WINTER HAVEN – A new roller coaster at Legoland Florida takes riders into an outer space-like situation that can cause mild out-of-body sensations. The Galactic Coaster opens to the public on Friday.
The new attraction has a rotating element. Eight-passenger vehicles (two rows of four people each) rotate as they move forward and up and down along the indoor coaster’s rails. Close encounters swoop in with celestial bodies, Lego blocks in anti-gravity mode, and swarms of separators, a kind of celestial anthropomorphic tool that pries open Lego blocks in the real world.
Before boarding, passengers customize their vehicle by selecting creative options for the spaceship’s wings, nose, and tail (styles include dragon, balloon, hamburger, and more). After the group boards the vehicle, they see an image of themselves sitting inside their specialty vessel.
Immediately, the car shifts 90 degrees and immediately begins its journey, a quest to save the LEGO galaxy. The first launch into the darkness traveled at about 40 miles per hour, surprising some people despite the word “launch” appearing on the portal. (Reading is basic, everyone.)
Central Florida is home to a lineup of space-themed coasters, from Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain, Florida’s oldest operating roller coaster, to Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Epic Universe’s Stardust Racers. Galactic Coaster may remind people of a less intense version of Cosmic Rewind with some on-track moves, like Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios.
But this is aimed at Legoland’s demographic: visitors between the ages of 2 and 12. My child was a little surprised by the speed and mystery, but the ride time of 90 seconds is child-friendly. Although it won’t turn you upside down, its impact is one step above its sister coaster, Dragon.
Riders looking for more vibrancy on the Galactic Coaster should secure seats in the back row, where they can experience more intense action. Passengers have a lap bar that hangs over their heads, but does not restrain their shoulders. Adults may like the ample knee room for riding. Boarding the ride vehicle is very easy, and a moving walkway that travels alongside the vehicle creates a continuous load condition with a goal of 1,000 riders per hour.
This new attraction is also a bit bigger, with a 30,000 square foot show building. The park’s owner, Merlin Entertainments Group, is spending $90 million to open the Galactic coaster in Florida and soon Legoland California.
“This is the largest single investment in Legoland’s history, so the way it plays out is we’re going to see a lot more themes around us,” senior project manager Blake Boiter said this week.
“You’ll find that the density of themes is much higher than elsewhere in our park. … There’s no other ride system like this. The speed, the ability to turn, all of the different aspects are unique to this ride,” he said. “On top of that, most people expect more media, more music, more video. That’s what we’ve built into this.”
One of the galactic coaster rows features an animatronic named Biff Dipper who provides riding instructions along with other Lego characters and a screen of space imagery on a ceiling screen.
“He’s moving and looking more animated than ever,” Boyter said. “He’s bending over and looking at the kids. So he’s a minifigure brought to life.” (Biff is 3.5 feet tall, the size of 10,000 minifigures combined, Beuter said.)
The look pays homage to multiple LEGO Space sets, including the LEGO 885 set, the first model introduced by the company in 1979. In front of the main entrance is a giant version of the Lego 918 space transport. Press the nearby button to hear a roar. There’s also a Duplo play area and a variety of figures, including a family of aliens. Approximately 583,000 bricks are used there.
The LEGO brand has a number of space-oriented product lines to choose from.
“We actually put a little bit of everything here,” Boiter said. “Instead of making the hard decisions, take a little bit from M:Tron, Blacktron, Space Police…everything is included.”
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