Situated at the Trafford centre in Manchester, one of our favourite places to go with kids is Legoland discovery centre. Unlike the Theme park, the Legoland Discovery centre has rides and attractions like you would expect to find at a theme park, yet it is all indoors, which is great for our unreliable British weather. This venue is also suitable for most age ranges, with attractions to suit the very young and the parents too!
Places to go with kids: Legoland Manchester
Once inside you taken into the Legoland Factory Tour. Here you walk past the test tubes filled with Lego bricks and wait for the doors to open! Inside, we meet Professor Brick-a-Brack and helped him make some Lego bricks!
Great Audience participation for the family
Plenty of audience participation is required to help push the buttons, listen to the bells ring and watch for the lights to change. All the children are rewarded with a very special brick to take home. The bricks change at different times and on this visit, we got a very special Easter 2014 brick. My son Jake, as a Lego collector was very happy with this! An unbelievable 100,000 special bricks are made in the factory every year.
The Kingdom Quest Laser Ride
Our next stop took us to a ride, a scaled down version of a ride they have at Legoland in Windsor, and I was so shocked to find an actual ride inside the Legoland Manchester Discovery Centre.
The Kingdom Quest Laser Ride brought out the competitors in all of us. No one wanted me in their carriage as I am not very good at Laser games.
To score big you must be the noble knight who zaps the spiders, skeletons and trolls to save the captured Princess. Each chariot seats four people and holds individual laser guns. I could already see by their faces which person would win, looking very smug my son Jake went purchased a photograph of his victory placed in a lanyard, at £9.00 the price is very high in my opinion, discounts given to Legoland Discovery Centre Annual Pass Holders.
Legoland Manchester Discovery Centre 4D Cinema
Another shock was to find a 4D Cinema inside the building; we love 4D Cinemas and finding one here was a nice little reminder of our Trip to Legoland Windsor. Showing a variety of short 15-minute films with the latest action adventure in 4th Dimension the Legends of Chima. I was in my element ducking and squealing as water squirts into the crowd and the feeling as if the characters were actually coming out of the screen, nothing like the 3D you get at the cinema, this is in a league of its own and actually Jaw droppingly good. Definitely favourite attraction at Legoland Manchester Discovery Centre.
Build and Test at Legoland
The Build and Test Zone pleasantly filled with thousands of bricks waiting for you to create and build your very own vehicle to race in the Test Zone. You can time your racing car on the speed test track. The stopwatch is exact to the hundredths of a second, so even the smallest change could make all the difference! All ages are welcome, I should add here every dad in the building had congregated to this area; it was if they had gone back in time to be 10 years old again. I think they were there to help their children build and race but instead just seemed to be racing against the other dads at Legoland Manchester Discovery Centre.
The Pursuit driving
The Lego City Forest Pursuit driving adventure is for all little drivers 4 years and above. Children get the chance to drive their own off Road Lego vehicle around The Lego City Forest themed area. This was a very popular attraction with long Queues. Jake was too tall for this ride unfortunately.
Legoland Manchester Mini Land
We all loved the Legoland Manchester Mini land guessing the different landmarks in each area. The whole area created from 1.5 million Lego Bricks and has trains, Moving airships. Our favourite being Blackpool Tower and The Oblivion Ride from Alton Towers. It was very magical as room changed from night to day.
Merlin’s Apprentice Ride
The Merlin’s apprentice ride is yet another ride just as you would find at any theme park or fare. The pedal ride takes you up to the roof as you go round and round trying to become Merlin’s next Apprentice.
Other attractions
Other attractions include Lego Friends Olivia’s House, Ninjago Laser Training Camp, Lego Fire Academy, Lego Construction Site, Master Model Builder, Duplo Village and Earthquake tables.
Whilst we were visiting, a party was going on in one of the Legoland Manchester special themed Birthday Rooms. The Birthday party actually looked very civilized and great fun!
Food
The restaurant sells Sandwiches and Meal deals for children priced at £4.50 and contain a sandwich roll, crisps, fruit and a juice drink or for £10.00, you can get a Meal deal, which includes a take home Lego lunch box. My only negative here is lunch could cost a far bit if you have a few children.
My Final thoughts
What I love about Legoland Manchester Discovery Centre is you can spend a few hours or stay all day and still be entertained. The Lego shop is large space selling some exclusive sets only available in this store. You can exchange your mini-figures with the staff for the mini-figure image they have on their personal name badge, which I think is a fantastic idea for us Lego fanatics.
The prices are great, which means you could stay for the either the full day or just for a few hours without breaking the bank! Legoland Manchester Prices.
Jake already wants to visit again, to see what short 4D film will be showing and what Lego Brick he would get the next time around.
With the School Holidays just around the corner, a great attraction to keep your little ones entertained.
Have you ever been to Legoland Manchester? If so, we would love to hear your comments below.
If you like this Legoland Manchester review, please don’t stop here take a look at some of our other Lego Articles Below.
- Happy 1st Birthday Lego Store Leeds
- Review: Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester
- A Guide to Feeling Lego Simpsons 2014
- Sharing The Lego Love – With Tots100
- Legoland Windsor Review
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Thanks for the review I am planning to take my 2 children to Legoland Manchester in the school holidays, we have never been before so were all really looking forward to it 🙂
Both my sons love Lego and would love to go here!
I didn’t know this existed!! Definitely going there next time we visit Manchester!
I adore Legoland, and love going to the one in Windsor, which it our nearest one. We hope to be up Manchester way this year so will defo have to check out your blog for ideas of what to do while we’re there 🙂
Vicky, If you email me before you set off, I will come up with some great ideas that should hopefully give you plenty to do when you are up here. We went to Lego Windsor last year and it’s awesome, I wish we lived a little closer sometimes.
My 5 year old loves Lego. We have done legoland Windsor but this looks good. Thanks for review x
Looks a great day out
wow actually would love to go there and maybe take the children! Lol
We will go there one day as it sounds great!
We have family near here, so would love to go sometime.