LEGOLAND California Resort

LEGOLAND California is an amusement park in Carlsbad, California, focused on LEGO bricks. It opened on March 20, 1999. It is the third LEGOLAND park to be opened, and is one of two North American parks; the other is Florida, which opened in 2011.
== History ==
The park first opened on March 20, 1999. The LEGOLAND parks were put up for sale in 2004, then a controlling interest sold in 2005. The new controlling company is Merlin Entertainments, a brand of the Blackstone Group of New York, an investment, and advisory firm.
== Areas ==
The park is split into nine major sections which are The Beginning, Dino Island, Explore Village, Fun Town, Knight's Kingdom, Miniland USA, Pirate Shores, Imagination Zone, and Land of Adventure.
=== The Beginning ===
The Beginning is the main point of entry to the park. It was the only way in for guests until about 2008, when the hotels in the rear of the park opened, and created a new entry point in Castle Hill, The Beginning is mainly a shopping and service area in the park, with no rides. It's main feature is the Market/Marketplace, which consists of Guest Services, Wheelchair/Stroller Rental, a small store, and a restaurant. The other store is the BIG Shop, which features the largest selection of LEGOLAND souveniers and LEGO toysets. As LEGOLAND is owned by Merlin Entertainments Group, the LEGO V.I.P. program is not avalible from any LEGOLAND stores. Since Volvo is a sponsor of the LEGO company, Volvo drivers recieve a discount on parking.
=== Dino Island ===
In Dino Island, a mini steel roller coaster called the "Coastasaurus" curves and dips around giant models of LEGO dinosaurs. Visitors can dig for imitation dinosaur bones in the "Dig Those Dinos" attraction and earn the free "Dig Those Dinos" Minifigure. A former attraction, Raptor Splash, was removed in late 2010 - early 2011, to make way for carnival style games. Raptor Splash consisted of two huts, each with two slingshots to put water balloons in to fire at the other hut(s).
=== Explorer Village ===
Explore Village includes the "Water Works" attraction, which has dozens of interactive water activities and is directly beside "Musical Fountain" where visitors hop up and down to make music play and water blow. A water ride called "Fairy Tale Brook" lets visitors ride a boat down a river lined with playful LEGO models based on fairy tales. Playtown is a play area complete with LEGO buildings, slides, and activities. There is a playground, showplace, Restorante Brickolini pizza parlor, and a ride called "Safari Trek" which allows the rider to see many life sized LEGO models of animals.
=== Fun Town ===
Fun Town features two "Driving Schools", Volvo Driving School (for Children 6-13)and Volvo Junior Driving School (3–5 years), where children can learn to drive electric LEGO cars on a closed course. Volvo Driving School, with traffic lights and gas stations (were closed down at the point of October 2008) is more advanced than the circle for younger children. Fun Town also has a "Skipper School" where parents and kids can pilot LEGO boats. Visitors can also take a tour of a LEGO factory to learn how LEGO bricks are made. At the "Funtown Police and Fire Academy", families battle other families in a race down a street to douse a small "fire" or stop a "robber" and drive back in the fire or police truck- all using hand pumps. There are two attractions on the top of a hill. First is the "Kid Power Towers," in which a pair of people pull themselves to the top of a rotating tower to enjoy the slow ride down. Guests can go up and down as many or as few times as per their whim before the ride ends. When visitors board another attraction- the "Sky Cruiser"- two people pedal in tandem around a track to see a large portion of the park. If riders cease pedalling, the vehicle slows down to a crawl. Guests who board "Flight Squadron" are raised into the air by LEGO planes and those who visit "Sky Patrol" will experience the same feeling as "Flight Squadron" with the exception of being in a LEGO helicopter, as they are moved up and down to see the extensive view of mid-Funtown. Restaurants include a burger shack (Burger Stop), a hot dog joint (Fun Town Hot Dogs), and a full on restaurant, the Fun Town Market.
=== Castle Hill ===
Castle Hill is a medieval castle-themed area that was originally called "Knights Kingdom". Its main attraction is "The Dragon," a roller coaster that slowly tours a castle, until a LEGO wizard casts a spell to open the doors to the outside, at which point the coaster speeds up and the ride functions as a regular coaster. Another ride is the "Knights' Tournament," in which guests ride around on a very large robotic arm, selecting levels from one to five - one and two do not go upside down, and five rarely has guests right side-up. The "Hideaways" is designed for younger children, and is a large multi-level wooden play structure with slides, rope ladders, and bridges. Small horses at the "Royal Joust" take guests ages 4–12 through a mock medieval joust. Recently added was "Wild Woods Golf" that replaced the popular "rock band" or "singing rock garden". The rock's original recording can still be heard on holes 12-18 on the course. The "Rock Band" is now located on the route from Explorer Village to Fun Town.
=== Miniland USA ===
Miniland USA includes miniature dioramas of seven areas of the United States, altogether built with over 40 million LEGO bricks in 1:20 scale and took 3 years to finish. The major cities are viewable from various areas in the park. From the Coast Cruise ride, one can see some mini models otherwise hidden from view, such as the Taj Mahal and Eiffel Tower. Miniland is also home to the Model Shop, the main design and build office for LEGOLAND California's ten Master Model Builders. A large viewing window at the front allows guests to watch the builders at work, usually on new models for the park.
==== Cities replicated in Miniland ====
* New York City, New York
* Washington, D.C.
* San Francisco, California
* New Orleans, Louisiana
* Las Vegas, Nevada
* Los Angeles, California
* (The Empire State Building is also a model in Miniland.)
==== Other areas of the United States replicated in Miniland ====
* Southern California,
* Star Wars Miniland-Featuring Naboo, Geonosis, Kashyyyk, Mustafar, Tatooine, Hoth, Christophsis(clone wars) and Endor
=== Pirate Shores ===
Pirate Shores has 5 rides and attractions. "Splash Battle" is a ride where guests enter their very own pirate ships to do battle with other guests on the ride and on land also while trying to avoid on-ride blasts of water. "Soak 'N Sail" is an interactive two-story water playground. Children and adults play with water pouring down all around them, for example, there are two buckets filled with 500 gallons of water that pour water on unsuspecting people. "Treasure Falls"; the mini-log flume, is a great training ride for little riders that aren't quite ready for the bigger log rides at other parks. "Swabbie's Deck" is the little kids water area, for little kids from infant all the way up to 7 or 8 to get their feet wet, before attempting Soak and Sail. "Captain Cranky's Challenge" is the newest ride for Pirate Shores that opened on May 24, 2007, which replaced Zamperla Rockin' Tug ride like "Lucy's Tugboat" at Knott's Berry Farm. There are also many carnival-style booths.
=== Imagination Zone ===
In the Imagination Zone visitors can ride a Wild Mouse-style roller coaster called the "Technic Coaster-Test Track", choose from three different "4-D" movies called "Bob the Builder," "Spellbreaker," and "LEGO Racers 4D". 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," the primero ever duel water carousel. In that, you get to use a steering wheel to control a rudder that makes you either come in closer to the center or fly out through the waves, all the while being squirted with water by the bystanders.
=== Land of Adventure ===
This is the newest section of the theme park, being opened on November 7, 2007 which 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 to nearly touch the enormous beetles above. "Cargo Ace", lets guests board one of eight planes to fly six feet into the air. "Lost Kingdom Adventure" is LEGOLAND California's most recent attraction. 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.
== Notes ==
* If you go to Google Maps and go to LEGOLAND California on street view, the little peg guy turns in to a LEGO minifigure.
== Related Products ==
* LEGOLAND California Bum-Bag
* LEGOLAND California Basketball Key Chain
* LEGOLAND California Cap
* LEGOLAND California Opening Key Chain
* LEGOLAND California Souvenir DVD
== Offical Website ==
* Click here to enter the official website:
LEGOLAND California
* Also, for a panoramic view try the interactive map here:
Interactive Map
California
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Category:1990