Only hours after opening, Haunted House Monster Party was closed due to technical problems. Now it's back in business, Sherna Noah gives her verdict.

I may have bat-like ears, but last time I checked I was still human - so hanging upside down isn't my idea of fun.

Half an hour after breakfast - no insects on the menu - this is exactly what it felt like on Legoland's new ride, the Haunted House Monster Party.

We were invited to be one of the first to experience the attraction, set behind the walls of a "mysterious mansion", which took two years to plan and build.

Unfortunately, shortly after our experience and only hours after opening, Legoland's Haunted House sparked headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The three-minute ride was closed because of "technical issues", but Legoland bosses say that the issues "have now been resolved."

What's it like?

Painted a faded green, the house is designed to look decrepit with its windows boarded up with wooden planks. Bunting and balloon models adorn the front, luring you into a party inside.

Guests enter a room where spinning lights make you feel slightly disorientated as an on-screen vampire promises there's "no better party in town".

We move into his party room to sit beside a banqueting table loaded with models of cake, jelly and a cauldron. The vampire then reveals his party trick "using a fang-tastic potion to turn the house upside down".

The ride gives guests the impression they are being spun upside down thanks to a "unique mechanism" - the seating arrangement starts to slowly move back and forth, whilst everything around you turns upside down.

Who will love it?

The Haunted House Monster Party is a fun ride for all the family, although perhaps not the very littlest of ones. I'm a scaredy-cat when it comes to big theme park rides, so this kind of fright was just right for me.

However there is something for the very youngest to the seasoned thrill-seekers at Legoland in Windsor. My three-year-old daughter enjoyed L-Drivers, Fire Academy, and Balloon School - driving a little red car, racing a fire truck and piloting a balloon ride in Lego City.

The Duplo Valley area is also great for the youngest kids, but highlights such as Duplo Valley's Splash Safari - where kids get soaked - only open in the summer.

What about older kids?

My 10-year-old loved the Atlantis Submarine - an amazingly close underwater encounter with sharks and stingrays - and a Ninjago ride where we blasted our enemies on 3D screens with lasers using our hands.

The Dragon roller coaster and S.Q.U.I.D Surfer - spinning around in the water on a Lego-style jet ski - were also firm favourites.

Where can you stay?

We stayed in Legoland's Castle Hotel, right on its doorstep, where you can sleep in a wizard or knights' room. With its castle-like exterior, themed wallpaper, cosy bunk-bed children's area - complete with Lego shelf and a PlayStation loaded with Lego games - it was a treat for the kids.

You can also make use of the brilliant pool, with water slide and water canons, at the Legoland Resort Hotel, which has Ninjago and Pirate-themed rooms right next door. Sleeping upside down like a bat is optional.

How to get there

Overnight stays at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort Hotel cost from £102 per person, with two days entry into the theme park, breakfast and early access into the park to ride the Haunted House Monster Party. Book at legolandholidays.co.uk.