legoland windsor is overpriced, overcrowded and dirty

(215 Posts)
crumpledinside Mon 19-Aug-13 22:14:47

And overrun by wasps.

I'd seen maybe 4 or 5 wasps all summer until our trip to legoland today. Then had wasps on me and the kids all day with dd getting stung. The toilets were rank, the entry fee was massive, the markup on everything was huge and it was so seethingly full of people you couldn't go on tbe rides after midday and could hardly move in the play areas. The lego models looked weathered and tatty, and seemed to be an afterthought on many attractions.

That's £££ I won't be spending again.

Sparklysilversequins Mon 19-Aug-13 23:01:00

I like it there and so do my dc smile. It's a lot of a fun.

Chessington today however was godawful! 4 of the big rides were out of order. I have Merlin Passes but if I didn't I would have been furious to pay full whack for that.

I love theme parks though and don't get the distaste towards then on here. Disney, Florida is my dream holiday! grin

LiegeAndLief Mon 19-Aug-13 23:02:10

I'm a bit on the fence about Legoland. W had season tickets for 3 years using tesco clubcard vouchers. It is at its best on a weekday in termtime but, of course, that's not so great once your dc start school!

Have never found it dirty, apart from the toilets at the top at the end of the day, and the wasps have been ok recently. Two years ago though they were horrendous. There were wasp catchers everywhere, about 60 wasps round each one and 1000s more flying round the park. I felt so sorry for the people working on the food and drink stalls, there were swarms round them.

To be fair the rides were perfect for my dc who don't like big rides, and I went loads with a preschooler and a baby and there were still lots we could go on plus the shows.

They lost me the year they started charging for parking on top of the astronomical entrance price and opened Atlantis with a fucking ice cream kiosk actually in the middle of the queue. It was just piss takingly money grabbing. We staggered on going but won't be renewing the annual passes this year. Went to Paulton's Park recently which was better in many ways but sadly doesn't take tesco vouchers.

LiegeAndLief Mon 19-Aug-13 23:03:42

Oh and I think the queues have got worse over the last few years, or maybe it's just that we've been more in the summer holidays. It was ridiculous the last time we went though.

valiumredhead Mon 19-Aug-13 23:07:00

Tesco vouchers next time !

Bugsylugs Mon 19-Aug-13 23:09:15

Went last Friday fab, queues ok 15-20 mins. Toilets great and clean, splash area excellent. No wasps.

Witchesbrewandbiscuits Mon 19-Aug-13 23:10:14

yanbu! totally disappointed dc's this weekend. 90min-140min queue times are not appealing to me never mind the kids. the poster who said the rides are short and boring isnt wrong either. absolute waste of time and money. I intend to complain about the queuing system.

BrokenSunglasses Mon 19-Aug-13 23:16:55

You can have a great time at Lego land if you have pre school age children, an annual pass and you live nearby. I never found it to be dirty, but it will be overcrowded in the school holidays, as will any popular theme park.

PoppyWearer Mon 19-Aug-13 23:17:28

We have Merlin passes and avoid Legoland and Chessington in the summer holidays.

As a previous poster has said, a rainy day is a good time to go. Also in term time (with pre-schoolers) or on teacher training days. I took DC2 in July on a hot day and we had a brilliant time.

We were elsewhere this weekend just gone but also saw fuckloads of wasps around the bins.

they should have a Disney style fast pass that's free

jnl0612 Mon 19-Aug-13 23:33:28

I went a few weeks ago. Sooooo many wasps it was hideous. They have friendly wasp catcher things but nowhere near where the wasps were. Apologies if anyone was there 2 weeks ago my daughter who has special needs had a complete meltdown it was pretty horrific for people to watch (not much fun for me either tbh) shock

missingmumxox Tue 20-Aug-13 01:27:25

we when last year not in a holiday, teacher training day it was awful, arrived early and got on 4 rides...I repeat 4, the queues where so long, but for no reason, one we joined said 15 minutes from this point, the amount of children from the same group and the jobs worth in charge of the ride 45 mins later I was still at the 5 minute point...
I took to timing the ride 90 seconds, timing the filling 5 to 10 minutes...I kid you not for a swinging boat ride, he chap measured each child and then still let them on even if they went on their tippy toes... also one group where using mobiles to co-ordinate, mums where queuing as they got to the front about 5 children would push through, my mums there! usually children over 8 when they got to loading the ride women would suddenly say they where scared could their husband replace them several men by the exit gate with a enormous amount of children with them, oh could these children come on? oh yes then jobs worth would measure them all on tippie toes and let them on so 2 adult men and about 15 kids...and if you don't think that was piss taking enough they get off stand at the exit 2 other women get to the front of the queue with children in buggies and repeat the process with the same children who pile on...fair play to them all, busting the system...but 4 ride we managed to get on, women in queue,coordinating with phones I even mentioned it to staff and they said "well what do you do?" well not let them on maybe? my children queued, even ended up eating their dinner in one, never again, and I have never given it a good review, I was so pissed off.
fast passes f only these people did not have them, I can live and let live if someone has paid more.... but one day the fast pass will become the super fast pass as we all decide the only way to get on a ride is to do that...we are mugs.

NoComet Tue 20-Aug-13 01:35:44

OK I accept the Halloween fire works were not a good day to go, but LegoLand with DCs old enough to appreciate half decent sized rides ie over 7 is hell.

NoComet Tue 20-Aug-13 01:39:29

We got two rides then people poured in for the fire works around lunch. I'm guessing local season ticket holders as it wouldn't be worth the entrance fee to arrive at 2pm.

No way could the dump cope with the bumper of people.

NoComet Tue 20-Aug-13 01:39:58

Number of people.

MummyPig24 Tue 20-Aug-13 06:34:04

I agree it's hideously expensive (so expensive we haven't been able to afford to go in 2 years) but I think it's awesome! I've never found it dirty, yes busy but I expected that. I like it a lot, but its too expensive.

crumpledinside Tue 20-Aug-13 08:09:54

To be fair the paths weren't dirty: there wasn't a litter problem - it was the loos that were messy even first thing and the lego exhibits and giant bricks that had black mould on. Made it seem shabby and uncared gor despite the millions of turnover they must have every day.

Ive been to Disneyland Paris and the cost isn't too different but the cleanliness and attention to detail, and better managed queues put this to shame. My eldest were really looking forward to drench towers but it was so full they couldn't get on it.

Emilythornesbff Tue 20-Aug-13 08:33:08

Slightly OT hijack.
I have never been to legoland. DS is not yet 3.
I used to love theme parks. Spent many a day off at chessington woa and Thorpe park. never had to go n the hols so it was a great day out.
A few yrs ago I took my DNiece and a friend's children to chessington. OMFG! It was a horror. The queuing alone was hellish.
Theme parks are staggeringly pricey and these days one has to contend with another layer of stress if they don't pay even more for a priveleged pass.
I dread my DCs wanting to go to a theme park.
Anyone know anything about Peppa Pig world?

Pachacuti Tue 20-Aug-13 08:38:45

I like Paulton's/Peppa Pig World. The queues in most of Paulton's aren't too bad at all (we've been on an August Bank Holiday before and it was quite manageable, even from my perspective as someone who hates queuing); they are slightly worse in the PPW bit but still nothing like the queues at Chessington/Legoland. And even in PPW there's plenty to do that doesn't involve queuing.

Emilythornesbff Tue 20-Aug-13 08:41:03

Thanks pachacuti

Queenofoldtatt Tue 20-Aug-13 08:49:34

I went there on Saturday with dd she has sen and is entitled to a ride access pass. If we hadnt been able to queue jump it would have been horrendous. I also got in on points so don't feel like I paid to get in if you see what I mean.

It's shabby, there isn't an awful lot there and the prices are ridiculous.

susiey Tue 20-Aug-13 08:49:46

We just came back from Peppa pig world and it was fab.
We got there at opening time( well before to queue) and did a few rides in ppw when it was quieter. Then went into the rest if the park and came back to ppw when all the toddlers were going home. In the main park some places didn't have queues and a lot of copies of the Peppa rides without the Peppa!

Well worth the money!

FobblyWoof Tue 20-Aug-13 08:51:12

I can't comment on the overall state of the park because I've never been but surely if you go to a theme park in August you should know it's going to be busy? confused And that rides will be difficult to get on between 12-4, especially the bigger, more popular ones? If you want/have to go to these places in peak season the only ones that will be quiet are more than likely crap.

moominmarvellous Tue 20-Aug-13 09:02:03

While I didn't find the place dirty, I did find it crap and have no desire to go back. Like one previous poster, we went on a total of four rides all day because of queuing and what to me seemed like an unnecessary policy of everything being only two riders allowed when there was plenty of space for 3 (water log ride, piddly helicopter ride for my 2 year old).

I understand this might be for insurance reasons, but if you're in a odd-number family with a bit of an age range (in my case 9,6,3 year olds) it was a total pain in the arse. The system just seems really badly planned.

We went to Peppa Pig World and I couldn't recommend it enough to friends and family when I got back, but tbh, I tell people not to bother with Legoland.

moominmarvellous Tue 20-Aug-13 09:03:32

Oh and I went on a teacher training day, not peak time.

Mckayz Tue 20-Aug-13 09:07:01

We went at the start of August and thought it was great. Very clean, practically no litter. You have to expect queues at a theme park in summer. But nothing longer than 25 minutes.

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