A couple of weekends back, Christine had some coursework to do and wanted me and our ten-year-old out of the way for a day. So, we went to the Legoland Discovery Centre, located at the Trafford Palazzo in Manchester.
This was actually our second visit; our first was in August 2017. Back then, our now ten-year-old was only about 18 months old, and as such, way too young. Whilst there is a small Duplo area, it’s not a big attraction and so we didn’t get much out of it at the time. It’s best for primary school aged kids, so 4 to 12-year-olds. Older kids may find that they’re too big for some of the attractions.
What’s inside the Legoland Discovery Centre
Like I said, the Legoland Discovery Centre isn’t a big attraction, especially compared to Legoland Windsor. We went to Legoland Windsor in 2021, at which you really need two days to see everything. Handily, there are two themed hotels on site, but at a price – instead, we stayed in a Premier Inn in Slough. By comparison, you can do pretty much everything at the Legoland Discovery Centre in two hours. Indeed, at busy times, you may find your visit is actually limited to two hours.
It’s all indoors, and starts off with an exhibit showing how Lego bricks are made. On our previous visit, this was an interactive exhibit with a member of staff walking us through it and presenting us with a special exclusive Lego brick at the end. On this visit, it was a static exhibit with information panels.
Next, was Miniland, where there are Lego models of real places. These are all in the north west of England, so Manchester but also Chester and Blackpool. If you visit this month, like we did, the models have all been spooked up for Hallowe’en. So, expect to see spiders attacking the model of the Blackpool Tower and tentacles coming out of a model of the Trafford Centre.
There are two rides:
- Kingdom Quest, where you sit in a chariot and shoot lasers at invading trolls
- Merlin’s Apprentice, which spins you round and lifts you up and down as you pedal
There’s a Ninjago themed soft play area, the aforementioned Duplo area and a ‘4D cinema’ where you get to watch a short 3D computer-animated film and have air and water sprayed at you. This was also Hallowe’en themed. This is all included in your entry fee.
Paid-for extras
Without realising, I booked the ‘Legoland Discovery Package’, which includes some paid-for extras. As I write this, these cost an extra £5.50 per ticket when booked in advance, which is cheaper than buying on the day.
These included the Lego VR Experience, where you sit in a pod and put on a virtual reality headset. The pod then moves in time with a virtual reality film. You get to choose one of two films – a Lego race, and a roller-coaster, which our ten-year-old chose for both of us. The roller-coaster is actually set in nearby Salford Quays, just by the Imperial War Museum North, and has you descending a huge tower on the roller-coaster.
We also got two bags of Lego (presumably one each) on entry, which were probably worth the extra £5 or so each on their own.
The other thing we paid extra for was a green screen photo. We went for the £20 package, which got us two large printed photos, the same two photos on keyrings, and digital downloads of all the photos that were taken, including one on the Kingdom Quest ride. A bit pricey, but these things always are.
In all, we spent a little over two hours at the Legoland Discovery Centre. Having booked in advance and used a discount (see below), it was merely moderately expensive. I would not have wanted to pay the full, on the gate price.
Accessibility
There is full step-free access to the attraction, and inside there is a Changing Places toilet. The regular toilets are currently closed for refurbishment, but there are plenty of toilets elsewhere in the Trafford Palazzo.
It’s always cheaper to book at least 24 hours ahead of time, and entry charges vary depending on the time of day, so you can save even more if you’re willing to be even just a little bit flexible. Like all Merlin attractions, there are lots of ways to save money – I got 15% off via the CSSC, but you can also get a similar discount with a Max card when booking in advance. It’s also worth checking the Merlin Deals page on MoneySavingExpert.com – right now, you can save 25% by buying a packet of Kellogg’s cereal (although I’m not 100% sure that the Legoland Discovery Centre is included).
There’s a café inside, and a Lego shop on the way out.
The nearest car parking is at the Trafford Palazzo itself, and there is plenty of car parking at the nearby Trafford Centre too. Electric car charging of all types is available across the site.
We got there by tram; the Trafford Palazzo tram stop is right outside, and it’s the penultimate stop on the Trafford Park line. The Trafford Centre bus station is a 10-15 minute walk away, but at least it’s an indoor walk.
There are multiple Legoland Discovery Centres across the world; the other UK one is in central Birmingham, near Brindleyplace.
