Ten Things about Legoland Malaysia

Since Legoland Malaysia Resort opened in 2012, the park continues to add new interactive rides, shows and attractions to keep visitors coming back for more family fun.  

Entrance to Legoland Malaysia at Iskandar Puteri, Johor

At the recent topping-off ceremony for the Lego Ninjago Ride in Legoland Malaysia, the park announced that this thrilling indoor ride at a new section called Ninjago World, will be opened this November.  

Riders will play as Ninja warriors-in-training under the guidance of Ninjago character, Master Wu, to vanquish a legion of enemies using a hand-held device with cutting-edge technology to throw lightning bolts, move shockwaves, send ice soaring and emit fireballs! This is certainly something exciting to look forward to.  

But for now, here are ten things you should know about Malaysia’s first international theme park in Iskandar Puteri.

Get on a high-speed ride at Lego Technic which features Project X, the park’s fastest ride.  Each car takes four riders on a wild ride up to 18 meters off the ground.  This adrenaline-pumping experience is not for the fainthearted because it has a steep switchback track and with 15 corners, this ride has more twists and turns than any other ride in the park.

Spot Johor Baru’s iconic Sultan Ibrahim Building!  You will feel like a giant as you walk around Miniland, the centerpiece of every Legoland park.  Designed with 20 highly-detailed clusters, Legoland Malaysia’s Miniland is the largest ever built in a new park.  Miniland: Asia, which took three years to complete, showcases iconic landmarks from 17 cities and countries across Asia.

Imagination is home to the Observation Tower, a ride that takes you up to 60 meters, the park’s highest point, for a panoramic view of the park.  The Build & Test Centre is one of the most popular attractions for Lego inventors who can spend hours designing and constructing structures from their wildest imagination.  Inventors may construct gigantic towers and test their buildings on the earthquake table and race cars on a track!

Your Legoland park experience continues with a Legoland Hotel stay where guest rooms and suites are designed in Pirate, Adventure and Kingdom themes.  Have a unique hotel experience enjoying Lego features from the lobby to the rooms and restaurants and even in the elevators.  You cannot miss the spectacular knight’s castle for endless fun in a children’s play area with over 100,000 Lego bricks in the main lobby.  At the check-in desk, spot 12,528 Lego mini figures on the rear wall.

The ultimate Star War’s icon must be the Millennium Falcon and fans thrilled to the sight of the world’s largest model made with 15,000 Lego bricks.  The design and development of this space ship, taken from the scene in Episode IV: A New Hope, was the most challenging model to construct and took Lego master-builders 143 hours to complete.  This unique replica of the Millennium Falcon was a popular attraction at Legoland Malaysia until end June 2016.

The “The Lego Movie 4D: A New Adventure” was developed exclusively for Legoland parks.  This all-new theatrical experience reunite the familiar heroes at the invitation of a shady new character, Risky Business.  Have fun watching the 12.5 minutes show in the 4D Movie Theatre that features 3D computer animation with special 4D effects like wind, water and fog!

Over at the Land of Adventure, children of all ages can have fun as an adventure hero at the Lost Kingdom, bounce on the 15-foot Beetle Bounce tower, play in the Pharaoh’s Revenge area and take a daring journey into Dino Island.  This is a canoe voyage at Dino Island where you explore rocky outcrops, pass man-eating plants and the dinosaur lagoon.  Then get ready to get wet because the only way out is a sheer drop from a 12-metre high waterfall!

Lego Star Wars Miniland is the first of its kind in Asia that features seven scenes wth great detail from the six Star Wars films and The Clone Wars animated series.  Opened in 2014, this attraction remains popular with Star Wars fans who can relive the various iconic scenes through the intricately designed Lego models.  Look for the buttons on the walls and give it a press to enjoy the animation in each exciting scene.

The Lego themed Water Park has more than 20 unique water-based rides and over 70 Lego models among its many attractions.  This is the largest Legoland Water Park and the first to have a second gate which allows visitors to enjoy just the water park or combined with the theme park.  Besides playing at the Joker Soaker, you can have splashing fun with build-a-raft with Lego bricks to float along the lazy river and then ride the waves or cool off in the Lego Wave Pool.

For students who may not have the opportunity to visit Legoland Malaysia Resort, the park brings the Legoland experience to them through its Educational Programmes.  These programmes are based on similar educational programmes offered in the park.  The specially equipped Legoland EduPlay Express coach builds fun into learning and tours schools in Malaysia to offer students a Lego themed learning experience. 

A version of this was published in The New Straits Times, Life & Times on 4 August 2016