Legoland Windsor

What to do when an unavoidable business trip ruins your plans for a family vacation during the half-term break?  Plan a stay-cation instead!  My kids are off school this week for "travel week" but sadly we aren't traveling anywhere.  To make up for it I am determined to do some fun, local activities with them instead.

First up, Legoland Windsor.

Why do Americans call the toys "Legos" when the name is actually "Lego"?  

25 million lego bricks were used to create Legoland.

Being from southern California means I am completely spoiled (spoilt?) when it comes to theme parks.
I only visit them under optimum conditions: no crowds and good weather.   Luckily, most British schools start their half term breaks next week so crowds were not a problem.  And, even more luckily, the weather cooperated and we stayed dry and (relatively) warm all day. Hooray!

The key to having a wonderful day at Legoland (or any theme park) is to have a plan and get there early!  We arrived a half hour before the barrier opened so my kids could pick out their souvenirs and stow them in lockers.  My bag was packed with sandwiches and snacks so we didn't have to waste precious time stopping for lunch.

For the first time ever I took my kids to a theme park without a stroller.  It was so liberating! (The bub was at home with a sitter).

We hit our "must do" rides first to avoid disappointment.  When my little guy saw the driving school he exclaimed, "This is my heaven!" and then when he saw the fire academy he added, "This is my double heaven!"

Then we spent some time later in the day exploring the other activities (like the pirate playground and the Lego Miniland).

The three of us had a really wonderful day together. I hope the rest of our stay-cation is as much fun.

PS:  If you are planning a trip to Legoland with a child under age 6, do not miss out on this offer.  It's not widely advertised but you can get one adult and one preschool admission for only £15 total.