Has anyone been to legoland with their autistic spectrum child?

[Yummymum1]

I ask because we are going in september with ds (8) AS.I read on their website that you can contact them re the 'disability" they have re the queing and can arrange for you not to queue and go in the wheelchair access.Has anyone done this and what was it like?
I went a few months back with ds2 who was fine with the queues but can see it will be a problem for ds1.

We went last year & are going again on Thursday!!!

You go to the customer services place, need to take proof of disability.. not just blue badge, but something listing the nature of diabiltiy proving for example, inability to cope with queues.
They stamp your ds's hand & the hands of your party & any ride that your ds goes on you can all enter via the exit without the need to queue.

ASD, no. SLD - only about 10 or 15 times a year. Was there today as a matter of fact. There is nothing, nothing as soothing as watching other people queue.

You need to take "proof", they seem to take any bit of paper with the word "ASD" on as proof of inability to queue. Cos DD1 has a funny I got the paed to write a specific letter but with a common condition not necessary.

You are entitled to:

• 1 free carer pass per child with disability who needs it. So one adult doesn't pay to get in. That has to be picked up at Guest Services at the start of the park, just before the main gates.
• They will also issue the hand stamp, 1 for the disabled person and any number of others, though only 3 others are allowed to queue jump with the main (red) stamp holder at any one time. They sometimes wear off - there has been a bit of experimentation with the inks. Currently the "black stamps" wear off and the "red stamps" don't. Other way round in previous years and I have heard that at one point they didn't come off for weeks. Anyway there is another Guest Services inside the park in Lego City which will restamp you ad infinitum if eg your child likes licking the stamp off. A good tip is NOT to sunblock the bit you are going to stamp as the ink slides straight off. If you have chair/buggy and you don't like hauling your kid up every time to check their height, GS in Lego City will also issue you an official docket saying "this kid is x tall" which means you have less messing around to access a ride.

You go in the exit. It's not a wheelchair entrance - most of the queues are wheelchair accessible so people in chairs by and large queue with everyone else. It's the exit and you have to forge your way through departing folk like a spawning salmon ploughing upstream. Sometimes you are with the "Q bot" folk because there is a pay-for-a-queue-jump system also operating alongside the access pass. Sometimes you are not and the qbot is an entirely different queue. Sometimes this involves a long walk and stairs if that will be an issue worth calling in advance for their disability leaflet which lists all this sort of stuff and will help you plan. When you actually get to the head of the ride you have to wave your stamped arm about vigorously to get their attention, but once they see you they are usually very good.

Sorry. Been to the pub so have far too much to say on a rather dull subject. Hope you are still awake and some of it useful! ops:

Agree with r3.

We go regularly with our two (dd1 is ASD) and the system works well.

We go to Chessington a lot as well, and I think the staff at Legoland are better trained and more polite (in general as well as wrt disability handling)

J LOVES it. Highlight of his year. Try to ignore other queuers' tuts as you queuejump though!

mm, the evil looks!!

And the people trying to helpfully point out 'This is the exit'. I jsut smile and say 'I know'.
With the laser raiders make sure you do head to the exit round through the shop rather than the disabled entrance, otherwise you will get stuck in another queue.

We go quite a bit, and ds1 has it noted on his annual pass that he is eligible for an exit pass. He gets very excited and keeps thrusting his hand at everyone in sight to show he doesn't have to queue!
If you go more than once a year the exit passes are worth getting. They also note the carer pass on the exit pass too.

the annual passes

we went yesterday, and it worked v. well using the exit. the staff were v. good and considerate. the queues were an hour long, so when our red stamp friend went we were back to queuing, which ds1 had a problem with, hopefully when they finally give his written dx as opposed to verbal we will get red stamped. planning a two day trip off-peak as he enjoyed it so much. except dh asked what were his highlights - driving school and the gogos given by his auntie!

Wow! Thanks everyone.It sounds great and it is really encouraging that places are realising that being unable to queue causes a lot of distress (for everyone!)

Am looking forward to going a bit more now i know the system really works.
Thanks again!

jasdox, depending on who you get they don't always ask for proof. I didn't have to show anything to get ds's pass. Ds doesnt even have a dx of autism, only social and communication difficulties (amongst other things).

Won't the DLA award letter / increase update letter be enough proof?

How much is the entry fee?

depends who you get on the day. In theory they want something that states the nature of the disability. It's about £35 on the door irrc, but if you shop around it's a lot cheaper. Lastminute has good deals normally.