Category: The Great LEGO Race

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The Great Lego Race Arrives at Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester

Last month Legoland Discovery Centre Boston was the first Legoland Discovery Centre in the world to feature virtual reality (VR) racing simulation The Great Lego Race, which debuted at several Legoland resorts. Now it’s the turn of UK Lego fans to enjoy the experience, with Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester showcasing the VR ride

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester

Designed for guests four-years old and above, the exclusive 360-degree ride has been timed to entertain girls and boys over the summer holidays. The experience sees Lego enthusiasts immersed in a brick-built Lego world, as they sit inside one of four futuristic VR pods for two and half minutes, venturing across rocky mountains, rolling rivers and hot lava.

“We’re thrilled to be the first location in the UK to offer this amazing experience,” said Jenn McDonough, General Manager Manchester Cluster, Merlin Entertainments, in a statement. “We were the first Legoland Discovery Centre in the UK, and remain the largest, so it is fitting that we are spearheading this entirely new concept. It’s incredibly exciting to be a part of, and I’m certain our Lego fans are going to love it!”

In addition to the The Great Lego Race, family attraction recently launched its new feature ‘Space Mission’ – an intergalactic experience providing guests with the opportunity to build their own Lego rockets, and explore weird and wonderful alien landscapes, before taking command at Lego mission control base.

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester welcomes The Great Lego Race

The VR experience will incur an additional cost of £5 GBP per person on top of the usual entry fees. Additionally, adult fans can enjoy the VR experience at the next Adult Fans of Lego Night on 1st August. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Lego and its uses of both VR and augmented reality (AR) technology, reporting back with any further updates.

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VR Experience Open At LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston

Location-based virtual reality (VR) experiences are beginning to become more commonplace at theme parks all over the world. Visitor attraction company Merlin Entertainments have previously explored the technology at its UK parks Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, and are now teaming with immersive technology company Immotion to bring a VR attraction to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Boston.

Merlin entertainments have struck a deal with Immotion to bring a themed VR experience to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre which will exist alongside the existing immersive attractions at the park, such as the 4D cinema.

The new VR experience will consist of an immersive VR racing simulation called The Great LEGO Race VR Experience, which will allow visitors to sit inside Immotion pods which combine sight, sound and motion for a truly immersive experience.

Martin Higginson, Executive chairman of Immotion said: “Discovery Center in Boston is part of a massively popular worldwide brand, and we are excited about this specially created VR experience we have delivered for them. “It demonstrates the kind of high-quality bespoke VR experiences we can develop on behalf of our partners.

Immotion was founded by Martin Higginson and David Marks and has been involved with a number of projects for immersive VR centres, such as the VR Star centres like the one which recently opened in Bristol, UK and the Jurassic World Exhibition which has been available the The Yorkshire Museum, which famed naturalist and presenter Sir David Attenborough described as ‘tremendous’.

Higginson also commented: “We are proud of the immersive technology behind the pod and we believe it will boost the great family fun already on offer. This is arguably Immotion’s highest-profile VR experience so far and shows that out-of-home VR is increasingly becoming a major part of the worldwide attractions and experiences industry.”

VR Star Centre

For further news on new and upcoming location-based VR projects, keep checking back with VRFocus.

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LEGOLAND Florida Resort Launches VR Roller Coaster

LEGO have announced that their LEGOLAND Florida Resort will be the first in North America to get a virtual reality (VR) combined roller coaster, offering thrills like never before.

The Great LEGO Race

The ride, titled The Great LEGO Race opened on the 23rd March and invites guests to experience a virtual world where they will be the star of a rollicking race against several other LEGO minifigures at the same time as riding an exciting roller coaster ride. The optional VR head-mounted display (HMD) will make the roller coaster ride shift to the point of view of the LEGO minifigure racer and let viewers experience a stunning LEGO brick made environment.

Once visitors are aboard the ride, sophisticated technology syncs the VR visuals with the roller coaster’s twists, turns, drops and climbs, creating an all-new experience that is filled with plenty of action, surprises and humor that only a visit to LEGOLAND could do. The Great LEGO Race features a LEGO pirate, wizard, surfer, trendsetter and pharaoh all driving brick-built vehicles, like a rocket-powered windsurfing rig, to race to the finish line and claim victory.

The Great LEGO Race

Developed under the supervision of Merlin Magic Making, the company’s global creative and delivery division, The Great LEGO Race is the first VR roller coaster experience designed for kids and represents the first time the LEGO brand and minifigure characters have been integrated into a state-of-the-art technology theme park attraction. LEGOLAND Florida Resort is home to over 50 rides, shows and attractions all inspired by the popular LEGO and DUPLO brands.

This is not the first VR roller coaster to be made however as a number of other companies have brought the technology to their brands. This includes Universal Studios Japan opening a VR roller coaster based on the popular Final Fantasy videogame series.

LEGO announced their plans to create The Great LEGO Race back at the start of last year and visitors will need to be at least 42 inches tall to ride, or be accompanied by a responsible adult who is at least 48 inches all.

VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on The Great LEGO Race and other VR based LEGO developments in the future, so stay tuned for more.

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LegoLand Florida to Open VR Roller Coaster in March

Location-based virtual reality (VR) comes in various forms, from educational experiences run by institutions or VR arcades with the latest videogames to high-intensity thrill rides at theme parks. Back in September VRFocus reported on Merlin Entertainments Group announcing that three of its LegoLand resorts would be getting VR roller coasters. Now it’s been revealed that LegoLand Florida Resort will be opening its version next month.

Called The Great LEGO Race, the experience is designed with children in mind where they have the option to wear a VR headset to transport them into a fantastical virtual world filled with Lego characters.

“Project X” roller coasters begins with newly refurbished entrance as the sounds of roaring engines fill the air. Nearby, the coaster’s queue will resemble a pre-race space where pit crews for each of the five LEGO racers (Trendsetter, Pharaoh, Surfer Girl, Wizard and Pirate Captain) are preparing for the competition, plus interactive, hands-on elements to entertain waiting riders. The experience will then take guests through a race course that features forests, underground caverns, raging rivers, over mountains and more.

Visitors need to be at least 42 inches tall to ride, or be accompanied by a responsible adult who is at least 48 inches all. The ride will be open from 23rd March 2018 onwards.

For any further updates keep reading VRFocus.

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Three LegoLand Parks are Adding VR to Their Roller Coasters

Today, Merlin Entertainments Group has announced that three of its LegoLand resorts will be transforming some of their roller coasters, adding virtual reality (VR) technology to create an experience called The Great LEGO Race.

Developed by Merlin Magic Making, the company’s global creative and delivery division, the VR experience will transform three existing “Project X” roller coasters, putting guests in the driver’s seat of a high-octane race.

The Great LEGO Race

The ride begins with new entry portal as the sounds of roaring engines fill the air. Nearby, the coaster’s queue will resemble a pre-race space where pit crews for each of the five LEGO racers (Trendsetter, Pharaoh, Surfer Girl, Wizard and Pirate Captain) are preparing for the competition, plus interactive, hands-on elements to entertain waiting riders.

“The Great LEGO Race was inspired by the way kids play with LEGO toys at home,” said Candy Holland, senior creative director for Merlin Magic Making in a statement, which designs and develops attractions for Merlin sites around the world. “It’s a unique LEGO adventure that lets kids enter an epic imaginary world made entirely from LEGO bricks, featuring a host of different themes and fun LEGO characters, all mixed up together.”

The new attraction will open in late 2017 at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, followed in 2018 at LEGOLAND Florida Resort and Germany’s LEGOLAND Deutschland Resort.

For any further updates keep reading VRFocus.