For a general view of Legoland Windsor, there are plenty of other reviews to read. This one is specific for the Indiana Jones Fireworks for the October half-term week this year.
Special Event: Indiana Jones Fireworks [24, 25, 30, 31 Oct; 1 and 7 Nov]
Format: Short story telling of Indiana Jones adventure and then ends with a spectacular firework display that lasted approximately 20 minutes.
Starting time: 6 p.m. however the Adventure land [Boating School; Dino Dipper; Dino Safari; Jungle Coaster; Wave Surfer] was closed off for the fireworks event around 4:35 p.m. (queue stopped at 3 p.m.) and the park entrance was closed off i.e. nobody can get in or out at 5:55 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. Reason: health and safety; the car park is the potential burning firework landing zone.
Also, the shops and remaining activities (except two) are closed from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. so that all lights are off for the firework.
Surprisingly Laser Raiders and Scarab Bouncers are open throughout the firework event.
Admisson: Legoland annual pass or Merlin annual pass holders only. Day ticket holders have to upgrade to annual pass for the event i.e. lots of converted annual pass holders on the day and in fact, just before the event. So the place is still swamped with people.
Post-event activities: Officially Imagination Theatre,DUPLO Theatre, Desert Chase, Chopper Squadron, Fire Academy and Spinning Spider are re-opened. In fact, some others like Rocket racers, Dragon’s Apprentice, Dragon Jungle Coaster, Thunder BlazerChopper Squadron and Sky Rider have joined in. Reason: see below.
Overall impression for the event: The story telling is just for kids as usual and the firework display is very good. However there are lots of people occupying the highest ground i.e. near the main entrance and along the hillside near Miniland. Once the event has finished, it takes quite a while to move somewhere else.
Post-event arrangement: 1. Entertainment and food/drinks The shops are re-opened quite quickly after the event to keep people in the park for a while and also quite a lot activities too (see above). This is a good move so that some people can stay behind to ease the traffic for going out.
2. Cars going out arrangement This is not the good bit. Although we have stayed for an hour after the event, there are still a lot of cars trying to get out. When we just walk out of the main entrance/exit, we can see a few strings of brake lights around the car parks. Legoland does put quite a few youngsters at the car park junctions to regular the traffic however the co-ordination is not very good, even with a limited number of walkie-talkies. After so many years of organizing this type of events, they should have done better.
Suggestions for improvement:
1. Try to limit the number of people attending the event rather than greedily accept upgrading of day tickets on the day. If this is reserved mainly for existing annual pass holders with a limited number of upgrades. They could have easily recorded how many people (annual pass holders) entered the park and how many have gone before the event.
2. Install a traffic light system along the junctions of the car parks. Sometimes these youngster are chatting to each other too much and forgot to take the cone away causing unnecessary jam along certain path. Or, people keep asking for directions and where to catch the bus etc, distracting them from doing their work properly - directing the traffic.
3. After the event, stop all traffic (except emergency vehicles including AA and RAC) coming into the park.
In fact, some people parked outside the park and then walk to the park-and-ride car park to catch a bus into the park and vice versa.
At the moment, the hassle of taking a long time to get out (an hour) of the park after an extra hour was spent on post-firework activites is not worth it.
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Advantages: Nice Model Village, Some good rides for kids Disadvantages: Expensive, outrageous food and drink prices, big queues, no in queue entertainment, dirty in places
bluejonny 10.07.2007 (10.07.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Legoland Windsor
Advantages: Many different attractions which include unique sculptures made from LEGO Disadvantages: A day is not really enough to explore the whole park.
mummyno4 28.01.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Legoland Windsor
Advantages: Many different attractions which include unique sculptures made from LEGO Disadvantages: A day is not really enough to explore the whole park.
mummyno4 28.01.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Legoland Windsor
Advantages: Plenty of rides for the whole family to go on together/shoes+special events Disadvantages: You could end up spending a fortune on top of the entrance price
Oct 31st, 2009
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