10 May 2018
Touting it as the park’s biggest investment since its debut, a Legoland theme park expansion based on the company’s movie franchise will open next year.
Officials with Legoland Florida in Winter Haven said Thursday that the park will open Lego Movie World in the spring. No specific date was given.
The company said the new area would have three rides, character meet-and-greets and a giant playground for kids.
The move is another upgrade to the 7-year-old theme park, which debuted a virtual reality-based roller coaster in March and Lego Ninjago World early last year.
The theme park also expanded its Star Wars feature last year.
“The sights and sounds will be fully immersive bringing the Lego movie franchise to life in a way that only a Legoland park could,” Legoland Florida General Manager Rex Jacksonsaid in a news release. “We know kids come from all over the world to see the stars of the Lego movie, and we can’t wait to see their faces light up as they interact within the imaginative world of Bricksburg [the setting for the movies].”
Last month, Merlin North America Project Director Keith Carr confirmed to GrowthSpotter that a project known as “Project TTKA” would open in 2019 but that they had no further details to share.
As part of the transformation, The Quest for Chi ride will reopen as a key attraction of The Lego Movie World. The existing version of The Quest of Chi will close on May 29.
The new area is a partnership between Legoland and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Legoland would not release what it’s spending on the expansion.
The expansion will not affect ticket prices, which range from $74.99 to $148.97.
Legoland’s move comes as other Central Florida theme parks continue their own expansions.
Universal Studios hosted a grand opening of Fast & Furious — Supercharged in April. Disney expects to debut Toy Story Land in June. Meanwhile, SeaWorld will open several new water rides and a Sesame Street-themed area by next spring in Orlando.
The constant change has helped fuel a tourism industry that on Thursday announced a record 72 million visitors for 2017.
Those numbers encourage theme parks to constantly change their look and attractions, former Disney executive Duncan Dickson said.
“It’s a matter of, ‘How do we get our share?’” said Dickson, who teaches at University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “By keeping our parks fresh and new and alive, that’s how we do it.”
Attractions like Legoland benefit from their proximity to major theme parks and adding new features like Lego Movie World helps them compete and thrive, Dickson said.
“They are not what we would call a destination theme park,” he said. “You come to Orlando to go to Harry Potter or to come see Mickey.”
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