I’m in Legoland Denmark and the last time I enjoyed myself this much in a theme park was Universal Studios in 1996.
I’d arrived at LA’s train station, having watched with trepidation as I saw the drug camps and gangs on the way in. I was 23 and tiring of finding safe places to stay in the USA. In 1996 the US still hadn’t mastered the art of backpackers and hostels. I’d stayed in YMCA’s (some of these were mattresses on floors with rats running around at night) as well as motels like the one from Psycho the movie, where an owner was sometimes overly interested in me so I frequently wedged a chair against my door at night.
So coming into LA after a long trip and being greeted with sights straight out of movies like Heat or Colors I decided to spend the last dollars I had on a hotel room, one that included its own bathroom and had clean sheets on a nice bed. I left the train and found some yellow pages hanging by the phone booths. I picked one up and looked for hotels. I called the Hollywood Roosevelt based on its name including the word Hollywood. I wasn’t quite sure if it was any good, but I phoned anyway. They had a room I could afford on my budget so I booked there and then.
After an awkward check in (I was somewhat disheveled, with a dirty old backpack, the kind that had metal bars on either side and stains from being dragged around, not a sight any of the hotel staff appeared to be used too), I went to my room and had the best nights sleep I’d had in a few months.
The morning after I cleaned myself up and went down for breakfast. I was amazed to see the Smashing Pumpkins as well as Neil Young walking through reception, this must be some sort of hotel I thought..After breakfast I went to reception to ask about Universal Studios, I wanted to get on the Universal backlot, the part where they’d filmed some of the best scenes from Back to the Future (and many other movies). There I met 3 women in their late 60’s, each had lost their husbands and were on a trip around the USA together. They wanted to see Universal studios too, and although at 23 I usually avoided oldies (back then I thought I was too cool) I decided to hang out with them as they were happy to hang out with me and I wanted the company with no complications.
We travelled there on a bus and spent much of the day together, taking photo’s and enjoying the history. I got to sit in the original K.I.T.T from Knight Rider, an original Back to the Future DeLorean (as well as experience the awesome ride) and go on the then new Jurassic Park ride that had recently opened. It was great to learn about their lives and they were interested in mine. It was that day that taught me everyone has a story, and just because someone is older than me it doesn’t mean they’re not interesting (in fact, I’ve learned people older than me are much more interesting).
On the way back to the hotel, my new friends told me that it was where the first Oscars were hosted and David Hockney had painted the swimming pool (I love many of David Hockney’s paintings). There was a lot of movie history in the hotel and it was practically next door to the Chinese Theater (where most movie premiers still take place).
So how does all this relate to Legoland Denmark? The people here are fantastic, the park is clean, well kept and the facilities are incredible (there are even family rooms with free nappies and changing facilities). Universal studios was incredibly well kept, maintained and the people who worked there were incredibly helpful and friendly too. None if this is something I’m used too coming from the UK, where customer satisfaction is rarely a priority and customer facing employees are not usually happy (a common result from being contracted at low pay rates).
People often say to me the American customer service culture is fake, where it’s done for tipping and not genuine. Maybe that’s partly true? Right now I’m totally grateful for the Danish customer culture as it doesn’t appear to be about tips (it’s not a tipping culture). It’s about being the best human you can be in that moment, one that understands we’re all in this world together, a genuine care for the outcome of others. Legoland Denmark has shown me this and I thought it wouldn’t. What a wonderful place.