Archive for the 'Legoland' Category
Theme park news: Kobe rides Terminator coaster; bring back Captain EO; Hong Kong Disneyland expansion
July 4, 2009 7:29am
A roundup of my theme park Twitter updates for the last week:
* Online petition: Bring back Captain EO as a tribute to Michael Jackson at Disney Parks. Watch EO in 3-D at home. (Distant Creations)
* New lands at Hong Kong Disneyland: Grizzly Trail (a.k.a. Frontierland), Mystic Point (supernatural rain forest), Toy Story Land. Marquee rides: Big Grizzly Mountain coaster, Mystic Manor (a.k.a. Haunted Mansion), shuttle coaster on a U-shaped track. (Disney and More)
* Spoiler: Tinker Bell does double duty as Dumbo during Disneyland fireworks show. (Mouse Planet)
Legoland scraps plan for Michael Jackson tribute figure
July 2, 2009 4:09pm
Legoland California has scrapped plans to unveil a 4-inch-tall, Lego-figure tribute to the late Michael Jackson “due to unresolved legal issues,” the Carlsbad kiddie park said in a news release this afternoon. Officials would not elaborate on the legal issues.
The park earlier said it would add the Jacko Lego on Friday to the Southern California section of the attraction’s Miniland, a panoramic tableau rendered completely in the trademarked plastic blocks. The figure’s design was to have been decided by a vote of CNN.com readers, who were to have chosen among several Lego models (photo above) of the King of Pop during different eras of his career.
[Update] Legoland to memorialize Michael Jackson as Lego figure
July 1, 2009 12:16pm
[Updated at 3:25 p.m.: Michael Jackson's Lego figure won't debut at Legoland California until Friday. Voters at CNN.com will choose between five Lego models of Jackson during different eras of his career.
Shown from left to right in photo: Fedora Hat (black and white), Moonwalk (white and blue), Uniform (black and gold), Thriller (red and black), Billie Jean (red and blue).]
Michael Jackson, who won 13 Grammy Awards, sold more than 750 million records and was inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will soon be immortalized in plastic as a Lego figure at Legoland California.
The 4-inch-tall Jacko Lego — complete with a single white glove and red leather jacket — will be added to the Southern California section of Miniland, a panoramic tableau rendered completely in Legos. Starting Thursday, the mini-MJ can be seen at Legoland exiting a limousine in front of Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theatre amid paparazzi and fans under a marquee that reads “Thriller.”
San Diego: Family Fourth of July with the Jumpitz at Legoland’s Red, White and Boom!
June 30, 2009 7:05pm
Move over Wiggles, the Jumpitz are coming to Legoland for the Red, White and Boom! celebration on the Fourth of July. Legoland boasts a fun-filled Fourth of July this Saturday for families venturing out to Carlsbad, about 40 minutes north of downtown San Diego in San Diego County. In addition to the Jumpitz performing music and dance from their latest DVD ,”Celebrate Animals,” Legoland will have old-fashioned family-picnic lawn games including potato sack races and “LEGO Limbo” on the Miniland Lawn. Uncle Sam will be walking around on stilts. If you need to refresh your memory on the Jumpitz, check out their website or watch a video that introduces the Jumpitz on San Diego’s NBC 7/39 TV.
Theme park news: Underwear models on coasters, Legoland considers Florida, Disney World dumps Stitch show
June 20, 2009 1:20pm
A round-up of my theme park Twitter updates for the last week:
* Underwear models test “thrills without spills” bras on Alton Towers coasters in UK (SFW video and photo gallery). (The Sun)
* Photos of tightrope walker on a wire stretching from Detonator thrill ride at Worlds of Fun in Missouri. (Coaster Community)
* Building permits indicate Busch Gardens Tampa is getting a new roller coaster. What could it be? (Florida Thrills)
* New York Daily News Top 10 roller coasters of all time. I sense a New York/New Jersey/East Coast bias. (Ride Renegades)
* Bankruptcy filing indicates Six Flags plans to spend $105 million in 2010 and $110 million in 2011 on new rides and attractions. (Screamscape)
Best summer deals: Southern California theme park discounts
May 23, 2009 7:49am
With the Memorial Day Weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, here’s a look at the best deals at Southern California amusement and theme parks:
Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure (Anaheim) — Three-day summer fun pass for $99 after June 1. Check out Mouse Planet for the most complete list of Disneyland discounts.
Universal Studios Hollywood — Six-month pass for $60 starting June 15.
Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park) — All-you-can-eat barbecue, plus admission for $37.99 for adults and $28.99 for children and seniors. Weekends only.
More Southern California theme park deals after the jump.
2009 shaping up as a low-key year for California theme parks
May 4, 2009 8:03am
Disneyland sets the pace for theme parks in California. And with the Happiest Place on Earth taking a breather on major new attractions in 2009, the rest of the state’s amusement parks are following suit, opting for smaller fare this year over multimillion-dollar additions.
The lone exception: Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia adds the $11-million Terminator Salvation, a 2,850-foot-long wooden roller coaster which opens Memorial Day weekend with movie tie-in visual effects and a loading station fly-through. (Watch POV video)
A roundup of 2009 additions at California amusement and theme parks:
* Disneyland rehabbed the “It’s a Small World” boat ride in February, adding 29 Disney characters and a new “Spirit of America” scene to the mix. The Anaheim theme park also debuted the Celebrate parade in March and bundled a series of nighttime shows under the Summer Nightastic banner (running from June 12 through August 23).
* Across the way at Disney’s Construction Adventure, the five-year-long $1.1-billion overhaul has begun in earnest, with the Ferris wheel getting a new Mickey Mouse theme (opens in May).
* Universal Studios Hollywood brings “Creature From the Black Lagoon” to the stage in July as a campy Broadway-style musical (I kid you not) with special effects, dance choreography and romance (still not kidding).
* Legoland California unveiled a new “Bob the Builder” 4-D movie in March. The 30-foot-tall Dune Raiders racing slides opens at the Carlsbad kiddie park in time for the Fourth of July weekend.
* Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park offers absolutely nothing new of note for 2009. Here’s hoping they’re saving up for next year.
Legoland California adding Dune Raiders slides
March 20, 2009 2:55pm
Legoland California plans to add aside-by-side racing slides to its new Land of Adventure area in time for the Fourth of July weekend.
The 30-foot-high Dune Raiders slides, themed to match the land’s Egyptian bazaar motif, will feature six 50-foot-long racing lanes and a pair of double-helix corkscrews. Riders slide on burlap potato sacks.
The racing slides, popular at county and state fairs, will be surrounded by Lego models and characters.
Legoland vacation deal on VisitCalifornia.com
March 9, 2009 4:30pm
VisitCalifornia has a good Legoland California package deal going on right now. Get one night’s stay at Inns of America in Carlsbad plus one 1-Day Admission Ticket starting at $179 per night. Single-day adult admission tickets to Legoland go for $63 at the gate (two-day adult passes are $78) and a night at the family friendly Inns of America typically costs $159 on a weekday or weekend, pre-tax.
Tip: If you’re looking for a deal on Legoland tickets but don’t need to spend the night anywhere, Costco members have access to three-month memberships for $63.99 — only $1 more than the 1-Day Admission Ticket. Includes admission to Sea Life Aquarium, which otherwise is $18.95 for adults and $11.95 Children (3 to 12).
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
[Photo: Legoland]
Lego Obamas get Inauguration Day fashion makeover
January 26, 2009 2:27pm
Legoland California updated the recently unveiled presidential inauguration scene at the Carlsbad theme park to more closely resemble the wardrobes worn by First Lady Michelle Obama and first daughters Malia and Sasha.
Lego Michelle, who wore a red dress at the Capitol in Miniland USA before the inauguration, has changed into a yellow ensemble (no “lemon grass” Lego bricks were available).
The Lego first daughters switched from patriotic colors to their inauguration day finery — Malia in a periwinkle coat and Sasha in a pink jacket with orange scarf.
