Tuesday, 25 May 2021 09:00

LEGO MYTHICA at LEGOLAND Windsor: review & photos

LEGOLAND Windsor invited us along to an exclusive preview event for LEGO MYTHICA: World of Mythical Creatures.

LEGO MYTHICA is home to the UK’s first ever flying theatre ride - Flight of the Sky Lion - but there's much more to discover in this spectacular new land. Our ten-year-old LEGO superfan was excited to be one of the first to experience the new rides and attractions.

Created 'by kids, for kids', LEGO MYTHICA is the result of a partnership with Kids Industries. The Merlin Magic Making team spent over a year working with them, discussing and testing ideas and concepts with six to eleven-year-olds and their parents, who influenced everything from the final ride experiences to the names and characters.

The impressive entrance portal features icons for the three main attractions: Flight of the Sky Lion, Fire & Ice Freefall and Hydra's Challenge. Immediately beyond that, we encountered the first of 13 new mythical LEGO models created in LEGO’s master workshop. Inspired by Greek mythology, the Chimera features four different heads – a shark, snake, eagle and lion – and weighs a whopping 334kg and took 12 talented Model Makers 653 hours to build.

We were directed straight to the new headline attraction, to be on the first 'flight' of the day.

Flight of the Sky Lion


Standing at a whopping 25 metres tall, the magnificent exterior disguises the huge indoor attraction. Taking pride of place on the front of the building is the majestic Sky Lion called Maximus, built from 685,530 LEGO bricks.

The queue line is covered (providing shelter from the sun or rain) and includes a display of LEGO models of the creatures that appear in the attraction. A large screen above introduces each of the creatures and also promotes the AR Experience in the LEGOLAND App - more on that later.

Guests are batched into small groups then enter a briefing room on one of three levels. The atmospheric lighting and soundtrack builds anticipation, and then an informative film sets the scene for what is to come. The doors open and after stowing away your belongings and loose articles it's time for you to take your allocated seats on one of gondolas. Once safety checks have been completed, the ride begins with a dramatic 180-degree turn that takes you straight into the action, which is projected on a gigantic dome screen.

There were audible gasps as we were taken under the Sky Lion’s wing and transported into a mythical world. As you swoop, duck and dive over the incredible landscape, you come face-to-face with the realm’s many creatures, including the two-headed Hydra (Duo), Fire and Ice Bird (Crystal Flame) and Chimera.

The thrilling ride and 4K film are perfectly synchronised with immersive effects including mist, wind and smells. Because of the current requirement to wear a face mask, the latter was less effective, but it was still noticeable. The m-Ride system from Brogent Technologies ensures a panoramic view from every seat.

For anyone familiar with the Soarin' attraction that features at several of Disney's theme parks, the experience is similar, but better. The attraction is stronger for a number of reasons. Firstly, by using fully computer generated graphics it takes you to fantastical environments that don't suffer from the clumsy transitions and the awkward warping effect caused by projecting real video footage onto a curved screen. Secondly, it's substantially more exciting to ride, as rather than gently gliding over scenic views it takes you on an exciting chase. It's actually closer in experience to Avatar Flight of Passage in Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The only negative for adults is the unthemed roof of the building above the screen, which can be a bit distracting and takes you out of the action. As children probably won't notice it hardly matters, but it's a slight oversight not to cover or disguise it.

Flight of the Sky Lion is by far the most thrilling attraction at LEGOLAND Windsor and with a height requirement of just 1 metre it can be enjoyed by a large proportion of guests.

Fire & Ice Freefall


Standing at 13 metres tall (the equivalent of 325 LEGO Minifigures) this pair of spinning drop tower rides are a lot of fun.

The screens at the top of the towers show an animation of the Fire and Ice Bird called Crystal Flame, which is a great detail.

Hydra's Challenge


A popular ride is back with an awesome new look! Originally known as Wave Surfer when this opened in 2000, and becoming SQUID Surfer in 2012, the attraction has now been completely refurbished.

Hydra’s Challenge is an exhilarating water ride that's now protected by the two-headed Hydra called Duo. We love the excitement of steering your own jet-boat themed pod, and then trying to dodge the 'water cannons' that can be triggered by spectators.

Creature Creation


In the spirit of letting your imagination run wild, you can even build your very own mythical creatures at Creature Creation.

This bright and colourful indoor space features a stunning mythical landscape built entirely from LEGO that runs along the whole back wall. Once you have finished your LEGO creation, you can place it in the giant scene for others to see.

Lava Dragon Play


This new play feature is an imposing Lava Dragon with an interior climbing structure, lookout point and tunnel slide. There's also a smaller slide at the lowest level for younger adventurers.

It's conveniently located next to The Hungry Troll, so gives somewhere for children to let off steam while parents can supervise from the adjacent outdoor seating. The addition of a few extra features could make this an even more engaging play area.

Creature Encounter


A new character meet and greet experience with the loveable character Bits and Bobs. It was wonderful to see a professional puppeteer bringing the character to life.

Due to social distancing it isn't currently possible to fully interact with the character, but when they can, we're sure there will be people queuing up to stroke the adorable creature.

AR Experience


It was great fun trying out the new LEGO MYTHICA AR Experience in the LEGOLAND App, which allows you to scan several LEGO models in the land and watch them come to life. It took a few tries to get some of them to work, but when they do it's pretty impressive. It's a good idea to have someone step into the scene and interact with the Augmented Reality creature, and the app has a built in camera function to save your encounters.

We were given a pair of limited-edition POP Badges, that when scanned give you a spy hole into the world of LEGO MYTHICA. If you're wearing the POP Badge on your clothing, it's quite surreal seeing a view of a mythical world seemingly inside your body!

Mythical Creatures


LEGO fans will love finding each of the 13 new LEGO MYTHICA models that have taken a team of Model Makers nearly a year of building and over 1.76 million LEGO bricks to create. From the largest model in the land - the 685,530 LEGO brick model of the Sky Lion - to the smallest - a winged Lizard made up of just under 4,000 bricks. 

The Hungry Troll


Previously called Harbourside Fish & Chips, a restaurant serving fish and chips, with indoor and outdoor seating. Given that this outlet is now part of LEGO MYTHICA, it's a shame that a more creative food offering hasn't been introduced.

Beastly Bites


A new kiosk with a menu of moreish LEGO MYTHICA inspired doughnuts. Through extensive testing (yes, we tried every flavour!) we can certainly recommend these. Our favourites were the icy lemon meringue, and apple with chocolate curls.

All of the rides and attractions in LEGO MYTHICA are nestled in a leafy corner of LEGOLAND Windsor, surrounded by trees and plants. It's one of the most attractive areas of the park and the buildings and structures have a really cohesive design and style.

LEGO MYTHICA is part of a £20m investment – the biggest the Resort has made since it first opened its gates 25 years ago! We can't think of a better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the UK's most visited theme park.

This epic new land opens to guests for the first time on 29th May 2021 – just in time for May half term!

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