by Rona Gindin
ABOVE: (L to R): Ruud Koppens (ETF), Julie Estrada (Merlin Entertainments/LEGOLAND New York), Stuart Hetherington (Holovis)
When LEGOLAND New York Resort opens in July 2020, it will feature a first-ever dark ride that recreates each rider’s physical features and transforms it into virtual LEGO Minifigures.
The company announced the ride, LEGO Factory Adventure Ride, along with co-creators Holovis (ride creation) and ETF (ride vehicles) at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando. The immersive ride will have 19 vehicles and be themed around a real, highly automated LEGO factory in Denmark. It will be fully accessible for riders with disabilities. At ride’s end, each rider will see a character with his or her own hair style, glasses if appropriate and clothing color.
LEGOLAND New York Resort will be a 160-acre park in the Hudson Valley north of New York City. A 250-room hotel with four themes will be added in 2021.