Dubai: Legoland officially opened in Dubai on Monday, welcoming thrill-seekers and fans of the cult Danish brick-based toy.
At 10am, as the curtain rolled back after an onstage countdown from officials and a marching brass band, an excited crowd flocked through the park entrance.
Legoland makes up just one part of Dubai Parks and Resorts which, at 30 million square feet, covers an area more than six times larger than the Vatican City.
Legoland, the seventh park based on the block-building toy range, is the first one built in the Middle East.
Here, fans can go on more than 40 rides. Built with the region’s steaming summers in mind, the park’s scaled-down Lego brick monuments and zones to let fans build their own creations are inside an air-conditioned dome. The restaurants also have indoor areas.
People who don’t like Lego – or dread the thought of stepping barefoot on one of the bricks – can instead visit Riverland Dubai.
Riverland, at the centre of the park, features an area for concerts and festival, as well as several themed districts by the shores of an artificial river. One street, a boulevard of palm trees and neon signs, is designed to look like 1950s America.
The fun has started! Join us at @LEGOLANDDubai now! #DubaiParksAndResorts #ExperienceAmazing pic.twitter.com/FdjG407NTq— DXB Parks & Resorts (@dxbparksresorts) October 31, 2016
ليجولاند دبي:
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) October 31, 2016
- 40 لعبة ركوب تفاعلية وعروض ووجهات، وتجارب
- أكثر من 15 الف مجسم
- 60 مليون مكعب ليجو pic.twitter.com/5FXJC3Izh0
Another district resembles a 1600s-style French town. With faux chimneys and rustic-looking stonework
With marble-looking minarets and gushing fountains, another district looks like Mughal-era India. Riverland is free to enter.
For tourists and even residents who wish to wake up close to the rides and restaurants, the mega-park also has a Polynesian-themed resort hotel, Lapita, with 503 rooms. Lapita will open on November 15.
Tickets for Legoland are Dh295 per adult and Dh250 for children and seniors, while children under the age of three go free. An annual pass, which allows you to go for an unlimited number of times, costs Dh765, and includes a 10 per cent discount on dining and shopping.
Meanwhile, Legoland Water Park and the Bollywood Parks will open on November 15. The Hollywood-themed Motiongate will open on December 16.
