okBookmarkShareLifestyleByLizzie SmithAssistant Editor In Chief13:06, 11 JUN 2024Updated16:57, 11 JUN 2024Bookmark (Image: PR HANDOUT)My children spent weeks excitedly planning our trip to Legoland – peppering conversation with dreams of rollercoasters, refillable slushies and arguments about who would build the fastest racing car. So why then, as we finally explored Miniland on a warm sunny day, did they beg to be somewhere else? “I want to go back to our Lego house,” was the request of my five-year-old, who had just had his “best night ever” sleeping in a plastic brick cabin straight out of a storybook. We’d been the lucky guests of Legoland’s new Woodland Village, days after it opened in late May. The £35million resort is composed of 130 lodges and 20 glamping barrels all leading off a meandering path set around a fenced off lake looping to and from central Clubhouse. Each cabin is designed to look as if it were made of Lego, with the carbon neutral resort proudly boasting a back to nature theme. While the wildlife is in the main plastic – it is built from thousands of tiny bricks after all – it is undeniably charming, and as we walked to our cabin the air rang out with cries of delight as my kids ran ahead to find each new design, from brightly coloured ladybirds on a plastic log, to a charming family of badgers.
We stayed in a LEGOLAND Windsor Lodge, featuring a double bed in the main living space, plus a bunk room for the kids with TV streaming LEGO films, LEGO pit, and in room LEGO gift
Each cabin is designed to look as if it were made of Lego, with the carbon neutral resort proudly boasting a back to nature theme
(Image: J Hordle / INhouse images)
Despite the dozens of cabins, the resort feels smaller thanks to their arrangement in small horseshoe shaped groups around multiple individual playgrounds, giving a community feel. Parents were clearly consulted as part of the design process, with each cabin featuring a covered deck with chairs and a table, facing out onto a large grassy lawn with a playground suitable for a mix of ages. Completely carefree and with excellent visibility, this genus layout meant we could fully relax in the evening sunshine and enjoy a glass of wine while still keeping a close eye as our three children ran and played alongside their new friends from neighbouring cabins. My sister-in-law, who lives locally and joined us for dinner, described it as “an ultra-nice Center Parcs”. While the playground on the doorstep was an instant hit, venturing inside our cabin caused even more excitement. Compact but cleverly designed, the brightly coloured room featured a double bed, with an en suite off to the side. Behind a curtain was the kids bunk room, with a pull out to allow for three children. To my kids delight, this room features a Lego pit, wall mounted TV streaming Lego shows and even a safe containing complimentary gifts for each of them – a treasure hunt led to the combination. While my 12-year-old had initially warned me he might be too old for Legoland, by this point he was the most excited of my three kids as he built his new Lego set. There are also 7-person premium cabins available.
For a more luxe experience you can book a premium lodge, sleeping up to seven and with a loft space over the kids room
(Image: PR HANDOUT)
For dinner we booked a slot at the resort Clubhouse. Outside this stands the biggest playground of the resort, and inside we found a store selling Legoland souveneirs – handy if you want to avoid the queues outside the theme park shops at closing time. The Clubhouse offers a unique dinner experience, with piped birdsong as you sit beneath lifesize apple trees made entirely of oversized Lego pieces. The food was more expensive than I’d usually pay for a family dinner – we were at a theme park after all – with a three-course kids meal at £24.50, and adults main courses priced from £18 for a veggie option up to £37 for a steak. As a vegetarian I did appreciate having multiple options to pick from, while for non-veggies there were all the classics from burgers to steaks and pasta. For pudding we shared a Gimme S’more cheesecake which was the most delicious thing I’d eaten in weeks. Service was quick and efficient and I must give praise to our waitress Hannah who charmed my youngest and made him forget his fury about being removed from the Lego campfire where he’d been enjoying a bedtime story, to come and eat. If you can’t face the full dining experience after an exhausting day in a theme park, you could always get pizza to go at the Clubhouse and enjoy it back on your cabin’s patio. You’ll still visit the restaurant for your breakfast of a full English or pancakes (alongside fruit, cereals and pastries) which is included for all guests. Make sure to book your breakfast well in advance as otherwise you’ll struggle to get a good timeslot – everyone wants to finish eating by 9.30am when Legoland opens, so they can be first in line for the popular rides.
Glamping in style! Legoland’s Woodland village also has these Woodland Barrels, beneath the trees
(Image: J Hordle / INhouse images)
Each barrel sleeps 4 – two kids and two adults
After eating an early breakfast our kids were happy playing outside the cabin leaving us to pack up in peace – and by the time we checked out to make our way over to Legoland my youngest had made a new best friend. A one night stay at the Woodland Village costs from £69 per person bed and breakfast including entry to Legoland, and a round of Adventure Golf. The kids verdict: Etta, age 9: “I loved the Lego pit in our room because you could make your own stuff. At bedtime there were cool lights, you could press a button to turn them off or on. And there was a TV in our kids room! It was a bit annoying mum heard us turn it on, because there was just a curtain not a door. And I liked solving the riddle to get the mystery Lego out the safe. There’s loads of playgrounds, right outside your door, and there’s a really big one at dinnertime. “When we went for dinner I had fish fingers, it was way better than my school fish fingers. I wanted more and the waitress got me extra so I had six, and I ate them all. In the morning the shower had Lego animals in the background, which was so cool.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnTravelParenting
