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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that Legoland is just a massive sodding rip off.

134 replies

IAmADancer · 02/06/2018 11:28

I had the unfortunate experience of going to Legoland yesterday and I am still angry about how much the whole day cost and feel as I have just been completely ripped off. I may as well have just taken a wad of money into the middle of the park and burnt it.
I know it was half term, although hadn’t realised when we booked the tickets, but from the moment I arrived I felt like we were just being conned out of money.
£12 for park
£120 in q-bots which were a waste of time as we would turn up at our allotted time and then still queue for another 20-25 mins because there were no staff or only part of the ride working.
£8.50 for a stupidly small salad
£16.00 for 3 coffees and a tea
£9 for face painting
The list is endless. How the hell do people afford to go to this place?
Half the rides aren’t working, the queues are over an hour for a ride that lasts 2 minutes. The queue to get an ice cream was 30 minutes and then you are charged an extortionate amount for one scoop. It is dirty and old looking, the rides are crap and the decent ones you have to pay extra for. The toilets are disgusting, the only food available is pizza, pasta and fried crap.

I was so pissed off by the end of the day and just felt completely taken advantage of.

So AIBU or is legoland actually incredible and I went on a bad day?

OP posts:
RunMummyRun68 · 02/06/2018 11:32

I went 10 years ago and it was shit then as well! Not sure how they get away with it

UniversallyUnchallenged · 02/06/2018 11:34

Yes!! YANBU - at all! It’s not even worth it with huge discounts, awful place, real let down. Waste of money. With your fury all the way

RoseanneBarred · 02/06/2018 11:36

We live fairly locally and it is really expensive. Last time we went we borrowed a friend's passes.

formerbabe · 02/06/2018 11:36

Everytime I've been, it's been really good. Loads to do... especially in summer as my DC love the splash pool things in the hot weather.

They really want to go again, but we're not because it's just so shockingly expensive, even if you have the 2 for 1 vouchers.

TakemedowntoPotatoCity · 02/06/2018 11:37

Yanbu at all. DD preferred Paultons/Peppa Pig world. I personally hated Legoland, except for the model village.

Boredandtired · 02/06/2018 11:37

I went a few years ago and thought it was really tired and rubbish. We did go on an inset day so kids did get lots of rides on the things that were open but we've not been back.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 02/06/2018 11:37

We managed to get in for free a couple of years ago but felt that the children (one still primary school age) were too old for it. Won't be going back. Even without paying for tickets, it was still an expensive day out - getting there on public transport, paying for food...

Bananalanacake · 02/06/2018 11:38

I'm assuming you are on about Windsor and not the original and best in Denmark. I used to have a season pass and loved going there on my own when kids were at school and it was empty. Now I have dc and live in Germany it's not possible. But crap half the rides were shut on a busy sunny day. There's a long running thread somewhere of hints and tips for LEGOLAND.

FranticallyPeaceful · 02/06/2018 11:39

I rarely complain about days out if they’re child focused, because I’m not the target audience... but yes, Legoland is beyond shit and so incredibly overpriced. It’s literally a day of queuing. Best hope you’re not hungry either unless you have a spare couple of hours for those queues. It’s just

FranticallyPeaceful · 02/06/2018 11:40

It’s just terrible *

Original poster
IAmADancer · 02/06/2018 11:40

I’m so incensed by it I’m
Contemplating writing a stinking complaint letter or writing directly to Lego and Merlin CEO. I think it’s a disgrace that they are getting away with basically ripping families off and they will just keep doing it.

I should also add that I went on a corporate discount rate premium pass and even with the discounts it cost a fortune

OP posts:
SensoryOverlord · 02/06/2018 11:42

We went last year for a very small cost tbh and the dc loved it.

Sun Superdays tickets x 4 lots (2 days for 4 people) - about £30.
Travel lodge - £24
Petrol - £30
Parking - free, they were just letting people out in droves at the end so we were never actually asked to pay.

So £80 odd for two days. We took packed lunches and ate in a Toby Carvery in the night. The whole two day trip cost less than £150 which I think was great.

Didn't bother with Q Bots and didn't buy anything else there.

Singlebutmarried · 02/06/2018 11:46

We went last year.

Got one of us in free, but still cost £100 for the other two.

Food was shite and was nearly another £50 including the parking

Queues for rides, as we got there they broke.

Got on three rides ALL DAY utter shite. Won’t go back.

gluteustothemaximus · 02/06/2018 11:46

Legoland is shit.

And very overpriced.

I’d rather buy my kids Lego, and spend the day in the garden building it and enjoying the day.

Paultons Park is awesome. Genuinely better than the giant merlin theme parks by miles.

Dljlr · 02/06/2018 11:49

We managed three rides in 8 hours. I had a three day pass and we didn't go back. Filthy, waspy, awful system of allowing wealthier families to queue jump, broken rides, horrible staff. We asked one for a map and got told "There aren't any cos management are shit". I actually tweeted that response to Legoland and they didn't even reply. YANBU.

PorkFlute · 02/06/2018 11:49

Agree with op that the one in Denmark is amazing. Never been to the Windsor one and prob won’t after this review!

thunderbirdthree · 02/06/2018 11:50

What did you honestly expect during half term? Appreciate you didn't realise but even so, I would go anywhere near that place during school holidays.

We're an hour away and only go on inset days and use kids go free vouchers. Minimal queues. We eat in the pizza / pasta place by the lake where they do the pirate shows and it's all you can eat so pretty good value.

I agree that parts of it are looking a bit tired, but there are lots of great areas too. I don't get the general MN hatred for Legoland. I also don't get the outrage at the cost and queues during holidays. It's a theme park FFS.

bookmum08 · 02/06/2018 11:57

I am a massive fan of Lego but don't enjoy theme parks (and neither does my daughter) so I have zero interest in going there. I think parents make the mistake of thinking because their kids 'love Lego' they need to take them to Legoland - yet when in a toy shop will tell them "oh that set is too expensive" to a £50 set but their child would really really love it to go with their other sets. If your child loves Lego buy them some actual Lego!!

MrsOprah · 02/06/2018 11:59

YANBU - went 3 years ago, whole place looks tired! needs a revamp/massive deep clean

midnightmisssuki · 02/06/2018 12:03

The one in Denmark is awesome Grin . YANBU. We get to go the the legoland for free every year (Windsor) and I still refuse to go.

ThatsPoker · 02/06/2018 12:05

It's the pits! The Q-bots (apparently now they have different levels of q-bots which totally defeats the purpose) are an utter con. The place is shitty. I hated it. And to make matters worse, i has an attack of chronic thrush the time i went and could not stop itching myself the whole way around. Never again!
Hate, hate, hate Legoland!

wizzywig · 02/06/2018 12:05

Who can I pm about the bilund legoland? I've wanted to take the kids but only if it is much much more better than legoland here

Tupperwarelid · 02/06/2018 12:07

We first went about 6 years ago when my children were 6 & 4. It was great then, lots of rides, wasn't too expensive or busy. We've been a few times since and each time it's looked older, dirtier and more unloved, like there hasn't been any real investment in it since it opened. There aren't enough staff on the rides either so it takes ages for one person to get everyone on, check the seatbelts, start and stop the ride and get everyone off again. They really need at least 2 people per ride minimum to help keep the queues down.

UnimaginativeUsername · 02/06/2018 12:08

We took DS2 a couple of years ago and were shocked at his bad it was. Really quite run down, full of wasps, enormous queues for really disappointing rides, nowhere for parents to sit in the playgrounds, and so on. Charging extra for the (not well maintained) car park is totally taking the piss.

The water park was by far the best bit, but so busy.

I would never consider going back under any circumstances.

Flobalob · 02/06/2018 12:08

We only ever go on inset days