David's Hints and Tips for visiting Legoland Windsor

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Here's my list of Hints and Tips if you visit Legoland Windsor.

Strategy

Try to arrive when it opens - 10.00am.
Unless you arrive very very early, the queue for the hill train down will be huge. Walk instead. Catch the train later.
Those walking seem to go straight to the Imagination Centre and Miniland, skip these for later.
Go straight to the popular rides you want to go on. The Jungle Coaster, Wave Surfer and the two Dragon Rides are tucked out of the way and only seem to get popular late in the morning when people discover them.
They don't open Wild Woods and Knights Kingdom until 10:30 weekends and holidays or 11:00 weekdays, so try going on the Jungle Coaster and Wave Surfer and then going to Knights Kingdom for the Dragon rides as soon as it opens.
Work from the bottom of the park up to the top.
While the closing time is strictly enforced, this is when the queues to the rides close. You can stay in the park well past this time.

For example, in April 2002, we arrived at 10.00am and walked straight to Castleland. We went straight onto three of the most popular rides - the Dragon Coaster, Pirate Falls and Wave Surfer - all by 11.00 am. By then the queues were starting to form in the centre of the park. We went on the boats and had a burger watching the puppet show. Daddy thinks everybody is all spread out by lunchtime, so we went back to The Beginning to go around the shop.

Queues

The queues for the Fairy Tail Boat rides and Helicopter rides come and go quickly. If the queue looks too long, try again in 15 minutes.
The queue times are placed along the length of the queue. This means if the queue is that far back, that's how long to wait. These times are pretty accurate.
The Orient Expedition and Wave Surfer queue rockets in length when a Harbour show has just finished.

X-Treme Challenge

Rides

The Imagination Skyride used to be the most likely to break down, but it may now be different since the major changes.
Some rides have age and / or height restrictions. This especially includes the Jungle Coaster, Log Flume and Dragon Ride. Check your height at the entrance just before you go in.
You will get very wet on the log flume.
The Dragon Ride is scarier if you sit near the back.

Shows and other Attractions

Don't rush the walk though attractions - for instance try and find all the keys in the Explorers Institute.
Imagination Theatre (currently showing a 3D film) was very quiet in the afternoon.
The Imagination Centre (where you build stuff) seemed quiet in the afternoon. This would be a good place to rest mid afternoon and get a second wind.
The Water Works in Duplo Land is great fun for young ones to play with water. Many toddlers bring a swimming costume under their clothes.
The Amazing Mazes are quite easy. Each has a shortcut through it - but try the long way round.
When it says beware of the magic waterfall (in the Amazing Mazes) it means it - Daddy got VERY wet !
The Duplo Gardens seemed quite quiet. The young children's adventure playground seemed empty.
Papa Moles café in the Imagination Centre is a great place to catch your breath, have a quick bite to eat, and look down on to the park.

Finally

It's tempting to leave the shopping until the end. However the "Big Shop" on the way out is absolute chaos near closing time. Try catching the hill train back up at lunchtime and get your shopping done then. Leave it at the pick up point and collect it when you leave.

If you want to see more pictures, why not look at

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