LEGOLAND has confirmed the launch of its brand new £10million rollercoaster, which will open to the public this weekend.
Earlier this month, the opening of Minifigure Speedway, the theme park’s latest ride, was pushed back because of “unforeseen delays”.
LegolandEarlier this month, the opening of Minifigure Speedway was delayed[/caption]
LegolandThe new ride will open on April 6, 2024 – one week later than planned[/caption]
LegolandThe new duelling coaster will see friends and family go head-to-head against one another[/caption]
The ride, which was set to launch on March 29, 2024, to coincide with the Easter holidays, was delayed.
At the time, fans of the theme park took to social media to express their frustration at missing out on the launch of the rollercoaster.
In a post on Facebook, one person wrote: “I’m gutted, we booked tickets especially for Friday.”
The theme park offered visitors the chance to change their booking if they had specifically chosen to visit to ride the Minifigure Speedway.
But disappointed fans haven’t had to wait long for the ride to launch, as Minifigure Speedway is set to open tomorrow, April 6, 2024.
The new duelling coaster will see friends and family go head-to-head against one another, with the ride going both forward and backwards in a race across two separate tracks.
When it opens, it will be the fastest ride at the the park, reaching speeds of up to 56km/h (34mph).
Next to the ride will be the world’s largest Lego minifigure character, Roxie.
Standing at 10m tall, the six-tonne statue, clad in a racing suit, is the official mascot for the brand new attraction.
Ahead of its opening, Legoland released a series of images showing the ride’s final look.
In the photos, visitors can see Roxie standing next to the winding track as several bright blue race cars pass by in the background.
Helen Bull, Divisional Director at the Legoland Windsor Resort, said: “It’s almost race day here at Legoland Windsor and the whole team is so excited to wave the checkered flag for the first riders.
“From coaster testing to polishing the wheels of the Team Legends and Team Allstars cars, the team have been busy getting everything ready as we prepare to welcome guests to the starting line.
“We can’t wait to see the new coaster in action as riders race to become Minifigure Speedway champions!”
Earlier this month, Legoland released a video showing the finishing touches being put on the ride.
In the footage, which can be viewed at the top of this news story, the coaster’s cars are seen being lowered onto the track and clipped together before being sent on a practice run.
Other theme parks around the world have been busy announcing plans to expand their offering.
Disneyland
Earlier this month, Disney unveiled plans for a brand new Avatar-themed land.
Slated to open at Disneyland, CEO Bob Iger released a concept image of what the new are could potentially look like during The Walt Disney Company Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
In a recorded message, Bob explained how the California park’s “imagineers” are working on bringing the land to life, although plans aren’t set in stone quite yet.
While the image is pretty non-committal in terms of features for the land, it does show park-goers wandering through scenes from Pandora, the magical and colourful land from the Avatar movies.
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is due to open a new Frozen land in the not-too-distant future, possibly even in 2025, although no opening date has been officially revealed as of it.
Once it is complete, it will have Elsa’s castle, which will sit next to a huge lake, with plenty of Frozen-themed attractions.
There will also be a new restaurant, with views over the kingdom of Arendelle and new shops built in Nordic-themed huts.
Elsa, Anna and Olaf will be found milling around for character meet and greets too.
Legoland Windsor Factbox
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Legoland Windsor in 2024:
Legoland Windsor will be officially open from March 15, 2024, to September 25, 2024
Located in Windsor, just west of London, the theme park’s full address is Winkfield Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 4AY
Trains take half an hour from London Paddington to Windsor via Slough
Trains from London Waterloo take around an hour and go directly to Windsor
Tickets should be booked in advance online
An online saver ticket costs £35 per adult, saving you £33 if you purchased the same ticket at the gate
Parking is not included in the ticket, and you’ll need to pay £8 for a ticket, although booking in advance will save you £1
Sun Online Travel recently tried Cadbury Chocolate Quest – Cadbury World’s first new ride in 27 years.
And here’s what it’s like to ride Nemesis Reborn – Alton Towers’ iconic rollercoaster that reopened last month following a revamp.
LegolandFans were gutted when the opening date of the ride was pushed back[/caption]
LegolandWhen it opens, it will be the fastest ride at the the park, reaching speeds of up to 56km/h (34mph)[/caption]
LegolandNext to the ride will be the world’s largest Lego minifigure character, Roxie[/caption]“}]]