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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Legoland

33 replies

happyclapper · 28/10/2009 15:56

AIBU after spending nearly £100 on admission for my children to get on more than 3 rides after queueing for 1-2hrs for each, frankley disappointing, ride.On reflection should have bought the queue jumper tickets to at least get something out of the day but at £10 to £30 each we couldn't really afford it.
Finally left in disgust at 3.30 having had enough at Rip-offLand with one very grumpy husband, two disappointed children and a quilty feeling me for having wasted our only family day out this week.
Even Duploland for the toddlers was no better than your average playground and could only find 2 rides for my 2yr old to go on.
Its back to Gullivers World in the future. Third of cost, very few queues and far better rides and entertainment.
Am I missing the Legoland gene because everyone I spoke to before we went said it was fab.

OP posts:
kid · 28/10/2009 15:59

I have been a couple of times with my kids but we have been fortunate enough to go during term time so the queues weren't that bad. I also always get the discount codes or tickets to save money. Either use Tesco or Nectar points.

Its a shame you didn't enjoy it, from reading your post, I can totally understand why.

cornsilk · 28/10/2009 15:59

It's only good if you go on a quiet day. School holidays are a big no no.

PrettyCandles · 28/10/2009 15:59

Legoland is only worthwhile if you either go on a termtime weekday, especially if the weather's a bit grey or dodgy, or if you get season tickets via Tesco points (ie a fraction of the price).

Otherwise, I entirely agree with you. The queues are outrageous given the unspectacularity of the rides. Mostly the appeal to children who are generally too young to tolerate the wait.

YANBU.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 28/10/2009 16:07

We have always used Tesco vouchers so entry has been free and after the first time we have used the q-bot thingamies which helps alot as you can wander the park instead.

We like it because the ds's are mad about lego and ds1 especially would be happy to spend most of the day in miniland anyway.

If I had paid full price though I would have felt like you so YANBU.

IdrisTheDragon · 28/10/2009 16:09

DS and I went there on a very hot and busy day in August, but had used Tesco points to go so I decided to get the queue jumping thing which was a decision I am glad I made.

We did have a great time but I can see why it wasn't good for you

Original poster
happyclapper · 28/10/2009 16:15

Feel bit better now. We did actually use a tesco and a nectar voucher which now makes me sound really tight but it was still money we could have used elswhere especially as husband only just back at work after being redundant for first 1/2 of year. At least weather was nice!

OP posts:
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 16:15

We were there last Thursday and Friday and found it ok but it wasn't that busy. Friday was markedly busier than Thursday but still not bad.

Would agree that the rides are not good enough to justify the queues. I thought the whole place was a bit tired looking tbh.

NancyBotwin · 28/10/2009 16:32

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience - we went on Monday and managed to get on a lot more rides but the trick is to get there early and get on as many as possible before the queues build up - think we had done about 4 by 10.30 but only did a couple after lunch - just couldn't face queuing for ages just for a ride lasting a couple of minutes... we would have seriously considered the Q-bots if we hadn't managed to get on the earlier rides so easily. But I think the Q-bots are really only good with older children - the only one they are valid for in Duploland is Fairytale Brook and that water ride which is probably not suitable for tiny ones anyway...

Morloth · 28/10/2009 16:37

Term time and on a school day and it is just about bearable. Wouldn't go anywhere near the place on a weekend or in the school holidays. Would rather dunk for rotten apples in a vat of wee.

BalloonSlayer · 28/10/2009 17:25

Feel your pain

We have got the season tickets now so if we have a bad day we don't feel as if we have to try and wring our money's worth out of it.

We aim to get there for about 9.30, get in, go to the loo etc then bolt down to the rides. You can normally get three or even four popular rides under your belt by 11am.

When the queues start mounting up we go to the rides that are quieter. Fairytale brook is my favourite and there is never much of a queue- I don't know what I'll do when the DCs don't want to go on it anymore, go by myself I suppose.

Another good time is when the godawful Johnny Thundah is on because lots of people sit and eat their lunch and watch it.

FrightsMonth · 28/10/2009 17:31

YANBU but agree with what others have said:
Never pay full price
Go on an INSET day if you have school-age DC
Get there before it opens and head for the busiest rides first

helpYOUiWILL · 28/10/2009 20:10

we went yesterday (tuesday), did the tesco points thing and ran to the first ride!! We did pretty good but we did que for AGES for the boating school. I do think that they could improve the systems agreat deal though and get people on/off the rides alot quicker.

6feetundertheGroundhogs · 29/10/2009 17:41

I went to Birdworld just outside Farnham yesterday.

Initially I was a little at the admission prices, but we took a picnic and got there at 11.15, pottered about, saw 90% of everything, fed and re-fed the Hornbills (DS fell in love with them..)

When we finally did our tour of Underwater World and the Farm there, and had finished the day off watching the owls and cookaburras doing flying displays, it was getting on for 4.30...

They have play areas there, climbing frames, tractors to climb all over, animals to pet, it was a great day out.

I did Paultons Park last year and found that DS couldn't do many of the rides, but I don't think PP is as expensive as LL..

littleducks · 29/10/2009 17:46

How tall is your two year old? Do they meet 90cm/100cm marks? When dd was 2 she was over 90cm restriction and there are a few rides she could go on

We tend to go out of holidays, only going in half term to see the fab fireworks

You should complain, you may get free return tickets, i know one mner got some after a bad time

CarGirl · 29/10/2009 17:53

I prefer Chessington to Legoland for all the reasons you have mentioned. Even Chessington is not much fun if it's very busy (as Monday was) I have only done Legoland occasionally and I have to say there isn't much there for the under 3's IMO

PeterDominic · 29/10/2009 17:55

I prefer Paultons

i started a thread after our trip saying it was very very tired looking, Legoland.
We awlked onto rides last week - no qs at al and that lazer one was shit

CybilAviationAuthority · 29/10/2009 18:06

Oh I love Paultons too!
its a hoot hoot..at Paultons park

frecklyspeckly · 29/10/2009 21:02

We 'did' Legoland with DS (6) and DD (4)this summer as a special outing.

I like to think that as a seasoned parent I have experienced many crap 'emperor's new clothes' scenarios of childrens theme parks but this really took the biscuit!!

Toilets - filthy filthy filthy and queues for miles long.

The main point of the day - the Indiana jones ride; by god; it consisted of three hours in a plastic pyramid packed with smelly sweaty people snaking around bollards; pastic holes for children to stick their limbs through at people further down the queue ( said limbs often pulled roughly by other children resulting in upset children), and the ride itself THREE HOURS LATER was just a slow plastic train past some plastic lego figures, you were supposed to shoot them when they popped up, gun didnt work. Bollocks sit your child in a trolley at the supermarket you would ALL have a bigger thrill.

Traffic through Windsor ; hideous.

The gift shop an overpriced nightmare with protruding platforms DS fell over cut open leg on one not one member of staff to help offer first aid accident book etc. He emerged bleeding and whimpering from the gift shop and was attacked by wasps from the overflowing rubbish bins.

On way out of gift shop dd whipped DH's buttocks and groin all the way back to the car (about 3km) using awful pink foam sword we felt obliged to buy her, the only funny point of an otherwise godawful day.

4 hour drive back home.

Never again.

frecklyspeckly · 29/10/2009 21:07

Also I would prefer some free lego than return tickets if asked

MillyR · 29/10/2009 21:25

Legoland is terrible. They let too many people in and need to restrict numbers.

I love Chessington though.

pranma · 30/10/2009 09:33

We went about 3 years ago-I paid to tak 3d-i-l and 5dgc as a family treat.We did enjoy it very much indeed but the highlight was when dgd[5] dragged us off to see,'something super special'it was a buttercup growing next to the path under a little bridge.'Look she exclaimed-that's not made of Lego!!!'

chopstheduck · 30/10/2009 09:38

I'm off to legoland today. We have season passes and go lots!

Maybe I should start hiring out ds - he is disabled so we don't have to queue

I do feel sorry for people who pay a fortune to spend hours in queues for rides that simply aren't worth it.

They def let far too many people in, and I wouldn't go during hols if I have to queue. The best time is the start of the year during term time, no waiting at all.

Sarahlou8 · 30/10/2009 11:38

We went to Legoland on Wednesday. I live in Staffordshire so a 3 hour journey there for us and we too found the queues spoiled our day. Our children (9 & 11) managed to get on 4 rides. My daughter really wanted to go on Jungle Parkway but the queue was over an hour, so we told her we would go at the end of the day. When we got there at 4.30pm they had closed the queue as it had to be cleared by dusk - one bitterly disappointed daughter!
To top it all, 3 hour journey home thanks to the dreaded M25.
The only plus side is we have Merlin passes. I would have been GUTTED to have paid over £100 to get in.
Luckily we live a stones throw from Alton Towers - still busy but much much better!

mosschops30 · 30/10/2009 11:43

COMPLAIN - COMPLAIN - COMPLAIN

We had a dreadful visit to Legoland a couple of years ago, like you said queue times were ridiculous (even taking it into account that its holiday time) and I found the whole place dirty and just hated it.
I emailed a long complaint and they replied offering me free tickets which I declined.
They then wrote again asking if Id accept free tickets to another park, which I did for Alton Towers (IMHO the best theme park in the UK).
Then out of the blue this year they wrote to me again sending 4 free tickets to Legoland anytime asking if Id return to see if I thought it had improved.
So I took the dc's and I found it much better than previous visit, but I still prefer AT.

But I would complain if I was you, like you say its an expensive day out and your expect more. There customer service is very good

jodee · 30/10/2009 11:48

Ditto Paultons Park, fab! We went this half term and only queued half hour for The Cobra (main rollercoaster).

DS went on every other ride with hardly any wait and must have been on the Raging River (log flume) at least 10 times.

Legoland vvv tired looking now.