Travel & Days Out

LEGOLAND Windsor Resort – A Review

A brightly coloured photograph of a little boy toddling through Miniland at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

We love to go for a day out as a family. And during these summer holidays, Mr H has had a few weeks off and we’ve been having a staycation. As part of this staycation, we woke up early one morning and piled into the car to drive to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort. Little Miss H had been pushing to go to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort ever since her twin besties had been earlier in the year. We were thrilled that we could finally take her there.

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort – A Review

Arriving at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

The journey was pretty uneventful and we arrived at LEGOLAND® Windsor at 09:30. You can go into LEGOLAND® from 09:30 and hang around The Beginning area of the park, which currently houses the brilliant LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland Model Display. Which lovingly recreates many scenes from the films and is complete with sound and lighting effects. Mr H and I really loved this (as we are huge Star Wars™ fans) but Little Miss H, at 5 years old, did find it scary. Bless her! (Little Mister H was still asleep after the journey).

A photograph of the sign at the entrance to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a family made from LEGO at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a brightly coloured signpost at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A review - Mrs H's favourite things

The park itself opens at 10:00. And at 09:50 you can head to the Miniland Stage to help open LEGOLAND®. We actually missed this. By the time we’d got the children out of the car, arranged bags and buggies and had gone through the ticket barrier the park was just about to officially open.

I was very impressed with the huge amount of parking. When we arrived it was already very busy but we were directed to a parking space. And you don’t have to worry about forgetting where you have parked. As each area of the car park has been allocated a letter and each row of the car park has been given a number. So we were in row B12 and at the end of the day, we found our car without any trouble at all.

First Impressions of LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

My first impressions of LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort were really positive. The resort was clean and beautifully laid out. It’s clearly maintained lovingly and everything seemed to be shiny and new. It’s wonderfully landscaped and there are a number of shady spots. As we were at LEGOLAND® during a heatwave and on one of the hottest days of the year we were very grateful for the shade of the trees.

One of my favourite aspects of the resort is the various LEGO® figures dotted everywhere. So there is always something to look at or take you by surprise. Little Miss H and I loved many of these models. But the three statues based on those on Easter Island that sang We Will Rock You were our favouriteGenius.

A photograph of three replica statues from Easter Island made from LEGO at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of an AZTEC like statue made from LEGO at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a statue of a LEGO dinosaur being restrained by little LEGO men who stand on the roof of the building at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - Mrs H's favourite things

Little Mister H was transfixed by a number of LEGO® dragons and dinosaurs that he found around the park. He would happily spend ages engaging in a staring competition with them.

 A little boy staring up at a LEGO dragon at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a LEGO dragon statue at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - Mrs H's favourite things

Finding Your Way Around – The Map And The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort App

Before heading to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort a friend advised that I should get the app on my phone. And I’m really glad I did. The app can help you navigate around the resort (although I found it difficult to decipher) and it also shows you waiting times for the rides. This was brilliant and helped us plan our day and decide where to go next. There is so much to do at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort and you’re not going to get everything done in a day. But having the app open and seeing the queue times enabled us to figure out which rides we could go on and which we could leave for another day.

As we found the app confusing for helping us navigate around the resort, we decided to pick up a map. I was the chief navigator, but I also found the map quite complicated to understand. Even Mr H found the map confusing. Which made me feel better about my poor map reading skills. As a result, we navigated by following signs. Thank heavens LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is well signposted.

A photograph of a map of at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - Mrs H's favourite things

Facilities For Families

Activities For Little Ones

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort has clearly been designed with families in mind. And they have gone the extra mile to make sure that families have a wonderful day out. Little Mister H is under 0.9 metres (he is my pint-sized pocket rocket) and so wasn’t able to go on all the rides. Yet, there was still loads for him to see and do.

You could create a game of trying to spot all LEGO® statues hidden around the resort. In fact, it would be amazing if LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort could produce a chart of all the hidden LEGO® models. Then you could do a form of LEGO® bingo and tick them off as you find them.

There were a few rides that Little Miss H and I went on that Little Mister couldn’t. The first was Sky Rider but he and Mr H occupied themselves at the LEGO® Reef in the Imagination Centre where there were huge buckets full of LEGO® and Little Mister H could get creative. They also spent time looking at all the amazing sights in Miniland.

A photograph of a bucket of LEGO bricks at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

Play Areas

There are also two play areas in different parts of the resort. The children loved Brickville in DUPLO® Valley. And Little Mister H was very happy driving the fire engine and police car. They also enjoyed climbing around the princess castle and going down the many slides.

A little boy playing in then police car at Brickville which is part of DUPLO® Valley at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A little boy and girl playing in the castle at Brickville which is part of DUPLO® Valley at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A little boy playing in the fire engine at Brickville which is part of DUPLO® Valley at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

Other fabulous facilities for families include:

1. A baby care centre

2. To help if you’re children get lost, you can collect wristbands which you can write your name and phone number on.

3. Some rides offer a parent swap system. So if you have more than one child then you can queue once and parents can take turns to go on the ride with a child.

Food And Drink At LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

When it came to lunchtime, we headed to Farmer Joe’s Chicken Company to grab something to eat. I have to say that the food and drink at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort were hugely disappointing. And if we go again, I will definitely be taking a picnic.

We ordered a family bucket of chicken and chips which came with four refillable drinks. Yet, the only drinks that were available were fizzy drinks. These were zero sugar. But still, I’m not happy with filling up my two-year-old son with fizzy pop. But to buy the children other drinks cost us extra. So, in the end, our lunch came to over £30.00 (for 6 pieces of chicken, four small portions of chips and four drinks)! However, as you can see from the photo below the children enjoyed their lunch.

A photograph of a brother and sister at a chicken place at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

Later in the afternoon, we stopped again to get drinks and ice cream. Refillable bottles are available to buy for £3.50 and can then be refilled for free throughout the day. But these could only be filled with fizzy drinks. LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is designed for families and children. And it’s a real pity that they don’t provide affordable healthy food and drink.

What We Did At LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

Miniland

A brightly coloured photograph of a little boy toddling through Miniland at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of Chrysler and Empire State Building in Miniland at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of part of USA Miniland at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

Seeing Miniland was one of the things I was most looking forward to at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort. One of my friends had mentioned that it is her favourite part of the resort. And I can see why as Miniland is breathtaking.

Miniland recreates landmarks from around the world from LEGO® bricks. The detail is amazing. There was even a LEGO® couple who were getting married in Miniland Las Vegas. And Little Mister H became obsessed with a traditional US Diner that played rock ‘n’ roll music.

Mr H loved the Empire State and Chrysler Building and Little Miss was a fan of the Luxor in Vegas (although she kept on telling me that the Sphinx was from Egypt). Other highlights were the Taj Mahal, Big Ben, the London Eye and the Forbidden City in China.

Rides

When we come to a resort like LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort, we can never guess whether Little Miss H will go on any rides or not. On this occasion, she was feeling brave and wanted to go on all the rides. So during the day, we managed to tick off a number of rides and thankfully our longest queue was a 30-minute wait.

Even so, we couldn’t go on every ride. And it was a shame that the children didn’t get to have a splash around at Splash Safari.

1. Sky Rider

Little Miss H and I started off gently and went on Sky Rider at the Imagination Centre. In Sky Rider you travel in cars 20 feet in the air around an aerial track. And the views of the resort are amazing. Especially the sights of Miniland.

A photograph of Miniland at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort taken from the aerial ride Sky Rider - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review- Mrs H's favourite things

2. DUPLO® Train

The DUPLO® Train at DUPLO® Valley was the perfect ride for Little Mister H (he loves trains) and Little Miss H seemed to like it too. This brightly coloured train travels slowly around a simple figure of eight track. And although it was the shortest ride we went on, it didn’t have a queue and was very sweet for smaller children.

A photograph of a little girl on the DUPLO train at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

3. Fairy Tale Brook

Fairy Tale Brook at DUPLO® Valley was my favourite ride at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort. It was lovely and I could have happily gone on it a few times. Which was possible as it didn’t have any queue and we stepped straight into our boat.

This gentle ride is a great boat trip for all the family. And Little Miss and Little Mister H loved it as much as I did. Fairy Tale Brook featured many of our favourite fairy tale characters who had been brought to life with LEGO® bricks. We enjoyed gliding along the river and seeing who we could spot. My highlight was when Little Miss H sweetly hid from the big bad wolf as he tried to blow down the three pigs’ houses. She was also excited to see Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and Aladdin.

A photograph of a mother, son and daughter on the Fairy Tale Brook Ride at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a mother, son and daughter on the Fairy Tale Brook Ride at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a mother, son and daughter on the Fairy Tale Brook Ride at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a mother, son and daughter on the Fairy Tale Brook Ride at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

4. Spinning Spider

I was dreading going on Spinning Spider at Land of the Vikings with Little Miss H, as I don’t like spinny rides. I always feel sick on the teacups. But Little Miss H was desperate to go on Spinning Spider. So I dutifully queued with her and prayed that I wouldn’t get too nauseous.

I needn’t have worried. The ride looked much worse than it was. Little Miss H and I had a great time. We squealed loudly every time we spun the wheel in the middle and made the ride spin faster. And when the ride finished we both felt a little disappointed that the fun had come to an end.

A mother and her daughter on the Spinning Spiders ride at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a little girl waiting in a queue for the Spinning Spiders ride at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a mother and her daughter on the Spinning Spiders ride at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

5. Aero Nomad

I think of all the rides we went on Aero Nomad at Kingdom of the Pharaohs had the longest and most deceiving queue. It makes sense really that we would need to wait for a while. As only one or two groups can get on the ride at one time.

Little Miss H especially loved the desert balloon ride as it allowed her to spot all the other rides that she wanted to go on. Including our next ride.

A photograph of the view from the Aerial Nomad ride at at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of the Aero Nomad ride at A photograph of the view from the Aerial Nomad ride at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of the view from the Aero Nomad ride at at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

6. Desert Chase

Little Miss H spotted Desert Chase when we were on Aero Nomad. She is a huge fan of carousels (just look at that smile) and so we knew that I had to take her and Little Mister H on this lovely ride.

A photograph of a mother and daughter on the Desert Chase carousel ride at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a mother, son and daughter on the Desert Chase carousel ride at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a little girl on the Desert Chase carousel ride at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

7. Viking’s River Splash

The last ride of the day was Viking’s River Splash at Land of the Vikings. And I was very envious of Mr H accompanying Little Miss H on this ride. It was such a hot day that a water ride was really appealing. But they had a fab time and were both beaming when they reappeared at the end of the ride.

A photograph of a dragon on the Viking's Splash ride at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

A photograph of a father and his daughter on the Viking's Splash ride at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A Review - Mrs H's favourite things

We headed home at 16:30, with two very happy, hot and exhausted children. It had been a fabulous day and definitely an ideal family day trip for the school holidays. Thanks to 365 Tickets for gifting us our tickets and thanks to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort for giving us a lovely and memorable family day out. We can’t wait to go back when Little Mister H has grown a few centimetres.

A pinterest image with photographs from LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort - A review - Mrs H's favourite things

If you found this post helpful then please remember to pin it.

Have you been to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort? Do you have any hints or tips to make sure you have a fabulous day there?

Hugs

Lucy

xxxx

Disclosure: 

365 Tickets gifted us admission to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort so that we could write this review. However, as always all words, opinions and images are 100% honest and are my own.

1 Comment

  • Reply
    Vicky
    September 4, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    We love legoland, it’s a day out that suits everyone in my family. I haven’t used the app and my map reading skills are poor too, so we always rely on memory and signposts. It looks like you all had a fab day out and I never thought to go to 365 tickets for attraction tickets.

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