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Merlin Entertainments opens its first LEGOLAND
theme park in Asia
Update : 22:01Published by François Mayné the 18 September 2012, New.
Merlin Entertainments Group, the second largest visitor attractions operator in the world, opened on September 15 its first LEGOLAND theme park in Asia : LEGOLAND Malaysia, located in the heart of the Iskandar leisure development zone close to Singapore.
Just like the other five LEGOLAND theme parks in the world, LEGOLAND Malaysia is targeted at families with children of 2 to 12 years and offers a about forty rides and shows on the theme of LEGO toys. The park is here divided into 7 themed areas and covers a surface of about 31 hectares (76 acres).
Among the major attractions, visitors will enjoy 3 family coasters (two tracks manufactured by Zierer and a Wild Mouse manufactured by Mack Rides), a Flume Ride designed by abc rides switzerland, a 4D cinema and an interactive dark ride from Sally Corporation.
Added to this are many attractions for the whole family (panoramic observation tower, Tea Cup from Mack Rides, Jet-Skis from Zierer, mini drop tower from S&S, several amusement rides from Heege and Metallbau Emmeln, etc..) as well as many play activities where children can have fun building LEGO models. Finally, the Miniland area consists of many LEGO models of famous monuments and buildings in Malaysia. Not to mention the shows and entertainments especially created for this giant LEGO universe.
“It’s incredible to see Asia’s first LEGOLAND® Park come to life. We have come a long way in building an amazing theme park for families to enjoy,” says John Jakobsen, Managing Director of LEGOLAND® Parks for Merlin Entertainments. “We share our partners’ vision for the area in creating a hub for international theme park entertainment. LEGOLAND® Malaysia is truly unique and together with the accessibility to Johor, Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia we believe the Park will be a great success.”
Jakobsen adds, “Merlin Entertainments hosts 46 million visitors each year in 21 different countries worldwide. We are excited to bring our experience and dedication to Malaysia and look forward to growing LEGOLAND® Malaysia as a major family resort destination.”
Siegfried Boerst, General Manager of LEGOLAND® Malaysia, said: “LEGOLAND® Malaysia has been designed to include the most popular rides and attractions from LEGOLAND® Parks around the world. It is a truly world class experience. But it is also tailored to the local environment. Everything from food to landscaping caters to the local tastes and climate. September 15 is a landmark day for everyone who’s worked to make LEGOLAND® possible here in Malaysia.”
LEGOLAND Malaysia is born of a partnership between Merlin Entertainments and two local investors: Themed Attractions and Resorts (TAR), Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB). This is Merlin's first attraction to open in Malaysia, the 21st country in which the Group now operates globally. This is the biggest development in Asia Pacific to date for Merlin that underlines the importance of this region as part of the company’s dynamic growth strategy.
Merlin also manages in this region several Madame Tussauds wax museums (in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Sydney) and SEA LIFE aquariums (in Busan, Bangkok, Shanghai, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and Auckland) as well as a family entertainment center LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre in Tokyo and other attractions in Australia and New Zealand.
The opening of the theme park is only the first step in the development of the site whose ambition is to become the most important tourist resort of south-east Asia. An outdoor water park and a themed hotel are indeed under construction for openings planned respectively in 2013 and 2014.
The 5 other LEGOLAND theme parks have opened in 1968 in Billund (Denmark), in 1996 in Windsor (UK), in 1999 in Carlsbad, California (USA), in 2002 in Günzburg (Germany) and in 2011 in Winter Heaven, Florida (USA).
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