The LEGOLAND New York Resort, a brand-new 150-acre theme park dedicated to the beloved toy bricks, has almost completed construction and will be ready to welcome guests sometime this summer, Frommer's reported.
Originally, the resort's opening date had been set for July 4, 2020, but that plan, like so many others, was derailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A local outlet that attended a media preview day on April 28, the Times Herald-Record wrote that, while park officials announced that the resort would open its gates "this summer", a more specific opening date hasn't yet been determined.
The resort, which will include a 250-room LEGO Hotel, is situated on a 500-acre parcel in New York's beautiful Hudson Valley, roughly 60 miles northwest (a 90-minute drive from) of New York City in the town of Goshen.
According to Attractions Magazine, it will be the first major theme park to open in the northeastern U.S. in over 40 years and is expected to become a major tourism draw in the region.
Once operational, LEGOLAND New York will be the largest LEGO-branded facility that Merlin Entertainments has ever built, and-bearing a $500-million price tag-is also its largest investment in a single park to date.
The New York theme park will be the company's third LEGOLAND property in the U.S., with two others already operating in California and Florida; and the ninth worldwide, with LEGOLAND parks present in LEGO's native Denmark, as well as the U.K., Germany, Japan, Malaysia and Dubai.
Once the park opens, guests will have access to as many as seven themed lands, namely Brick Street, Bricktopia, Miniland, LEGO City, LEGO Pirates, LEGO Castle and LEGO Ninjago World. Collectively, the lands featuring more than 50 family-friendly rides, shows and attractions. designed to delight kids ages two through 12 and their families. And, of course, each zone boasts plenty of distinct dining, snacking and retail opportunities.
As of April 9, New York State sanctioned outdoor amusement parks to restart their operations, as long as attendance is limited 33 percent capacity and certain COVID-19 protocols and precautions are observed, including temperature screenings, mask-wearing and social distancing.
As at the California and Florida parks, LEGOLAND New York will have a version of The Dragon roller coaster and rides like Anchor's Away!, Splash Battle, DJ's Dizzy Disco Spin, Merlin's Flying Machines, LEGO NINJAGO The Ride and more.
Plus LEGOLAND New York will debut a highly anticipated, interactive ride called Professor Brick's Lego Factory Adventure Ride, where riders will experience what it's like to be a LEGO Minifigure traveling through the manufacturing process. The first-of-its-kind dark ride will use advanced computer vision and tracking technologies to identify guests' physical attributes, map their positions and then digitally "transform" them into LEGO Minifigures that move as each person does.
Day passes for LEGOLAND New York can be purchased online in advance, and remain valid for one year from the date the park reopens (yet to be announced). The price of a single-day admission for kids ages 12 and under is $63, while visitors ages 13 and older pay $72.
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