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Original poster

THE LEGOLAND 2015 tips hints and reviews thread, all your questions answered here!

370 replies

HRHQueenMe · 14/03/2015 09:17

Link to the 2014 Legoland thread

Please ask away, and feel free to add your own hints and tips and reviews! Legoland is daunting, esp for parents going on their own so any tips and hints are much appreciated.

None of the regular posters on this thread are employees or associated with Legoland, we are mostly local parents with Annual passes and know the place very well as its our local playground.

Happy Legolanding!

OP posts:
Original poster
HRHQueenMe · 22/03/2015 23:29

Clawdeen, you will be able to do lots of rides as a group of 3, the rides where you have to be 2 at a time have a parent swap system where you go with one child first whilst child 2 stays with the attendant at the front of the queue, then you swap. If your child wont accept this then just dont do the ride. You will have enough to do to keep you busy, dont worry!!

Yes food is slightly rubbish and expensive but not hideously. Will report back withprices next time I go. Icecreams were £2.50 each last year.

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DebbieFiderer · 23/03/2015 07:56

I've also found a couple of times that the ride attendants offered to go on the ride with the child that would have otherwise had to wait which was nice.

In terms of food, a cup of tea is probably around £2, a meal at the buffet near Duplo Valley probably about £10-12 each, but it is all you can eat so good value if you have big appetites!

DebbieFiderer · 23/03/2015 07:57

Ktal, yes you can do that but may have to do it in two transactions. Not sure about the second day offers though, post on their facebook page and they might answer there (they aren't always good at replying though).

DebbieFiderer · 23/03/2015 08:06

Oh and they sometimes do kids eat free offers after a certain time which really helps. We do a big breakfast, give the kids a hot dog or something at lunch time then have a big meal late afternoon once the kids are free (when they are doing the offer!)

Clawdeen · 23/03/2015 11:33

hRHqueenme- thank you so much. Phew! That set up sounds great.

We've been to lots of fairgrounds where we've had to miss rides because I'm the only adult. Of course then the DDs sulk and blame me! Also the parent swap at disney requires 2 parents, they won't let a child wait with the attendant so I had feared it would be the same.

Many thanks! It's DD1's birthday treat so glad To hear we won't miss much ( well, depending on queues!).

Is there a park map/ list of rides somewhere that I could find out in advance which would need us to do parent swap ( or child swap in this case!)?

Clawdeen · 23/03/2015 11:40

Debbie- sorry I missed your post! That's great to hear too.

Although at a local fair we tried to go on the dodgems and it was only 2 allowed per car. The lady on the kiosk tried to be helpful and said to DD ( 6) ' it's ok love, do you want a young man or old man to take you'! ( slightly unfortunate choice of words!). The two men turned round- the old man (her description) had a mouthful of gold teeth, the young man had a tattooed face. Not surprisingly Dd1 refused to go ( not helped by Dd2 smiling smugly as she would be going with me)!

Feel I need to add a mumsnet disclaimer that I have nothing against people withhold teeth or facial tattoos, just a bit of a shock for an anxious 6 year old

DebbieFiderer · 23/03/2015 13:08

:) the ride attendants at Legoland tend to be a little less scary!

There is a list of rides on the website which has all the info about height restrictions and how many children per adult.

Clawdeen · 23/03/2015 13:48

Haha! Brilliant, will check that out

CycleChic · 23/03/2015 17:00

Thanks for the food info- it sounds like standard captive audience prices.

DebbieFiderer · 23/03/2015 18:08

Yeah pretty much. And they don't miss an opportunity to sell you things either. I always prep my kids before we go in not to whinge if I say no to things.

CycleChic · 23/03/2015 20:25

"Mummy doesn't say yes to whinging" is a standard response of mine. :D

wume · 23/03/2015 20:43

Burger kitchen is cheapest place to eat. kids eat free after 3pm is running atm. At last year's prices, two kids meals and two adult meals would be £15 after 3pm. This is for a meal of similar size to a macdonalds (bit poorer quality belive it or not!)

Pizza place by the lake is 'all you can eat' buffet consisting of pizza, pasta, salad and free refills on fizzy drinks (like pizza hut but not also not as good). I think it was roughly £25 for 2 adults and 2 kids after 3pm.

Cups of tea and coffee range from roughly £2 - £3, if my memory serves me right.

My advice - take a picnic and save the money!!

Sophieelmer · 27/03/2015 10:21

Hi We are going on Sunday. Two dc 3.5 and 5 and I'm pregnant. We are staying at the hotel but have never been before. Does anyone have a suggested route for our 1st day. We won't have much time on Monday but will be able to catch some things we might miss on the 1st day. Would we just start at the hotel end, which ride to get to 1st? Is it worth getting a qbot at this time of year?

Original poster
HRHQueenMe · 27/03/2015 22:35

Hi Sophie! Its Easter holidays so might be busy so I would maybe get a qbot if the weather is good and it looks busy.
Otherwise since you are starting at the hotel end I would do the following;
Hotelguests usually have access to the park 30 mins before the gates open. USE THIS TIME WISELY! Dont hang around, be ready to enter the park at the earliest access allowed, if I remember rightly its 9.30, so go in then. Turn right up the hill and do Boating School followed by Atlantis. These are the two busiest rides and have the longest queues. (Bypass Dinosafari and come back and do this later as it doesnt have bad queues). Next do driving school 3-5, and then move on to the green train. This should bring you nicely into the Pirate Show at 12.00. (Take your seats 11.35 onwards) eat your picknick lunch infront of the show, and get coffees from the harbour cafe. (Hotdog stand by the show, or send Dad to get burgers if you havent got a picknick)
Next, do digger challenge if the kids are keen, and move on to Duplo land. (Lazer quest is fun but the queues are bad and dull I would do other things)
At Duploland do blue train, fairy tale brook, puppet show and helicopters. Splashzone if its hot. Now get icecream and wander around Miniland. Continue up to the movie theatre and watch a 3D film and do the skytrack.
Lego playrooms are here too. Continue up up up and do Star Wars. You will probably have had enough now. Take the hill train down and walk back to the hotel via The Egyptian area taking in the carousels on the way and maybe Dino Safari.
You will have missed out Vikingland and Pirate land and the knights castle area but these are mostly thrillrides and not suitable for pregnant ladies.
Boating school is not recommended for pg ladies either but I have always done it whilst pg, its very gentle as long as you dont play bumper boats....
Have a lovely lovely time!

OP posts:
Original poster
HRHQueenMe · 27/03/2015 22:39

Forgot to say, do go up to the top and do Star Wars as the views from the top are stunning, you can see all of London on a Clear day. Its Definitly worth it!

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Tigresswoods · 27/03/2015 22:49

My top tips are:

It's so not all about the rides. There's loads to do that doesn't involve standing in a queue.

See the pirate show again & again & again.

There's always something new to spot in mini land.

There's several play park, check them out, there's no standing in queues there.

Tigresswoods · 27/03/2015 22:51

Oh & Fairytale Brook is a very underrated ride. Go on that!!

PseudoBadger · 27/03/2015 23:02

Can anyone explain how the hotel works wrt to park access?
We are booked on a Friday night (term time) so would we park in the main car park on Friday morning, do the park then move car to hotel for check in?

Original poster
HRHQueenMe · 27/03/2015 23:15

Pseudo, you park in the hotel Carpark on Friday morning, take your bags to The reception to store and enter the park through the Hotel. If you are lucky your room might even be ready! Have fun!

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Sophieelmer · 28/03/2015 08:07

Thankyou Queen. We will follow your advice!

JustDrivingHome · 29/03/2015 02:08

Have been reading this thread for tips as we are off next week for a few days. We are staying offsite (does anyone have any hints for finding a bargain to stay at the legolands hotel? I couldn't believe the prices when i checked!)

Anyway, my question is - is it possible to go into the hotel for lunch away from the park? We do this at Chessington when we go, and it provides a welcome break for us, and works better in our experience. Distance-wise, is this possible? There must be a gate from the park, surely? (We used to go regularly to legoland, but not been for 4 years or so now, so don't have up to date info!)

DebbieFiderer · 29/03/2015 07:59

I haven't eaten at the hotel, but I believe that you can eat at the hotel for lunch, but that it isn't always open, or at least not for people who aren't staying in the hotel. Best to check on the day.

Original poster
HRHQueenMe · 29/03/2015 09:18

the entrance to the hotel is just next to Dinosafari, there is always a staffmember at the gate to ask advice. there is a good playground in the hotel garden which you are allowed to use even if not stying there, just ask.
in peak season the lunch restaurant should be open, just ask, or email/fb/tweet them as phonelines are annoyingly totally automated and you cant speak to a human unless selecting ''im a staffmember''....then someone actually answers and are usually helpful but that's mot really their job. (they are there to take calls from staff phoning in sick)

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wume · 29/03/2015 14:07

If the hotel is busy, you may not be allowed into the playground. We weren't last year.

GlomOfNit · 31/03/2015 11:42

Anyone been over the last couple of days? I've heard rumours that it was 'practically deserted' (for LEGOLAND obviously) ... Apparently local schools aren't off this week til breaking up tomorrow or Thursday (inset day for some Berks schools on Thursday apparently). Ours broke up last week and we're within an hour's drive, but do I chance it on Thursday? We can't go tomorrow as I don't have childcare for DS2 and am not taking him this time.

I went on an inset day last year, admittedly June, and it was Bloody Hell On Earth. Grin I think all the schools in the SE had inset day that day.