Lego land - any tips??

esmf73

Hi all, just wondered if you had any tips for a Legoland trip?

I've not suddenly won the lottery - I've saved my clubcard vouchers and we'll be taking a picnic, but I just wondered if anyone had any tips for surviving Legoland with a 6yr old and a 4 1/2 yr old.

Plan is to get there just before opening time, so we can do things. The boys always get up early! Packed lunch / snacks to keep price down. Then I thought having had a quick look at the shops I'd give them a budget - they can't spend over the budget. I know we'll end up buying an ice cream and drinks, but I've read that if you buy a certain drinks container you get free refils (on production of receipt) for the rest of the day. I can limit this one within reason.

We've just had a rather stressful time at home recently and now that decisions have been made we'll have to move house again - we only got here last year! So I thought that the kids and us parents could do with a nice day out (hopefully in the sunshine).

Any hints and tips welcomed. Thank you.

mew

I think you are doing the right thing with the picnic & the drinks refills cups are either £5 or £6 each, everything else food/drink wise in Legoland is expensive, even for a theme park (Thorpe Park, Alton towers etc are cheaper).

The Big Shop is good with a wide range of items but expect to pay full RRP for most Lego sets. As well as the Pic 'n' Mix Lego bricks and sets etc, there are lots of Legoland branded products such as stationary & t-Shirts etc.

As well as the Big Shop, there are stalls, a Duplo shop (which sells lots of none Lego Toys), another smaller Lego Shop and another shop at the Pharaoh shooting ride. There is a little outlet shop next door to Lego Racers, It sometimes have older sets that you may not be able to get elsewhere and some reduced priced items.

If you are trying to avoid stress and are on a budget, I would really recommend doing the unethical thing of going on a school day. At weekends and school holidays the park is likely to be packed out with massive queues for the rides which could really impair your day (at Easter some of the queues were nearly 2 hours). The only way to reduce queue times is with a Q-bot but they cost £10 per person.

susancs

Hi I find that a rainy day is great to do Legoland, as the queues are a lot smaller and you can get so much more done. If you buy £1 rain macs from somewhere like Poundland and use these. My tips would be to get there early and go through the barriers when they open them at about 9.30am, then wait by the sweet shop barrier until this is opened at 10am. Don't bother with the Hill train beside the sweetie shop, as it is quicker to run down, run down to the shooting ride in the Egyptian Tomb, ignoring everything else on the way ( queues later on can be a couple of hours), after that run to the Boating School go on that and do the driving school which is beside it. If you want to go on the dragon roller coaster run around to that as it gets busy later. Then you can pick out other rides that are usually less busy. Eat your lunch by the lake area and watch the pirate show at the same time. Also rides are quietier sometimes later on before the park shuts as people have started going home. Also if the day is not too cold, bring some swimming gear for the children to put on and use in the water area, but leave this until after lunch when the park is at it's busiest. There is the fairytale brook ride by this area. The drink bottle is great as you just fill up as needed, so saves carrying heavy drinks around and I bring plastic cups with me to share it out (we have Merlin pass yearly refillable drinks cups).

vikingaero

If you get there early from 9am you should be able to get into the car park next to the premium Preferred car park which costs £6.

There's an Unofficial Guide to Legoland Windsor:

http://www.uglw.co.uk/

Annieuk75

I would suggest eating lunch earlier or later than usual. Whilst everyone else is eating lunch and watching the shows, you can all be on the rides! Have a great day.

Susan what are the Merlin pass yearly refillable drinks cups?

supermonkey

Hi,

Am thinking of going myself, but not convinced on any of the deals.

For 2 adults and a child, entry would be:
Standard: £104!
Standard with a BOGOF: £66
Online Price (cant use the BOGOF) : £83
Tesco Clubcard: £30 - which sounds cheap but these would be worth £120 of other deals!

Any way of reducing this?!

JasonLVC

If you can stretch your budget, the QueueBots are worth considering as without them you'll probably only manage 1-2 rides in the day.

LegoLand is spread out over a steep hillside and the 'good' rides are spread out and it can get VERY VERY VERY busy.

If you do go for a QBot, don't buy it at the main entrance, grab a map and you'll find another QBot office a little further into the park. Ironically, the queue for the QBots can be as long as the queue to get into the place!.

The unlimited coke/pop bottles are also good - cost about £6.5 last time I was there last year, just fill it up and bring some plastic cups and all the family can enjoy drinks. Otherwise it's like £2.00 per drink each time.

Other than that, your own food is a great idea as it is expensive at LegoLand.

vikingaero

supermonkey wrote: »

Hi,

Am thinking of going myself, but not convinced on any of the deals.

For 2 adults and a child, entry would be:
Standard: £104!
Standard with a BOGOF: £66
Online Price (cant use the BOGOF) : £83
Tesco Clubcard: £30 - which sounds cheap but these would be worth £120 of other deals!

Any way of reducing this?!

Tescos would be the cheapest. Whether it's worth 4x the value is irrelevant - you've still got the highest value from the Tesco deals.

JasonLVC

supermonkey wrote: »

Hi,

Am thinking of going myself, but not convinced on any of the deals.

For 2 adults and a child, entry would be:
Standard: £104!
Standard with a BOGOF: £66
Online Price (cant use the BOGOF) : £83
Tesco Clubcard: £30 - which sounds cheap but these would be worth £120 of other deals!

Any way of reducing this?!

I don't think you're going to get it any cheaper to be honest.

Why not consider the Merlin Annual Card (£37 of Tesco vouchers per person). Sounds a lot of Tesco vouchers but is probably the best deal out there. Access to Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park and Legoland. London Eye, ALL sealife centres, Madamde Tussards and 10% discount on all food/drinks in the parks, plus free parking wher eit is charged normally.

We get one each year and do all the parks several times and all it costs is the petrol (plus the odd burger + fries)

sooz

Check your children's heights before you go!
Almost all the rides have some sort of height restriction, & it's much better to know this before you tell them they can go on a ride, or you start queueing.

Depending on their heights, you may have to accompany both of them on the ride, not practical if there is only one of you . They do offer a 'parent swap' on some of the rides, so that you don't have to queue twice to accompany both children on the same ride.

If you are going with another adult to help you, then consider getting 2 Q-bots between the 4 of you. It's an added expense, but less than paying for all 4 of you. Two use the q-bot to get onto a ride, & as soon as it's been swiped, book again for the other 2 to ride, or for a different ride.

And if you have any plans to go again this year, buy a season ticket for legoland instead. It really is worth it, as it costs less than 2 visits. You can get it with your tesco vouchers too. You get 20% off all food, 10% off in the shops, entry to the fireworks, entry to special events, & the first day of the season.

sooz

Annieuk75 wrote: »

what are the Merlin pass yearly refillable drinks cups?

Even more expensive, & not as attractive
I think it was £10 for one grey ugly bottle. Available to merlin or legoland pass holders, & offering free refills at any Merlin attraction for the rest of the season.

It also has a tendency to leak. But if you want to drink your own bodyweight in coke throughout the year, it's the bottle for you