When we visit LEGOLAND Windsor we have to use the ride access pass to reduce Ethan’s distress when queuing. As it states on the LEGOLAND Windsor website the ride access pass is available for guests who find it difficult or cannot stand for long periods of time in queues. This may be because of a physical disability or a learning/emotional impairment. The Ride Access Pass is accessed via the LEGOLAND Reserve and Ride website. Using your smartphone you can virtually queue for the rides you want to experience.
A lanyard-id-holder from custom lanyards is the perfect travel companion for the ride access pass. It is a great thing to use to hang the important pass around your neck. A transparent ID window allows the card to be quickly and easily viewed by the staff. You can also customize the lanyard for your relatives or friends who are part of your group so that you can quickly find it at a glance in the crowd.
Disclosure – We last used the LEGOLAND Windsor Ride Access Pass in May 2022. This information is based on that visit. *This post contains affiliate links. As an AWIN Member, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Registering For The LEGOLAND Windsor Ride Access Pass?
You must now register for a Ride Access Pass seven days before your visit to LEGOLAND Windsor. You can easily apply online via the Merlin website. As this is now run via Merlin Passes if your application is accepted you can collect an ID card that is valid for two years. This card can also be used at Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Alton Towers.
What Supporting Documentation Do I Need To Apply For The LEGOLAND Windsor Ride Access Pass?
The documentation needed to ‘prove’ your need for the card has changed over the years. I feel that for someone with autism it has got harder to prove that you require help with queuing. You used to be able to supply a doctor’s letter with the confirmed diagnosis. That is no longer the case you will need to be able to provide one of the following
- An Access Card with the queuing logo on it
- A Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance award that includes the higher rate mobility component. The letter must be dated within the last 24 months.
- Personal Independence Payment letter that includes the enhanced mobility component. The letter must be dated within the last 24 months.
- A Blue Badge.
On our most recent visit to LEGOLAND Windsor Ethan had a Blue Bade. This made our application for the Ride Access Pass easy. But it wasn’t easy applying for the Blue Badge. Even though they are now meant to be available to people with hidden disabilities the application process isn’t easy. We will have to look into the Access Card application when his Blue Badge expires. I have no idea what they require to ‘prove’ you have issues when queuing. If you can’t get one of these I have no idea how you will be able to get your hands on a Ride Access Pass. Without one of these, we wouldn’t be able to visit a theme park.
The ID Card
With our application via Merlin approved I had to order the ID card for Ethan. This was easily done via the link sent to me in an email. You have to order your card and upload a photo of the person who will be using the card. The important part is that during your application you state which theme park you will be visiting first. This is where you will collect the ID Card.
As with our previous visits as soon as we arrived at LEGOLAND Windsor our first stop was at The Ride Access Pass Hub. This hub is located just after the main entrance of the park on the left. You can also visit the Sensory Space in Heartlake city. This location is perfect if you are staying at the LEGOLAND Hotel.
At the hub, we were able to collect Ethan’s ID Card. They also loaded the Reserve and Ride website onto my phone and activated the Ride Access Pass. You need to create an account on the website using the email address you ordered the ID Card. As we have visited in the past I just had to log in and our account was ready to use.
How Do You Use The LEGOLAND Windsor Ride Access Pass?
With the website loaded on your phone and your account activated you can then see the list of rides as well as the options to buy Reserve and Ride or activate the Ride Access Pass.
If it hasn’t been selected already, click on the button to activate the Ride Access Pass. You are then free to select one of the rides on the list that you wish to ride. The time that is shown on the ride button is the active queue time. This is the time you will have to wait before you can select your next ride.
When you have decided which ride you would like to ride you press the rides button. This takes you to the booking page. Press the Get On Now button.
This creates the QR code required to enter your chosen ride. Once this is scanned at the Reserve and Ride queue entrance the countdown begins for when you can select your next ride selection.
Using The Ride Access Pass To Ride Flight Of The Sky Lion
As Flight of the Sky Lion is the newest ride at LEGOLAND Windsor the Ride Access Pass works in a different way for this one. A certain amount of timeslots are released every so often during the day. On the day of our visit, these become available at 20 minutes, 30 minutes and 40 minutes past every hour. Please double-check this information at The Ride Access Pass Hub on the day of your visit.
Each member can only ride this ride once on the day of your visit. We booked 12 pm ride slots at 10.30 am. As soon as your QR code appears for this ride you have a 15-minute window to use it. So you must make sure you are in the correct area of the park otherwise the QR code will expire.
Does The LEGOLAND Windsor Ride Access Pass Give you Instant Access To The Rides?
No, using this pass does not instantly get you onto the rides. You will enter the ride through the Reserve and Ride queue entrance. This means you will still have to queue for the ride but in theory, it should be a minimal wait. There is no rush to get there, this QR code will stay there until you are ready to use it. You can not book another ride until you have used this pass.
Did The Pass Work Well For Our Family?
We used the ride access pass on a Saturday. The Saturday wasn’t as busy as a peak day in August. We found it easy to select the rides Ethan wanted to go on. Sometimes we did find that when our QR code was scanned the countdown didn’t activate. We were able to cancel our booked ride and book another one whilst waiting to get on the current ride. It did however quickly activate on the queues with the longest wait times. Perhaps something is built-in so it only activates over a certain waiting time.
Our most recent visit to LEGOLAND Windsor was a day visit so we didn’t get to go on every ride. Even with the Ride Access Pass. I think there is so much to do in the park now that you can’t see and do it all in a day. If we had a two-day visit I think we would have been able to ride everything with good planning.
Will The Ride Access Pass Work Well For Our Family On A Very Busy Day?
On a busy day, you would possibly only get to virtually queue for a few rides if the wait is over an hour each. Would the ride access pass work well for us if we had to wait an hour between each ride? Probably not! We would need to entertain Ethan for an hour trying to contain his excitement for the next ride he wants to go on. This could cause him great distress. The ride access pass does work well for us. I can see where potential problems could arise. I also know that we are used to accommodating Ethan’s needs. This is why we would probably avoid visiting LEGOLAND Windsor in the summer holidays.
We went to Legoland yesterday, I have 2 boys both have diagnosis of ASD.
I managed to apply RIP for my children but they told me that everytime I go to Legoland I would need to apply for RIP and we didn’t have case number for RIP like you had.
I am contacting Legoland for that if I wouldn’t have to bring diagnosis letter etc every time it would be much easier for me.
Thank you for your post, it was very helpful.
I’m glad my post helped you. I was emailed a number and told that was all I would need to show them for this year. We used this number for our second day and I didn’t need to produced our paperwork again. I hope your boys enjoyed their time at legoland and the pass work well for you x
We’ve just tried to apply for a rider access pass but we don’t have the documentation they require or we qualify for right now. He has recently been diagnosed with GDD and is non-verbal. We are awaiting a referral for an autism assessment. As our DLA only covers health and social provision, they won’t be assessing him for mobility until next year, LL will not accept our DLA letter. Really frustrating the battle we’ve been on since early 2019, and are continuing to fight for him on a daily basis. Really disappointing for us.
Sorry to read this. I have just re-read their eligibility as our son doesn’t qualify for the higher rate mobility part of DLA. It does state that they will accept a doctors letter stating the reasons why you are unable to queue. We always used our diagnosis letter in the past. Hopefully, this option would help your family x