Media Hard Hat Tour

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in the LEGOLAND® Florida media hard hat tour. It was a fun, informative event. So much information that I’m going to break it down into several posts.

I arrived a bit early and was directed by some very friendly people to the sign-in area. Even though I had arranged to attend this event a bit late, my name was on the list and my credentials were ready. After a short wait we were able to head into the theater. There were about 150 people in attendance by my estimate. In addition to the media there were representatives from the hotel and concierge industry, local government officials, Chamber of Commerce members, and other local business people.

(Pictures from the theater are at the bottom of this post.) First to come to the podium was John Jakobsen, managing director for Legoland Parks and board member of Merlin Entertainment. He told the crowd that Merlin Entertainment operates 62 attractions world-wide which welcome 42 Million visitors per year. The motto of the Lego company, he said, “is only the best is good enough.”

After his brief welcome, Jakobson introduced Adrian Jones, General Manager for Legoland Florida. Jones said that there are three questions that he gets asked more than any others; What is Legoland, when will it open, and how much will it cost? Each of the answers can take up a post of their own, but let me give you a synopsis of how he answered them.

What is Legoland? Legoland Florida will be over 50 rides and attractions designed for families with children ages 2-12. It is a unique full day theme park, the fifth and largest Legoland park in the world. He went on to detail the various areas and attractions that are now under construction, something that I will do in subsequent posts.

When will it open? He also announced what has been speculatively mentioned in the past, that the target for opening the park is October 2011. Later in the tour we were told that construction is slightly ahead of schedule. Of course with Florida’s weather, that is something that can change at any time.

Finally, he answered the third question – How much will it cost?

• One Day Pass — $55 for Children 3-12 and Seniors (60+). Children under three are free on all plans.
• Standard Annual Pass — $99 for Children, Adults and Seniors. The pass includes special discounts and invitations to events and a LEGOLAND newsletter
• PLUS Annual Pass — $159 for Adults, $129 for Children and Seniors. The plus pass includes free parking, dining and retail discounts, along with invitations to events and a LEGOLAND newsletter.
• Finally, for the true fan, is the Ambassador pass for $2500. It includes lifetime admission to the park, all of the benefits of the PLUS pass with free PREFERRED parking, and an Exclusive Model Builder session.
• Tax is in addition to the prices listed.
• These are discounted prices, good through December 31, 2010.
• For ticket information visit http://florida.legoland.com/buy_tickets/tickets/

As I said, it was a very information filled day.

Next up, A virtual tour of Legoland Florida.

Here are a few pictures.