Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester
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NickT04
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Call me stupid, and I haven't read this thread - but after picking up a leaflet for the place yesterday, what exactly is a Discovery Centre? An indoor theme park, indoor play area? What exactly?!
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davewazere
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[quote=""NickT04""]Call me stupid, and I haven't read this thread - but after picking up a leaflet for the place yesterday, what exactly is a Discovery Centre? An indoor theme park, indoor play area? What exactly?![/quote]
Its like a mini indoor Legoland.
Its basically wot it says in its name. A place for children (and adults) to discover Lego in a completely different way you could in any other place (except legoland obviously, but this can be done in about 2 hours)
Its more directed at 12yrs and below but its still enjoyable for parents. (I like it any way ha ha)
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Its like a mini indoor Legoland.
Its basically wot it says in its name. A place for children (and adults) to discover Lego in a completely different way you could in any other place (except legoland obviously, but this can be done in about 2 hours)
Its more directed at 12yrs and below but its still enjoyable for parents. (I like it any way ha ha)
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flange
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[quote=""davewazere""][quote=""flange""]The only area I can see them adding Merlin's Apprentice is the area that Lego Universe is currently in, that or it is put into an area that is currently not open to the public.[/quote]
they are putting it in an area not open to the public (according to ldc staff) also they will moving the miniland and making it bigger (cant remember where they said though)[/quote]
Looks like Merlin's Apprentice will be close to the Princess Palace area.
All images from Legoland Discovery Manchesters facebook page.
[url=http://www.facebook.com/ldcmanchester" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.facebook.com/ldcmanchester[/url]
they are putting it in an area not open to the public (according to ldc staff) also they will moving the miniland and making it bigger (cant remember where they said though)[/quote]
Looks like Merlin's Apprentice will be close to the Princess Palace area.
---- Post Info Added ----Merlin's Apprentice Ride opening Easter!
In preparation for the unveil of our great new ride, our Princess Palace area will be closed until the 1st April whilst Merlin works his magic!
[url=http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... /index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... /index.htm[/url]
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... s/ride.htmNew Merlin's Apprentice Ride opens 1st April!
Calling All Wizards!
A fantastic new ride will be unveiled on 1st April at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester!
Guests will be invited to discover a LEGO wizard's world of spells and sorcery as they embark upon Merlin's magical ride! Pedal as fast as you can to help Merlin conjure his magic – will you reach the skies and become Merlin’s top wizarding apprentice?
Height restrictions apply. Guests must be a minimum of 90 cms to ride. Guests between 90 cms and 120 cms must ride with a responsible adult.
All images from Legoland Discovery Manchesters facebook page.
[url=http://www.facebook.com/ldcmanchester" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.facebook.com/ldcmanchester[/url]
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davewazere
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i went to legoland on monday to renew our passes (which took an hour and a lot of messing about, more on that later)
after eventually getting in i took my 5 year old on the ride. its located where the princess part was and that has moved over to near the lego racers.
the new ride is ok. if you didn't know it basically spins round and the faster you pedal the higher you go.
my first go wasn't that great as the host never mentioned to me that you could move the seats back. im 6ft 3 so there wasn't much room and kept hitting my shins when peddling. my second go was better as the host told me i could move the seat.
as you can see in the pictures the theming is not brilliant but to be honest i didn't expect much more. it could also use a soundtrack as at the moment its just the ride host speaking instructions into the PA then nothing until the end of the ride. maybe have recordings of "merlin" himself giving the instructions then while the ride is on have some magical lego music on or something. anything would be better than hearing the squeaks of the ride.
maybe im being too picky but it could be a lot better than it is. who knows maybe it will have those in the next few weeks/month, i hope so.
all in all its a good addition, hopefully LDC will sort out some music for it.
Also be careful when renewing your pass. don't let them tell you that the price on the net is an online price its not, its the price where ever you renew. long story short i spent an hour trying to sort out the right renewal price. eventually got 3 family pass for £275 (even cheaper) im not going write full story as its a bit off topic, PM if you would like to hear it
---- Post Info Added ----
forgot to mention, they are also changing the queue system for map and LDC ap holders. soon you will queue up with the pre-orders queue then it will split off and the pass holders can avoid the Lego tour and go straight into the rest of the attraction
after eventually getting in i took my 5 year old on the ride. its located where the princess part was and that has moved over to near the lego racers.
the new ride is ok. if you didn't know it basically spins round and the faster you pedal the higher you go.
my first go wasn't that great as the host never mentioned to me that you could move the seats back. im 6ft 3 so there wasn't much room and kept hitting my shins when peddling. my second go was better as the host told me i could move the seat.
as you can see in the pictures the theming is not brilliant but to be honest i didn't expect much more. it could also use a soundtrack as at the moment its just the ride host speaking instructions into the PA then nothing until the end of the ride. maybe have recordings of "merlin" himself giving the instructions then while the ride is on have some magical lego music on or something. anything would be better than hearing the squeaks of the ride.
maybe im being too picky but it could be a lot better than it is. who knows maybe it will have those in the next few weeks/month, i hope so.
all in all its a good addition, hopefully LDC will sort out some music for it.
Also be careful when renewing your pass. don't let them tell you that the price on the net is an online price its not, its the price where ever you renew. long story short i spent an hour trying to sort out the right renewal price. eventually got 3 family pass for £275 (even cheaper) im not going write full story as its a bit off topic, PM if you would like to hear it
---- Post Info Added ----
forgot to mention, they are also changing the queue system for map and LDC ap holders. soon you will queue up with the pre-orders queue then it will split off and the pass holders can avoid the Lego tour and go straight into the rest of the attraction
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davewazere
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After visiting LDC today with the kids we were informed that the princess part was unavailable due to building work.
The building work in question stretches all the way round the back of both the jungle Jim's and takes some of the space from the 4d cinema queue. It is quite a large area that's been developed and they are using previously unused space.
Anyway with my 6 year old asked a staff member what the new ride was going to be and found out that they are building a Lego driving school similar to the one at Windsor.
It will be open from March next year.
Im glad they are adding to ldc as it could use the space as it is packed at weekends with usually a 3 hour wait if you haven't pre booked a ticket.
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The building work in question stretches all the way round the back of both the jungle Jim's and takes some of the space from the 4d cinema queue. It is quite a large area that's been developed and they are using previously unused space.
Anyway with my 6 year old asked a staff member what the new ride was going to be and found out that they are building a Lego driving school similar to the one at Windsor.
It will be open from March next year.
Im glad they are adding to ldc as it could use the space as it is packed at weekends with usually a 3 hour wait if you haven't pre booked a ticket.
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flange
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Looks like Legoland Discovery Centre at Barton Square at the Trafford Centre, will be getting a new attraction for 2012.
Also the Princess Palace area will be getting refurbished to a [url=http://"http://friends.lego.com/en-gb/Default.aspx"]Lego Friends[/url] area in February.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... rsuit.aspxLEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit
12th December, 2011
New ride for 2012 at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester!
Preparation is already underway for the opening of yet another new feature at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre! Easter 2012 will see the launch of the LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit driving adventure! Children will take to the forest pathways in their own off-road LEGO vehicles to chase the robbers who have escaped with loot from the City!
This exciting new attraction will be located in the space behind Merlin’s Apprentice, which is currently a behind the scenes area of the Centre. Due to the scale of the redevelopment, there may on occasion be some areas of the Centre that are not available for a short period of time, so please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
Also the Princess Palace area will be getting refurbished to a [url=http://"http://friends.lego.com/en-gb/Default.aspx"]Lego Friends[/url] area in February.
We are thrilled to announce that not only will we will launching our new driving school attraction later on in the year but in February the Princess Palace will be getting a make-over and will be become our new LEGO Friends area. This will be the first of it's kind in the UK.
http://www.facebook.com/ldcmanchester?ref=sgm
Last edited by flange on Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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coastermaster
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news the ldc new ride will be like the driving school but a forest adventure
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themealgang
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When I visited DC, I was left disappointed as I felt like there was not much there to keep you entertained considering how long we queued to get in. That was two years ago. It is pleasing to see they are constantly expanding the micro site, and may this continue into the future.
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meames
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We were there over the weekend and left biterly disapointed. We have been before so knew there was nothing there for us really, but our son likes the place.
A queue to get in was simply stupid, half an hour for annual pass holders, god knows how long for other guests. The place was packed, unorganised pass renewals, utter mess - and then a staff member on the way out, seeing our crying child asks if we have 'enjoyed ourselves' - hmmmmmmm.
Will probably return to see the new ride which is suposed to be chasing robbers through the forest, but not looking forward to it.
A queue to get in was simply stupid, half an hour for annual pass holders, god knows how long for other guests. The place was packed, unorganised pass renewals, utter mess - and then a staff member on the way out, seeing our crying child asks if we have 'enjoyed ourselves' - hmmmmmmm.
Will probably return to see the new ride which is suposed to be chasing robbers through the forest, but not looking forward to it.
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flange
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http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... -2012.aspxTwo great new attractions for 2012!
17th January, 2012
In addition to the recently announced LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit driving adventure, we will also be unveiling an area dedicated to LEGO Friends!
Meet the five new LEGO friends, Stephanie, Andrea, Olivia, Mia, Emma in their new home at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre! Could you be their new Best Friend? Build your own microphone and perform on Andrea’s karaoke stage!
The new LEGO Friends attraction opens 11th February, followed by LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit at Easter.
LEGO Friends will replace our Princess Palace area. Whilst the redevelopment is taking place, Princess Palace and Earthquake tables will not be avilable. We are sorry for any inconvience this may cause.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... rsuit.aspxLEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit
11th January, 2012
New ride for 2012 at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester!
Preparation is already underway for the opening of yet another new feature at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre! Easter 2012 will see the launch of the LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit driving adventure! Children will take to the forest pathways in their own off-road LEGO vehicles to chase the robbers who have escaped with loot from the City!
This exciting new attraction will be located in the space behind Merlin’s Apprentice, which is currently a behind the scenes area of the Centre. Due to the scale of the redevelopment, there may on occasion be some areas of the Centre that are not available for a short period of time, so please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
The Merlin's Apprentice ride will be closed on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th January as preparations for the new LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit ride continue.
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seanyboyuk
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Ive yet to see a good review about the discovery centre at the trafford centre. The main problem is many people will expect and compare it to their full sized lego parks and with all the land around the trafford centre there is no reason why they cant build bigger.
The trafford area is an ideal place a new theme park with so many transport connections it would work well i think as long as a lot of money is pumped into such a project.
The trafford area is an ideal place a new theme park with so many transport connections it would work well i think as long as a lot of money is pumped into such a project.
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flange
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Lego Friends opens this Saturday 11th February.
Plus the centre map has been updated with LEGO Friends and LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... rview.aspx
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... iends.aspxLEGO® Friends
Meet the five new LEGO friends, Stephanie, Andrea, Olivia, Mia, Emma in their new home at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre! Could you be their new Best Friend? Build your own microphone and perform on Andrea’s karaoke stage!
Opens Feb 11th.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... rsuit.aspxLEGO® CITY: Forest Pursuit
Opening Easter 2012, the LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit driving adventure*!
Children will be able to take part in their own driving adventure as they are let loose upon forest pathways in their own off-road LEGO vehicles! The challenge is on to capture the robbers who have stolen gold bars from the City!
Plus the centre map has been updated with LEGO Friends and LEGO CITY: Forest Pursuit.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... rview.aspx
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flange
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Lego Star Wars Miniland will be opening at Legoland Discovery Centre for a limited time only, from Friday 1st February to Sunday 2nd June.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.u ... entre.aspxLEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland
1st February - 2nd June 2013
NEW FOR 2013 !
For a limited time only take a trip to a galaxy far, far away! Help Jar Jar Binks defeat the Droid Army, and compete in the Podrace!
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lucy2244
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Hello! So for my 16th birthday this Saturday I've decided to do the mature thing and visit sea life and Legoland discovery centre in Manchester! :lol
I've not been able to find any topics about it and have no idea what to expect, I just wondered what everyone else thought about it, and what's actually there, because most of the reviews on trip advisor aren't what you call positive :P
I've not been able to find any topics about it and have no idea what to expect, I just wondered what everyone else thought about it, and what's actually there, because most of the reviews on trip advisor aren't what you call positive :P
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Michelle
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I'll be honest Lucy, it's not one of the top attractions to visit! I definitely wouldn't pay to get in there unless I was visiting with small children as there is very little for 'adults' ( anyone over the age of about 5..) to do! Visiting with a MAP both attractions are worth a wander around, but not if you have to pay IMO. LDC has a very silly 'factory tour' which explains the basics of how Lego is made and a tiny 'mini land' section, a 4D cinema based on the Chima (?) Lego characters then a room with a soft play, couple of kiddy rides and some Lego brick pits, that's about it.
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stealthsmiler
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Id recommend Sea Life Blackpool, Madame Tussaud's Blackpool and The Blackpool Tower. You can buy a combi ticket to make it cheaper and there would be so much more to do. However if you're dead set on LDC, I'd make sure you have you're birthday money so yo can spend some of the day walking round TTC. The mini-land is deffo the highlight but it is very child centred. Ive only ever been twice with my family mainly for my brother and sister but also because we had MAPS and live about 45 mins away. We had done it all in about two hours as both of them insisted on playing with the lego for ages.
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lucy2244
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After my visit, I was plesently surprised!
Sea life was..alright, despite the tanks being a little small for the animals it was really quite enjoyable and a good way to pass half an hour! Lego land was also pretty good in my eyes! Despite having to bend the truth to get in without having any children with us :P, yes, it was very child centered but the mini land and Lego models were right up our alley. With my boyfriend being utterly obsessed with Lego, he was more excited than half the kids in the place! Especially when it got to the star wars exhibit. Even though lots of it was for kids I found it a really enjoyable day and with a merlin annual pass anyway I didn't lose anything.
It was a good way to pass an hour and a half, especially as we were just going to the Trafford center anyway. If you have kids who like Lego, or just know someone who does, I really think if you can't get down to the Windsor resort you might have an alright day! :P
Sea life was..alright, despite the tanks being a little small for the animals it was really quite enjoyable and a good way to pass half an hour! Lego land was also pretty good in my eyes! Despite having to bend the truth to get in without having any children with us :P, yes, it was very child centered but the mini land and Lego models were right up our alley. With my boyfriend being utterly obsessed with Lego, he was more excited than half the kids in the place! Especially when it got to the star wars exhibit. Even though lots of it was for kids I found it a really enjoyable day and with a merlin annual pass anyway I didn't lose anything.
It was a good way to pass an hour and a half, especially as we were just going to the Trafford center anyway. If you have kids who like Lego, or just know someone who does, I really think if you can't get down to the Windsor resort you might have an alright day! :P
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stealthsmiler
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Glad you had a good day. As you had a MAP it was worth a visit.