Legoland Windsor

[kags]

I am planning a trip at Easter - all the deals seem to be for 2 days in the park; has anyone been recently, is 2 days about right? Also, my son is nearly 10 and I am slightly concerned he might be too old. Any advice welcome.

[BigMac]

I'd say 10 is too old and that one day is more than enough.

Took a party of nine-year olds to Thorpe Park last year and they loved it; they'd been to Legoland when about 6/7. Don't think they'd appreciate being told they're going back to Legoland, somehow...

[kags]

Hmmm, I had a feeling that might be the case, many thanks for the advice.

[legoman5]

Noone is too old for lego!

[new_squizza]

i've got to agree with legoman5!

my girlfriend's 29 and she's got the biggest collection of lego i've ver seen - we had a great time building hogwarts castle a couple of weeks ago! :)

[Buenchico]

I've been to LegoLand with a 10-year-old and he loved. (He said it was even better than the original LegoLand - in Denmark - which his parents had taken him to a year before).

Just make sure that you tell him before you go that, although some of the attractions are intended for children younger than him, you're sure that he'll still find plenty to do. That way you'll ensure that he doesn't think that you're treating him 'like a baby' (which is a guaranteed way to really annoy a 10-year-old!).

Like other people, however, I'd say that one day is long enough for most people.

Chris

(PS: If you tell us roughly where you're coming from and where you're planning on staying, together with your mode of transport, then there are lots of people here who can give further suggestions to make it a really memorable weekend).

PPS: If you've not checked the Legoland website yet, it's here:
http://www.lego.com/legoland/windsor/default.asp?locale= 2057&domainredir=www.legoland.co.uk

[kags]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I have booked a 2 night stay at a neaby hotel, the park tickets were on offer, 2 days for the price of one so I can go back for the 2nd day with my daughter (who I think will love it) and mr kags can take the 10 year old into London for the day if he doesn't want to go back. The deals are ridiculously cheap at the moment, so we might as well give it a shot, as junior will definitely be too "mature" next year.

[Buenchico]

(2 part post):

If you end up taking one or both of your children into London then the Number 1 Star Attraction for youngsters has to be the Science Museum. To get the best from it, research your visit in advance. ('Launch Pad' is an an absolute 'must' with kids). Also, pre-book your tickets for the IMAX cinema. (The main museum is free. IMAX isn't particularly cheap but, if you book a show suitable for your children, it'll be well worth the money):
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/

The Science Museum will take up several hours. Afterwards, you can just walk around the corner to the Natural History Museum. This doesn't have the same appeal, for most children, that the Science Museum has but, since it's free, it's no problem just to pop in to see the one thing which all children love - the moving dinosaurs! (Just follow the signs to the Dinosaur Gallery. Don't try to take it all in. Head to the very far end of the gallery and be prepared to meet some very large and noisy creatures!).

[Buenchico]

If it's just your son who's going into central London (with Dad of course!), he'll probably enjoy HMS Belfast. (Lots of laddders to climb up and down!). If, however, you decide to take both children (which, if the rain is falling at Legoland might well be a good idea) then your daughter might not enjoy it that much. (That's not sexist. I just assume, from your post, that she's quite a bit younger).

If the weather's fine then a visit to Covent Garden Piazza, to see the street entertainers, can be great fun. (Be ready to push your kids forward when the entertainers invite audience participation!).

Lastly, the best way to see the main sites (while Mum & Dad get a bit of relaxation!) is from the river. Most youngsters get bored fairly quickly on the longer river trips but, if you take one of the regular 20-minute trips from Tower Pier to Westminster Pier (or vice versa), the journey will be just long enough to hold the kids' attention. (If you're using a Family Travelcard - which is the only sensible way to travel around London - remember to show it when you buy your boat tickets as you'll get one third off).

Hoping something here helps,

Chris

[kags]

thanks for the tips Buenchico!

[Hgrove]

I have recently been to the Science Museum and highly recommend the Aliens Exhibition (not sure when it's on until though).

[Hgrove]

I have just been to the Lookout Discovery Centre near Bracknell which is not far from Legoland, about half hour drive: http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/lookout/

The kids in our party loved it, so did I, in fact we are going back soon to visit the Coral Bay Reef which is nearby (we bought joint tickets for both attractions).