Legoland, Windsor

Legoland Windsor Resort (), styled and also known as Legoland Windsor, is a theme park and resort in Windsor, Berkshire in England, themed around the Lego brand. The park opened on 17 March 1996 and is currently operated by Merlin Entertainments. The park's attractions consist of a mixture of Lego-themed rides, models, and building workshops targeted at children between three and twelve.

In 2019, the park had 2.43 million visitors, making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. However, in 2020 the park had a very limited operating season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and limited capacity. As a result of this Legoland Windsor had a huge drop in attendance and was the fourth-most visited park in the UK in 2020. Overall, attendance has steadily risen since 2005. Legoland Windsor regularly draws more attendees than the original Legoland Billund Resort in Denmark; in 2011, it became the tenth-most popular theme park in Europe, a position it has held every year since. Legoland Windsor typically opens from March to January, with closures on some days.

History

In 1987, The Lego Group began research for the development of a second Legoland park after Legoland Billund with over 1000 sites considered. In January 1992, Windsor Safari Park went into receivership and the site was chosen for the second development. Between 1992 and 1994, planning, design, site preparation and the design and construction of models began. New accommodations were created for the safari animals and services, foundations and infrastructures were installed at the park. In 1995, a scale replica of Big Ben was installed in Miniland whilst other buildings and attractions were becoming established. In September, advance bookings were opened for entrance tickets. Final installations were completed by the beginning of 1996 and at this point, the Legoland Windsor staff-base was recruited. Legoland Windsor opened on 17 March 1996. During its first season, the park attracted over 1.4 million visitors.

In April 2005, The Lego Group decided to sell Legoland parks following losses across the company. On 13 July 2005, Legoland was acquired by the Blackstone Group and control of the parks passed to Merlin Entertainments.

During the 2020 season, the resort closed on 20 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on 4 July 2020 following a lockdown in the UK. The resort remained open until 5 November when due to government guidance it was forced to close. It reopened for a shortened period over the Christmas period on 4 December 2020 however was again forced to close when the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, where the resort is located, was placed in Tier 4 restrictions on 19 December 2020 under which theme parks could not open.

The resort announced in January 2021 that the resort would not hold its "Brick Week" event in February due to the continuing lockdown in England. It then was announced in February 2021 the resort would open on 12 April 2021 when lockdown restrictions in England allowed theme parks to open. However, it announced its indoor rides and attractions would open later in the year due to government guidelines.

In May 2021, the resort opened a new land titled Lego Mythica: World of Mythical Creatures which includes the United Kingdom's first flying theater ride, called Flight of the Sky Lion. Mythica is the first time a Legoland resort has launched a Lego intellectual property not first released as a Lego set. Also included in the land is a drop tower ride called Fire and Ice Freefall and the rebranded Hydra's Challenge previously known as S.Q.U.I.D Surfer. This land saw the Adventure Land name discontinued for this area of the resort.

In September 2022, the resort opened a new event titled Brick or Treat's Halloween Party. It included a 4D movie, ''The Great Monster Chase!'', and ran until the end of the 2022 Halloween season.

On 25 September 2023, the Viking River Splash river rapids ride permanently closed after 16 years of operation.

On 6 April 2024 Legoland Windsor opened Minifigure Speedway, a Zierer-manufactured steel twin shuttle rollercoaster. The opening was delayed a week from 31 March. It is located in Bricktopia. The two rollercoasters are themed after 2 racing teams: Team Allstars and Team Legends. The ride features Roxie the 30ft centerpiece labelled the Biggest Lego Minifigure in the world.

Areas

The park is split into 11 themed lands, incorporating various attractions, restaurants and shops: The Beginning, Duplo Valley, Knight's Kingdom, Lego City, Miniland, Lego Ninjago World, Pirate Shores, Heartlake City, Kingdom of the Pharaohs, Bricktopia, and Lego Mythica: World of Mythical Creatures.

The Beginning

The Beginning is the entrance area to the park. It is composed of a plaza area containing entrance turnstiles, ticket sales, and toilets and stretches to contain a small part of the resort at the bottom of the funicular railway. It has a view of the area surrounding the resort including the nearby town of Windsor, Heathrow Airport, and parts of London.

The main resort shop, The BIG Shop, is located at The Beginning and is the largest Lego store in the UK. Picsolve operates the Photo Shop, which sells photographs of visitors aboard rides and attractions in the resort.

Food and beverage outlets located at The Beginning include the Hill Top Cafe, a coffee outlet, and the Sweet Stop.

The only ride located in The Beginning is the Hill Train, a narrow gauge funicular railway down a curved slope. It is the only ride or attraction to be retained from Windsor Safari Park, being refurbished when the park opened with stained glass windows made from translucent Lego bricks by local school children. It travels between two stations, with a height difference between the top and bottom stations of approximately .

The Creation Centre opened at The Beginning in 2000. The building has housed a number of attractions since it has opened; the first main attraction it contained was Lego Racers in which customers created virtual Lego vehicles and raced them against others. The attraction suffered from reliability issues and closed at the end of 2004. It was revived in 2009 by members of the original team under the new name of Rocket Racers. Reliability issues remained and it closed at the end of the weekend of 8–9 October 2011. In 2012 the attraction space was repurposed for ''Star Wars'' Miniland which was based on the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Unlike Lego Racers and Rocket Racers, it was classed as a walkthrough attraction with no queue. In 2016, a large model of the Death Star was installed as the centrepiece of the attraction. Following the end of a licensing deal between Lucasfilm and Merlin Entertainments, the attraction closed on 31 December 2019.

The Creation Centre is also home to Legoland Windsor's model makers who display busts of famous figures as well as a view of their studio in a space on the second floor of the centre. On the ground floor of the centre is Apocalypseburg which was part of the '' Lego Movie 2: The Second Part'' set.

Duplo Valley

Duplo Valley is a land aimed at smaller children based on the Lego Duplo toy bricks, with the majority of rides being family rides. Since the resort's opening the land has rotated through a number of different names including Explore Land, Duplo Gardens, and Duplo Land.

At the beginning of the 2020 season, Duplo Valley was reopened following a refurbishment and the construction of a new ride, the Duplo Dino Coaster. The ride, originally planned to be called the Duplo Dream Coaster, became the resort's third rollercoaster after The Dragon and the Dragon's Apprentice. Aimed to be a "my first coaster" it saw a soft opening before the park's temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was designed by Mack Rides and manufactured by ART Engineering. Alongside the opening of the new ride was the re-theming of three rides and attractions: Duplo Express (previously Duplo Train), Duplo Airport (previously Duplo Valley Airport, Chopper Squadron, and Whirly Birds) and Duplo Playtown (previously Brickville). Also located in Duplo Valley is Fairy Tale Brook, a boat ride which takes visitors on a course containing models of fairy tale characters.

Duplo Valley is home to the resort's water park which consists of two separate rides and attractions: Drench Towers and Splash Safari. Drench Towers is a water splash area with multiple slides which was placed on land previously occupied by Mole-in-One Mini Golf. Splash Safari is a smaller splash area for toddlers which consists of water features made of Duplo models and is located below Drench Towers.

The Duplo Valley Theatre, a puppet theatre showing puppet shows of classic fairy tales, is located in the valley adjacent to Fairy Tale Brook. A family restaurant, Farmer Joe's Chicken Company, is located opposite the theatre.

Knight's Kingdom

Knight's Kingdom (originally Castleland and previously NEXO Knight's Kingdom) features The Dragon roller coaster, which starts inside the castle themed station, passing Lego tableaux, before travelling outside reaching a speed of around . Other rides in the land are the carousel-style flat ride Merlin's Challenge (previously known as Knight's Quest) and Dragon's Apprentice, a smaller rollercoaster acting as an alternative for shorter visitors not permitted to ride The Dragon.

In previous years, the land has assumed a role as Christmas Kingdom when open in the winter months and houses a grotto in the ride area of The Dragon.

Lego City

Lego City (formerly known as Traffic), is themed around transport. It features the Balloon School (a simulated hot air balloon ride), Coastguard HQ (a boat school ride for children), Fire Academy, L-Drivers (driving school for children aged 3–5) and City Driving School (driving school for children over . In 2019, a Vekoma "mad-house" attraction called Haunted House Monster Party was added to the area and in 2020, Atlantis Submarine Voyage by Sea Life (which features "submarine" vehicles used to travel through the tank) was rethemed to become Lego City Deep Sea Adventure.

Miniland

Miniland is a miniature park in Lego form, depicting towns and cities from around the world, including London, Edinburgh, Paris, Leuven and Amsterdam, using nearly 40 million Lego bricks. The area features a number of animated models interacting with each other. Motor vehicles use cables under the paths emitting radio wave signals to steer and allow charging when required. The train system runs on tracks, slowing for stations using slow-down bars, and the boats use underwater motor-driven rubber loops as well as sensors to operate bridges and locks. The system, with lights and sounds, is run by 14 computers using of underground cabling.

The land is divided into different areas as they are depicted, including the UK and mainland Europe. In 2018, Miniland saw an expansion called "Explore the World" which added more Lego models of global sites including the Sydney Opera House, Forbidden Palace, and Saint Basil's Cathedral. The same year various site from the USA were added.

Lego Ninjago World

Lego Ninjago World opened in May 2017 based upon the '' Ninjago'' TV series. The centrepiece attraction is a 4D interactive ride, Ninjago: The Ride manufactured by Triotech. The zone features the relocated and rebranded ride Destiny's Bounty, a Rockin' Tug ride based on the ship in the TV series. The ride was previously known as Longboat Invader, and opened in 2008.

Pirate Shores

Pirate Shores features a log flume, Pirate Falls, a play area, a pirate ship ride named the Jolly Rocker and the Spinning Spider (a teacups-style ride where visitors ride in log-style gondolas as an animatronic Lego spider gnashes its jaws and breathes smoke on a web above).. From 1996 to 2010, this area was known as Wild Woods.

Heartlake City

Heartlake City (formerly Lego City until redecoration in 2015), based on the Lego Friends product range, includes two rides: The Legoland Express (a railway ride around Kingdom of the Pharaohs), and a Disk'O coaster called Mia's Riding Adventure (renamed Autumn’s Riding Adventure in 2024). ''Captain Redbeard and the Legend of the Golden Cutlass'' (a pirate stunt show) and ''Lego Friends to the Rescue'' (a live music concert) take place around the harbour performed by the Lego Friends.

Kingdom of the Pharaohs

The Kingdom of the Pharaohs contains Laser Raiders, an interactive dark ride through an Egyptian tomb where visitors shoot targets to gain points. Also in this area are Scarab Bouncers, Aero Nomad, Desert Chase, and Thunder Blazer. The latter three rides are fairground based attractions such as a carousel, a Ferris wheel and a chair-o-planes ride.

Bricktopia

Bricktopia (previously called Imagination and Imagination Centre) is an area themed around education through Lego. The centre piece is the Legoland Learning Academy (previously Lego Education Centre) which offers National Curriculum workshops. In 2019 the academy was awarded Best Venue for STEM Learning.

The only ride in Bricktopia is Sky Rider, which is an elevated track ride opened in March 1996 and refurbished between the 2001 and 2002 seasons. The ride gives visitors views of Miniland.

Bricktopia includes Lego Studios 4D (previously known as the Imagination Theatre) which shows Lego-themed films. In the 2020 season, these were ''Lego City 4D – Officer in Pursuit'', ''Lego Ninjago – Master of the 4th Dimension'', and ''Lego Dreamzzz 4D - Z-Blob Rescue Rush''.

In 2023, the Lego Reef was replaced with LEGO Ferrari Build and Race.

Lego Mythica: World of Mythical Creatures

Opening in 2021, Mythica is a land based where Adventure Land was previously located. The centrepiece is Flight of the Sky Lion, a flying theatre ride. Also in the land are two drop towers and the re-themed S.Q.U.I.D. Surfer ride known as Hydra's Challenge.

Resort hotels

Legoland Windsor Resort currently has two hotels and one complex of lodges.

Legoland Hotel

The Legoland Hotel opened in March 2012. it is located at the back of the park, in the Adventure land section, on the old site of the Jungle Coaster. Visitors enter the hotel on the ground floor but enter the park on the second floor. The hotel is home to the Bricks Restaurant (a buffet) and the Skyline Bar, both on the second floor. The resort has featured various Lego themed rooms. Customers of the hotels have access to the pirate-themed indoor pool and fitness facility (located at the Legoland Hotel), a treasure hunt in each room, and access to select park attractions before the general public enters the park. The second floor includes a loft where Lego video games can be played on PlayStation 4 consoles. The ground floor features a Lego store and bins of bricks for building.

Castle Hotel

The Legoland Castle Hotel opened on 1 July 2017. The hotel was opened by competition winner James Waine who designed a model that was built by professional model makers and put outside the hotel. The hotel offers wizard- and knight-themed rooms. The hotel is only accessible from the park; visitors must check-in at the Legoland Hotel and travel through the hotel and the park to reach the Castle Hotel. The Castle Hotel is located next to the Legoland Hotel, and includes the Tournament Tavern restaurant.

Woodland Village

In Legoland Windsor's ten-year plan, the park expressed interest in building a holiday village of 450 lodges ranging from barrel-style glamping to large family lodges. This idea culminated in the Woodland Village. The village opened on 24 May 2024. It has Lego themed rooms. There are two types of lodges, Premium and standard. The Premium lodge has a separate children's bedroom with a Flat screen TV, a Lego build pit, and bunk beds. The main lodge can accommodate up to 7 people, and has a lounge with a leather sofa.

Rides and attractions

Operating rides

Former rides and attractions

Reserve & Ride (formerly Q-Bot)

For the 2008 season, the Q-Bot queuing system (now called Reserve & Ride) was introduced. For a per-person fee, customers are provided with a small pager-like device to "reserve" places in queues virtually, allowing them to use their queuing time elsewhere in the park. The initial contract between Q-Bot developers Lo-Q was for one year from 8 April 2008. This contract was extended for 2009 before a new three-year contract was signed on 26 March 2010. Three tiers of the device are available at different prices which reduce the queue time by different proportions.

Incidents

* In 2006, a fire broke out in a storage barn onsite during the end of season fireworks on 28 October, with no injuries.
*In October 2007, a fire broke out in a shed being used to store chemicals.
* In 2008, after noise complaints, Jungle Coaster plastic housing was placed over the cars, leading to reduced capacity to two adults per car, due to weight restrictions. However, at the end of the 2009 season, the ride was removed and the site used for hotel construction.
* In September 2010, the park's large number of wasps during the season was discussed on ''Watchdog'', with general manager Sue Kemp appearing with host Anne Robinson and confirming new signage, actions and details on the website.
* In February 2014, the park cancelled a private event organised by Islamic cleric Haitham al-Haddad due to safety reasons following a backlash and threats by nationalist groups.
* In August 2016, two six-year-old girls were sexually assaulted while at the resort, leading to a police investigation over the incident.
* On 26 July 2017, stuntman Brendan Pollitt suffered a broken spine and numerous other injuries after falling backwards of a 'Russian Swing' on to a wooden platform whilst performing in the Return To Skeleton Bay live action stunt show. The stunt show was replaced in 2024 for unrelated reasons.
*In 2019, a five-year-old boy was involved in an accessibility dispute at Ninjago: the Ride, making national news. It was settled in late 2020.
* On 31 July 2022, a fire broke out on the entrance to the Legoland Hotel.
* On 3 May 2024, a woman was arrested for neglect of a child after her 5 month old child suffered a cardiac arrest the day prior in the Coastguard HQ queue line. The child died in hospital a couple of days later.

Awards

Since opening in 1996, the park has won a number of awards, including the UK's Number One Family Attraction by ''Group Leisure Magazine'', 1999.''Legoland Windsor Park Brochure'', 2000

See also

*Universal Studios Great Britain
* Legoland Discovery Centre

References

External links

Legoland Windsor
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{{British theme parks

Windsor
Buildings and structures in Windsor, Berkshire
Amusement parks in England
1996 establishments in England
Tourist attractions in Berkshire
Articles containing video clips
Amusement parks opened in 1996