LEGOLAND THEME PARK TO OPEN IN SHANGHAI

 BY GABRIELLE

Shanghai is to be the home of one of the largest Legoland resorts in the world.

During the second China International Import Expo, which took place on November 6, 2019, construction of a Legoland in Shanghai was agreed.

It has been estimated that the new Legoland resort will cost around $55 million. The site will combine traditional Lego elements with Chinese culture, to create an immersive experience for families to enjoy.

The resort will provide children from the ages of 2 and 12 with an interactive program, comprising of many imaginative attractions and activities.

A key highlight of Legoland Shanghai will be a huge immersive themed hotel.

Legoland Shanghai is part of the Merlin Group’s aim to develop a number of new Legolands around the world.

The Shanghai site will be unique in combining classic Legoland projects with local themed attractions.

LEGOLAND WATER PARK AT GARDALAND’S GATEWAY TO RESEMBLE A HUGE LEGO WAVE

 BY GABRIELLE

Details have been announced about what the gateway welcoming visitors into Legoland Water Park at Gardaland will look like and where it can be found.

The gateway will be located in the area that is currently home to the Pala Magic Theatre, opposite the Raptor rollercoaster.

The entrance gateway will be 6.5m high and 13m wide and will loom above the waterpark. The imposing entrance will comprise of 400 “giant” Lego bricks, placed together to form an arch. Being made from blue and white Lego bricks, the archway will resemble a huge wave.

The entrance gateway, alongside other areas and attractions in the waterpark, will be decorated with one-of-a-kind Lego model constructions built with Lego bricks that symbolise different themes.

Luca Marigo, sales and marketing director of Gardaland. said:

“Good progress has been made on building the Lego Models, that will make the Legoland Water Park in Gardaland truly one of a kind- 240 models have been built with 3 million Lego bricks.

“One of these will be a large and friendly purple octopus made of 258,126 Lego bricks placed right at the entrance to the Water Park, ready to amaze all visitors as they arrive,” continued Marigo.

Karen Hornby, model delivery manager of Merlin Entertainments, elaborated on the detail of the Lego models. “There will be a grand total of 488 LEGO Models, specially designed for Gardaland and built in different parts of the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Malaysia.

“The Gardaland LEGO Models, just like all models created for Legoland resorts worldwide, are very colourful, cheery and fun,” Hornby added.

Legoland Water Park in Gardaland is due to open in June 2020.

LEGOLAND ANNOUNCES NEW LEGOLAND RESORT IN SICHUAN, CHINA

BY GABRIELLE

Merlin Entertainments has announced it has joined forces with Global Zhongjun Cultural Tourism Development, to build and operate a Legoland Resort in China’s Sichuan province.

Merlin will operate the new resort and Global Zhongjun will run the construction and infrastructure of the project.

Two themed hotels will feature at the resort, with approximately 500 rooms.

Nick Varney, Merlin Entertainments’ CEO, commented: “There’s no doubt that China represents a great opportunity for strong global brands.

“Having been active in China for over a decade, Merlin has gained critical insights into Chinese consumers and built a broad portfolio of Midway attractions within key cities.

“Leveraging this position, we’re delighted to be able to announce the development of a Legoland Park in Sichuan Province together with a strong partner in Global Zhongjun.

“It is an exciting prospect and a significant milestone in the expansion of the Legoland estate in China,” Varney added.

Merlin Entertainments’ chief development officer said: “Sichuan Province has a strong tradition of welcoming people from all over, which aligns closely to our values as a business.

“Within it, Chengdu, Meishan and the Tianfu New Area is developing at a rapid pace driven by investment, enterprise and, increasingly, its popularity as a tourist destination.

“Our partner is a leading developer of tourism in the region with a great track record in delivering scale projects, and we look forward to working with them and the local community to bring the Legoland Resort experience to guests in Western China.”

Legoland Sichuan is due to open in 2023. It will be Merlin Entertainment’s eleventh Lego-themed park and will be the biggest Legoland resort in the world.