I will start with a confession. I have never been a fan of Lego Friends. I don't see the need. I am female and it annoys me that my boys think that I like pink and purple. I don't. I like green and blue. I don't see the need for a Lego range where perfectly good models are ruined by the addition of too much pink and purple. I don't see why the yellow headed women like Wyldstyle aren't good enough for a "girls" range. So from this, you can probably tell that I wasn't overly excited by Legoland Windsor's Heartlake City which opened last weekend. 

So what is new? 

Well the diggers have done and the new ride is Mia's riding adventure. I didn't go on this but I think it's a welcome addition to the park. You need to be 1.2m to ride. My 7 year old would therefore be able to. It's kind of like a pirate ship that spins round from what I could see. Not my cup of tea at all. But as there are only a few rides in the park that appeal to older children, I think that the addition can only be a good thing.

They have then painted the existing area with lots of pink, purple and yellow. There are Lego Friends characters made of Lego scattered around the area.

The cars that my boys loved (and we're looking very worse for wear) have been removed and astro turf takes its place. Olivia's House provides a few bits that would be OK to look at on a quiet day. There was a sofa with Lego Friends playing, a room with a small amount of large foam Lego bricks and a kitchen with some interactive games. All busy on a busy day. There was also a large Lego Friends type miniland.

There are more opportunities for you to spend money. Some kind of win a giant soft toy game, popcorn house and an ice cream van where you can make a video.

Last but not least is the Lego Friends show. Don't worry, the pirate show is still on but the stage is used by both. The lighthouse has been painted Lego Friends style. So was the show any good? Well I imagine girls aged 3-7 might find it enjoyable (and there were a couple of young boys dancing.) The show involves all of the 5 Lego friends and lots of singing and dancing. I don't like to say it but it was cheesy, American and dull. I quite liked the fountains. The dolphin that seemed a bit stiff going round in circles provided a bit of amusement. It is not a show that I will make a point of seeing again. 

So all in all I'm a bit disappointed with Heartlake City. With 3 boys I was never their target audience, but I love Legoland and the fact that a fairy has vomited pink everywhere does make me a little sad. Every other part of Legoland is unisex. In answer to my question, yes Heartlake City is pretty much just for girls. Heartlake City's saving grace is the new ride which I'm sure my boys will enjoy when they are tall enough - just as long as I don't have to go on it!

Have you been to Legoland since the opening of Heartlake City? Did you enjoy it? is it just me that doesn't see the point of the Lego Friends range?