Q-Bots and what Big Society?

We recently returned from a fantastic weekend away at Legoland in Windsor to celebrate the birthdays of #1 & #2 and had managed to find what I felt was a good all inclusive deal which I booked back in February.

I had heard all about the Q-Bot system which in essence is an additional cost you pay to decide what level of queuing hell you want to experience along with other families, Rainbow, Beaver, Brownie, Cubs groups etc etc.

I felt I had already spent enough on the forthcoming weekend and and hence did not take the option of purchasing a Q-Bot which has an additional layering of system of " how to spend your hard-earned money".  Here are the definitions provided by the wondrous Wikipedia:


Q-Bot
The regular Q-Bot has been available since the system’s induction in 2008 and is representative of the queue times, therefore if a guest books a ride, they will wait the same amount of time as the actual queue at the ride, but they will not be required to stand there. This means that they can do something else with their time whilst not in that queue line, such as have lunch or physically queue for another ride. If they are late to the time shown on their Q-Bot, their place is not lost, and they can go back to the ride when they are free.  Extra £15 per person.


Q-Bot Express
The Q-Bot Express takes the queue time for each of the rides available on the Q-Bot device, and reduces them by 75%. Therefore, anyone who purchases the Q-Bot Express can get on more rides during the day. Extra £40 per person.


Ultimate Q-Bot
The Ultimate Q-Bot reduces the holder’s queue time by 95%, making the time between booking the ride and being able to ride virtually instantaneous. This means that the holder can get on significantly more rides during the day. Extra £70 per person.


We were on reflection, rather lucky on the queuing front as we had a two-day pass (which I would totally recommend as otherwise you could go quietly insane from spending time on your feet, shuffling like evacuees) but I had very mixed feelings about this whole system.  I rather suspect that being so close to Windsor that Legoland have seen its chance to sell what it feels to be like Royalty by encouraging those that can afford it, to flash their cash and swan past the poor "Commoners" who bless their little "soles" have to wait their turn.

As my husband pointed out to a lady behind us in the lengthy queue to the Viking River Splash, who was rather agitated that after our 20 min wait and nearing our time to board the ride, we were politely swatted back to allow a family of 3 to board in front of us with their special Q-Bot Fob..........Welcome to the Big Society.