Imagination is the key…

“Please just let it be good.”

Those were the words shared by Rachel and I as we drove towards Legoland Windsor. My elder daughter Hannah recently turned 9 years old, and as her school had a Teacher Training Day on Monday, we took the opportunity to celebrate with her with a family trip to the theme park, accompanied by my brother and his wife too.

I love Lego. I’ve loved Lego for over 30 years, from their first incarnations of ‘Space’ Lego developed in the aftermath of Star Wars, to its use in countless Youtube clips and this amazing Michel Gondry video for The White Stripes to its constant reinvention into gaming platforms like Lego Harry Potter for the Nintendo Wii.

Now my daughters love it too.  I think what I love about Lego the most is the way it simply encourages you to use your imagination, to create models, build things, tell stories, and then start again, reimagine and recreate. The name derives from the Danish (and Latin) words ‘to play well’, and the company has clearly kept that at the heart of everything it does.

Legoland is operated by Merlin Entertainments. My previous experience with this stable of attractions has not been stellar. The London Eye, while undoubtedly a marvel of engineering and unmatched for its views over London, gave me a soulless, corporate experience, so we were more than a little apprehensive as we approached the park entrance. Just let it be good, please don’t tarnish my love of Lego…

Let’s get one thing clear – Legoland Windsor is a very impressive money-making machine.

• It’s clear even before you arrive that Footfall is everything. They make every effort to simply get people in the front gates, because they know that once you’re in, you will spend more money. Tesco Clubcard vouchers can make the substantial entry price effectively ‘free’, and there are countless brand promotions on all sorts of household items for discounted entry into Merlin attractions around the UK. Frankly, if you pay the full price to get into Legoland you’re just not trying.
• If the Footfall imperative wasn’t clear before you arrive, it’s bludgeoned into you at every turn within the park. There are posters and ads everywhere encouraging you to upgrade to an annual pass, to get your entry fee refunded against the cost of the annual pass, the food and shop discounts and free parking for annual pass holders…
  Just come back. Please come back. We just want you to come back. Please…
• Every opportunity to sell more stuff is taken. Expensive drinks bottles that give you free refills, additional games and activities, Pirate masks, Knights’ helmets, Explorer Hats…
• …They even sell waterproof ponchos in the queues on the wet rides, and you can pay £2 to use the walk-in family dryers afterwards. Have I missed the point of the wet rides? I thought you went on these because you wanted to get wet?!
• And then there are the ‘QBot’ queue busting gadgets… How to lose friends and influence people: pay £10 per person (or even more…) and you can bypass the queues, attract resentment and filthy stares from everyone else and feel smug as you stroll contentedly around the park. Be aware that your visit may be drained of all spontaneity as you are on a strict timetable to be at The Dragon for 12.00pm and The Atlantis Submarine Voyage by 1.30pm, which means you’ve got 22 minutes for lunch…

But all that capitalism misses the point of having a good time at Legoland, for which you only have to give in to the experience. The key people Legoland is aimed at are 3 – 10 years old. Their parents and grandparents should realise that, and just go with it. Don’t think too hard, in fact don’t think much at all. Certainly don’t try and rationalise how the queues might be better organised or why the park doesn’t stay open an hour later…

…just look at your children. How do they feel? Are they happy & excited or bored & frustrated? Be a child, see the world as they do.

• The excellent Viking Rapids ride has an area where spectators can shoot people on the ride with water guns, getting them just as wet as anything else the ride itself can do. Once we realised that, all we wanted to do that was get our own back! We jumped off the ride, went straight to the water guns and started soaking other people. That little thing helps you enter that playful, childish frame of mind, and is a great entry point to the day’s experience.
• There’s an adventure playground that’s billed as a Pirate Training Camp. Our girls had a blast there, but so did I… the climbing frames and nets are (just about) big enough for adults to get involved too!
• The Fire Academy has terrific activities where adults and kids can be part of a team to drive a fire engine and put out a fire…
• There are lots of activities and rides for younger children,  like The Fairy Brook and The Dragon’s Apprentice. My younger daughter Eleanor loved these. Unlike other theme parks it’s not all SMASH and BANG and BIGGER and LOUDER and SCARIER
• On rides with longer queues, there are often areas where children can play with Lego while the grown-ups queue on their behalf.

We had a brilliant time at Legoland Windsor. We didn’t even get around half the rides or attractions, and when we go back I will make a point of going on the things we missed this time. It was busy, the food and drink isn’t cheap and isn’t brilliant, but the staff were all pretty terrific, and everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially the children. Even with our half-price vouchers, it’s not a cheap day out, but we had very good value.

In short, when we thought like our kids, everything became exciting, different and fun. Stop trying to compare everything to everything else, and just enjoy the moment. There were amazing Lego models of famous landmarks, a Pirate Stunt Show, bright blue slushies, and the biggest Lego shop I’ve ever seen. Amongst all the capitalism it retained an innocence and joy that was sadly lacking at The London Eye. Legoland has a soul.

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