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Legoland Windsor

Back when Lego owned the Legoland parks they weren't Amusment Parks, but proper Theme Parks!
When Billund and even Windsor first opened the rides were not the main attractions (hence why most of them have woeful cappacity). A day at Legoland was about... Lego. Miniland and the many lifesize models around the park were a showcase to amaze and inspire. As were long lost attractions like the Explorers Institute and Magic Theatre. Then there were areas like the Imagination Centre and Educational Workshop that kids could spend hours just playing in.
Besides that Windsor was beautifuly landscaped and simply a nice place to visit.

Of course I'm biased because I was one of those kids that loved Legoland for what it originally was. Times changed and in the same way Tussauds started going downhill before Merlin bought them Lego also made some questionable decisions before selling the parks. But Legoland was genuinely something different back then and Lego certainly knew what they wanted the parks to be.
 
I remember it being a much nicer theme park. You're absolutely right, it was a 'Lego Land' in the true sense. Not a Merlin Entertainments theme park 'themed to Lego IPs'.

The attractions were still the main draw, but they werent necessarily big rides. The Dragon coaster was a classic but it was as much about the dark ride as it was the coaster too.

All the rides were storytelling rides with characters and scenes. It was all pretty fun and unique, not like the 'ultra generic' attractions they have now. Pirate Falls suffered particularly with this when it had that appauling makeover!

There were some bits a bit dull compared to nearby Chessington, which was more 'all round family' then, while Legoland was a calmer day out for younger families (in a genuinly beautiful park).

It kind of suffered with capacity, towards the later years of it being owned by Lego it was often jam packed, but not nearly as much as today. It was a totally different park then.

I think Lego as a company have also changed and wouldnt have it the same way today even if they bought them off Merlin.
 
I was at Legoland Malaysia last year and it was honestly fine, but apart from the miniland it didn't feel that special. I can't complain though as I had already been to Legoland Windsor and Florida before :D

Based on your responses I think it's a real shame Lego chose to sell off the parks (though they possibly had little choice considering their finances in the early 2000s).
 
I remember Legoland when it was owned by Lego, as with Tim I was of the target audience then, but since then I remember broken effects, things not working as well as they once were.

When I was younger, we'd be at the park about opening time.You would see the one man band, Then you could then slide down the hill (Often taking several times longer as you'd either be queuing or going around again, eventually you'd come out by Space Tower. In this area you had Papa Moles Mining co with the alarm that would sound followed by the floor vibratings. The Driving School had the one way system open. You had the Explorers institute, and the lady who was watering her plants which usually ended up getting you wet. Waterworks use to be great.

When I visited last year, I realised the problem. Children nowadays don't have the tools to use their imagination, The old car test track which in theory was a simple, Build a car, and then race it down the ramp hoping it would make it to the bottom without a wheel falling off. This was gone replaced by screens where you have to build a fish in a set order with set pieces using set colours. no Behemoths with 20+ wheels, no weird one wheel contraptions that would inexplicably veer to the left or right.

Miniland used to be full on character, instead the new area just does not match the same quality of the older models, the number of moving vehicles.

Maybe I'm just turning into a old git but Legoland seems to be a bit pants compared to what it was. I'll admit Merlin have made some good investments in Atlantis and Laser Raiders, but overall the park seems to have gone downhill.
 
It's worth noting the car slides are still very popular at the Legoland Discovery Centres, and I think most the other Legolands still have them.

The sad thing is I've seen parents complain about the Imagination Centre because, and I quote "we've paid a lot of money to get in here and all my kid wants to do is play with Lego..."
 
Well when it used to be open 10-8/9 pm you used to have plenty of time to let the kids play with Lego... As a former Lego annual pass holder, used to be great.
 
This pair of images identify just how badly Miniland had been handled. The top picture shows London with some nice real bushes growing through the scene, lots of smaller, less detailed buildings amongst the bigger set pieces.

The bottom picture shows USA miniland, the new build miniland which features Artificial grass, large gaps between the buildings.

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So just got back from 2 days from Legoland and I must say I had the best 2 days at a Merlin park for a long long while. I couldn’t remember the last time I came here but weather was absolutely glorious both days and looking out seeing Windsor castle/ Canary Wharf in the far far far far distance was an awesome sight.

Queues were non exsistent due to the time of week/season. Got on everything MANY times.
My son just turned 3 (hence our visit with all the family) he loved steering the boats and driving his own car, aswell as going against the family on the fire academy. (Seriously good fun)
Hats off to the operator getting into zone.

Staff were friendly and was good to see staff constantly cleaning around the park aswell as upkeep of Miniland;
Although Miniland needs a fair good clean all over but the models were pretty damn good.

Highlight for me has to be Duplo puppet theatre. (Rapunzel / Goldilocks and the 3 bears.)This is the type of interaction/entertainment that is needed elsewhere, yes it was for children mainly but my mother in law was wetting herself at some of the bad jokes and it was so good to see many people sticking around and seeing it.

End of the day we all felt we had a brilliant time.

This is a decent park.
 
I’m sure the shareholders like the look of it, since the end result makes it very obvious that the budget has been cut left right and centre. :)
 
As Shaun says in the video, kids won't be looking at the warehouse, they'll be looking at the detailing at the front.
 
skyscraper said:
kids won't be looking at the warehouse, they'll be looking at the detailing at the front.
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When I was a kid my favourite theme park areas were Transylvania at Chessington, Haunted House at Alton Towers, even Dragon at Legoland.

It was always a mystery to me 'where' Bubble Works actually was hidden once you stepped inside, from the outside it just felt like a fun street, that felt like magic to me.

With Duel, the fun effect was always the huge ride impossibly contained in a tiny looking house.

Even in Hex, the madhouse isnt contained in the Towers but you would never know from how you start and finish.

Kids wont complain "oh you can see the warehouse" but you're robbing them off one of the best effects about a good dark ride. This is just cheap and lazy. It's not like this because Merlin designed it from a kid's point of view, it's like this because they've deliberately spent as little as possible.
 
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Going to be visiting a week tomorrow for two days. First ever visit for us.

Trying to plan the day so we don't have to queue all day and avoid having to buy qbot.

We are going to be on park before the gates open so thinking of going to the HH straight away and hopefully getting on within first 15 mins. Good idea do you think?
 
I'm visiting on Sunday this week. I'll try to share any advice regarding queues but my plan is to do monster party at the end of the day.
 
TPC said:
I'm visiting on Sunday this week. I'll try to share any advice regarding queues but my plan is to do monster party at the end of the day.
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Let us know how it goes. We may do it last thing before the queues close. That is definitely an option.
 
Just keep a close eye on HHMP during the day, we know what new rides are like for teething problems.
 
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