Lyceum theatre/how do we get there

[trezzy]

In March were celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary and have booked tickets to see the lion king in London in the afternoon and would like an overnight stay in a hotel also with this. We live in Lincolnshire we can't decide what to do regarding how to get there or where to stay any ideas welcome? I use to live in london but I have absolutely no idea at all how to use the tubes and get into central London it self.

Options we've thought of-
-We have a direct train into London from where we live we could do that and then stay overnight in London at a hotel but this works out at roughly £250 for accommodation and trains . Also what ever we spend in transport around London

-We stay outside London at Watford get transport into London from Watford Junction a lot cheaper £70for the accommodation (£30-40 on transport)
my concern with this is we won't be able to leave home untill 9am because of the kids and it'll take 2 hours drive to get to Watford find the hotel park the car up. it'll give us just 2 hours to get there as we have to be at the theatre at 1.15pm im concerned about the timing and being late also ive no idea what trains we'd need to even think about getting

Help me please my mind is just so confused we have family who possibly could take the kids to school for us so we could leave earlier if we really needed to

i would get the train and treat yourselves to a proper night in London. Then you can drop your bags at the hotel before the show (they won't let you take them into the theatre), have a meal out, maybe do a bit of sightseeing, or just have ahem an "early night" ;) and not be stressing about catching a train back to a hotel in the back end of Watford.
You just need to know which London station your train goes into then use the Transport for London website to plan your route on the tube. Although I would always check the overground map too as sometimes you're easier to stay on the same tube line and walk a short distance than you are to change tubes to get a bit closer. You can pay for the tube with a contactless bank card.

Drive to Watford and stay over the night before. Have a meal out that night, then head into London the next day and have brunch. See the Lion King then head home for that evening.

Or see if you can swap your matinee tickets for the evening performance on the day you want to stay over.

If you can, I’d go and stay the night before, have a leisurely morning, go to the show and then head home. Don’t risk being late to the show - usually they won’t let you go in until a suitable break (could be 20-30 mins in). Not sure what mainline station you go into, but I’d stay near there, then walk to the theatre (zone 1 is so walkable)

Matinees showings are at 2.30, so you would need to be there for around 2.15.

Actually, changed my mind - drive to Watford, park the car, tube in then stay in a Central London hotel. Dinner put, matinee of The Lion King, tube back to Watford and drive home.

Good ideas but we can't stay the night before unfortunately.
Husband is now thinking whether we should get the direct trian near us it literally takes an hour and a little bit to get into London kings cross and then come back the same day in the evening about 9pm or so. Im not convinced I think a night away would be nice