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Legoland Windsor

Would a duelling alpine coaster work well at lego based on the hillside landscape it could also have 2 stations start day at the top and a bit like the hill train bring people back up at the end, although i could see this being an up charge due to capacity,

Admin - totally thought this was in the legoland topic….
 
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Rob F said:
Would a duelling alpine coaster work well at lego based on the hillside landscape it could also have 2 stations start day at the top and a bit like the hill train bring people back up at the end, although i could see this being an up charge due to capacity
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I think they used to have something similar back in the safari park days. Although that was a toboggan, rather than a tracked coaster.

The main problem with that type of ride is that the rider controls their own speed, and more importantly, is responsible for braking. It only takes one scared kid to stop, with the person behind them going for a speed record, for things to end very badly. In a kid-focused park, that's a major injury waiting to happen.
 
Lots of alpine coasters you ride up the lift, so that wouldn't be an issue.

They'd have to get the quasi-alpine like Dawson Duel with no brakes to stop an epic pileup.
 
Poisson said:
Lots of alpine coasters you ride up the lift, so that wouldn't be an issue.

They'd have to get the quasi-alpine like Dawson Duel with no brakes to stop an epic pileup.
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Dawson Duel and Speed Bob both operate without breaks for the rider. Speed Bob hits speeds of 60khm.

Capacity would be awful though, for Dawson Duel I had to immediately ride the first side and then go back up for the 2nd side and it had already built up a 15 minute queue.
 
flyingguitar said:
I wonder who is pushing this is it costa armark (if they are involved) or merlin.
Considering amazon struggled with this system I wonder how it will turn out
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Although a belated response, it would appear to be Aramark pushing it (customary AI mention to boot). I was looking for something else and stumbled over the press release:

The DUPLO Coffee Co. at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort offers a fast, AI-powered, frictionless retail experience so guests can refuel and get back to attractions.​

Aramark UK has unveiled an innovative coffee and convenience store within the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort theme park that provides a frictionless experience for guests. Through a partnership with the AI-powered, cashierless platform, Zippin, the new DUPLO Coffee Co., named for the area of the park in which is resides, enhances the guest experience by eliminating traditional checkout wait times.

At DUPLO Coffee Co, guests simply select their choice of drinks and snacks and are automatically billed for the items they choose as they exit the store. With no lines or self-service scanning, the technology frees up time so guests can fuel up and get back to the park’s attractions faster. Aramark UK hospitality staff are on-site to maintain food and beverages and support guests as needed.

The new frictionless coffee and convenience store is the first of its kind to open in a European theme park.
"We are committed to elevating the customer experience,” said Helen Milligan-Smith, CEO, Aramark UK. “Partnering with Zippin to launch DUPLO Coffee Co represents an exciting milestone in entertainment hospitality. The adoption of this autonomous approach helps meet the needs of guests who want to make the most of their visit to the theme park.”

DUPLO Coffee Co offers a wide array of items loved by park guests, including freshly made Costa coffee, cold drinks, cakes, cookies, sweets, and a selection of healthy snacking products.

The Aramark partnership at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort is part of a larger agreement with Merlin Entertainments, a global leader in location-based entertainment, that covers five locations in the UK and two in the US.
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Source: https://www.aramark.com/newsroom/news/2024/june/UK-legoland
 
Jb85 said:
Wasn’t this covered a while back - sure there was some huge card preauthorisation
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There was some discussion about the pre-auths (£25 if I remember correctly), but Aramark hadn't issued the press release, so we had no idea who's idea it was, who was pushing it and which other companies were involved. I've shared this to add some further context / thought it might be interesting.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Although a belated response, it would appear to be Aramark pushing it (customary AI mention to boot). I was looking for something else and stumbled over the press release:

Source: https://www.aramark.com/newsroom/news/2024/june/UK-legoland
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So you're telling me that Aramark, a company that mostly serves prison food, somehow has developed a more complex and advanced system than Amazon Go? A system which relied on workers in India to verify purchases from a tech giant with almost unimaginable resources and got shut down within a few years...
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
There was some discussion about the pre-auths (£25 if I remember correctly), but Aramark hadn't issued the press release, so we had no idea who's idea it was, who was pushing it and which other companies were involved. I've shared this to add some further context / thought it might be interesting.
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It was always unlikely to be a Lego led thing, very much goes against the ethos of the brand. Merlin… less so.

Good to see a published confirmation though.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Although a belated response, it would appear to be Aramark pushing it (customary AI mention to boot). I was looking for something else and stumbled over the press release:

Source: https://www.aramark.com/newsroom/news/2024/june/UK-legoland
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I do wonder what is the point of it though, from the sounds of it you order a coffee so it isn't like from a person ordering they are not saving time by not having to pay, nor are they making it much more convenient because they are still having to order drinks

Being realistic they are probably not saving on staff because staff need to take orders and make the drinks still even if they did want to save on staff surely adding the pay terminals found in all McDonalds would be a better, cheaper option that has already been implemented
 
flyingguitar said:
I do wonder what is the point of it though, from the sounds of it you order a coffee so it isn't like from a person ordering they are not saving time by not having to pay, nor are they making it much more convenient because they are still having to order drinks

Being realistic they are probably not saving on staff because staff need to take orders and make the drinks still even if they did want to save on staff surely adding the pay terminals found in all McDonalds would be a better, cheaper option that has already been implemented
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It's entirely self serve, no staff involved. "Proud to Serve Costa" machines. Press a button and go jobbies.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
It's entirely self serve, no staff involved. "Proud to Serve Costa" machines. Press a button and go jobbies.
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oh, even still what is the point tho like just add a card machine it would take an extra 30 secs for most people, they still have to have a card machine at the enterance of the cafe, like it will cost a large amount in sever cost traning and running the ai, and no customer benifit apart from probably generating false inputs and requiring the customer to correct them
 
flyingguitar said:
oh, even still what is the point tho like just add a card machine it would take an extra 30 secs for most people, they still have to have a card machine at the enterance of the cafe, like it will cost a large amount in sever cost traning and running the ai, and no customer benifit apart from probably generating false inputs and requiring the customer to correct them
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The tech I’d imagine will be expensive in the first instance but with a rollout across parks will become cheaper. Labour cost savings will eventually outweigh this.
 
Just watched the WalkWithMeTim video on the Woodland Village, said it cost him £348 for one night stay and two days entry into the park for two adults and one child (who looked small enough to get free entry to the park) and he said he thought that it was pretty good value. Maybe it is my frugalness, but doesn't seem good value to me. Buying 2 days tickets direct is about £156, so the Woodland Village would be £192 for one night - and that isn't taking into account the bogof deals that can be found on tickets. Again, maybe just me, but seems as overpriced as expected rather than good value.

Oh, and that Lego in the room is a) going to be nicked to the point where they won't bother refilling it, and b) will be inside the mouths of many a child :laughing: .
 
TPick said:
Just watched the WalkWithMeTim video on the Woodland Village, said it cost him £348 for one night stay and two days entry into the park for two adults and one child (who looked small enough to get free entry to the park) and he said he thought that it was pretty good value. Maybe it is my frugalness, but doesn't seem good value to me. Buying 2 days tickets direct is about £156, so the Woodland Village would be £192 for one night - and that isn't taking into account the bogof deals that can be found on tickets. Again, maybe just me, but seems as overpriced as expected rather than good value.

Oh, and that Lego in the room is a) going to be nicked to the point where they won't bother refilling it, and b) will be inside the mouths of many a child :laughing: .
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There aren't any BOGOF ticket offers anymore, best now is 25% off the online price of two tickets from Kellogg's (which can be cheaper than 2for1 was on some weekdays).

Assuming the child is under 90cm and therefore free, that £192 still seems about the going price for a Merlin resort hotel. You might be able to find a £60 a night Travelodge nearby, but then add £20 for breakfast too, plus parking at the park (and maybe at the hotel) and its getting close to £100 to stay off site, if you can find a cheap night, other nights might be £150 even at Travelodge when they are busier. So although not cheap, that price isn't terrible.
 
jon81uk said:
There aren't any BOGOF ticket offers anymore, best now is 25% off the online price of two tickets from Kellogg's (which can be cheaper than 2for1 was on some weekdays).

Assuming the child is under 90cm and therefore free, that £192 still seems about the going price for a Merlin resort hotel. You might be able to find a £60 a night Travelodge nearby, but then add £20 for breakfast too, plus parking at the park (and maybe at the hotel) and its getting close to £100 to stay off site, if you can find a cheap night, other nights might be £150 even at Travelodge when they are busier. So although not cheap, that price isn't terrible.
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Fair enough.

In a mad moment I worked out on a Saturday in August it is just under £90 for a room at a local Premier Inn with parking and breakfast included, and then £174 for two days tickets with parking at Legoland (£158 + £16) - so £264.

Same night at the woodland village would be £436 - £406 plus £30 for the extra day in the park. £172 difference to the Premier Inn.

Also means on that night you would be paying £278 just for the lodge and parking, as two day park tickets cost £158.

So, all in all what have I proved? Merlin stays are expensive which everyone knows, so I have proved nothing and have just wasted 15 minutes of my life that I will never get back :tearsofjoy:
 
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