Legoland California
Legoland California logo | |
Location | Legoland California Resort, Carlsbad, California, United States |
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Coordinates | 33°7′36″N 117°18′40″W / 33.12667°N 117.31111°WCoordinates: 33°7′36″N 117°18′40″W / 33.12667°N 117.31111°W |
Theme | Lego toys and childhood amusement |
Owner | Merlin Entertainments |
General Manager | Peter Ronchetti |
Opened | March 20, 1999 |
Operating season | Year-round |
Visitors per annum | 1.4 million (2004)[1] |
Area | 128 acres (52 ha) |
Rides | |
Total | more than 60 |
Roller coasters | 3 |
Water rides | 7 |
Website | Official website |
Status | operating |
Legoland California is a theme park, miniature park, and aquarium[2] located in Carlsbad, California, based on the Lego toy brand. Opening on March 20, 1999, it was the third Legoland park to open, and the first outside of Europe. The park is currently owned by Merlin Entertainments, which took a controlling interest in 2005.[3] A second park in the United States, Legoland Florida, opened in 2011.
Resort
The Legoland California Resort currently encompasses the original park, a Lego-themed Sea Life Aquarium (opened in 2008), a Chima-themed water park (opened in 2010, with Chima expansion in 2014) and a hotel (opened in 2013).
Park areas
Explorer Island
Explorer Island is a section[4] with themes of dinosaurs and exploration. It contains a large sand area where children may dig for "fossils" and the Gerstlauer-built "Coastersaurus"[5] mini steel roller coaster, a close copy of the Legoland Germany junior coaster Drachenjagd, with a ride duration of approximately 2 minutes. It was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.[6][7]
Heartlake City
The Heartlake City section is based on the LEGO Friends brand marketed to girls, featuring "Heart Lake", a water fountain; "Friends Forever Stage", where musical performances occur; "Heartlake Stables", a play area; and "Mia's Riding Camp".
Fun Town
Fun Town is a role-playing amusement area where guests simulate adult skills or professional identities.[8]
Attraction | Added | Manufacturer | Description |
---|---|---|---|
DUPLO Playtown | 1999 | Playground for young children | |
Legoland Express | 1999 | Small train ride | |
Volvo Driving School | 1999 | Children aged 6 to 13 years drive self-propelled Lego cars on a closed circuit featuring multiple intersections, two way traffic and traffic signals. It is designed to promote safe driving and skills. | |
Volvo Junior Driving School | 1999 | Children aged 3 to 5 years drive similar self-propelled Lego cars on a simple oval. | |
Police and Fire Academy | Competitive team attraction where groups propel a hand pumped truck in a race down a street to douse a simulated building "fire" and return the truck | ||
Flight Squadron | 1999 | LEGO airplane-themed ride that move up and down while moving in a circle | |
Sky Patrol | 1999 | Lego helicopter-themed ride that move up and down and can spin in place | |
Skipper School | 1999 | Self-propelled boat-ride that travels a winding water course | |
Kid Power Towers | 1999 | Heege | Tower ride where riders pull themselves up the ride with a rope |
Adventurer's Club | 1999 | Walk-through attraction with scenes such as ancient Egypt, a rainforest, and the arctic | |
LEGO Factory Tour | 1999 | Walk-through attraction that teaches young children how LEGO models are made | |
LEGO Clubhouse | 1999 | A room where you can build your own LEGO models with occasional classes teaching children techniques on building LEGO models |
Miniland USA
Miniland USA is a 1:20 scale model miniature park featuring prominent architecture and symbols from seven areas in the United States.[9] Certain models are visible throughout the Legoland park. It was constructed over the course of three years using more than 20 million LEGO bricks.[10]
Miniland includes the Model Shop, the main design and building office for Legoland's US parks. A large viewing window allows guests to watch master model builders working on new models. Repairs and refurbishment of existing models are also conducted in the Model Shop.[11]
Certain model builders have inserted incongruous scenes into the Miniland vignettes, including a businessman mooning the presidential motorcade and a man using the toilet in the Grand Central Station model. Miniland officials insist all such scenes are incorporated with full management knowledge and approval.[12]
Attraction | Added | Manufacturer | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Coast Cruise | 1999 | Morgan Manufacturing | 8-minute-long boat ride where guests can view many monuments such as the Sydney Opera House, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, and Mount Rushmore |
New England | 1999 | Miniland display depicting a New England harbor | |
Las Vegas | 2007 | Miniland display depicting the Las Vegas strip with its famous hotels such as Tropicana Las Vegas, Mirage Las Vegas, and the Stratosphere Tower | |
Washington, DC | 1999 | Miniland display depicting the National Mall with monuments such as the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian Castle | |
Block of Fame | 1999 | Park walkway with LEGO busts of famous individuals such as George Washington, Marilyn Monroe, and Winston Churchill. | |
Model Shop | 1999 | Viewing area for the park's model shop, where many of Legoland California's models are built | |
New Orleans | 1999 | Miniland display depicting New Orleans and its many waterways | |
New York | 1999 | Miniland display depicting Manhattan Island of New York City with places like Central Park and Times Square depicted | |
San Francisco | 1999 | Miniland display depicting San Francisco with monuments such as Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Transamerica Pyramid | |
Southern California | 1999 | Miniland display depicting Southern California with monuments such as the TCL Chinese Theatre, Huntington Beach Pier, and Mission San Luis Rey | |
Star Wars Miniland | 2011 | Miniland display depicting the seven Star Wars movies, including the Clone Wars movie[10] |
Castle Hill
Castle Hill is a medieval castle-themed area.
The area includes a miniature golf course. The space had previously housed a "rock band" or "singing rock garden". The rock's original recording can still be heard on holes 12-18 on the course.[13]
Attraction | Added | Manufacturer | Description |
---|---|---|---|
The Dragon | 1999 | Vekoma | Family steel roller coaster with the first segment of the ride acting like a dark ride through a castle |
Knight's Tournament | 2005 | KUKA | Robotic arm-like ride where guests can select their level of intensity, with level one being the least intense and level five being the most intense |
Hideaways | 1999 | Large multi-level wooden playground designed for younger children, structure with slides, rope ladders, and bridges | |
Royal Joust | 1999 | Rocking horse ride where guests ride fiberglass horses that rock back and forth above a track | |
Wild Woods Golf | 2005 | Miniature golf course | |
Imagination Zone
In the Imagination Zone, visitors can ride a Wild Mouse-style roller coaster called the "Technic Coaster-Test Track"(formally Project X), choose from three different "4-D" movies called "Bob the Builder", "Spellbreaker", and "Clutch Powers" (a racing movie). Kids can also race Lego cars that they build themselves in Build 'n Test, play the "Maniac Challenge" in which guests play LEGO PC games, and program robots in "Mindstorms". Guests can also ride on "Bionicle Blaster", which is a version of the teacup ride, or the "Aquazone Wave Racers", a dual water carousel.
Attraction | Added | Manufacturer | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Technic Coaster | 2001 | Mack | Wild mouse roller coaster |
Bionicle Blaster | 2001 | Mack | Bionicle-themed tea cups ride. Originally known as Technic Teacups from 1999-2014. |
Aquazone Wave Racers | 2000 | Heege/Zierer | Dual water carousel |
LEGO Show Place | 1999 | 4D theater that shows The LEGO Movie 4D Experience and Nexo Knights | |
LEGO Hero Factory | Hero Factory play area | ||
XBOX Family Gamespace | Area where guests can play LEGO games on Xbox consoles | ||
LEGO Mindstorms | Classes that teach children how to operate Mindstorms robots | ||
DUPLO Play | 1999 | Indoor play area for small children with DUPLO bricks | |
Build & Test | 1999 | LEGO play area where guests can build cars out of LEGO bricks and race them with others | |
Pirate Shores
Pirate Shores is a splash park with six water-oriented rides and attractions. [14][15] Splash Battle, a water ride where guests spray each other with water on-ride and off-ride; Soak-N-Sail, interactive two-story complex water playground featuring a collection of smaller slides, jets, cannons and two tower top 500 gallon buckets that void their contents intermittently; Treasure Falls, a small themed log flume geared towards children; Swabbie's Deck, a small water play area for small children; Captain Cranky's Challenge, a ride with a mock pirate ship that sways in a u-shaped track and rotates bi-directionally; and Pirate Reef, a "shoot the chutes" attraction with interactive components including a splash bridge, water cannons and brick building play area.[16]
Land of Adventure
This section is designed to replicate the 1920s in Egypt. "Pharaoh's Revenge" involves guests firing foam balls at targets and at each other. On "Beetle Bounce" guests bounce nearly 15 feet (4.6 m) to nearly touch the enormous beetles above. "Cargo Ace", lets guests board one of eight planes to fly six feet into the air. In "Lost Kingdom Adventure", guests board and ride a roadster to recover stolen treasure by blasting targets with laser guns along their journey. Another recently opened attraction is "Dune Raiders", which is a slide.
Legoland Water Park
This is a water park area in Legoland California. Construction began in September 2009. It opened on May 28, 2010. It is located next to the buildings in Fun Town. It is the first Legoland to feature a waterpark. It is not possible to buy a separate admission ticket solely for the water park. Legoland Water Park opened in Florida 2 years later. A Legends of Chima expansion opened in early July in 2014.
Attraction | Added | Area | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Build-A-Raft River | 2010 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Lazy river where guests can build foam LEGO bricks on their inner tube |
DUPLO Splash Safari | 2010 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Kids area with small water slides |
Imagination Station | 2010 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Interactive play area |
Joker Soaker | 2010 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Tower that releases water onto the guests below |
Kid Creek | LEGOLAND Water Park | Junior lazy river | |
Orange Rush | 2010 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Large raft water slide |
Splash Out | 2010 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Body slide |
Splash Zoo | 2011 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Kids area |
Twin Chasers | 2010 | LEGOLAND Water Park | Two body slides |
Pirate Reef | 2012 | LEGOLAND Water Park/Pirate Shores | Shoot-the-chutes ride that has entrances in both Pirate Shores and the Water Park |
Cragger's Swamp | 2014 | LEGO CHIMA Water Park | Interactive water playground |
Eglor's Build-A-Boat | 2014 | LEGO CHIMA Water Park | LEGO building area where guests build small boats that they can place in a small artificial creek |
Lion Temple Wave Pool | 2014 | LEGO CHIMA Water Park | Wave pool with a 30' Mount Cavora "floating" in the middle |
Speedorz Arena | 2014 | LEGO CHIMA Water Park | Interactive play area where guests can race their Speedorz |
FIRST Lego League
Each December, Legoland hosts the FIRST Lego League Southern California Regional Championships to decide which team goes on to compete in the National or World Championships.
References
- ↑ Jacoby, Edmond (28 January 2005). "Legland California says visitors, revenues up sharply in 2004". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ Kragen, Pam (20 December 2008). "Legoland to reopen Sea Life Aquarium on Monday". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ Kinsman, Michael (July 14, 2005). "Control of Legoland parks sold". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ "Dino Island". Legoland California Resort. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ "References: North America: Coastersaurus". Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GMBH. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ "Gerstlauer busy in 2011". Park World Magazine. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Projects: 2004—Legoland California". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Fun Town". Legoland California Resort. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ "Miniland USA". Legoland California Resort. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- 1 2 "Tour Legoland California". CaliforniaResortLife.com. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ↑ Becraft, "Thanel" (6 February 2010). "Behind the scenes at the LEGOLAND California Model Shop: an interview with Gary McIntire [part 2]". The Brothers Brick. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ Dougherty, Conor (14 March 2004). "Mature images Legoland builder's inside joke". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ . Legoland Castle Hill.
- ↑ "LA Times Review: Legoland Pirate Reef ">. LA Times Review: Legoland Pirate Reef.
- ↑ "BizJournal More Details on Legoland’s Pirates Themed Expansion">.
- ↑ "BizJournal More Details on Legoland'’'s Pirates Themed Expansion">. BizJournal More Details on Legoland’s Pirates Themed Expansion.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Legoland California. |
- Official website
- Satellite image from Google Maps
- William Webb's New York Photo Gallery
- Legoland California at the Roller Coaster DataBase