for 4/5/6 year olds.

The Peppa Pig area was pure madness though and the food is rubbish... and re-mortgaging for the merchandising.

Apart from that it's great!

[montmartre]

We love legoland! But I agree, the experience when it's busy is entirely different to when it's full. My children adore it though, we went on a miserable rainy october day, with absolutely no queues, and went on everything they wanted as many times as they wanted (scarab bouncers are brilliant).

The food is the pits though! I bet the Danish park has fantastic, healthy food (at Danish prices though, obviously)

[zlist]

We went once - and made is clear to DS that this was the one and only time we would be going. I thought we were being clever going on a teacher training day - NO! Whole country must have had the same day!
Queues can be horrible and I would feel like a complete arse getting a queue bot. Food was massively over-priced and not very nice.
I expect days out like this to be expensive but we left disappointed because we just couldn't realistically get on what we wanted to. We left earlier than planned and I am so pleased we did as even getting out can cause you to queue as they check you have paid parking!
If it wasn't so busy then I would fairly happily swallow the cost as a treat. It is a great place to visit underneath all the crowds (which I will admit to having a low tolerance for and DH is even worse).

[YoullNeedATray]

Go when the weather is really crap! We went duirng the Easter hols last year. It was pissing with rain. There were only two queues (the Egyptian ride & the Atlantis one) and we got on everything really quickly. We did the dragon roller coaster twice without getting off as no-one was waiting at all, did the viking water ride twice (10 min queue), and saw the Star Wars stuff (which DS is crazy about) three times. Good coats and we had a great time!

[IWantATowel]

very pleased I read this thread, we were planning on taking dc next week. Maybe we'll do something else.

[marriedinwhiteagain]

Think of it like this: With a bogoff (and that's the only way we did the theme parks) it's a day out, get there early before the queues for the popular rides are too long. If you pay £60 for 4 (can't remember exactly now) five rides each and it's paid for in the context of the crap fairs that pitch themselves up on the common for a week where you can get through £30 quid in 45 minutes and the kids want a plastic hot dog from a van afterwards.

Two rules - NO extras to be spent on side stalls, except bunjee jumping; pack a picnic. On that basis I would say the theme parks have been pretty good value over the years.

[Yamyoid]

Went to the one in Manchester in the Trafford Centre and was very disappointed (although ds did enjoy it). We had vouchers so it wasn't too bad but if we'd paid full price I would've been absolutely gutted. Total rip off. Just a big soft play with Legoey bits.
Legoland people need to see this thread.

[woopsidaisy]

Ah, yes . We have different holidays so the queues are never too bad. And we do use the queue bots.

[MichaelaS]

Sorry but I love legoland and we go loads. But we have the Merlin passes. It makes a huge difference mentally. If we go and queues are bad we just say "oh well lets do small things and come back another day". We don't feel ripped off as we don't feel we've paid for that specific day.

Rules for a good day are... Start at the far end of the park and work back. Big rides first small ones later. Never eat in 12-2 slot as other people are not riding then. Take own food or get snacks then discount food after 3. Pick a rainy or v overcast day. If you want to see a show get there early.

We have a great time and since buying our passes in July have done legoland for 4 days, Chessington for 3 and 2 trips to London aquarium and 1 on London eye. All with a 3 yo and a small baby.

We intend to hold passes for a few years and blitz the parks then have a few years off. When kids grow up we will do it all again with Alton towers and Thorpe park.

[RatPants]

I'd love to take my two but have to say, this thread has put me off a bit.

[trixymalixy]

Last time we went it cost me £7.50 per person in tesco clubcard points. It's gone up to £11 now, but I didn't have enough points so have the cereal packet vouchers instead for our trip next weekend. Also if you book online early enough you get 25% off.

[noblegiraffe]

Well I thought legoland was fab, far far better than Chessington and a billion times better than Peppa Pig world. We went on a busy day but did buy q-bots. Without the q-bots it would have been hell and we'd have spent the day queuing.

[Cantbelieveitsnotbutter]

I can see how the Merlin passes make a difference. If you are near enough you can go for a few hours on a day you know isn't busy (and after lunch!). We are planning to get them in a few years.

[cece]

We have passes (bought with Tesco points) and as we live nearby we go for a few hours at a time on days it isn't busy. I still have one pre-schooler so we go midweek with him and his friends (and their mums). It is always nice and quiet then so we get to go on whatever we like. We also go after school with the older children. If it's nice we take swimmers and they al play in the squirty water and the mums drink coffee and chat supervise.

[Groovee]

We went once and had fun but it was scottish school holidays so quieter bar some school groups. Very little queuing needing done.

[WestieMamma]

Apparently you can get a legoland 2 for 1 voucher when you book with National Rail.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-theme-parks/legoland-vouchers

[rosy71]

We went to Legoland in the Easter Holidays last year and thought it was brilliant. We booked online and got 2 days for the price of one, kids were free and we stayed in a hotel, all for £167. If you pay the price on the gate, it's much more expensive.

We did loads of rides and the kids did everything they wanted. We took our own food - eating at places like that is always expensive. I'm not sure what people expect really

We've been to the Lego Discovery Centre in Manchester too. At first, I was quite disappointed with that, but we ended up there for hours and the kids loved that too!

[Footface]

We went on Thursday, there were no queues, but we have really little ones not at school. But it was soooo cold we only lasted 3 hours.

Take food, as its so expensive inside. £12.00 each for a buffet meal and £5.00 per child. It's all you can eat but even so a complete rip off.

We went to the harvester just outside windsor, was nicer and cheaper.

2 rides are closed till mid may, fairy brook cottage and the water slap bit, but it too cold for that bit at the moment.

If your going go early, before it opens, print your ticket so your no queuing Twice.

[Fluffy1234]

I got Merlin Passes when they were on offer in January. They cost £276 for a family of 4 and are premium passes so include parking. I plan to visit somewhere once a week during every school holiday and that will be our big day out for the week. I spend very little when at the parks as get 20% of coffees etc and take a packed lunch. I don't think I would be able to afford over £100 for a day out.

[WileyRoadRunner]

What's it like week after schools have gone back? Thinking about taking my 3 and 8 year olds on 22nd April?

Or are the queues always horrendous?

[cece]

On school days, unless it's an INSET day for one or two local schools, then it is often very quiet. Usually no queues or very short ones.