It's a good time to head to Legoland particularly if you have younger kids. Last year saw the opening of the Windsor resort's newest area, Lego Mythica, dedicated to fantasy creatures including unicorns and sky lions. Now the park has added its newest attraction to the site - The Magical Forest.
The forest is a walkthrough adventure, meaning there are no lengthy wait times and no wondering whether it will be too scary for little ones.
Combining some rather stunning brick creations courtesy of the resort's expert Model Makers and Mythica's augmented reality feature, you can watch creatures come to life through your phone and even interact with them.
If you haven't visited Legoland since the opening of Mythica you won't know that one of the main features of the area is its strange mythical beasts that are often a mashup of different animals. Think dog-meets-peacock, swan-meets-giraffe.
This whimsical trait has been extended to the forest, and while the main creatures are the more traditional alicorn and dragon, there are plenty of smaller creatures dotted around such as the duckling with a snail's body or the squirrel with bat wings.
While the new forest isn't going to fill the void for thrill-seekers quite like the area's flagship ride The Flight of the Sky Lion, it's nice to see Legoland include more on-the-ground features and ones suitable for children who are not quite ready to tackle the bigger attractions.
Here's what our Newsletter Development Editor Millie Reeves thought of the press trip last weekend.
The trail itself isn't particularly long although what it lacks in length it makes up for in spectacle. It begins with a walk through a tunnel of lights. Through this, visitors are transported to the forest that incorporates some of the real trees of the park as well as manmade builds and the all-important Lego figures.
The Mythica mascot, a unicorn calls Bits and Bobs, makes their appearance first and judging by the excitement of my kids, along with the other surrounding children, the creature is a real fan favourite.
For me the highlight of the trail was the Crystal Claw Crabs, a cute little blue crab with flames on its head. Yes the model was sweet but it was more the backdrop of flames and smoke that really gave it some extra immersion.
Similarly, the theatrics of the Lava Dragon cave was particularly cool, with TV screens above your head and all around you giving the illusion of a dragon flying above your head.
While I enjoyed The Magical Forest I couldn't help but think it would have been a brilliant concept for an interactive queuing area for Flight of the Sky Lion, given that the characters in the forest feature in Mythica's flagship ride.
When queues for these popular rides can reach over an hour in length, it would be ideal to have such a fun area to ease the wait in.
Stacey Dutton, our Reviews Editor also visited the Exclusive tour and here's her findings
My son Tyler and I are now a part of the furniture at Legoland so it's always so exciting to get invited to these big reveals.
As Millie has mentioned, I found the concept of the Magical Forest wonderful, the creatures really come to life here, with an immersive trip through the gorgeous Mythica Forest where all of your senses are heightened.
As you walk through the tunnel with warping music and flashing lights it almost transports you into the forest where you get to come face to face with the animal hybrids Legoland lovers have fallen in love with.
Tyler and I particularly loved the steamy rock where the crabs were too, we were so hot from running around excitedly at the park (yes, I'm like a child) that the cool mist here was lovely while we stopped off to get some pictures.
What I liked about the Magical Forest is that it is tucked into the corner of the Mythica complex so you felt like it was so magical being out of sight and then a huge eye opener as you entered.
I could say the same though that, it would be great to see this leading to the Flight of The Sky Lion, being on theme and introducing you to the characters, it could be that quick fast track which some with little ones would appreciate to one of the most popular rides.
If you visit Legoland as a first timer or are even considering it, I would suggest book an on site hotel beforehand.
Yes, it is a little spenny but Tyler still talks about it now from when we visited two years ago.
We stayed over and the rooms are so cute for his age. With tubs of Lego in the kids room, a games console to play Lego games in down time and the most amazing painted walls to fit the theme of the Castle Hotel- it's definitely worth seeing their little faces.
Check out availability/ prices here on the website.
Tips from a Legoland pro:
- Take a reusable bottle with you to the park. There are plenty of self-service refill points around the park for paid-for fizzy drinks, but the machines also offers water.
- Forgot your sunblock? There is a dispenser outside the Pirate Shores toilets that holds SPF 30 lotion for anyone to use.
- Celebrating a birthday? Head to guest services on the right hand side of the entrance gates to get a free birthday badge so everyone knows it's your special day.
- If you have young children and want to test whether they're ready for a coaster, try them on the DUPLO dino coaster first, it's a thrill without being too scary.
- If your child wants to go on one of the bigger rides but they currently have long wait times try Mia's Riding Adventure at Heartlake City. Tucked away and with cute branding, it often has a shorter wait time than other more grown-up rides. Don't let the sweet horses fool you though, this is a great ride for daredevils.
