The Legoland New York Resort in Goshen plans to open this summer, although it has not yet set a firm opening date. The resort originally had intended to open on July 4, 2020, but that had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Goshen attraction will be the ninth Legoland worldwide and the third in the U.S. to invite visitors to suspend reality and enter a world where everything is made from tiny interlocking plastic bricks.
Owned by British-based Merlin Entertainments, the Goshen resort will be joining Legolands in California, Florida, Denmark, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Legoland theme parks and resorts also are under development in Korea and China.
Last November, the Goshen Planning Board gave approval for a phased opening to take place in view of the pandemic”™s delays and added safety requirements. Certificates of occupancy were to be issued to allow certain sections of the resort to begin public operations before others.
The Legoland New York Resort is a $500 million project on a 523-acre parcel off Route 17. The theme park itself is to occupy about 150 acres of the site. Another 150 acres is due to be preserved as a permanent buffer around the resort.
Merlin Entertainments, which operates more than 130 entertainment sites, 19 hotels and six holiday villages in 25 countries across four continents, had estimated that it hosted 67 million people a year and employed 28,000 people.
Merlin had said the Legoland New York Resort could attract 10,000 to 20,000 daily visitors during peak season and create 500 full-time jobs and 800 part-time jobs once it opens. The hotel at the site will have 250 rooms.
Legoland recently invited news media representatives to visit the construction site. Rides such as the Dragon, which is the park”™s roller coaster designed to be welcoming for younger children, were sent on test runs without passengers.
When completed, the Legoland New York Resort will have seven themed lands:
- Brick Street, leading to the Legoland New York Experience where miniatures of iconic buildings have been created in Lego brick style;
- Bricktopia, where guests can work with experienced Lego builders and also go on the Lego Factory Adventure ride;
- Lego Ninjago World, where aspiring young ninjas can practice Spinjitzu, a martial arts technique as well as a brand of Lego sets;
- Lego Castle, the home to the Dragon roller coaster;
- Lego City, a mini metropolis that features a driving school for youngsters;
- Lego Pirates, which is billed as a place to get wet with features such as Splash Battle and Anchors Away; and
- Miniland, containing a panorama of U.S. cities made with Lego bricks, including landmarks such as Yankee Stadium, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.
Legoland New York Resort has published its initial admission pricing. The charge for parking per vehicle is listed as $20 per day when bought in advance or $25 at the gate. Single-day admission tickets for those age 13 and older are listed at $79.99 if bought at the gate or $71.99 if purchased online in advance.
For children ages 3 through 12, single-day tickets are $69.99 at the gate or $62.99 if bought online in advance. Annual passes are $229.99 for all ages and entitle the holder to unlimited visits to the Goshen Legoland as well as other Merlin attractions in North America plus free parking. It is likely that promotions and ticket discounts will be available.
According to Legoland, the Goshen location will feature 15,000 Lego models made up of 30 million plastic Lego bricks.
