Last month a new resort, Legoland Billund, opened in Denmark offering the family dream ticket of a huge indoor waterpark surrounded by self catering chalets all within screaming distance of the original Legoland heaven. It sounded too good to be true - a heady mix of fast flume rides, cool Scandinavian cabins plus the HQ of the world’s most popular building brick. I teamed up with my local Lego enthusiast and water slide specialist (my son), packed our swimming trunks and headed to Denmark to investigate.
As we came into land we were delighted to see that the local airport is sited right next door to Legoland. Such is the international appeal of the clickable bricks that the airport (the second largest in Denmark) was built to serve the theme park and from the air the whole area around Billund in Southern Jutland looks like one giant Lego set complete with angular buildings, model planes, and happy plastic cows.
The model kit theme continued with our accommodation; a click-built chalet with open plan kitchen, floor to ceilings windows. It was all furnished in an Ikea showroom style – brand spanking new, self -assembled and completely devoid of character. Dad noticed that the regimented chalets were built too close together and was miffed to see that the holiday site was poorly landscaped and a long dull walk from the water centre. My son homed in on the monster flat screen TV, the in house Jacuzzi/sauna room and after ten minutes asked when we could go on the water slides.
The 10,000 square metres “Aquadome“ may be the largest covered water park in Scandinavia but it isn’t going to win any prizes for architecture. From the outside it looks like a giant call centre with a few coloured tubes corkscrewing out of one corner. Inside things are a more exciting with an innovative water tower complete with water cannons and sprinklers, an illuminated cave with real tropical fish and several exhilarating rides including the stomach churning “tornado” – imagine riding an airbed down a wet lift shaft and you’ll get the idea.
I took refuge in the communal sauna and wondered what television guru Kevin McCloud would make of this grand design? Like me I think he would be disappointed with the dark warehouse badly decked out as tropical Thailand complete with plastic palm trees and a trompe l’oeil backdrop straight from the panto school of paint jobs. Why when Denmark has such a fine history of innovative modern design did they choose the kitsch Thai café look? Worse still was the separate shop and restaurant area dressed up as a fake Spanish village and topped off with dimly lit blue sky diorama. Come on chaps this is 2009, where’s your local pride? It’s now officially fashionable to celebrate your own neighbourhood. Of course my son noticed none of these design howlers and loved every minute in the water park but did comment that the bit between fake Thailand and fake Spain, (lets call it “corridorland”) smelt of something strange that certainly wasn’t candyfloss
I’m happy to report that the American owned Legoland just across the road from the Aquadome’s car park lived up to all expectations. Although smaller than the Windsor theme park it delivered original and well thought out amusements by the bucketful. Its gardens around Miniland have matured beautifully over last forty years and like its miniature buildings the place is good on details - I particularly enjoyed the uniformed doorman’s plastic brick medals and epaulettes.
The truth is that although promoted as a combined super theme park the Legoland Billund resort is an unequal marriage of convenience between two of Denmark’s largest family attractions, Legoland and a leisure and sports company called Lalandia. By placing itself next door to an established star attraction like Legoland, Lalandia has managed to highlight its own failings. If you are planning on visiting my advice would be to maintain the magic and stay a night at Legoland hotel. It’s expensive and some of the rooms are small and motel like but with its newly refurbished foyer complete with treehouse, giant dragon and direct access to the theme park it’s worth it. Lego mission completed you should then check the weather forecast and if its bad tramp through the car park to Lalandia and enjoy a day of thrilling rides and 30-degree centigrade shelter. But better still if its sunny head off to the Jutland coast and discover the real Denmark happily devoid of plastic palm trees.
At Lalandia a self-catering chalet sleeping four people starts from £150 a night. Price includes free entrance to the aquadome but doesn’t include electricity (turn that sauna off son) bed linen or the resort pass to Legoland that costs £47. One day entrance to the aquadome costs £19 per adult and £12 for children.
Lalandia.com, 0045 5461 0500
The Legoland Hotel prices start at £235 for a basic room for two adults and two children and include breakfast and two days entrance to Legoland
Legoland.dk, 0045 79 51 13 36
Ryan Air has direct flights from London Stansted, Birmingham and Edinburgh to Billund Airport from £66 return.