Legoland - Windsor

[Rhiannon]

Went to Legoland today, if anyone is going you may be interested to know that although it opens at 10am we were well down the hill by 9.45am this morning. We ran around most of the more popular rides before the millions of school parties arrived!

I'd advise you take a picnic and also all the drink you need. Don't know about you but I object to paying £1.00 for a small carton of kid's drink or a bottle of water. We bought 3 cakes, 4 bags of crisps and 2 bottles of water and it came to £10.20!! Good job the entry fee was courtesy of Tesco's clubcard.

Sorry Rhiannon, I've just asked you about your trip on another thread but this seems a more appropriate one to do it on! My question was is there much to do for toddlers?
Tesco clubcard deals are great aren't they?! I've been to Blackpool Tower (erm, great one for kids - but utterly tacky) and a wildlife park nearby in the last fortnight, all for free!!

our 20 month old loved it. The good thing was that he wasn't bothered about the things that had HUGE queues, he was mesmerised by the town which had lots of moving trains, boats and buses. We went on a baby train and he went on a few climbing things. We came out thinking theres a lot more to do but he had had a great day.

Lizzer, there's plenty to keep them happy. We go for the eldest one, but little one loves it too, they chase round the train in the mini village, there are lots of rides you can go on. Shows that keep them quiet. Water squirters (take change of clothes!) good changing facilites, a walkway of dinosaurs (your daughter may not be into that as much as my sons!) So I wouldnt not go just because I had a toddler. Something for everyone as they say!!

Hi Lizzer, yes definitely for toddlers. I'd recommend it above all the other parks for little ones as even the 'big' rides didn't scare Dad!

We still missed a lot although we stayed all day. It was very busy even on a Monday so I'd hate to be there at the weekend or in the school holidays.

Take good walking shoes as it's very hilly and have your picnic in Miniland as it's wonderful to look at.

This stairgate is brilliant, I've got dog leg stairs and it's fixed at the turn. It's especially useful if I have a house full of kids and I don't want them going upstairs! I think I'll keep it there for the grandchildren. Worth every penny of the extortionate cost!

Ooh don't know how I managed that - v. strange the one below should be on the stairgate thread!

Lizzer, I don't know where you ive but there are several gullivers land parks for 2-10 yr olds all over the country which may be good. I'm going next wednesday to the Milton Keynes one so will be able to report back !

Top tip for legoland is that if you order tickets in advance you get a discount (£1 a ticket I believe). It doesn't matter when you phone up either. I have firends who phoned from their mobile as they pulled into the carpark and still got the discount!

Anyone out there know of any special offers on trips to legoland right now? Two little boys eagerly await your reply.

Very strange you should ask that question, as I am sitting here right now reading a mailshot they have just sent me!

Today is the first opening day of the season according to their calendar. I have been sent vouchers for the equivalent of £5 off per person (max 5 people) but there is no mention of any special deals as such.

Their hotline number is 08705 040404 or the website is www.legoland.co.uk

Didn't I see Daily Mail buy one get one free? Also save up your Tesco money off vouchers for a free trip you need about £20 in vouchers for a family of 4. R

Lou, I'll try and join the mailing list in the hope they send me the vouchers, too.

Rhiannon, I must be one of the only people in England who doesn't shop at Tesco. No branch near us. However I have lots of Sainsburys reward points, so I'll see if they can be exchanged for legoland entry. However, I've heard that Sainsburys are about to introduce and exciting new reward scheme, and was told to hang onto my points for now. They used to have a great scheme going - you could exchange £5.00 worth of points for £5.00 worth of vouchers for a variety of clothes shops. I acquired a couple of nice bits from Warehouse without any money changing hands. I digress...

Any more tips on reduced legoland entry, please let me know. I know the full price entry is not cheap, and special offers were plentiful last year.

Tigermoth, yesterday's DM started a voucher buy one get one free scheme. R

Sainsburys will be doing a free entry offer for legoland as part of their special deals following the end of the Air Miles collaboration; you will just need a number of reward vouchers but I don't know how many. Check out the Sainsburys site (www.sainsburys.co.uk I think).
Has anybody been to legoland in Denmark? Any useful information?
(PS - re the Reward vouchers - I was disappointed too, Tigermoth, when the Arcadia scheme (Warehouse etc) stopped but you can still get a new release from Blockbuster for one voucher and another new deal is a 2-for-1 at Odeon cinemas).

Cawthorne - plese send directions to get to gullivers travels in Milton Keynes- tried looking on the web and various 100 places to visit books and can't find it...and let me know whether it's worth going

I don't live too far from Gullivers, all my kids love it. In fact we are thinking of going there in April for daughters 10th birthday.

To get there you have to go on the M1 until junction 14 then it is signposted almost from the slip road, by brown signs of a carousel.

The recommended age group is up to 13 yrs of age, which imo is a good thing becasue there are no hoards of loud obnoxious teenagers standing in groups trying to outdo each other on every level.

Prices are based on height, over about a metre and you pay, same price for adults and children alike (about £9.50). Under 90cm are free but can only go on certain rides. Anyone big enough to pay can go on all the rides.

Website for it is at:
www.mkweb.co.uk/Places_to_visit/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=324

In yesterdays telegraph, there was an offer from Marriott Hotels £129 for 1 nights accom + tickets to Legoland for 2 adults & 2 children. You didn't have to collect vouchers or anything, just phone the hotel direct

Thanks so much, Janh, for that piece of inside information. I remember you saying you worked for a large supermarket. I'm so glad legoland features in Sainsburys next deal. I was so disapppointed when the Warhouse Arcadia offer folded. I had been planning my winter wardrobe around my £150 worth of vouchers. By careful shopping, I used to bag a voucher or two a week.
But the varying exchange rate used to irritate me - what was it all about? Sainsburys and Homebase gave you a mere £2.50's worth of goods for each voucher, when Warhouse and the other Arcadia shops gave you a generous £5.00. No incentive to buy sensible things at all.

Thanks also Rhiannon. I will check out the DM today.

I got free tickets to Legoland through Air Miles - saved a small fortune & they arrived very quickly. You can get free entry to lots of other things too www.airmiles.co.uk. However I'm now really fed up that Sainsbury's have stopped Air Miles as there's no Tesco near me & I can only get more points by spending on my credit card. Oh I'll just have to go shopping then.

sorry, bettys (as I work for them I feel responsible!) The deal was done a year ago though, I believe because Air Miles wanted to change the terms of the agreement...wouldn't you still get Clubcard points from on-line shopping though? (But I suppose the delivery charge kind of cancels out that benefit unless you were going to do it anyway.)

Tigermoth, I know what you mean about the varying exchange rate but I assume when the £5 Arcadia deal was on each company covered half the cost so Sainsbo's share was still only £2.50.
There is still the Beefeater deal, £5 off 2 adult meals midweek, but having been quite recently you'd have to pay me to go there again.
The Blockbuster deal is worth £3.75 and in fact for a few weeks recently it was fantastic because we were able to get a new release film AND a new release Playstation game for one voucher. It wasn't publicised that I'm aware of, we only found out by accident.
I'm sure Sainsbury's will be doing their best to hang on to the customers who used their vouchers for Air Miles so there will be lots of good offers - there is one with BMI (??? airline) offering free flights and I think there was something with Virgin Atlantic too...look out for new leaflets!
End of commercial break.

Janh, good, so they are not going to phase out the reward points system. I do hope Sainburys link up with another retail organisation like Arcadia. Can I be so bold as to ask if it's on the agenda?

Oooh, sorry, Tigermoth, the only information I have comes from the store's intranet and we only get that a few days before you do as a rule (and sometimes on the same day it's in the national press).

I should think it was Arcadia who shut down their participation, as it must have been costing them quite a bit.

Anyway I will keep a look out and let you know if anything interesting develops!

We're thinking of going to Legoland at the w/e. Does anyone know where I can get money off coupons at short notice? R

Rhiannon, buy a tub of Clover butter spread, one free child for every full paying adult. OR

Pombear teddy bear crisps, £5 per person off entry. I've just looked at my token and it states: book in advance by calling 08705 04 04 04 and quote 'Bear 02'.

Valid for admissions 16/3 to 3/11 (excluding August).

Rhiannon - I've got a voucher for £5 off per person (up to 5 people). It's valid till 30 June. We went last year using the fantastic Tesco Clubcard vouchers scheme, so we're not going again before 30 June. If you want the voucher you're more than welcome, I could post it first thing tomorrow and it should get there by Saturday. There's a pre-book tel. no. on it - let me know if you want the details.