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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:
Babymamamama · 02/06/2018 12:09

I went recently on an inset day and it was just about ok value wise -and the queues weren't long. But I used the two for one tickets off rice crispy packets, brought picnic from home, all drinks, snacks etc, remembered to pack dd's waterproofs for the splashy rides. So it wasn't extortionate. I was a bit surprised how shabby everything looked. I wanted to give all the Lego displays a good wipe down. Don't think we would go back as it's for younger ones so next time (if ever) we will try Thorpe park.

oliviapopeswineglass · 02/06/2018 12:11

I took my kids many years ago and they had a good time but I felt it was a rip off, didn't plan to go back.
Last summer I took my three year old nephew (on kid free voucher) and couldn't believe it had got even poorer value with extortionate car parking and terrible food.
As another poster said spending the money on actual Lego is a far far better idea.

BarbaraofSevillle · 02/06/2018 12:11

Sadly you did everything wrong

Half term
No discount vouchers, which are freely available if you look
Bought food and drink in the park, which will always make motorway service stations look like the cheap option

What were you thinking?

It's one of those places that's probably just about OK if you go in term time, have discount vouchers and take a packed lunch, but otherwise it's an overpriced nightmare.

Doyoumind · 02/06/2018 12:14

DC love Legoland and so do I. Been a few times, but I always go when I know there's a chance it will be quieter, always get some kind of deal, always take food and drink with me, always have a plan of action for the day to make sure we get on as many rides as possible. We've done a lot of theme parks and I think for younger ones it's the one with the best thrill rides.

FilthyforFirth · 02/06/2018 12:16

Oh god, I was going to take DH as a first fathers day treat... DS is 11 months old so wont remember anything. Will it be horrible on fathers day? Worried this is the worst ever idea now!

Doyoumind · 02/06/2018 12:18

Filthy I don't think it's the place for your DH. If he likes rides, they're not scary enough for adults. If he likes Lego there's Miniland and the Star Wars exhibition but probably not worth it for the price.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 02/06/2018 12:21

We always preferred Chessington when dd was young.

FilthyforFirth · 02/06/2018 12:21

He is obsessed with lego so that's why. He likes rides, but isnt fussed either way really. Hmm, I better come up with a different plan. I felt all pleased with myself as I saved a 241 voucher off my cereal packet!

sonypony · 02/06/2018 12:22

I really enjoyed a recent visit but we got discount tickets, went on a school day, only standard parking and took all drinks and food. It was quite disappointing that some of the rides were shut but I found the staff above and beyond helpful and nice - I was surprised how helpful. DS loved the lego models and the splash zone (but that was very busy even on a school day so I dread to think what it would be like in the holidays). There'd be no persuading me to go in school holidays or a weekend though or full price and buy food.

Totally agree with bookmum08 about spending the money on a creative box of lego instead.

Doyoumind · 02/06/2018 12:25

Filthy with 2 for 1 it might be worth it. Miniland is quite tired though tbh. The Star Wars bit has good builds to see. You won't have the problems with queues etc in those bits.

Have you been to the store in Leicester Square?

PolkerrisBeach · 02/06/2018 12:26

Don't go in half term and don't buy the queue skipping thing.

But in general I think Legoland is tired, dated and needs a total makeover. It is a very poor reflection of the Lego brand and I'm really surprised that the head office is happy to let it continue as it is. They need to get the Disney Florida people in to give them a massive kick up the arse and whip them into shape.

TSSDNCOP · 02/06/2018 12:26

I thought it was one of the biggest rip offs ever.

It is also Mecca for wasps, which I’ll grudgingly admit isn’t within Merlin’s power.

However the ridiculous overcrowding and breathlessly bad planning is, and for that they should be cringing with embarrassment.

I think the Splash part is my case in point. Shoe-horned as it is into a stupidly small space with no adequate room for changing, stroller storage or adult seating. 8 years later this still grates.

thegreylady · 02/06/2018 12:29

About 10 years ago I took 6 of my dgc and their mums. Everyone had a great day but afterwards I asked what was their favourite thing. Two of the girls aged 5 and 7 said:
“ Do you know what we saw? Under a little bridge were some daisies and they weren’t made of Lego! It was amazing...”
They really meant it. I have never been back though I have younger dgc now.

icelolly99 · 02/06/2018 12:31

Slightly amused by people who fork out for extras and then complain after! Hmm Don't go on a school holiday, and take food and drink with you! Why spend money on queue jumping devices then waste time queing for food, drinks and face painting?!

EspressoButler · 02/06/2018 12:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

extinctspecies · 02/06/2018 12:37

Over the years I have learned these 3 simple rules when going to places like this.

  1. Never visit during school holidays or weekends.
  1. Use a discount code.
  1. Take your own food & drinks.
blackteasplease · 02/06/2018 12:38

I've been before with dd was she was almost 5 and loved it. We took a picnic though.

Going to take dd (now 9) and ds (now 4.5) on the last day of summer hols which is an inset Monday.

Mari50 · 02/06/2018 12:38

I took dd last summer, we used the two for one entry vouchers and took a packed lunch (as strongly advised by every single person on trip advisor), majority of the rides were in action and the queues were reasonable. Dd had a great day and absolutely loved it. I absolutely hate theme parks though and struggle to get my head around the point of going somewhere that the majority of your time is spent queueing....... the debates we’ve had about Florida !

Queenie8 · 02/06/2018 12:38

I went last year with my 6+9 year old lego mad kids. We had heavily discounted tickets, where the cost was equivalent to one ticket.

NEVER EVER AGAIN! It was a fairly quiet day, we were there 8 hours and managed 4 rides due to queues and broken rides. The part we enjoyed was the model village and the star wars exhibition.

I thought I was just being grumpy/moody, but both kids said on the way home, voluntarily that they didn't want to go again, and when offered to go next week as we have inset day, both were firmly refusing.

We had far more fun for a fraction of the cost at Kidzania.

crispsandwiches · 02/06/2018 12:38

We went to Legoland a couple of years ago - paid £250ish as booked the weekend where you stay in a partner hotel etc.
I think we managed to get on about 5-6 rides the entire weekend!

We actually got on more rides at DLP a few months later than we did at Legoland.

We visited the Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester last weekend which was a lot cheaper, had a fair amount of stuff to do and is all inside so is v. good when the weather is crap

brizzledrizzle · 02/06/2018 12:39

How the hell do people afford to go to this place?

We used Tesco clubcard points to get two tickets and then used a coupon so a child got in free with an adult and went in separately and met just inside the gate - a great day out and it hardly cost anything.

Ohcomeonn · 02/06/2018 12:39

We went last year using a deal in The Times. Including parking it only cost us £20 for two adults and a 2 year old. Went on a school day so it was quiet. I'm not paying for q-bots.

Took our own food, all theme parks food is shit and expensive - that's not exclusive to Legoland.

Agree that the model village is very tired looking, that said, it was our dd's favourite bit.

Clutterbugsmum · 02/06/2018 12:41

YANBU

We went last year, my god it was a waste of time.

Paid for tickets in advance, thinking it would be a quicker entrance. No you just had to join two fucking slow moving ques. One to get the advance tickets then again to get into the park.

DH and 1 child went on one ride it stated 30 mins. 3 hours later they finally came down the water flume. The boats were going around empty 90% of the time.

It's a dirty, badly organised expensive rip off day out.

It was a complete waste of time, the fact the park has been opened for years they should be able to do a down sight better then they do.

OP if you do write to complain they will only offer you another day out there.

AuroraFloyd · 02/06/2018 12:41

I wouldn't consider Legoland without a q-bot (the middle priced ones, not the cheapest or most expensive). We went for three days last year for ds's birthday, stayed in the hotel (and had early access to the park).

Eyewateringly expensive, and it was the summer holidays so very busy but everyone loved it. On day 3 we didn't bother with the q-bots because rained all day so there were barely any queues. We spent 15 minutes on the rapids ride without gettig off because there was no-one else waiting to go on. Brilliant birthday memories.

Alton Towers however was pants with smaller children. The most fun we had was on the water guns on the pirate ship, but for everything else there were massive queues and the fast track passes are rubbish compared to q-bots (and not for the child friendly rides) so we didn't bother.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 02/06/2018 12:44

Sadly Legoland has gone terribly downhill under Merlin ownership. Agree with all that has been said about poor maintenance (particularly in miniland), a gradual reduction of staff numbers over the years and a massive reduction in quality of the catering outlets. There also used to be a brilliant sale section in the park and every kid's meal came with a lego toy. Used to go with Merlin passes but even 5 years ago it had become very shabby. The park really now needs to be closed and completely revamped.