What makes LEGOLAND® a great day out?

The Doves have visited LEGOLAND® Windsor quite a few times since we relocated from the big smoke to Surrey. We last headed there just before POD started school in September. We had such a great time we returned the following day for more of the same. It worked out brilliantly as it meant we were able to enjoy more of the 55 attractions and we got to see two shows in Heartlake City. With a couple of friends and their children joining us, POD’s excitement levels were at fever pitch before we’d even left the car park. It’s hardly surprising, she’s inherited her parents love for LEGO® so she enjoys saying hello to all the characters. She’s always been an adventurer so the rides are always appealing and having a Q-Bot means we skip a lot of the queues to maximise our time on resort.

No visit to LEGOLAND® Windsor is complete without a visit to the Big Shop which is the UK’s largest LEGO® shop. There’s a huge selection of LEGO® on offer and you can build your own people while you’re there too. POD also took it upon herself to take the same stance as the characters in-store much to the amusement of the staff.

There’s a superb view of Windsor castle just up from where you catch the Hill Train if it’s a clear day. Also at the beginning is the LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland Model Display & LEGO® Star Wars™ Gallery. It’s the UK’s only indoor LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland Model Display with an impressive 1.5 million bricks! POD isn’t old enough to see Star Wars™ yet but she enjoys looking at scenes from the movies and listening to the sound effects.

The Hill Train is a great way to see LEGOLAND® before you arrive in the heart of it. First up for us was the Spinning Spider in Land of the Vikings. The POD Father likes turning the wheel to make it go faster whereas I prefer a more leisurely pace. POD always pretends the spider is after us but it’s just a bit of fun because he’s so impressive. POD and the POD Father went on the Vikings’ River Splash during our last visit and we do have another couple of rides in Land of the Vikings to try next time. We always miss something but that’s the joy of LEGOLAND® being so close – we can just head back.The Knight’s Quest, in the Knight’s Kingdom, always gets the thumbs up as it’s like a spinning carousel. POD also enjoys the Dragon’s Apprentice and The Dragon mini roller coaster rides. There was the obligatory penny throwing and dream making at the wishing well. POD is always fascinated with the LEGO® characters, it’s nice to see the littlest of things amuse her so much.Located close to the Knight’s Kingdom is Pirate Shores where you’ll find the Pirate Falls Treasure Quest. It’s a brilliant boat ride which ends with a steep descent and a huge splash! It’s superb fun and there are dryers available if you need them or you can chill in the Enchanted Forest. POD has a particular fondness for the nearby Castaway Camp which is a pirate play area with ships, nets and slides. We are yet to go on the swinging Jolly Rocker ride but we’re on the hunt for those nerves of steel!

A more leisurely attraction is the Aero Nomad balloon ride, providing a birds eye view of the Kingdom of the Pharaohs and beyond. Around there are a few of POD’s favourites like the Desert Chase carousel and the Thunder Blazer and indoors Scarab-Bouncers, which saw POD 15 feet up, and Laser Raiders.

We’re huge fans of Heartlake City and caught two shows when we last visited LEGOLAND® Windsor. Pirates of the Skeleton Bay is always a superb stunt show, full of acrobatics and so much fun. Having returned to the resort the following day (for only £15!), we got to see the LEGO® Friends show and sing a long with Mia, Andrea, Emma, Olivia and Stephanie. POD was in her own world smiling and attempting to learn their songs – she thought it was excellent. We also managed a trip on the Heartlake City Express. Every time POD sees a climbing wall she wants to scale it! She learnt how to climb before she could walk and the Climbing Wall in Adventure Land is certainly within her reach now. There’s also the Atlantis Submarine Voyage where you can enjoy a LEGO® submarine ride and underwater adventure. You’ll see LEGO® mermaids and fish among other things plus you get to be in control on board. If you don’t mind getting wet, head over to the S.Q.U.I.D Surfer jet-skis which may explode from the bottom! Or there’s the excellent Dino Safari which is a fun train ride around a track with some great views and interesting animals.Before you reach the wonderful world of Miniland, you can check out the rides in LEGO® City. The Balloon School is a gentle way to take a flight and it offers the ability to increase the altitude of the ride without speeding it up. POD really enjoyed taking charge of that and she’s keen to take part in the Driving School but she’s not quite old enough. She was five on Christmas Day though so she’s getting there and the L-Drivers is suitable for children up to her age.

One of the best things about our last visit to LEGOLAND® was that we were able to fully embrace DUPLO^® Valley. Kicking off with Splash Safari, the kids familiarised themselves with the area before we headed up to Drench Towers. Much hilarity ensued and everyone had the best time. All of us wanted to do Raft Racers afterwards as whizzing down a slide in an inflatable dinghy seemed like brilliant fun but we’d just got dry. Instead we headed to Brickville, an interactive play area, before joining the Fairy Tale Brook ride to visit a few favourites.

It doesn’t matter how many times I see Miniland, I always find it quite magnificent. With scenes from Europe and the USA, it has the feel of an outdoor museum. Not just from the volume of bricks used to create it but the attention to detail like the remote control boats, the cars and the pedestrians.

Before we left, our friends put their pulling skills to the test on the Space Tower while we ate ice-cream and watched the Sky Rider above us. POD talked about the LEGO® Mole Mining Company afterwards and rather liked the idea that LEGOLAND® was created by magic moles. Wouldn’t that be something.