The reviews of LEGOLAND Discovery Centre below have been written by members of TheBabyWebsite.com. They aren't simply provided by the suppliers or manufacturers, but are a true impression given by someone who has used the product or service. If you own, or have used LEGOLAND Discovery Centre yourself, please feel free to add your own review using the pink link above.
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"enjoyable day"
We visited LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Easter Half Term.
1st of all we arrived approx 10.30am and found it very easy well sign posted, there was also ample parking very close. When we approached Legoland discovery I was plesantly suprised that there were no queues to get in at all and all the staff were very helpful and friendly.
The children headed straight for the Build and Test area which was very tidy and all the bits and pieces were easily found. After a play there we decided to try the 4D CINEMA which has regular shows throughout the day. We watched bob the builder and even the older 2 thought it was amazing (including me and my mum ).
We had a good look at all the models in MINILAND and they loved pressing the button etc so the models did something different.
We then moved onto the FACTORY TOUR. There were only my 3
and 1 other child on the tour, so they were all involved right through making the lego and they were all delighted to get their brick they had made at the end.
KINGDOM QUEST was brilliant. I was delighted to finally find a ride that accomodates a family of 5 and we all had a gun and had a great time on it.
Sophie and Michael were not very interested in the MASTER MODEL BUILDER class but Thomas loved making a tiger while they went off to play in the FIRE ACADEMY which was really good and wasn't too busy.Lots to do in there.
The PRINCESS PALACE looked good but not much girly lego to play with there. They could do with some pink lego etc for the girls.
We had something to eat in the cafe which was a bit on the expensive side but this is to be expected as most places like this are.
By about 2pm it was much busier and I was pretty shocked that some parents were throwing lego and wheels around the build and test area and the children were copying. There were a few members of staff around but they were too polite to stop this, so maybe a little more supervision in these areas as there were lego bits and wheels all over the floor which was totally down to visitors but looked awful.
We decided to have another go on Kingdom Quest before leaving and the queue was larger than earlier but only about 20 minutes which I thought was good.
On your way out you leave through the Lego shop. We decided to let the children buy a keyring each but trying to pay for these put a bit of a dampner on our visit. As the shop was so busy we had to queue for around half an hour to pay and the children were really fed up.
All in all we had a very enjoyable visit though to legoland discovery
Member review by sharon - mum of 3
- review date 5th April 2010
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"great idea but expensive"
We were delighted when we heard that LEGOLAND were opening a Discovery Centre closer to home. After years of harrassment by our 6yr old to go to Legoland we thought this would appease him. To build up excitment we had a look at the website and it seemed to be a excellent lay out.
When we first turned up children were walking away crying as they didn't have tickets so pre-booking online is essential especially in school holidays and busier times.
People were waiting in line for up to an hour outside even with prebooked tickets which seemed like madness especially in wind and rain.
Once inside we were taken through as a group on the factory tour. It started with a little film of Lego men which the children enjoyed but do agree with the reviewers below that it had a feeling of being herded into rooms. Next we went on to meet Professor Brick who was very good although again difficult for the children to see as most of the adults didn't seem to care about little ones and just shoved to the front. Next was the Laser Ride which for my lot was probably the best part of the Discovery Centre. As we walked through the models of Lego the children found it interesting but again too many people around meant that they couldn't really have a good look at things so soon lost enthusiasm. They did however enjoy the soft play area and the models by the cafe.
The Princess Palace area was a disappointment especially for my 3 and 4 yr old girls who were expecting an abundance of pink Lego and princess Lego people but it was just normal Lego in all the pots.The whole area was crowded and with the ages of my children it was a bit of a nightmare with so many people being around so was quite stressful for hubby and I to watch 4 little people. It also made the race tracks hard to get a turn on for my 6yr old who was desperate to race his Lego car. Adam was also keen to have a go at the 'class' teaching how to build a model but it was not on while we were there. The 4D cinema was fantastic although we only got to see one film as it got so busy we decided to leave.
It is a brilliant idea but I think there are some flaws that need ironing out. I also think they let far too many people in for the size of the venue. There were no tables to sit at and too easy for any children under 8 to get disorientated by the amount of people in there.
NOTE THAT MICHELLE AND HER FAMILY VISITED ON THE OPENING WEEKEND SO IT WAS PARTICULARLY BUSY.
Member review by michelle - mum of four
- review date 1st April 2010
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"Didn't quite live up to expectations"
We went to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester's Trafford Centre for a family day out. I had previously looked on their website & it looked amazing. The map of the place made it seem quite large & spacious but it was a lot smaller than I had expected when we actually got inside.
When you first enter the centre, you are taken on a 'factory tour' by Professor Brick! There you are shown how Lego is made. I think because it was so busy,
they let too many people in & the kids couldn't really see what was going on, which was disappointing. Having said that, it was good for the kids as it did show every stage the Lego has to go through before it becomes a brick.
After this you are taken to the laser gun ride, where up to 5 people can sit in the 'chariot' & each has a laser gun which the kids have to use to shoot at various monsters etc. The kids really enjoyed this, especially my 5 year old.
From there the rest of the activities are in 1 room, a lot smaller than I had imagined from the website map. First we walked through the Lego landmarks. There were lots of famous landmarks made from Lego, they were brilliant & really well made. We went to the 4D cinema next. This was my favourite part of the whole trip. The kids loved it too. The extra dimensions (the wind & snowfall) made it feel as though you were really in the mini-film!
After this, there was a soft play type of thing. With the usual climbing levels, slides etc. Although, again, this was very busy & Kian only had a little go on it as there were quite a few older kids in there. After that there were some sections where the kids could make things from Lego. The boys wanted to build cars, but again, because it was so busy there were no wheels left, so they couldn't make anything. There was also a cafe, but we didn't use that.
All in all I think it was a nice place & the kids enjoyed it, but it would have been so much better had it not been so busy. I think after this opening week it may not be as busy, but I would expect it to be quite busy during school holidays etc. I did think the price was a bit high for the adults. Maybe if everyone paid the same price as the kids it would be better value.
All in all it was a good day out & the kids enjoyed it, which is the main thing :)
(LOU AND HER FAMILY WENT ON THE OPENING WEEKEND SO IT WAS PARTICULARLY BUSY)
Member review by Louise - Mother of 3 boys: Kian aged 5, Lucas aged 2 & Zac aged 1
- review date 30th March 2010
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"4D Cinema Was Really Good!"
We attended the launch party of Legoland Discovery Center and was actually quite disappointed with it! If your kids are not very good at being patient and waiting around I definitely wouldn't recommend it as the queues to get into the factory were terrible! (Perhaps it's better when it's less busy?) The room was very hot and there were so many people packed into it you could barely breathe!
Once past the factory there was however a fantastic little laser ride you could go on which the kids loved - so did my partner the big kid that he is! Sadly it was only very short though. After the ride we went through to the Mini Land part where all the models were and I have to say the models were really good even though you wouldn't want to spend a great deal of time looking at them. Plus obviously they're not there to be played with! But at the end of the day Lego is a toy and kids are going to want to be messing around with it! The rest of the attraction was packed into one room - once again with not having space to move and breathe and because of the heat this was not a nice place to be! Definitely not worth the money in my opinion.
I will end on a good note however, the 4D cinema was really good!!
The kids loved it and it was a great experience!
Member review by Laurel-Amy - Excited mum to be!! and stepmum to josh (8) & natalie (6)
- review date 26th March 2010
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