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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU and a misery guts? Legoland

133 replies

notsohippychick · 28/10/2017 18:57

Ok, so arranged a day out at Legoland yesterday. I was able to get free tickets as my son is disabled via charity, so that was fabulous.

Off we trundled, full of excitement and hope! Its 2 hr and 40 min drive however it took us 5 hours!!!!!!!! M25 was a nightmare as part of it was closed!!

Got there - queued for our tickets. Of course the 'BIG LEGO' shop is in full view of the queuing area, which caused a bit of hassle before we had even got in.

To cut a long and very stressful story short, I hated every minute of it - the queues, the crowds, the insanely overpriced ice cream. I was so disappointed that id imagined this unforgettable day out, didn't live up to expectation. Never ever again. My son loved the mini lego village and luckily there was fireworks that night which was a huge saving grace!

I just didn't 'get it' - I didn't understand the fascination, and it didn't give me the 'wow factor', but then I'm not a child! This morning I calculated what it would have cost to enter with day tickets. £150 for three of us, and my 2 year old would have got in free. That doesn't include parking but did include an advanced booking discount. I was horrified!!!!!

However, on the positive side it has taught me that my son is quite a simple soul, he wasn't really interested in the rides, or the weird dancing Master Wu. He'd much prefer to kick a ball around a field or paddle in the sea. I'm trying to put it down to experience!

So this leads me to this question, when have you been disappointed by a day out you've had so much hope for?

OP posts:
CoveredInFondant · 28/10/2017 21:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SomethingNewToday · 28/10/2017 21:48

We went for two days in the summer.

I found it much more like a mini DLP than any other 'standard' UK theme park - what with the different zones and each one having it's own branding and shops/restaurants and so on.

The same as DLP, you just need to embrace the queues. If you wander looking for a 'decent' queue you'll waste ages iyswim - just find a ride you like and go on, jump into queuing feet first and hope for some luck.

Dh and I enjoyed well enough and the dc loved it. I definitely would NOT pay the £££ they ask for though - it's good but not over £150 a day good! We went completely on Sun Superdays vouchers so the total cost was about £30 in papers and £35 for the Travellodge overnight.

madamginger · 28/10/2017 21:49

We took the kids 3 years ago and we had a brilliant day. It was hot though and I think days out are better when the weather is nice.
We did take all our food with us though which always makes it easier (and cheaper!)

Original poster
notsohippychick · 28/10/2017 21:50

RippleEffects

What a lovely post! Thank you - I'm so glad your returning experience was better. I absolutely agree, that alot of new experiences with my son are very very hard, but I always try. You have to don't you? Some things work (he went to the cinema for the first time the other day - I prepared for massive sensory overload!), but he adored it! Legoland, I thought he'd love, just became too much.

I really don't think the stress of the journey set a very good tone for the day!!

choccybiscuit I thought the fireworks were brilliant! My son, who I thought would find them tricky, was clapping and whooping all the way through!

OP posts:
Original poster
notsohippychick · 28/10/2017 21:51

The council should put a stop to it. Close Legoland - for the good of the nation. So many hours of people's lives lost to this abomination! I am welling up just thinking of those that have tickets to go tomorrow

LOL - brilliant!

OP posts:
CoveredInFondant · 28/10/2017 21:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RandomUsernameHere · 28/10/2017 22:16

They will be able to go on all the rides in PP World, but if you wait until they're 1m then they will be able to go on a lot more of the rides elsewhere in the park. Although children under 1m get free entrance which is obviously a bonus.

youarenotkiddingme · 28/10/2017 22:22

I had PP annual pass for a number of years when ds was smaller (pre peeps pig world!).

Last few years have had legoland passes and always enjoyed our visits.

We did PP again this half term with friend of mine with a younger child.

The new lost kingdom is fab! Bigger rides for older children and no queues longer than 5 minutes.

So although we like legoland Paultons has definitely overtaken it ATM.

The only thing with paultons is the price Shock

CoveredInFondant · 28/10/2017 22:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsPinkCock · 28/10/2017 22:46

Oh god. I HATED legoland.

I remember our trip five years ago - it pissed it down and lunch was a £7 burger Hmm

Queues everywhere for EVERYTHING. We actually had to wait for an extra 20 minutes for the kid roller coaster thing because a family of 20 odd people decided to sneak their too short child into the ride! Staff noticed, said he was too short, but the family refused to get off Hmm and security were called to remove them.

Never again.

gluteustothemaximus · 29/10/2017 00:18

Disneyland paris is nothing like legoland.

DLP is clean, staff are amazing, it is actually themed, rides are superb, fast tracks are free, plus the additional characters, parades, shows, fireworks every night...it outdoes every single UK theme park.

bunerison · 29/10/2017 00:34

I don't mind legoland at all and I detest theme parks. We always go on an inset day and have never queued. I also took my kids to Thorpe park the other week and trust me, that's shit. Biggest disappointment though was Disney, both Paris and Florida. I'm done with all theme parks, never again

ChanandlerBongsNeighbour · 29/10/2017 09:56

I went for the first time about two weekends ago, on a Saturday with my DCs ages 3 & 6. We had a great day, we arrived at opening time, left at closing time and only had to queue really for one or two rides, the rest only had five minute or less queues. Was with my SIL, DN, her SIL and two nieces, they used the app to check queue times and we just avoided those rides or timed it around the best queues. We took a packed lunch which we ate at the seating area for the pirate show before the start of the next show. Really enjoyed it and would go again!

SomethingNewToday · 29/10/2017 18:20

Disneyland paris is nothing like legoland..it outdoes every single UK theme park

If that was to me, I didn't say it was or that LL was better.

I said LL is more like a mini DLP than any other 'standard' UK theme park...it has zones/themed shops in each land and the layout reminded me of DLP.

NotTheDuchessOfCambridge · 29/10/2017 18:28

YANBU, legoland is shit and is only liked by people who live close and visit at quiet times.

NotTheDuchessOfCambridge · 29/10/2017 18:29

And legoland is nothing like DLP. At all. In any way.

Goldenbug · 29/10/2017 18:31

Of course there is one place better than Disney and Peppa Pig world combined:

Badgerland!

Mamabear14 · 29/10/2017 18:32

I haven't read the thread properly so I don't know of the exit pass has been mentioned for kids with disabilities. I take a letter from the gp or camhs and you used to get a stamp and 10 rides you could avoid the queue and go in the exit. It was a lifesaver. If we didn't have it we simply couldn't go as DS just can't cope.

TheHungryDonkey · 29/10/2017 18:32

Did you use the new exit pass bot system? It’s free apparently. We’ve been to Legoland a few times and have really enjoyed it. My son has ASD and the one thing he cannot do is queue. It compromises everyone’s safety. They used to do a thing where you had ten tickets and just went around using them. They changed it this year and we haven’t been because I can’t see that it’s going to work. We’ve been advised to spend time waiting for rides by watching shows. But that’s impossible with some one with extreme sensory processing difficulties. You can even gently brush past him. Impossible in Legoland. Did you use the new system? I’m gutted they took away the ten ticket thing. We were in, do it, get out again fast. Lack of impulse control isn’t for watching Pirate Show things.

cantthinkofabloodyname · 29/10/2017 18:36

TBH. I live fairly locally to Legoland & I don’t go there with my DC. I preferred it when it was Windsor Safari Park.
It is overcrowded, expensive and a sensory overload for 2 of my DC.

Allthewaves · 29/10/2017 18:44

We did it coupe of years ago. Kids with asd and adhd. We drove up night before stayed in hotel near by (tea at harvester) then legoland hotel next night. Expensive but very stressfree. As ditched car in hotel carpark, no queues and straight into back of the park. Didn't lug stuff around as hotel was so handy. Had tickets for jumping queues so no melt downs. But we did go before schools had broken up in the summer so not as busy

BuggertheTabloids · 30/10/2017 21:10

So we went today. So much for an inset day being quiet 
I am only slightly joking when I say I would rather have been at work!

The organisation is horrendous. We arrived soon after 10am but with one thing and another and several different car park queues, and then after at least an hour queue to actually pass through the turnstiles we got in around 11.45.
By this time of course the queues for the popular stuff was over an hour. DS was mad keen to do the driving school so we queued for that but after just used the app to do shorter stuff. All in all probably did 3 rides each in total. I'm not a big theme park person but compared to others I have been to the rides are all pretty lame to be honest. If I had paid £45 per person for that I would have been livid (we had promo £10 tickets).

On the other hand though, miniland is seriously just amazing. If you genuinely are a lego fanatic (like DS) then that's all you really need. I would have been quite happy to spend hours there, it is so detailed and realistic with moving cars, boats, trains etc and places from all around the world you can easily recognise. Even for 8 yr old DS it was his favourite bit by far, despite the driving school. 25 million Lego pieces apparently!

@RandomUsernameHere how did you get on?

Anyway, kids are happy, so I have put up with it this time but it will be a while before I can brace myself for a theme park again! And Legoland, well once is definitely enough.....

RandomUsernameHere · 30/10/2017 21:54

Oh no @BuggertheTabloids I can't believe it took you so long to get in :(

We had a good day thanks, but it was VERY busy. Feeling a bit shellshocked.

Positives were:

The DCs absolutely loved it
We arrived at 9:30 so had no problems parking and getting in. There were loads of people there before us even at that time.
Good variety of rides
Got a good price with Duplo Days, £30 for one adult and two under 5s.
The Pirates show was great.

Negatives:

Absolutely rammed and long queues, although we managed to do most of the things we planned.
Took ages to get out of the car park.
Quite a few rides closed.

BuggertheTabloids · 30/10/2017 22:08

@RandomUsernameHere sounds like getting there early is the key. We did hope to but DH had to get some work done first (he works for himself and had an early call from abroad he couldn't get out of).
On the other hand getting out of the car park was fine for us!
Still, like I said kids are happy so that's the main thing. They have to work around me (and DH) so much of the time it was good to do something they really really wanted.
Pizza and some wine and I feel a lot better Grin

BuggertheTabloids · 30/10/2017 22:09

And glad you had a great time of course Smile