LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort — Attraction in Great Britain

Sons Birthday Trip - huge let down.

TLDR: If you use or need a ride access pass book several days to visit as the system is broken and depending on how busy it is you may only get on 3 - 5 rides.

Don't bother with a photo card as its not worth it - paid £25 based on our prior experience of Merlin attractions I thought we would likely get on 4 "photo attractions" we got on 2.

Sons 7th Birthday Gift he wanted a trip away this year vs Party.

We have had Merlin passes previously and to get the most I decided to purchase the gold passes, tickets all prebooked, Ride Access Pass ordered - although booked 6 weeks in advance had to cancel going to Chessington as were unable to get the Ride Access Pass reservation however he mainly wanted to go to Legoland. Quick switch around we did Thorpe park yesterday & Legoland today.

We have done Merlin attractions for the last 10 years (ish) we had a break as my youngest has some health needs which means longer journeys are challenging but he has been a lot better as he has got older and he wanted to for his Birthday.

We have already been to Alton towers x 2 and Thorpe Park in the last 3 weeks already so have fresh experience as well as lots historically.

Today was awful.

The reserve and ride system - its a web based system which actually isnt for ride access pass but it's been added to the system, it is a total joke.

In a full day we got on about 5 rides, the first 2 hours only 1 ride. Then the last 2- 3 rides we abandoned using the Ride Access Pass - reserve and ride.

I felt like the "reserve and ride" system actually discriminated against the user.

There was instances were we used the Reserve and Ride for RAP card holders and it doubled/tripled the wait time???? How is that even possible? I asked the kind ride attendant who was very apologetic and she stated the system is awful and "does that sometimes" she did signpost us to the sensory room if we need to talk to someone however I had already done so who told me all other Merlin attractions were doing the ride access pass wrong - for the past XX amount of years?

We rode 2 of the "bigger rides" the speedway and the ninjago, the ninjago we waited for as standard as it was a free for all and no one managing the queuing or ride and reserve part. Even when it was highlighted to staff, no one was bothered, as when we were in the standard queue the "ride and reserve" queue merged and no one was there. There was a gent who paid fast track who stood there for an extended period waiting for someone to let him "in" to which in the end I told him to just get into the queue in front of us as he would probably still stood there now waiting!

Rides continuously appeared and disappeared on the reserve and ride website so even when we could book something it wasn't necessarily there to book on to.

We booked on the pirates water ride and stood for 40 mins in the ride and reserve queue however the standard queue was 25 mins - we left.

For a system which is supposed to allow people to have the same experience as someone without a disability - this experience was far worse than that at the counter experiences at other Merlin attractions and my last visit to legoland.

The 5 rides

The ninjago - normal queuing (50 min queue) Speedway - ride and reserve (blocked us for 1 hour - queue was 30 mins) Merlin challenge- ride and reserve (chose as 10 min queue but blocked for 30 mins) Swings - normal queue (10 min queue) Galleon ride - normal queue (10 min wait)

For the cost really not worth it. For the stress really not worth it.

Some nice lego builds, lots of picnic space, decent facilities. My son loves lego and building it and while exploring passes some time but he wanted to go on rides - we build tonnes of lego at home and the day prior Thorpe Park only has a handful of rides appropriate for him.

Food with our Merlin cards 38£, 2 adult burger meals, 2 child burger meals - Tasty

You have to buy a Freestyle cup at every attraction now, approx £15 to restart on a second visit it was £5 with Merlin discount

Stick to...

Just got back from a very expensive 2 night stay, admittedly during a 'busy' period (although compared to Disneyland on a busy day it was positively empty) with myself solo, two kids (4, 6) and two grandparents. Disclaimer: The kids have had an absolute blast.

We paid what felt like a small mortgage for the Castle Hotel; we went for it as the hotel was quieter (apparently) and nearer the park plus you got the use of the pool and playroom. It was definitely quieter than the other hotel and despite the rooms feeling like being mid acid trip. Kids enjoyed the treasure hunt etc. Everything was SO CLEAN. But...

The curtains didn't close. Reported to reception on day 1; nothing done. The towel rail and fan in the bathroom didn't work (we had to climb into damp swim suits on day 3); also reported to reception and nothing. The coffee machine mangled every other pod (I was solo parenting guys...I needed that caffeine...) and again reported day 2; nothing done. The kids bunk bed mattresses were (no joke) the plastic/rubber covered foam ones you get in hospitals with ONE non fitted sheet randomly folded on them. I had to remake all the beds as the kids kept rolling UP in the sheets. My daughter said the mattress felt all stiff and horrible. My mattress was fine but did a sort of 'Boing-doing' when you rolled over. One of the potion bottles wasn't properly glued and fell on me twice (again reported; nothing done).

I'd pre booked the castle restaurant. Because of the business of the park you had to stick with it. £22 for two kids courses. The servings were huge (I doubled up on the last day and they shared), but i'd have rather paid less for smaller portions as they are quite small people. The adult food was £33+ for two courses (no option for 1 course). While I applaud the attempt for more adult foods, the kids stuff was...non kiddy. Some Beige options would have been good. The food took FOREVER. On night one the whole meal took 2 hours. The kids were exhausted (age 4/6), as were we. I ordered a steak; it arrived well done (I ordered rare) and very chewy. It was £33 for the steak alone. We did complain and the manager knocked it off the menu but the bill was still £180 for 5 🫣 There might have been wine involved but only one glass per adult and we needed it by that point. On night 2 it was two hours before we even received desert. Complained again and the bill was, again £167. Just ridiculous money for three adults and two childrenunder 7. The staff I might add were charming. No one is blaming them for Merlin being greedy. When asked, their manager was 'absent' and was leaving on Thursday. There were obviously issues with the kitchens and organisation with no one around to run things. It was a bit of a mess. As I commented to my dad, Wetherspoons manage a better meal for half the price. I should add, the restaurant wasn't full either night.

In fact the park felt very understaffed. Because my mum has had a knee replacement this year, we opted for £300 worth of reserve and ride passes for everyone. On booking I was told someone would explain it to me when I got there.

NO ONE KNEW HOW IT WORKED. No one. And when I got INTO the park NO ONE WAS AROUND TO ASK. It was bananas. Literally no staff. In the end I had a go at figuring it out but it turned out it didn't include some rides (not explained to me on booking) and I could have split the passes. So when my daughter and I were in the queue for the fast pass on one ride my mum had to queue for 50 minutes with my son when I could have used the fast pass. Add to that that the reserve and ride queues were STILL 20-30 mins+ for some rides and it felt like a real waste of money.

We had a good time. Well, the kids did 🤣 As a pre Christmas treat it was fine, but I wouldn't say it was worth the money to go for the better rooms. It felt very, very expensive for what we got. I think Legoland need to make upgrades to things like their rooms and beds if they want to make it an 'upgraded' experience. The restaurants in hotel were certainly a mess and need...

I went to Legoland Windsor for the first time (ever in my life) on Tuesday 20th May. Sunny, bright and could really feel the atmosphere as I was walking to the park entrance!

I arrived at 10.50 and was off on my Lego adventure. Immediately you are thrust into the world of Lego at ‘The Beginning’ which has the Lego store, some mini figures (although some aren’t as mini and are huge like the mad scientist!) and the coffee shop! It also some awesome views of Windsor and it’s a great starter before you’re zooming into the main park!

Rides I went on: Minifigure Speedway, Coastguard HQ, Haunted House Monster Party, Laser Raiders, Ninjago the Ride, The Dragon, Hydra’s Challenge and The Flight of the Skylion

Attractions I experienced: Miniland, Aero Nomad, Legoland Express, Jolly Rocker, Fire and Ice Free fall

Will just share some of my highlights!

Minifigure Speedway. Electric family fun with a dash of thrill!

This duelling boom coaster by Zierer is a fantastic addition to the park and the first ride of my day. Immediately drawn into how colourful and fun the exterior looks, as you see Roxie Racer standing tall ready for you to conquer her race track!

Literally no queue and went on the Legends side first for my first ever ride. The launch was a lot more intense than I expected but loved it either way, really feels like you’re actually on a race track. Great g forces especially when going backwards. Loved the interaction with the other coaster as well! Went on the All Stars side afterwards and it did feel just a bit rougher than Legends side so depending on what experience you want to have choose your side carefully! 😂 went on it 4 times (the last 2 rides were just before the park closed and my last rides of the day) and honestly I could not get enough of this coaster! Great fun, a superb coaster all round!

8.3/10!!

Miniland Fascination and detail comes to life!

This was my second stop of the day and I was very excited for Miniland due to the sheer size of the attraction. Seeing all the individual models and mini figures of each country/landmark absolutely made my day. As you walk through Miniland, you get to see famous places around the world come to live in Lego form! Loved seeing some of my favourite landmarks come to life in this Lego world and you gain this appreciation for just how long it must have taken to build each individual thing let alone a whole landmark or country! The music at this attraction really helps bring it to life, getting a real sense you are actually there in person and it’s just so special!

8.5/10!!

Legoland Express Go on your wildest adventure!

Great idea to have a train in the park to do some sightseeing so some cool mini figures. The idea is that you are looking to capture the best photograph for a competition to be featured in a magazine and it’s a great 5-7 min ride! I really loved the idea of just having a break from all the rides, getting to experience the park from another angle!

8.2/10

The Dragon Intense mystical fun!

Loved the Dragon, went on it twice back to back and had an absolute blast! It really feels like you’re flying on a dragon’s back. Great mix of dark ride scenes and the coaster itself although it is quite short I must say. Great g forces with a punch! Definitely the rows in the middle have a more intense ride than the front row but loved this ride!

8/10

Hydra’s challenge Thrilling with a splash!

Loved the theme-ing of the whole ride itself, the electric blue and the figures of hydra bring it all to life!

Flight of the Sky Lion Immersion to the max!

Love the whole feel and look for the whole ride it really ties Legoland Mystica altogether! Loved the 4D style experience!

Some recommendations/tips: Have better signage for visitors using the bus if they get off at the wrong bus stop to help direct them to the park entrance Have a single rider lane/allow adult single riders the chance to go on rides like Pirate Falls and Coastguard HQ

Overall had a great trip to the park!

Will definitely be...