Legoland Wins 5th Straight Award

by The Editors on September 6, 2008

Img400 Golden TicketIt’s getting to be a bit of old hat, but Carlsbadistan’s Legoland has won an Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for Best Children’s Park for the fifth year in a row. Must be a lot of competition in that category.

It’s a great honor to be distinguished as the Best Children’s Park five years in a row,” said John Jakobsen, Managing Director Legoland Parks and General Manager of Legoland California Resort . “We are constantly striving to make Legoland California an incredible adventure for families with children 2 to 12 years old.”

Congrats, Legoland.

LEGOLAND® California Awarded “Best Children’s Park” Five Years in a Row!
Prestigious Poll Reveals Family Theme Park as
“Best of the Best” in the Amusement Industry

CARLSBAD, Calif. (September 4, 2008) – Park enthusiasts from around the world have voted LEGOLAND® California as the Best Children’s Park for the fifth year in a row. Amusement Today, a monthly trade newspaper, awarded the 128-acre family theme park in Carlsbad the esteemed Golden Ticket Award on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 during a ceremony at Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida.

Introduced in 1998, the Golden Ticket Awards have steadily increased in popularity to become the most sought after award by amusement industry players. The recipients of these awards are chosen from an international poll conducted by industry experts at Amusement Today. Surveys were sent to a cross-section of educated and well-traveled amusement park aficionados.

“It’s a great honor to be distinguished as the Best Children’s Park five years in a row,” said John Jakobsen, Managing Director LEGOLAND Parks and General Manager of LEGOLAND California Resort . “We are constantly striving to make LEGOLAND California an incredible adventure for families with children 2 to 12 years old. This year we created a completely new interactive musical show and introduced three rides in the new Land of Adventure in March, which means we have more than doubled the amount of rides since we opened in 1999. Next year is our ten-year anniversary and we’re excited to host the 2009 Golden Ticket Awards here at LEGOLAND California Resort. “

Land of Adventure features four new attractions, more than 75 new LEGO models created out of nearly half a million LEGO® bricks and the Park’s first-ever dark ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure. Symbolizing the essence of LEGOLAND, the popular new area has something for every member of the family and is extremely interactive.

Land of Adventure is just one part of a $20 million dollar investment by Merlin Entertainments into LEGOLAND California Resort this year. North America’s first SEA LIFE™ Aquarium, geared specifically to educate children on creatures under the sea, opened in August as a separate admission adjacent to LEGOLAND California. The two-story 36,000 square foot aquarium features 36 displays holding more than 250,000 gallons of water.

Merlin Entertainments is the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator with 58 attractions in 12 countries across three continents. Since Merlin acquired the four LEGOLAND Parks in 2005 the company has invested heavily in LEGOLAND California making it an even greater destination for family fun.

“Merlin Entertainments Group is delighted at just how well the new developments at LEGOLAND California have been received, at the team’s commitment to customer service and to ensuring every visitor has an exciting and memorable experience. Last year I challenged them to win this prestigious title for a fifth year in a row and I’m proud to say it’s ‘mission accomplished!’” says Nick Varney, Chief Executive Merlin Entertainments Group. “The California team has done an excellent job and gone above and beyond my expectations for them. I have no doubt the Resort will continue to go from strength to strength and the team already has their eye on year six! Success here is particularly important as North America is a vital growth market for Merlin. As well as the expansion here in California, two other new Merlin attractions opened in the U.S. this year – Madame Tussauds in Washington D.C. and a LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Chicago with several others already in development.”

LEGOLAND is geared towards families with children ages 2 through 12 with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. For the most current information, log on to www.LEGOLAND.com or call 760-918-LEGO. For a complete look at the Golden Ticket Award winners for 2008, challengers and complete survey results, visit www.amusementtoday.com.

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