If your family has accessibility issues, finding a day out can be somewhat of a nightmare at times – so UCan2 editor Victoria Galligan visited Legoland Windsor to see how accessible the park is, and how scary the rides are, too! Read her review of the park here…
Although Legoland Windsor’s latest attraction has a horror theme, you won’t be left trembling when trying to organise your day out there.
I went along with my family to see how staff at the block-built wonderland have been working with the Business Disability Forum to ensure they are meeting the needs of disabled customers and delivering the best customer experience possible.
You can hire a wheelchair or mobility scooter at the park for a fee (reserve online to ensure you don’t miss out!) and all main pathways, shops and restaurants are accessible. The Hill Train allows families to avoid huffing and puffing up the steep slope and it’s wheelchair-accessible. Assistance animals are welcome too – but cannot go on the rides.
If you prefer the challenge of tackling the hill, there is a winding path all the way from the Welcome area, where there are shops, toilets and cafes in one base near the entrance, down to the Ninjago area. This path is pretty wide and many people were pushing buggies and wheelchairs up and down on our visit.
And if queueing is an issue, the Ride Access Pass allows you to book a place on a ride via an app, then when your slot comes up, you just make your way to the ride, walk straight to the front of the queue and a member of staff will help you onto the ride.
Like all parks, there are restrictions on physical impairments for certain rides – check on the Accessibility Guide before you go to avoid disappointment.
The Lego creations are amazing and you can spend ages walking around the world which has been painstakingly built – from the Taj Mahal to the London Eye, you’ll recognise landmarks which are built with meticulous detail and many display feature moving parts too. You can even race trains and racing cars there!
Live shows at various areas across the park also keep the crowds entertained – we saw the pirate show by the lake which saw actors splashing the crowds and carrying out some daring acrobatics.
There is a plethora of exciting rides at Legoland Windsor – this year’s big new attraction is the Haunted House Monster Party and is billed as the most Fang-Tastic Ride Ever!
This indoor ride has two rows of benches facing each other at either side of a huge party table. But when the ride starts and the lights go out, you end up spinning around as the walls seem not to move – very unnerving!
We loved it, and another highlight was the LegoCIty Driving School, where my eldest daughter got to pass her driving test! Not bad for a seven-year-old.
The Fire Academy pits families against each other in a race to extinguish a “fire”, while Balloon School takes you soaring to see the park from up on high.
Duplo Valley is an area especially for younger children, and our three-year-old wondered at the Fairy Tale Brook, where we passed the likes of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the Three Little Pigs.
From tiny tots all the way up to hard-to-impress teens, there are rides for everyone at Legoland and the park really does go the extra mile to make people with any mobility needs welcome and safe.
ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE
A full accessibility guide is available on the Legoland website but here we compile a rundown of facilities:
• You can register for reasonable adjustments at the Legoland Windsor Resort by completing the Accessibility Enquiries Form online
• The Ride Access Pass allows you to queue virtually – just choose the ride you’d like to go on next and you’ll be told when to go to the front of the queue via a separate Q-Bot lane
• For those needing some chill-out time, a sensory room is located in Heartlake City with soft seating, soft lighting and multi-sensory equipment.
• All toilet blocks have a disabled toilet which can be accessed with a RADAR key, and Heartlake City also has a Changing Place.
• A hearing loop is available and mobile units are placed at key points in the park.
