Merlin Entertainmenst opens LEGOLAND® Malaysia. This is the first LEGOLAND® park in Asia, and the sixth LEGOLAND® park worldwide.
Related: Theme parks: Merlin Entertainments' John Jakobsen on the Rise and Rise of Legoland
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.”
Set in the thriving Iskandar region, the Park is accessable for visitors from Singapore and covers 76 acres with 40 exciting interactive rides, shows and attractions aimed at families with children ages 2 to 12 years. Plans are already in place for LEGOLAND® Malaysia to be expanded to become the largest destination resort in Southeast Asia with a waterpark and resort hotel due to open in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
LEGOLAND® Malaysia is a partnership between Merlin Entertainments Group, the leading name in location-based, family entertainment and the second largest visitor attractions operator in the world, and local investors Themed Attractions and Resorts (TAR), Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB).
LEGOLAND® Malaysia is Merlin’s first attraction in Malaysia and is the biggest attraction development for Merlin in Asia Pacific to date, illustrating the importance of this region as part of the company’s dynamic growth strategy.
John Jakobsen, Managing Director of LEGOLAND® Parks for Merlin Entertainments, said,“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. 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.
"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.”