LEGOLAND Windsor With Kids: Ultimate Guide & Tips

Hey! You’ve got a trip to London planned and you’re wondering if it’s worth the stop over to Windsor to visit LEGOLAND Windsor Resort? Absolutely it is. We had so much fun at this theme park and it ended up being my kids’ highlight of the trip. Keep in mind we did Disneyland Paris and the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour on this trip.

If you think this is a cultural break, you’re wrong. You’ll be seeing all the monuments you’ve already seen in London in LEGO, spending the day with tons of other British families (we had such fun conversations in line), and you can stop off at Windsor Castle while you’re there. It’s the perfect mix of culture and fun, and the perfect way to break up a sightseeing-heavy trip for kids.

But First, Let Me Introduce Myself…

Hey! I’m Camille, mom to three kids and owner of San Diego Mamas, one of the largest adventure mom communities in San Diego. I share cool places to go with kids in SoCal and beyond. I’ve been writing about exploring with kids for 10 years now!

Kids don’t have to be a reason to stop exploring. If anything, they make adventures even better. I share practical tips to help other moms feel prepared to tackle any outing with their kids.

I’m on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and I also have a newsletter where I share all the best things coming to San Diego every weekend.

Also, if you’re going to LEGOLAND Windsor, you might also want to check out my Harry Potter London With Kids guide to plan out the rest of your trip! Here’s the link.

How to Get to LEGOLAND Windsor

There are a few options when going to LEGOLAND Windsor. You can take the 702 bus (the cheapest option, but also the one that takes the longest), take the train and then a quick taxi, or taxi all the way there.

We had Grandma with us, so she wanted to do the taxi. It took us about 45 minutes from central London and cost £120 each way.

If it was just our family, no Grandma, I would choose to do the train and taxi. Trains from London Paddington require a quick change at Slough onto the branch line to Windsor & Eton Central, which drops you right at Windsor Castle. You can explore the castle a bit (it’s quick, you can’t go inside) and then catch a cab or bus to LEGOLAND. It’s also fun to walk around Windsor Town Centre!

Where to Stay for LEGOLAND Windsor

LEGOLAND Windsor is an easy day trip from London, or you can do the whole experience and stay at the LEGOLAND Hotel! The themed hotel is super family-friendly and gives very easy access to the parks. It also gives you early park access before the crowds!

Here’s the link for current deals for the LEGOLAND Windsor hotels. Click here for deals (affiliate link).

What to Book Beforehand for LEGOLAND Windsor

I would book your LEGOLAND Windsor tickets as soon as you know the date you’re going. They do sell out. It’s very popular. See all ticket deals (affiliate link).

Of course, book your hotel, and then you might also decide if you’d like to do Fast Track. This allows you to skip the lines. You can pay individually per ride, choose to skip 6 lines, or skip all the lines.

We chose to do 6 line skips per person, and it worked perfectly. You can book this ahead of time or pay there at guest services.

How to Plan Your Day at LEGOLAND Windsor

You can easily do most of the rides at LEGOLAND Windsor in a day, especially if you do the skip-the-line pass and arrive when the park opens.

LEGOLAND operates opposite most theme parks. Most theme parks are less crowded at the beginning of the day, but because LEGOLAND caters to young kids, they get tired and go home. The crowds thin out as the day goes on. The best time for short lines is an hour or two before the park closes.

I’d start your day at the back of the park if you can and work your way forward. Save Miniland for when it’s most crowded, usually a few hours after opening. Don’t forget to stop for the live shows when you see them and make time for the kids to build with LEGO bricks. It makes for an awesome family day!

Souvenirs at LEGOLAND Windsor

Of course you’re going to want to go home with a LEGO! Most of the merch I saw was similar to what’s in the states. I did see some fun LEGOLAND Windsor hats throughout the park.

Most of the merch is at the beginning of the park in the LEGO head store.

Differences Between LEGOLAND Windsor and LEGOLAND Carlsbad

This section is for my San Diego / SoCal moms. As an annual passholder for LEGOLAND Carlsbad, I was very interested to see what was different.

First off, the size of the park. LEGOLAND Windsor sits on about 150 acres of parkland (with roughly 72 acres accessible to guests), while LEGOLAND Carlsbad covers about 128 acres. I wouldn’t say there’s too much more at either park, but they are a lot more spread out at Windsor. It’s a bit of a walk between each land, and you’re in a forest setting with big trees instead of a coastal setting with palm trees.

Each land still has rides for older kids and younger guests, plus the playgrounds and building stations we all know and love.

A lot of the rides were a bit bigger and more thrilling, so I’d say this park tends a little older than LEGOLAND Carlsbad. There are a few more big roller coasters, which my kids loved.

It’s also set on the side of a hill, so there are some elevation changes, which is different too! There’s actually a hill train to get you in and out of the park if you need it.

What Not to Skip at LEGOLAND Windsor (Especially if You’re Coming From LEGOLAND Carlsbad)

Miniland at LEGOLAND Windsor

Honestly, the reason we came. I’d heard their Miniland was fantastic, and it did not disappoint. I purposely scheduled LEGOLAND at the end of our trip so we could spot all the famous landmarks we’d seen. The kids loved seeing Big Ben, the London Eye, and Buckingham Palace. They were so proud of themselves for knowing the names of all these new spots. Their Miniland is HUGE and has so many fun UK builds like Windsor Castle and castles from Scotland. I loved seeing them just as much as the kids did. I also loved seeing the Taj Mahal!

There’s also Amsterdam, Italy, and Spain, plus a large USA section that has a large NASA area, plus our monuments like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. I also noticed they had mini LEGO sports fields, so I guess that represents the USA to them!

Minifigure Speedway

This was one of the roller coasters we were most looking forward to trying. It’s huge and set on a hill. You race the other coaster, and part of it goes backwards! My kids loved this.

I took my younger child on the Dino Coaster just down the hill. There’s also a cute playground here (it reminded me of the DUPLO playground back home) and a splash pad area. They don’t have a dedicated water park, but there is this space where kids can get wet and play in the water.

Fairy Tale Brook

We used to have this ride at LEGOLAND Carlsbad, but they retooled it to be dino-themed. I loved seeing all the storybook characters in England and felt like this ride was really well done. I especially loved the theming in the line, and it really helped pass the time.

LEGO Mythica at LEGOLAND Windsor

We loved this cool land based on mythical creatures! The best ride we did was Flight of the Sky Lion. Think Soarin’ Over California or Emmet’s Flying Adventure, but even better. The line can get long, so use a skip-the-line pass for this one.

The Hydra ride here was also cute, and we had a great time on that one!

Haunted House Monster Party

I’m going to let this ride be a surprise for you. Just trust me, don’t skip it. Unless you get really bad vertigo, then skip it.

Medieval Castle Hill

Our favorite ride back here was the Dragon Coaster. It’s so much bigger than our dragon coaster at home, and I love that it goes through the trees. There’s also a baby dragon coaster, which I appreciated for my little one to ride while her big brothers were on the Dragon Coaster. Don’t skip the Merlin’s Challenge ride either. It was so fun!

Pirate Shores

My kids and husband loved the big swinging boat here, and it’s also home to the best playground in LEGOLAND. I love that these playgrounds are a bit higher and carry a tad more risk than our playgrounds back home in California. My kids stayed here a long time and did not want to leave.

There’s also a water boat drop ride over here that had a very long line. We didn’t get to do it, but it looked really cool!

LEGOLAND Express

There’s a train that runs around a large area of the park that’s great for all ages. Highly recommend trying it to get your bearings. Just be warned, there’s a moment when it squirts water, and it got Grandma right in the face! We grabbed LEGO Iced Lollies (popsicles for the Americans) right before boarding, and it was our favorite treat we got all day.

Coastguard HQ

We loved this ride, especially that the kids got to control their own boat! Make sure to make time for it, and also LEGO City Driving School right next door. Kids will love being in control of their own vehicle.

Rides at LEGOLAND Windsor That Are Similar to LEGOLAND California

A few rides here will feel familiar if you’ve been to LEGOLAND Carlsbad:

• LEGO Ninjago

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Hi! I’m Camille, a San Diego mom who loves to explore with her kids both in San Diego and beyond! I’m a huge LEGOLAND nut, and I love breaking down theme parks for other moms to easily understand.

You can find tons more guides on my website, including my guide to Harry Potter London With Kids, plus Disneyland Paris and so much more!

If you love travel and practical tips for adventures with kids, follow me on Instagram or Facebook under @sandiego.mamas.

And if you’re in San Diego, make sure to follow me on Instagram and sign up for my weekly newsletter, where I share all the best events coming to San Diego and travel deals from San Diego.

Thanks for stopping by, and please comment, email me, or send me a DM on Instagram if you have any questions! Have so much fun at LEGOLAND Windsor.