Sussex columnist tries out NEW Springfest event at Legoland theme park – an idea for family fun this May half term

​We were invited to visit Legoland Windsor Resort to review the theme park and to enjoy a new event running there called Springfest.

We’d planned in advance. I had downloaded the Legoland app and could see there was A LOT to do there, so we made sure we arrived bright and early. The excitement was palpable as we walked in, and maybe it’s because the song was playing into the entrance area as we walked in, but I just had a feeling everything was going to be awesome on our big day out.

We showed our children pictures of the rides, and read out the descriptions as we waited behind barriers before the park opened at 10am (you can go in from 9.30am and wait at the entrances to certain lands) and they told us the rides they most fancied.

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My son was desperate to see The Magical Forest and my daughter fancied Flight of the Sky Lion. Both were, thankfully, in the same land of Lego Mythica, so we headed there.

We somehow ended up dashing onto Fire and Ice Freefall – a drop tower ride – first, and it was a really fun way to start our day. My son could hold off no longer and into the Lego Forest we went. If you have the Legoland app, you can activate and AR feature in there, that brings the animals to life.

We then tried Flight of the Sky Lion which was incredible. Not to ruin it too much if you’re planning on visiting, but it’s a big screen experience that makes you feel like you’re flying with mythical creatures. My son has been talking about Maximus, the sky lion who you fly with, ever since we got back. Both children were completely mesmerised and could not believe how real it felt.

We thought we’d try out some of the Springfest fun, next, and headed to the Miniland stage, where a dance party was being held.

Festival wristbands were being held out, and we loved having a little boogie with Lego Girl on the decks. We also found a few Springfest photo stops and loved seeing all the brightly coloured flowers planted around the park. You can also meet special new characters Lady Bug Girl and Bumblebee Girl and add to the Lego flower wall.

The festival added a nice extra layer of fun to the park, and will be a great offering in the upcoming half term holiday.

The rest of the day was spent in a blur of running round and getting on as many rides as possible.

Even with a full day at the park, walking 20,000 steps and only stopping for a short lunch, there was still some things we didn’t have time to do. But, I think we did most of the main attractions.

Some of the highlights were: The Dragon, a roller coaster through the treetops; Lego Ninjago the ride, where you can test your ninja skills; Haunted House Monster Party, I’m still confused about how this ride worked, the room was spinning, maybe we were a bit, too, but my children loved it; Sky Rider, where you ride on an elevated rail and get a great view of the park; and Lego City Driving School, where both children got to drive a car around a track on their own.

There were so many more rides to enjoy, as well as shows and pop-up character meet and greets and performances.

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I’d also really recommend spending some time in Miniland – a Lego version of the world. It’s really intricate, and I loved all the moving features like vans and boats.

On a practical side, there are plenty of toilets around the park, and lots of drinks stops. One tiny criticism I have is that we walked to the land of Heartlake City to grab a treat at the ice cream parlour, only to find it closed. It was 3pm on a busy, sunny Sunday, so I found it a bit strange. Maybe if we’d looked at the app it would have been listed as shut, but it was disappointing to have made a special journey there for no reason.

Other than that, though, I can’t fault our day. At four (nearly five) and nine, our children were the perfect ages to get the most out of Legoland. It’s perfect for primary school aged kids, with a great mix of rides, playgrounds and entertainment.

My son has asked to go back every day since, which I think says it all. Legoland really is awesome!

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