Legoland: it's not just for kids...

A family day out that doesn't make you wish you were five. By Carol Muskoron

I've got to admit it: I'm a wuss. I really don't like the huge rollercoasters that throw you around at a zillion miles an hour and make you wish that you hadn't had quite so many chips at lunch. I don't really like heights or death-defying plunges. To be honest, I prefer the quiet life.

 

Which is one reason why I love Legoland. The rides aren't too vicious. The other reason is that Legoland's such a lovely place to be - it isn't terribly noisy, it doesn't stink of burgers and ketchup and it's all set in beautiful parkland. Usually on kids' days out I feel there's nothing for me. At Legoland, I didn't feel that. It's relaxing and fun for both adults and kids.

 

We chose to head there over the Easter bank holiday. It took us just over an hour to get there from North London to Legoland, which is outside Windsor. Because there were so many rides we wanted to try, we got a Q-bot. This is a machine which allows you to book the rides electronically - it meant we didn't actually have to queue. Since some of the rides had a waiting time of over an hour, this was a big advantage. You can only book one ride at a time so as soon as you're finished one ride, you book another.

 

Unfortunately my kids were adamant: they wanted to get wet. I wasn't so keen, because the weather was a bit nippy. Still, we headed off for Pirate Falls. This is a sort of log flume, with a dip at the end. The ride was exciting enough to get the adrenaline flowing. But it wasn't violent enough to cause us any lasting psychological damage. We loved it! And yes, we did all get wet trousers. Tip: Sit at the back if you can - less splashing!

 

Next was a rollercoaster called the Dragon. It was absolutely brilliant. Thrilling and yet without any of those ghastly loop-the-loop, 360-degree turns.

 

At lunchtime we bought some lovely sandwiches - very fresh. We hadn't yet spotted the fantastic rotisserie, which was further into the park and looked by far the best place to eat.

 

After that it was straight onto the Laser Raiders, where you fire at aliens and baddies and try to notch up a high score. Because we had some time to kill before our next Q-bot ride, we went on the Scarab Bouncer. This is a seat which rises up in the air and then drops down suddenly.

 

The highlight of the day was the Viking River Splash. This was another wet ride, going in a circular boat down a series of rapids. We all loved it. So we did it again - immediately!

 

At the end of the day we headed off to Miniland - an area where famous buildings such as Edinburgh Castle and Buckingham Palace have been recreated in Lego. We thought that this was one of the nicest aspects of Legoland. 

 

Legoland isn't just a funfair decorated with a few bits of Lego strewn around. It's an exciting  themepark, with lots of interesting Lego structures where you least expect them. My kids really enjoy Lego, so they were genuinely interested in looking at the buildings. My daughter, who's 12, was particularly fascinated by the recreation of the London tower blocks at Canary Wharf. There's also a centre, where people can make up their own Lego structures. We didn't really have time to explore it properly, but maybe next time. And we all enjoyed the day so much, that I confidently predict there will be a next time!

 

Find out more

Entrance to Legoland and use of the rides costs £36 per adult and £27 per child. There is a 10% discount for buying the tickets online. The Q-bot costs £10 per person. For more information go to www.legoland.co.uk

 

 

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