I have just returned from a once in a lifetime trip with my
toddler. We went on safari, saw Machu Picchu, rode in a hot air balloon and
even flew a helicopter. Tired but happy, we are both full of memories that will
be with us for a long time. All this was accessible after just a two-hour drive
from London: the trip we went on was to Legoland, Windsor.
Like all the best kids’ entertainment (Shrek, The Muppets and Winnie the Pooh all come to mind),
Legoland appeals to adults just as much as to children. In fact, on our trip,
we saw plenty of grown ups with not a little one in sight. As we checked into
the newly opened and highly recommended resort hotel, I felt a tingle of
excitement that I had not felt since arriving at the Treasure Island Hotel in
Las Vegas.
While my son and his best friend jumped joyfully into the
lego pit in reception, I was given our park tickets for the day as a member of
staff stored our luggage (check in is not until 3pm but staff will helpfully
allocate your room on arrival and look after your bags until then). We raced up
the stairs only to land on a loud whoopee cushion embedded in the carpet, causing
loud giggles.
This is one of the aspects that really strikes you about
Legoland – the extraordinary attention to detail – so that there is almost
never a dull moment, not even for adults. ‘Look at you, you are beautiful!’, a
voice cooed as we walked into the toilets; in the Skylounge bar, mini lego
figures were delicately embedded in the wall as if in an art gallery, and in
the restaurant the chips are comically shaped as lego bricks.
I was as excited as a two year old to be here so my little
boy and me raced off to experience the best the park had to offer. We headed
first to Miniland, one of the most traditional attractions, which contains the greatest concentration of lego bricks
in the whole resort. A staggering 40 million pieces have been fashioned into
landscapes from around the world. I loved the London scenes although for me
there was a little too much of Scandinavia and the USA and not enough of more
developing countries.
Nonetheless,
Legoland is an education – not only in geography but physical skills. As we
arrived at the fire academy we were told with compelling urgency: ‘Lego city is
on fire’ and instructed on how to jump in a fire engine, drive it towards a
‘burning building’ and put out the fire with a hose before returning the
vehicles back to base. Similarly, at the driving school, little ones listened
intently as they were briefed about the importance of wearing seatbelts in a
car and how to steer and accelerate before being presented with their very own
driving licence to mark their achievements.
Brimming
with new-found confidence my two charges made their way to the helicopter rides
where they each (accompanied by their mothers, admittedly) managed to fly their
choppers with real skill, despite some rather abrupt moves that left the adults
a little jarred. So we made our way to something altogether more gentle: The
Fairy Tale Brook. Floating downstream in a giant lily pad, we passed all our
favourite fairytale characters – all made of lego and some of which spoke out
loud – accompanied by an enchanting and restful soundtrack.
If this all
sounds idyllic – it is, but it is worth bearing some practical considerations
in mind to make the most of your trip. If you have little ones with you, there
will be some rides that they are not allowed on, so check before you queue. As
one of the UK’s most popular attractions, Legoland inevitably gets crowded
during school holidays and at weekends so do try to avoid these times. I would
really recommend staying at the newly opened hotel to make the most of the
resort as guests get to visit the park before the crowds arrive and once they
have left and do plan your visit as there is a lot to do and you may find one
day is not enough.
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