Tips for LEGOLAND WIndsor with 7 and 8 year old 10

We love LEGO and we are also huge fans o0f LEGOLAND.  We go to the LEGOLAND Windsor once a year and Maxi and I were lucky enough to visit Legoland Florida earlier in the year too.  On Fathers Day The Mad Blog Awards hosted their first #MadDayOut at LEGOLAND Windsor and we were lucky enough to be asked to come along and help at the event.

My boys are 132cm and 127 cm, so can go on every ride.  Maxi, who is the taller child can go on them all independently.  Mini can go on most independently, but needs to be accompanied by an adult on some of the others.  We were also gifted a gold VIP wrist band, which I believe is the equivalent of a Q-BOT Ultimate.  This meant that we skipped the queue on every ride. We managed to go on every ride in the p-ark in one day and there were no queues!  Was it worth it?  Well once both the boys are over 130cm we will buy then a Q-BOT Ultimate each, as it made the day so much more special and as a trip to LEGOLAND is a once a year thing for us I would rather save up and do it in style.

So What are our top tips for making the most out of your visit to LEGOLAND?

1. Get there early – The park opens for general visitors at 10am.  Get there early for the park opening.  It is quietest first thing on a morning.
2. Pick up a lost parent wrist band at the beginning of the park (Guest Services).  These are invaluable.  There are a lo0t of children and it is easy to lose one as Penny will tell you.
3. Head for the rear of the park first.  The most popular rides are driving school and boating school, so it pays to get the queuing out of the way first and we found the queues much less on a morning.  We start at the back and work our way forward.
4. If you stay in the LEGOLAND Hotel you get access to Atlantis 30 minutes early.
5. Be prepared to get wet.  Splash rides include Pirate Falls Dynamite Drench, SQUID Surfer and Vikings River Splash.  We use poncho’s to ensure that we have dryish clothes!
6. Take swim wear or UV wear for children.  The new DUPLO Splash Valley  and Drench Towers is a superb water area with slides, fountains, water guns and much more.  There is a toddler area and an older child area.  It is great fun and perfect for when your children are flagging.  We managed to both grab a cup of tea whilst the boys made the most of the water.
7. There can be a lot of walking and waiting, so if you have a buggy take it.  Even if your child doesn’t normally use it.
8. Make use of all your time.  We stayed till closing time, a lot of people leave earlier so the queues get shorter.
9. Turn up for the Pirate of skeleton bay show early (20 mins approx before the start) and put down a picnic blanket a little to the right of the control booth on the corner.  The show is brilliant and will be enjoyed by all.   The harbour coffee shop does starbucks quality lattes.  Even better this is the perfect place and time to have your lunch in front of the show, its fab! And bring a picnic as food is ridiculously expensive.

Ways to keep costs down

1. Take a packed lunch.  There are areas for eating your packed lunch or snacks.  You can also go back to the car to get it.  There are also lockers at the beginning if you want to store your bags, but they do not refund your coins.
2. Kids eat free after 3pm in certain restaurants
3. Get a refillable drink for £7, especially if it is warm.  You can use the drinks bottle once you get home too.
4. Get the shopping over with at the beginning.  Set a budget and make sure you stick to it!  You can also leave your purchases their to collect on your way home.
5. Keep an eye out for 2 for 1 deals by search on line.
6. If you are travelling the park have an affiliation with a number of hotels and you can get your second day free.  It is worth checking out booking both hotel and park entrance with these hotels.

We had THE best time, in fact Mini called it Epic.  To see more pictures why not take a look at our LEGOLAND 2013 Google+ picture album