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Legoland Billund Resort

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Legoland Billund Resort, the original Legoland park, opened on 7 June 1968 in Billund, Denmark. The park is located next to the original Lego factory and Billund Airport, Denmark's second-busiest airport. Over 1.9 million guests visited the park in 2011, and 50 million guests have visited the park since it opened. This makes Legoland the largest tourist attraction in Denmark outside Copenhagen. The Legoland parks that have since been built are modelled upon Legoland Billund, most noticeably the Miniland area, which is made up of millions of plastic Lego bricks.

Legoland Billund Resort
LocationBillund, Denmark
Coordinates55°44′8″N 9°7′34″E / 55.73556°N 9.12611°E / 55.73556; 9.12611
Opened7 June 1968; 56 years ago (7 June 1968)
OwnerMerlin Entertainments
Operating seasonMarch – December
Attendance1.95 million (2019)
Area14 ha (35 acres)
Attractions
Total50
Roller coasters4
Water rides3
Websitewww.legoland.dk/en/

History

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Entrance gates (1968)

The Lego company, led by Ole Kirk Christiansen, introduced plastic toys alongside their existing wooden toy line in 1949 after purchasing one of the first injection moulding machines in 1947.[1]: 10  One son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (GKC), was named the managing director of the family business in 1957 shortly before his father died and just two years later he bought out his three brothers.[1]: 20  In the 1960s, GKC decided to open a 14-acre (5.7 ha) Legoland Park adjacent to the Lego factory in Billund to promote his toy business; the factory itself was already drawing approximately 20,000 visitors per year by the mid-1960s, who came to view models produced for trade shows and shops.[1]: 49  [2] GKC hired Arnold Boutrop as the park's first general director and designer; after visiting Madurodam, the two men began finalizing plans for what would become Miniland, the main attraction of Legoland.[1]: 49  Dagny Holm, a cousin of GKC trained as a sculptor who was hired as a model designer in 1961[2] is credited with much of the original design and building of Miniland.[1]: 50  The park became an instant success, with 625,000 visitors in its first abbreviated season after opening on 7 June 1968.[1]: 56 

Over the years, Legoland Billund has added many original models and rides. The park, which has now been expanded to cover 45 acres (18 ha), is divided into nine themed areas, including Duplo Land, Imagination Zone, LEGOREDO Town, Adventure Land, Lego City, Knight's Kingdom, Mini Land, Pirate Land, and Polar Land.

 
Miniland in Legoland Billund (1968)

Today, Legoland Billund is the most visited tourist attraction in Jutland and the third-most visited attraction in Denmark, after Tivoli Gardens and Dyrehavsbakken.[3] Several other Legolands have since been built in other parts of the world:

The Blackstone Group, an investment firm, bought a 70% controlling stake in Legoland in 2005, with the remaining 30% still owned by Lego. The parks are operated by Merlin Entertainments.[4]

On 29 May 2024, a fire suspected to have been caused by a short circuit inside an electric rail car that was being charged overnight erupted at the park's Miniland attraction, destroying several replicas of famous buildings and a model of a traditional Danish port.[5]

Themed Lego Lands

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100m
110yds
 
Hotel Legoland
 
Ninjago World
 
Polar
Land
 
Miniland
 
Knight's Kingdom
 
Adventure Land
 
Pirate Land
 
LEGOREDO Town
 
Imagination Zone
 
DUPLO Land
 
Entrance
Themed areas and key locations within Legoland Billund Resort

 
Aerial photograph (2015)

As of 2024, the park has 11 themed areas.[6]

Adventure Land

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This area contains some of the park's more exciting rides such as the wild mouse roller coaster, X-treme Racers. Jungle Racers jet ski ride has a jungle theme and spins the riders quite fast. In 2010, The Temple was introduced, an indoor ride where riders board Explorer SUVs and are equipped with laser guns to shoot at moving targets in 11 scenes themed to ancient Egypt. The Temple also has a game area with an Egyptian theme, containing ring-toss, water-shooting, balloon-popping and a mummy game. The area contains two gift shops (Temple Gifts and Adventure Shop) and two restaurants. Falck Fire Brigade is a ride where you take your assigned vehicle to the scene of a fire where you and your fellow firefighters have to put out a fire in a building, and the fastest team wins.

Duplo Land

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Duplo Land (formerly known as Fabuland) contains rides and attractions for young children, with the Lego Duplo brand name. The Duplo Playhouse is a play area for children ages 2–6, which is themed like a city in which children can play. They can build using Lego, or play on planes and cars. There are also slides, stairs, interactive elements and a role-play area. The Duplo Train, a train ride that looks like a train made of Duplo bricks, takes two minutes to complete its loop. Duplo Planes is a plane ride similar to Disney's Dumbo ride, but with a Lego theme. The land also used to feature Duplo Driving School. This was a car ride for children ages 2–6, who are not yet ready for the Traffic School ride.

Duplo Peppa Pig Playground

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For 2024, a new play area themed to the Peppa Pig television series was opened behind Lego studies. This is part of a joint partnership between Lego, Hasbro and Merlin Entertainments.[7]

Imagination Zone

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This zone contains the Lego Studios, a purpose-built 600-seat 4-D theater, complete with special effects and a giant screen.

Lego Atlantis by Sea Life was added in 2007. The attraction starts off with an animated movie, featuring Lego figures and a submarine that travels down to the submerged city of Atlantis. There is also a Sea Life aquarium featuring a walk-through underwater tunnel and other hands-on activities with more than 800 sea creatures. Numerous Lego figures and models are in and around the aquarium.[8]

Knight's Kingdom

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Knight's Kingdom contains The Dragon coaster, located inside a medieval castle. The ride starts with a slow-moving dark ride scene with Lego figures themed to medieval times, including a mighty dragon. Vikings River Splash was a Viking theme river rapids ride that was added in 2006 and had plenty of wet surprises. Riders' photos are taken at the end of the ride. Knight's Kingdom also has Granny's Apple Farms Restaurant, Knight's Barbecue Grill and Castle Burgers.

LEGO Movie World

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It features the Masters of Flight and Unikitty's Disco Drop found in the California and Florida versions with its exclusive ride being a Technical Park Aerobat.

LEGOREDO Town

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LEGOREDO Town is a Western-themed land that contains the rides Lego Canoe, LEGOLDMINE, Westernride' and ghost The hunted House. LEGOREDO also has its own band called "The Rattlesnakes" and they play country music all day long. The mountain terrain of Lego Canoe offers a scenic background.

Mini Land

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Mini Land is the heart of any Legoland park. The 1:20 scale Lego brick models feature landscapes, sights and buildings from all over Denmark, as well as famous landmarks from other parts of the world. These include, in addition to the models listed below, the Acropolis of Athens and scenes from Star Wars. The LEGOTop observation tower offers a nice view of the entire park. The models and structures in Mini Land were made using more than 25 million Lego bricks.

Country Added Closed Image Description
  Denmark 1968 – Featuring models of Billund Airport, Copenhagen (Amalienborg Castle, Nyhavn), Dybbøl Mill, Klampenborg Station, Lilleby (a fictional village), Møgeltønder, Ribe, and Skagen.
  Egypt ? – Featuring model of Abu Simbel temples.
  Germany ? – Featuring models of Düsseldorf (promenade along the Rhine), Neuschwanstein Castle, and Tegernsee
  The Netherlands ? – Featuring models of Amsterdam and the surrounding landscape.
  Norway ? – Featuring models of Bergen and its harbor.
  Scotland ? – Featuring models of Crail and Eilean Donan.
Star Wars 2011 2019 Models removed shortly after Disney purchased the Star Wars franchise.
  Sweden ? – Featuring models of the Gota Canal.
  Thailand ? – Featuring model of The Grand Palace.
  United States ? – Featuring models of Hollywood, Kennedy Space Center, and the United States Capitol Building.

Ninjago World

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Ninjago World, which opened in 2016, features NINJAGO: The Ride, an interactive dark ride using gesture controls. The technology was developed by Triotech,[9] who had previously developed the interactive Voyage to the Iron Reef dark ride at Knott's Berry Farm.[10]

Annual attendance at Legoland Billund
Year Attendance Ref
2005 1,490,000 [11]
2006 1,460,000 [12]
2007 1,610,000 [13]
2008 1,650,000 [14]
2009 1,650,000 [15]
2010 1,650,000 [16]
2011 1,600,000 [17]
2012 1,650,000 [18]
2013 1,800,000 [19]
2014 1,925,000 [20]
2015 2,050,000 [11]
2016 2,091,000 [21]
2017 2,120,000 [22]

Pirate Land

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Pirate Land is a pirate-themed area. It features the Pirate Splash Battle where participants get wet. Other rides include Pirate Wave Breaker and Pirate Boats.

Polar Land

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Polar Land is a North Pole and South Pole theme area that opened in 2012.[23] This themed area was partially created from part of the Lego City themed area and the Event Center. It features the Polar X-plorer roller coaster, Builde a boat, arctic basecamp and Ice Pilots School.[24]

Ice Pilots School was previously named Power Builders and carried a Bionicle theme when it was part of the Lego City themed area.

Attractions

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Roller coasters

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Ride name Manufacturer Type Year opened Themed land Image Additional information
Dragen
The Dragon 		Mack Rides steel sit down 1997 Knight's Kingdom   Starts inside the medieval castle with a large dragon intimidating the riders; height limit 100 cm.
Flyvende Ørn
Flying Eagle 		Zierer steel sit down 2018 LEGOREDO Town   A family coaster where you plunge from Eagle Rock 11 m (36 ft) above the ground [25]
Polar X-plorer Zierer steel sit down 2012 Polar Land   A Polar-themed family coaster that reaches a speed of 65 km/h with a 5-meter freefall drop section; height limit 120 cm.
X-Treme Racers Mack Rides steel sit down wild mouse 2002 Adventure Land   A wild mouse coaster that reaches a speed of 56 km/h (35 mph) on a 400 meter long track (1312 ft) and a height of 16 m (52 ft); height limit 120 cm.

Water rides

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Ride name Type Year opened Themed land Image Additional information
Jungle Racers Carousel (dual) 2000 Adventure Land   Water jet ski ride
Lego Canoe Log flume 1992 LEGOREDO Town  
Pirate Boats Dark ride 1991 Pirate Land
Pirate Splash Battle Rail-based 2008 Pirate Land Splash battle water shootout on a 150 m long course

Other rides

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Ride name Type Year opened Themed land Image Additional information
Caterpillar Himalaya 1971 Miniland   Rider height minimum 90 cm. Moved to its new position in 1983
Falck Fire Brigade Fire fighting 2007 Adventureland   douse the fire yourself
Ghost-The Haunted House Walkthrough dark ride/drop tower 2014 LEGOREDO Town   a walkthrough attraction with a drop tower at the end
Ice Pilots School RoboCoaster G1 2003 Polar Land height limit 120 cm.
Lego Atlantis Aquarium 2007 Imagination Zone a sea life aquarium
Lego Studios 4D film theater 2001 Imagination Zone a 4D theater in Imagination Zone that as of 2019 shows 2 movies — Lego Ninjago 4D and LEGO® City 4D - Officer in Pursuit
Lego Top Observation tower 1984 Miniland   36 m high
Lego Train Train ride 1968 Miniland   a themed 2-minute train ride
Lloyd's Lazer Maze Maze 2016 Ninjago World a laser maze ride
Monorail Monorail 1985 Miniland  
NINJAGO The Ride Interactive dark ride 2016 Ninjago World   a dark ride where riders use their hands to shoot
Nintendo Game Show Play area Miniland play Nintendo games
Pirate Carousel Teacups Pirate Land   spinning cups
The Temple Interactive dark ride 2010 Adventureland dark ride laser shoot-out

Kiddie rides

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Ride name Type Year opened Themed land Image Additional information
Adventure Path Play area 2000 Adventureland play area in Adventureland
Duplo Planes Carousel 1984 Duplo Land   airplanes, built where caterpillar was
Duplo Playhouses Play area 2001 Miniland   play area
Duplo Express Train ride 1994 Duplo Land a 2-minute train ride
Frog Hopper Drop tower 2009 Miniland   mini drop tower
Lego Safari On-track driving 1972 Miniland on track cars on a Safari. Renovated 2017
Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Children's Play Area 2024 Duplo Peppa Pig Playground Themed to the children's show of the same name, part of a three-way partnership between Lego, Hasbro and Merlin Entertainments.[26]
LEGONDOL Ferris wheel 1984 Duplo Land   mini Ferris wheel
Mini Boats Boat ride 1971 Miniland where children can sail their own boats. Renovated 2022
Music Fountain Play area 2001 Imagination Zone   water play area
Pirate Wave Breaker Rocking tug 2009 Pirate Land 90+ cm
SEAT Traffic School Driving simulator 1968 Miniland   electric cars for 7 – 13 years old
Western Ride Carousel 1988 LEGOREDO Town   merry go round

Building experiences

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Attraction Year opened Location Image Additional information
Lego Gallery 2022 At the entrance Display MOCs from all over the world
Ferrari build and drive 2023 Brick Street Build a ferrari and test it
Duplo Fun 2022 Brick Street World full of Duplo bricks
Creative Workshop 2022 Brick Street A master builder guides you through building a model
The Great Lego Reef 2022 Brick Street Water themed
Monster Wall 2021 Brick Street 'Scary' monsters for everybody
Build a Boat - Polar 2022 Polar land Build a fast boat and race against others
Build a Boat - Legoredo 2022 Legoredo Build a fast boat and race against others
Arctic basecamp 2024 Polar land Build arctic Explorer vehicles and Explorer the ICE cave

Shows

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Attraction Type Year opened Themed land Image Additional information
The Rattlesnakes Country & western band LEGOREDO Town  
King's Castle Show Live action Knight's Kingdom action and stunt show at Mini Castle
Legoland Garden Marching Band throughout   the park's marching band
Battle of the brick Live action 2019 but closed in 2020 and reopent in 2023 Behind Polar land action and stunt show

Extras

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These attractions and activities all require an extra charge in addition to regular admission fees.

Attraction Type Year opened Themed land Image Additional information
Legoldmine Gold panning 1973 LEGOREDO Town Renovated 2021
Pirate Games Skill games Pirate Land test your skill games
Temple Games Arcade Adventureland

Special events

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The park hosts many special events throughout the season, including a Halloween celebration and firework shows.

Retired rides and attractions

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Ride name Type Years Themed land Image Additional information
Mine Train Dark ride 1978–19 Aug 2013 LEGOREDO Town a train ride journey through a dark mine where miners are hard at work. Replaced by Ghost-The Haunted House
Pirate Mini Water Falls Play area 2008-2019 Pirate Land water play area for the youngest children, has closed
Pirate Water Falls Play area 2008-2019 Pirate Land water play area for children, has closed
Pony Riding Horse Ride ?-1991 LEGOREDO Town replaced by Lego Canoe
FABULAND CARS Driving simulator ?-1982 Fabuland For kids under 8, replaced by FABULAND MERRY-GO-AROUND
FABULAND MERRY-GO-AROUND Carousel 1983-? Fabuland Like the LEGO sets 3668
LEGOCOPTER ?-2007 Miniland replaced by RC Monter Trucks
RC Monter Truck RC Car Track 2008 Miniland replaced by Frog Hopper
Timber Ride Steel roller coaster 1976-19 Aug 2013 LEGOREDO Town replaced by Ghost-The Haunted House
Duplo Driving School Driving simulator Duplo Land   electric cars for 2–6-year-olds, has closed
Chief Longears Meet & greet 1985-2021 LEGOREDO Town meet and greet the Indian Chief
the light house pull Youself up drop tower 1999-2023 pirat land pull youself up to and drop Down
Vikings River Splash River rapids 2006-Oct 2024 Knight's Kingdom   a 438-meter-long river rapids ride that features a Viking theme and has an 8 m drop at the end

Accident

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See also: Incidents at European amusement parks

On 29 April 2007, a 21-year-old female employee was killed by a roller coaster when she climbed over a security fence to retrieve a guest's wallet.[27]

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  •  
    View from the observation tower (click to enlarge)
  •  
    A Norwegian fishing village
  •  
    Observation tower
  •  
    KUKA Robocoaster programmable robotic arm
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    View from the Lego Top (tower), May 2012

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Herman, Sarah (2012). A Million Little Bricks: The Unofficial Illustrated History of the LEGO Phenomenon. New York City: Skyhorse Publishing. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-62087-054-9. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The first LEGOLAND® park". LEGO System A/S. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Exploring Denmark: The Most Visited Tourist Attractions In The Country". World Atlas. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  4. ^ Marriner, Cosima (13 July 2005). "US swoop takes Legoland under Merlin's wand". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Fire destroys part of Legoland theme park in western Denmark, melting replicas of famed buildings". Associated Press. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Legoland Park Guide" (PDF). Merlin Entertainments Group. 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  7. ^ "LEGO DUPLO PEPPA PIG - About Us". 23 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Atlantis Submarine Voyage". Park World. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  9. ^ "LEGOLAND California Resort and TRIOTECH Present Maestro Hand Gesture Technology at IAAPA Expo in Orlando for the New LEGO NINJAGO The Ride, Opening 2016!" (Press release). Merlin Entertainments Group. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  10. ^ Niles, Robert (17 November 2015). "First Look at the New Hand-Motion Technology Behind Legoland's Ninjago Ride". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  11. ^ a b TEA/AECOM (2016). 2015 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  12. ^ TEA/ERA (2007). 2006 Theme Park Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  13. ^ TEA/ERA (2008). 2007 Attraction Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  14. ^ TEA/ERA/AECOM (2009). 2008 Attraction Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  15. ^ TEA/AECOM (2010). 2009 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  16. ^ TEA/AECOM (2011). 2010 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  17. ^ TEA/AECOM (2012). 2011 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  18. ^ TEA/AECOM (2013). 2012 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  19. ^ TEA/AECOM (2014). 2013 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  20. ^ TEA/AECOM (2015). 2014 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  21. ^ TEA/AECOM (2017). 2016 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  22. ^ TEA/AECOM (2018). 2017 Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF) (Report). Themed Entertainment Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Polar Land at Legoland Billund". Park World. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  24. ^ LegoLand Billund (11 October 2011). "Get ready for Polar Land – this year's big news in LEGOLAND®". LegoLand Billund. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  25. ^ "Flying Eagle roller coaster at LEGOLAND Billund in 2018". Theme Parks EU. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  26. ^ "LEGO DUPLO PEPPA PIG - About Us". 23 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Legoland Employee Dies After Being Hit by Roller Coaster". AP. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
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