LIFE-SIZE LEGO; DANISH BLOCKS GO FROM CHILDREN'S TOY TO MAIN ATTRACTION AT NEW THEME PARK.Byline: Nancy Hewitt Daily News Staff Writer They were about imagination, those blue, red and yellow blocks of plastic. Out of their simple form came castles, robots and fighter planes - as fancy or strange as a mind could make them. With LEGO, there were no limits. And now, those primary-colored building blocks are about to become larger than life larg·er than life adj. Very impressive or imposing: "This is a person of surpassing integrity; a man of the utmost sincerity; somewhat larger than life" Joyce Carol Oates. . LEGOLAND has come to California. The 128-acre theme park - the first in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. - opens in Carlsbad on March 20. It took $130 million and three years to put together the nearly 30 interactive attractions, family rides and shows, plus displays of everything from animals to miniature cities built out of - what else? - LEGOS. Even the bathroom mirror frames are made of the toy blocks. All that, and you barely see it coming until you walk up the hill from the parking lot in the business district of this seaside community of 70,000. The park began to take root in 1994, when a local company, the Carltas Group, was looking to open a youth-oriented attraction in the area. But Carlsbad had to compete against some 600 municipalities that sent proposals to LEGO Group Lego Group is a family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark and best known for the manufacture of Lego-brand toys. The company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen. headquarters in Denmark, vying to become the first U.S. LEGOLAND, said Marianne Flowers, the park's director of marketing. Carlsbad, however, had something to offer that many of the others did not: It's within a two-hour drive of most of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , a region accustomed to world-famous theme parks. ``It has a strong tourist base,'' Flowers said. ``The company was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. an area that could accommodate year-round operation; our weather here is perfect for that. And Californians are theme-park goers.'' It took some work, though, to convince Carlsbad residents - who worried LEGOLAND would turn the community into a congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. tourist town - that the park would be a good thing, recalls Flowers. ``We spoke to every civic organization, attended many breakfasts,'' she said. ``We assured them that we were dedicated to children and their families. This would not be a teen-age hangout.'' So far, so good. In a recent preopening-day trial run, families of park builders were invited to come see the new attraction. And while many of the activities are geared toward children ages 2 to 12, kids of all ages said they had a good time. ``This is great,'' said Sheree Rouse of Escondido, who was there with her husband and two children. ``It makes me want to go home and play with my LEGOS.'' Jan Shinn, a first-grade teacher at Holmes Elementary School elementary school: see school. in San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , took her class on a LEGOLAND field trip during a recent test day and admits she was amazed by the park. ``I thought it was wonderful. I think the Miniland was really exciting. The kids had a wonderful, wonderful time.'' In a world increasingly fixated fix·ate v. fix·at·ed, fix·at·ing, fix·ates v.tr. 1. To make fixed, stable, or stationary. 2. To focus one's eyes or attention on: fixate a faint object. on all things high-tech, the park offers just the opposite - simple wonders. Your LEGO memories Not every kid had the luxury of owning a Barbie doll Barbie doll popular dress-up doll; extremely conventional and feminine. [Am. Hist.: Sann, 179] See : Fads . Some were even deprived of Play-Doh and Mr. Potato Heads. But when it comes to LEGO, almost everyone had a few bricks to play with - or they should have. There certainly haven't been any shortages. The folks at the LEGO Group say more than 189 billion pieces of LEGO have been produced since 1949. That's about 30 pieces for every person on the planet. Enough to build fantastical creations, large, small, beautiful and strange. What did you create with your LEGO sets? What was your most impressive LEGO project? Share your childhood (or maybe you still secretly play with them as an adult) memories of the durable toy blocks that have entertained us for 50 years. Mail letters to: L.A. Life Letters, Features Department, Daily News, P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91365-4200. You also can fax us at (818) 713-3545, or e-mail us at dnlalalifeaol.com. A park of many lands, many themes Like Disneyland, LEGOLAND is divided into themed lands. Here are some highlights: Miniland This is the heart of the park. You'll see LEGO replicas of America's most famous landmarks - from the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of skyline and San Francisco's ``painted ladies'' to Mann's Chinese Theater and the nation's capital. Enjoy sunbathers on the beach, the Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheatre at 2301 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood, California, USA, that is used primarily for music performances. The "bowl" in this context is the natural cavity in the earth into which the amphitheater is built, rather than the shape of the (complete with full orchestra and filled seats) and the Griffith Observatory Griffith Observatory is located in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the . The boats, trains, wagons, cars - all the vehicles in Miniland - are animated, controlled by 12 computers that use 300,000 yards of wire underground. Village Green It was designed to resemble the imaginary garden of a child, featuring a boat ride through favorite childhood fairy tales This is a list of fairy tales, the dates of their earliest known printed version, the author and, if known, the collection of tales in which it was published. It should be noted, however, that not all stories listed below would be categorized as fairy tales by a strict definition along Fairy Tale Brook; life-size giraffes, zebras, lions and more (all made of LEGO) in the Safari Trek; and Waterworks waterworks: see water supply. , an interactive water play area. The Lake Visitors embark on a ``world tour,'' featuring the international Coast Cruise. While traveling along the lakeshore, you'll see animated LEGO models ranging from dinosaurs to octopuses, along with some curious figures out of history. The Ridge Here you'll climb aboard Sky Cycle, a zany pedal car that travels on a roller coaster-like track, propelled by - you guessed it - you and a partner. The faster you pedal, the faster your vehicle moves. Fun Town The land geared to the young adventurer. Kids ages 3 to 12 get to experience the exhilaration of driving a car just like an adult. Young drivers travel along scaled-down streets, complete with stop signs and signals. After completing the driving course, they are entitled to a LEGOLAND driving license. This neighborhood also houses the LEGO Factory, where you will see a miniature version of LEGO production. Castle Hill Made for anyone who's ever dreamed of knights, princesses and dragons. Take a ride on the Dragon, a gravity coaster that travels through the LEGOLAND castle; let your youngsters take a stab at riding a LEGO horse on a simulated joust joust: see tournament. ; or let them pan for gems at the King's Treasure. HOW TO GET THERE Directions:From the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , take Interstate 5 south and exit on Cannon Road in Carlsbad. Go east until you see signs for LEGO Drive. Hours: Opens 10 a.m. daily. Closing times vary. Call park at (760) 918-5346. Park is open year-round beginning March 20. Parking: $6 for cars; $8 for campers and RVs; $3 for motorcycles. Admission: $32 for adults, $25 children age 3-16, 2 or younger free; $25 for seniors 60 and older. CAPTION(S): 5 Photos, 2 Boxes, Map Photo: (1--Cover--Color) LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA NEW THEME PARK BUILDS ON CHILDHOOD IMAGINATION (2--Color) The LEGOLAND amusement park in Carlsbad includes these San Francisco Victorian-style houses made entirely of the interlocking interlocking /in·ter·lock·ing/ (-lok´ing) closely joined, as by hooks or dovetails; locking into one another. interlocking Obstetrics A rare complication of vaginal delivery of twins; the 1st toy bricks. (3--Color) A medieval sentry takes a nap near the entrance to Castle Hill. (4--Color) LEGOLAND visitors on the Coast Cruise float by this gigantic creature. (5--Color) A female firefighter touches up her lipstick. LEGOLAND opens to the public on March 20. Nancy Hewitt/Daily News Box: (1) Your LEGO memories (See text) (2) A park of many lands, many themes (See text) Map: Legoland California |
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