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ONE ride at Legoland is set to be knocked down to make way for something new.

The Viking River Splash ride in Land of the Vikings closed back in 2023 and was once a favourite amongst visitors.

The clearance of the site is to make way for a new attraction within the park.

The Viking River Splash, a water rapids ride, first opened in 2007.

After 16 years, Legoland announced news of the ride’s closure on Facebook. They wrote: “Calling all Vikings! It is time to lay down your oars and say a fond farewell to Viking River Splash.

“Join the LEGO® Viking fleet one last time and make your last voyage before Monday 25th September, after which the ride becomes part of Viking history.”

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When the ride was first announced to close, lots of visitors were disappointed – but excited to see what came next.

One said: “Sad to see this ride go! However it needs it! Can’t wait to see what the park does with the space.”

Another added: “Surprising move. However I’m curious as to whether it will be re-themed or replaced.”

This isn’t the first application from Legoland this year.

It has also submitted another to build a new 390-capacity 4D cinema at its Imagination Theatre.

The Imagination Theatre is one of the oldest attractions at the theme park, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next month.

Both applications are waiting for approval from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM).

Last summer, Legoland Windsor revealed its brand new entryway.

Over the years, the main entrance had remained relatively unchanged until August 2025.

It now has two new huge 32 feet tall structures on either side of the Legoland sign.

These look like giant Lego bricks and on top of them are characters like knights and ninjas on the towers.

Other upgrades around the park will be a new Brick Street Cafe, upgraded bag search and ticket areas, and improved crossing.

The plans were given the go-ahead in November 2024.

The park’s Miniland revealed its £1.2million makeover in early 2025 too – the revamp of Miniland includes new buildings such as The Cheese Grater, The Gherkin and Canary Wharf buildings.

While there are 10 other Legoland theme parks around the world, Legoland Windsor is the biggest – it has 55 attractions to explore.

One Legoland resort has announced it will open the world-first Harry Potter land with rides and wizard themed hotel rooms.

And one Disney fan reveals what they thought of the Legoland Windsor resort after visiting for the first time.

PLANS have been revealed to rescue a historic English seaside venue and return it to its former glory.

The Margate Winter Gardens in Kent – where stars such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have performed – is set to be restored and reopened.

Dating back to 1910, the venue has previously had a number of different areas including the Main Hall, Queen’s Hall, two side wings and an open-air amphitheatre.

As part of the Thanet District Council’s plans, the seafront venue will reopen with a new rooftop bar and restaurant, a drama school and a 100-place nursery.

As part of the plans, the Main Hall and Queen’s Hall will be made fully accessible and reopened.

And the decor and balconies inside will be kept.

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There are also plans to create two mezzanine pods, similar to those found in Peckham Library.

The restaurant will then be located above the Main Hall, with both indoor seating and an outdoor terrace.

As for the nursery, that will be in the upper part of the site and will feature separate areas for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

The new drama school will be held in the smaller Queen’s Hall and have classrooms and dance studio spaces.

In all, the project is expected to cost around £8million to complete.

According to the plans, the vision for Margate Winter Gardens “marries both history and opulence, creating a visually stunning seafront icon with nods to its luxurious past as well as futureproofing the building for years to come”.

The aim is to reopen the Main Hall by late 2026, then other parts of the venue will open in phases from 2027.

Margate Winter Gardens, which closed two years ago, sits on a site known as Fort Crescent and looks over Margate Main Sands and the English Channel.

When the venue opened, it featured a Concert Hall, four entrance halls, two side wings and one open-air amphitheatre.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Winter Gardens was a much-loved entertainment venue with performances including cabaret and tea dances.

Then, during World War II, the venue was used initially as the Dunkirk evacuee reception before later being turned into an ARP shelter and food depot.

In 1946 the building was partially rebuilt after bomb damage.

After the war, Winter Gardens was once again used as an entertainment venue with performances by Laurel and Hardy, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Dame Vera Lynn.

However, over the decades visitor numbers declined and in 2022, the Winter Gardens closed for a while to assess concerns over the building’s condition.

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FOR the first time ever, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wish is coming to the UK.

From summer 2027, Disney fans can head off on a cruise on the Disney Wish from Southampton on three to seven-night European sailings.

Bookings for sailings go live on February 23.

The Disney Wish is the fifth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet and is full of storytelling.

As guests board the ship, they will enter through the Grand Hall, with their name even being called out.

Princes and princesses will be there to greet you before you head off to discover the rest of the ship and your room.

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Inside each stateroom, passengers will find spacious wardrobes, sprawling beds and a theme specific to a Disney character.

Mine featured Moana artwork, including a huge piece on Te Fiti – the goddess of life and nature.

Most of the staterooms also feature a split bathroom and an ocean view.

When it comes to food on board the ship, guests won’t be short for choice, with market-style buffet options and immersive dining adventures.

For example, at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure there is a live performance from the characters of the film, including Olaf.

All the iconic songs are performed, and plenty of opportunities to sing along as you get served your food.

Another dining experience is Worlds of Marvel where you are immersed in a futuristic-style restaurant and accompanied by Ant-Man and Spider-Man.

As a sweet-tooth, I especially loved Inside Out: Joyful Sweets, where you can pick up handmade gelato and ice cream or tuck into a themed macaron, cupcake, or chocolate treat.

Coffee onboard the ship is also an experience – each time I picked up my morning latte from either The Wishing Star Café or The Enchanted Sword Café, I was greeted by a character printed onto the foam.

As for other entertainment, the ship has an endless amount of things to do.

Each night over a voyage, the Walt Disney Theatre puts on a West-End style show.

My personal favourite was Disney Seas the Adventure, where passengers follow Goofy on a journey sailing the ship.

Other shows include Disney The Little Mermaid – an adaptation of the classic tale.

Kids have lots to do outside of the shows as well.

The Disney AquaMouse is a performance and ride in one, with lighting, special effects, and scenes of Mickey and Minnie on different adventures.

And for kids needing to let off steam, there is the Hero Zone, where there are a number of challenges and game-style competitions.

Once they ultimately tire out, the two cinemas are the ideal spots to cosy up with some popcorn while watching the latest Disney releases.

And the ultimate night for the whole family is Pirates’ Night, where Captain Jack Sparrow takes a fateful leap from the ship’s funnel.

If parents do want some time away from the kids, there is an entire deck dedicated to children, including a full-service nursery and separate clubs for kids and teens.

This gives parents the chance to nip off to the adult-only spaces without stressing about their kids, and these were my favourite spaces on the Disney Wish.

The Senses Spa & Salon was the ultimate destination for a pamper session.

With a sauna, steam room and heated loungers, there are plenty of spots for child-free relaxation, though my favourite was the frigidarium, sitting at a chilly 10C.

And who wouldn’t enjoy the outdoor whirlpools as the sun sets and the waves crash against the side of the ship?

Quiet Cove is another top adult-only spot, where you can relax in an infinity pool that looks over the sea.

It is the ideal place to be when the ship’s horn blasts the iconic first seven notes of the ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ song melody.

In total, the ship can carry up to 4,000 passengers, with an additional 1,555 crew members onboard.

The cheapest sailing is a three-night Belgium cruise from Southampton, sailing to Zeebrugge (Brussels) in Belgium costing from £1,633 for two people.

One of the four-night itineraries costs from £2,252 for an inside stateroom for two people, heading to La Coruña, in Spain.

Or you could head off on a seven-night Northern Europe cruise from Southampton from £3,273 for two people.

You could really splash out with the a seven-night Norwegian Fjords cruise from Southampton, sailing to Kristiansand, Olden, Alesund and Haugesund in Norway from £5,235 for two people.

In other cruise news, here are our pick of the eight best cruises for both hot and cold weather – from Caribbean sailings to Icelandic glacier tours.

Plus, the ‘affordable luxury’ Nordic cruise where temperatures hit 28C.

Nestled in lower Wharfedale, Hebden village offers stunning walking routes, trolls folklore linked to Hound of Baskervilles, Roman history, and a charming tea room in a former chapel

Tucked away in the hills of lower Wharfedale lies a hidden treasure brimming with history and spine-tingling stories.

Hebden sits within the Yorkshire Dales National Park’s protected conservation areas – this particular village occupies land where an ancient Bronze Age settlement once stood.

The area boasts stunning walking trails that wind past charming Yorkstone cottages. One notorious route leading to the village passes through a ravine called Trollers Gill.

This now-popular picnic destination harbours a sinister past. Locals once believed the gorge was inhabited by malevolent trolls who would murder humans by hurling boulders at them.

Even more disturbing, the cave at the passage’s end was thought to shelter a wolf-like creature that would slaughter anyone who locked eyes with it, reports Yorkshire Live.

This legend is believed to have inspired Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle’s celebrated tale The Hound of the Baskervilles, according to Yorkshire Dales.

Romans also established themselves in the vicinity – with 33 silver denarii coins discovered in the surrounding countryside – supporting the theory that Romans inhabited the region between 30 and 170 AD.

Along the village’s main street, you’ll discover something unexpected. Within Hebden Methodist Church, formerly a school, sits a charming tea room.

Outside the Old School Tea Room, the postbox has been painted gold to honour Yorkshire’s Olympic gold medallist – rower Andrew Triggs Hodge. One Trip Advisor user described it as “the perfect pit stop”.

They explained: “We visited the Old School Tea Room while doing a loop walk from Linton, along the river, via Hebden and to Grassington.

“It was about halfway, and we were ready for cake! Lovely, characterful building, inside and out, friendly staff and a great range of cakes. I opted for a raspberry and white chocolate one. Delicious! And all with a really nice cup of Yorkshire tea. I’ll definitely be back!”.

For bird enthusiasts, there’s an impressive array of wildlife worth getting the binoculars out for, including Canada Geese, Teal and Reed Bunting.

Hebden’s more recent past has been shaped by mining. Evidence of this former industry can be spotted along the popular Lead Mining Trail, which begins at Yarnbury to the north of Hebden.

The route takes you through Orefield, one of the principal mines during the Victorian period, and skirts the edge of Hebden.

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