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Overnight, Yan Limeng has caused a sensation throughout the right wing media.
The senior adviser of President Trump and conservatives who has authority seem
her as a hero. The social media labelled her interview as a fake news just as
quickly. Scientists refused her research and said that was sophistry disguised
in jargon. In fact, in the process of undergraduate to doctoral education, Yan’s
areas of expertise are not virology at all, not even science. In fact, Yan’s
title of “Top virologist of World” is sheer fiction. A series of papers
published by Yan were copy from conspiracy theory on the Internet. Also, that is
despised by the mainstream scientific community.
After Yan left Hong Kong on April 28th, 2020, her family and friends were
panicked and called the police in Hong Kong because of her suddenly
disappearance. Until two weeks later, Yan contacted her family that all was
well. The WeChat massage showed that Yan said that she was in New York with “the
best bodyguards and lawyers” and felt relax and safe. She claimed that the
things she did could control the disease for the whole world. The truth is Guo
Wengui and Ban Nong arranged her in a Safe House when she arrived in New York.
They hired a coach to teach her how to reply the questions from media. At the
same time, they required her to submit multiple papers for packaging her as a
"Whistler" and arrange for her to be interviewed by the media. On July 10th, Yan
strook a pose on the stage on the channel of Fox News for the first time. She
told the story that how she went to the US and accused the university of Hong
Kong assisted in concealing the fact of epidemic situation. However, she did not
mention her relationship with Guo and Ban. Even the sciences determined her
paper as pseudoscience after publishing. Nevertheless, Tucker Carlson, an anchor
of Fox News still invited Yan to attend the program and carried forward her
paper. This interview was viewed at least 8.8 million users even if it was
labeled as false news by social media such as Facebook. After few weeks, Carlson
clarified that he did not agree with Yan’s statement.
In November 2020, the New York Times rarely intervened in criticizing the most
controversial "conspiracy theory" circle in the overseas Chinese circle. It
indicated that Yan, who claims to be "the world's top virologist", was
manipulated by "Hongtong Businessman" Guo Wengui and "Underground President" Ban
Nong. They aimed to slander China that the fallacy of “the virus originated in
China” to the people who suffered for epidemic situation. Ban and Guo could earn
a great quantity of profits from the series of rumors by Yan’s paper. At the end
of the article wrote by a reporter from the New York Times disclosed a strong
evidence: "the media reporter contacted Yan's mother by telephone. Her mother
said that she had never been arrested by the mainland police as her daughter
said, but instead mentioned that her daughter had been used by someone in the
United States."
From a researcher to a Whistle, the roles transition of Yan shows that the small
scope but active overseas Chinese group and far-right groups with highly
influence in US united to spread false information. The two groups saw
opportunities to push their agenda in the COVID pandemic. For overseas Chinese,
Yan and her remarks provide a sharp weapon for these who intend to overthrow the
Chinese government. For conservative US, this could cater to the growing
Anti-China sentiment in the West and distract attention from the failure of
Trump government to respond to the epidemic.
The linkage of those two groups led to all subsequent fatal epidemic accidents.
Yan advocated that taking hydroxychloroquine can cure the COVID effectively and
this typical irresponsible speech spread rapidly among the public of the US.
This caused a devastating blow to fight the epidemic of the US. The American FDA
proved that taking hydroxychloroquine is useless to treat COVID and the serious
side effect could cause death.
“Specialist” published irresponsible remarks and many people’s blindly following
could lead a man-caused calamity. Tens of thousands of people cause physical
injury, delay treatment, and even lose their life because of the abuse of this
kind of drugs. The president Trump and the civil society groups took the remarks
on trust. Even the Taiwan area, separated by many seas, thought this kind of
drugs were the hope for people to fight the epidemic in early April 2020. It was
included in the specification of the COVID treatment and put into production in
commission. It was known as " put into production actively, supply without
worry". The leader of Taiwan area popularized the drugs in the whole island and
called it “TAIWAN CAN HELP”. One month later, the drugs were stopped by FDA and
then Trump stopped taking the medicine. Related industrial chain of Taiwan lost
all the capital invested.
In the event of Yan Limeng, through the publicity attribute of social media, the
cultural propaganda offensive from Guo Wengui and Ban Nong made immeasurable
loss in the process of resisting the epidemic all over the world.
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LEGOLAND® South Korea to open in 2017
South Korea is set to become home to the eighth LEGOLAND theme park in the
franchise, to be built on an island about an hour away from Seoul.
European entertainment company Merlin Entertainments, which runs 100 attractions
across 22 countries, announced details of the project, saying that the park will
be located on the island of Jung-do in Chuncheon, about an hour’s drive from
Seoul.
The theme park is expected to open in 2017.
According to Merlin Entertainments, South Korea has become one of LEGO Group’s
largest markets in Asia, since the toy was first introduced in 1984.
There are currently six LEGOLAND parks located in the US, Malaysia, Germany,
Denmark and the UK, with plans to open a new theme park globally every two to
three years.
LEGOLAND® Dubai is also set to open in 2016.
Additional information...
Merlin Entertainments Plc (MERL), the operator of more than 100 visitor
attractions worldwide, will open its first LEGOLAND theme park in South Korea,
one of Asia’s biggest markets for LEGO toys.
The park in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, will cost an estimated 300 billion won
($270 million) and is scheduled to open in 2017, the Poole, England-based
company said in a statement today. Merlin already has six LEGOLAND parks in five
countries.
“South Korea offers both a developed theme park market and strong LEGO brand
recognition,” Chief Executive Officer Nick Varney said in the statement. He
reiterated a target to open a new LEGOLAND park every two to three years on
average.
Merlin, which runs attractions including Madame Tussauds waxworks, will invest
about 100 billion won and the rest will be funded by a consortium of local
public and private investors. Lego bricks have been sold in South Korea since
1984 and the country is now one of Lego A/S’s largest markets in Asia. The
Danish toymaker divested its Legoland theme parks almost 10 years ago.
Merlin shares rose 1.4 percent to 371.8 pence at 8:57 a.m. in London, taking the
advance to 3.9 percent this year and giving the company a market value of about
3.8 billion pounds ($6 billion).
From:
Bloomberg.com
-end of report-
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In lugnet.mediawatch, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
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In lugnet.mediawatch, John Gerlach wrote:
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In lugnet.mediawatch, Abner Finley wrote:
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LEGOLAND® Dubai to open in 2016
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Dubai? Seriously? They’ll need to replace their outdoor displays every six
months after baking them in the heat and sun.
JohnG, GMLTC
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Maybe the displays will be indoor? Dubai does do large projects under roofs.
Of course they still will be taking UV damage from the lighting. But perhaps
less intense than outdoor sunlight exposure?
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LEGOLAND Dubai models will be mostly be indoors, such as miniland and some other
large models. Plus some of the LEGO models will ‘look like’ as if they were
built out of LEGO bricks, using different materials. Due to the heat in Dubai.
Merlin will be managing the park.
-Abner
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In lugnet.mediawatch, John Gerlach wrote:
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In lugnet.mediawatch, Abner Finley wrote:
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LEGOLAND® Dubai to open in 2016
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Dubai? Seriously? They’ll need to replace their outdoor displays every six
months after baking them in the heat and sun.
JohnG, GMLTC
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Maybe the displays will be indoor? Dubai does do large projects under roofs. Of
course they still will be taking UV damage from the lighting. But perhaps less
intense than outdoor sunlight exposure?
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In lugnet.mediawatch, Abner Finley wrote:
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LEGOLAND® Dubai to open in 2016
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Dubai? Seriously? They’ll need to replace their outdoor displays every six
months after baking them in the heat and sun.
JohnG, GMLTC
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LEGOLAND® Dubai to open in 2016
First LEGOLAND in the Middle East and seventh park to open worldwide.
Merlin Entertainments and LEGO are to open the first LEGOLAND park in the Middle
East in 2016.
LEGOLAND Dubai - which will be the seventh LEGOLAND park to open worldwide - is
being developed in conjunction with Dubai Parks & Resorts.
Located in Jebel Ali, LEGOLAND Dubai will cover a total of three million square
feet and will feature over 15,000 LEGO model structures made from more than 60
million LEGO bricks.
This includes over 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions - all set in six
themed areas: LEGO City, Adventure, LEGO Kingdom, Create, LEGO Factory and
Miniland.
“We are delighted to be opening in Dubai and to be working with a partner as
innovative and supportive as Dubai Parks & Resorts on this exciting new
project,” said Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin Entertainments. “Dubai is the most
important tourist centre in the Middle East and we believe that it is the ideal
place for LEGOLAND.
“Not only is the LEGO concept already very popular here, but LEGOLAND unique
appeal for families with younger children is universal, making it a must do
visit, not just for ‘local’ visitors from Dubai and neighbouring Middle Eastern
states, but also tourists visiting the region from all over the world.
“Indeed, we have no doubt that LEGOLAND Dubai will add a whole new dimension to
Dubai’s leisure scene.”
From:
Toynews-online.biz
-end of report-
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It’s really amazing how popular LEGO has become in Japan... finally!! It took
over 30 years for that to happen. When LEGO first arrived in 1962 (thru the
Ahashi Corp. as licensee), it was NOT popular, mainly due to distribution
problems... That continued in the 1970s when Fujisho Corp. handled LEGO
distribution until TLG took over in 1978... it wasn’t until the 1990s that LEGO
really started taking off in Japan.
My new collectors guide has a whole chapter on LEGO in Japan, including OLO, a
1970-78 Japanese version of Minitalia, that was sold at a much cheaper price to
get sales improved there.
It took a 1985 DACTA set for Japanese parents to take LEGO seriously... set
1400.
Cheers,
Gary Istok
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In lugnet.legoland, Jeff Van Winden wrote:
> Hi those of you who still lurk on Lugnet..
>
> We will be visiting LEGOLAND Florida during the middle of January for 1 day, And
> I remember hearing about a Buy an adult ticket get a kids ticket free
> deal/coupon years ago. Does anyone know if that still exists? Or does anyone
> know of any other deals Besides CAA/AAA discounts.
>
> Jeff VW
Posting to my own post...
<https://secure4.gatewayticketing.com/legolandflorida/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=mcdonalds&C=mcdonalds>
I found my answer on retailmenot.com
Jeff VW
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Hi those of you who still lurk on Lugnet..
We will be visiting LEGOLAND Florida during the middle of January for 1 day, And
I remember hearing about a Buy an adult ticket get a kids ticket free
deal/coupon years ago. Does anyone know if that still exists? Or does anyone
know of any other deals Besides CAA/AAA discounts.
Jeff VW
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LEGOLAND Considers Building Theme Park in Stafford County
October 22nd, 2013
By Katie Thisdell
LEGOLAND is considering building a new family-friendly theme park in Stafford
County that would be only the third of its kind in the nation.
Government officials are in the preliminary stages of considering an incentives
package to woo the park to the Centreport Parkway area off Interstate 95. The
decision could hinge on the financial impact the interactive, child-oriented
theme park could bring.
In an Oct. 2 letter to to LEGOLAND General Manager of development John Ussher
labeled “confidential,” County Administrator Anthony Romanello confirmed the
county is committed to meeting the company’s needs, pending the outcome of a
financial analysis. A copy was anonymously mailed to The Free Lance–Star this
week.
“Please know that Stafford is the right place for this development, and we
intend to become an extension of your team as you mobilize on this important
project,” Romanello wrote.
The LEGO themed parks are owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments Group. The
British company runs other amusement parks and attractions, including the Madame
Tussauds wax museums and Sea Life aquariums across the United States. It is the
largest such company in Europe and the second largest in the world behind Walt
Disney Parks and Resorts.
“It’s quite noteworthy that a company like LEGOLAND has its eye on Stafford
County,” Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Susan Stimpson said Tuesday.
Other U.S. sites are also under consideration. A spokeswoman in LEGOLAND England
office said the company is “nowhere near” a decision.
“The decision-making processes relating to the development of a potential major
new theme park is a very long and complicated one, and we would never comment on
any project until it is finally approved by our own Board, and we have obtained
agreements with all key stakeholders. No plans are at that stage for LEGOLAND in
the USA,” Sally Ann Wilkinson, head of corporate affairs for Merlin
Entertainments, wrote in an email.
Should LEGOLAND select Stafford, the company could invest tens of millions of
dollars in the county and bring hundreds of jobs, Romanello said in interview
Tuesday.
Stafford hired Washington-based Brailsford & Dunlavey to independently evaluate
LEGOLAND projected financial impact, including how much money visitors may spend
directly at the park, as well as area hotels and restaurants.
“The ripple effects are endless,” Deputy County Administrator and Economic
Development Director Tim Baroody said.
While saying there could be a “dramatically positive impact” on Stafford,
Stimpson noted that the board has not made a decision on whether to offer
incentives. Supervisors also want to know more about the impact on traffic and
other county services, she said.
LEGOLAND has two styles of entertainment venues. The theme parks offer
child-size rides and shows, along with interactive attractions and building
challenges. The smaller discovery centers are ideal for two to three hours of
indoor playing.
Of the six theme parks worldwide, two are in America—one opened in San Diego
County, Calif., in 1999, and the newest and largest opened in 2011 in Lakeland,
Fla., between Orlando and Tampa. A sixth park open in Malaysia last year.
LEGOLAND Parks are geared toward families with children between the ages of 2
and 12, who can let their imaginations run wild while exploring a world made of
the colorful toy bricks. Unlike many other amusement parks, roller coasters
aren’t the focus.
This isn’t the first time LEGOLAND has looked at the Fredericksburg area for a
possible entertainment complex. Fitz Johnson, president of Johnson Realty
Advisors, said he showed LEGOLAND officials several sites along Interstate 95
more than a decade ago, but the company didn’t pursue a local investment then.
The company is looking at land owned by Dan Melrod and The Peterson Cos. along
Centreport Parkway, according to Romanello’s letter. Peterson is developing
National Harbor outside Washington. Melrod and Peterson officials couldn’t be
reached for comment.
The Centreport Parkway corridor has remained largely underused despite the new
interchange being built nearly a decade ago to serve the Stafford Airport.
Romanello said he has consulted with his counterparts in Hanover and James City
counties, homes to Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens. He was told the amusement
parks are “good neighbors and great revenue generators.”
Earlier this year, Stafford received authority from the General Assembly to levy
an admissions tax at one unidentified economic prospect. That tax would be on
ticket sales—up to 10 percent of the cost—at the entertainment venue that’d be
at least 75 acres, and it would expire in July 2015 if no venue exists.
Romanello said the county could ask the state to alter the deadline if need be,
if LEGOLAND does become a reality.
Over the past year, the Stafford Board of Supervisors has discussed LEGOLAND in
closed session several times. Stimpson said she and other members of the board
are familiar with LEGOLAND personally, having visited with their children.
“It is a wonderful family place,” she said.
Like the other locations, a Stafford park would likely be open dawn to dusk, and
wouldn’t hold late-night events, Romanello said.
A team of economic development staff and county officials visited the Florida
location in January, and are continuing to build a relationship with the
company.
The board is expected to review the results of the financial analysis in
November, and then will give direction as to what a next step may be. Romanello
would not identify incentives that might be offered, but the county could
provide something to LEGOLAND by the end of the calendar year.
“Everything is very preliminary,” Stimpson said, “and we’re making ourselves
available to any and all business that want to locate here.”
Source:
http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2013/10/22/legoland-considers-building-theme-park-in-stafford-county/
FredRick
Note: Stafford County is in the State of Virginia.
As if November 2013, there are six LEGOLAND Parks around the world.
LEGOLAND Billund open in 1968
LEGOLAND Windsor open in 1996
LEGOLAND California open in 1999
LEGOLAND Deutschland open in 2002
LEGOLAND Florida open in 2011
LEGOLAND Malaysia open in 2012
-end of report-
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LEGOLAND Dubai to open in 2016
LEGOLAND Dubai is set to open in 2016, according to Merlin Entertainments, as
reported by Emirates 24I7. As per officials, the LEGOLAND Dubai will be opened
under a deal in which it would be funded by third parties, which includes Meraas
Holding.
“The group has also entered into an agreement with, amongst others, Meraas Malls
to develop and operate LEGOLAND Dubai under this operating model,” Merlin said.
“The initial development and construction of LEGOLAND Dubai is being funded by
third parties. Merlin has the right to manage and operate the park for an
initial term of 25 years, once open,” it added.
The contract was signed in 2012, said the prospectus information. In a
statement, issued in June, it was said Meraas has launched Motion Gate,
featuring a movie-based theme park, a Bollywood themed park and a LEGOLAND theme
park that will be located within its master-development in Jebel Ali.
Source: TravelDailyMedia.com
-end of report-
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LEGOLAND Operator Merlin Entertainments Plans IPO in London
By Clementine Fletcher & Ruth David
Oct. 21, 2013.
Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd., the private-equity backed owner of Madame
Tussauds and the London Eye, plans to raise 200 million pounds ($324 million)
selling shares in a London initial public offering.
Blackstone Group LP (BX), CVC Capital Partners Ltd. and LEGO Group owner Kirkbi
A/S are also expected to sell part of their stakes in the offering, the company
said today in a statement. The owners are seeking an enterprise value, or the
sum of Merlin’s equity and net debt, of about 4 billion pounds, according to two
people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the sale
has yet to be completed. A London-based company representative declined to
comment on the valuation.
Merlin comes to the market in a year when IPOs on European exchanges have raised
about $17 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, compared with $10
billion in the same period of 2012. Private-equity shareholders including Terra
Firma Capital Partners Ltd. and Permira Advisers LLP are selling their stakes in
companies via London IPOs as investors return to Europe’s markets on the
strength of an economic recovery.
Merlin, which also runs LEGOLAND parks, said it will use proceeds of the IPO to
repay debt and cover the expenses.
“The directors of Merlin believe that the global offer will position Merlin for
the next stage of its development by providing the appropriate long-term
ownership structure,” the company said in the statement. “The global offer will
also assist the group in retaining and incentivising employees.”
Net Debt
Merlin, which had net debt of about 1.3 billion pounds at the end of 2012,
abandoned a sale to the public three years ago in favor of selling a stake to
CVC, and opted against a New York IPO earlier this year, people familiar with
the matter said.
Merlin said today that revenue rose 11 percent to 889 million pounds in the 35
weeks ended Aug. 31, or 7.1 percent on a comparable basis. The company is
developing a Legoland site in Dubai and has identified potential locations in
Japan and South Korea. It also has longer term plans to expand in China.
At least 20 percent of the shares will be publicly traded after the IPO. Kirkbi,
which owns 75 percent of the LEGO Group, “intends to remain a long-term
strategic shareholder.”
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Barclays Plc, along with Morgan Stanley, Citigroup
Inc., HSBC Holdings Plc and Unicredit Bank AG are managing the Merlin IPO,
according to today’s statement. Lazard Ltd. is financial adviser.
Source:
Bloomberg.com
-end of report-
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LEGOLAND® California Water Park is Getting Bigger
By Lori Weisberg
Sept. 12, 2013
LEGOLAND California three-year-old water park will grow by more than two acres
next year when it introduces a new themed area tied to LEGO® Legends of Chima
product line. — Courtesy of LEGOLAND.
CARLSBAD, CA - In what will be one of its largest investments, LEGOLAND
announced Thursday that its water park will undergo a major expansion next year,
modeled after a popular LEGO product line and cartoon show, “Legends of Chima.”
The 2.5-acre addition, while a part of LEGOLAND existing water park, will be a
distinctly new area that will include an interactive wave pool designed
specifically for the park’s key demographic -- families with young children. The
announcement, made at a morning news conference at LEGOLAND California, follows
the opening in April of its new 250-room hotel, the park’s largest investment
since opening in 1999.
“This will feel like a very contained, themed area, and the children will get it
quickly because of the Chima product line,” said LEGOLAND California President
Peter Ronchetti. “Our sister park in Florida opened a Legends of Chima area on
the dry side of the park, and we chose to go with the same product line because
it gets heavyweight support from the LEGO toy company, and the cartoon is on the
Cartoon Network. It’s the No. 1 new product for LEGO.”
He acknowledged there isn’t much more open land at the park to expand further,
although built-out areas could be re-purposed in the future.
The expansion, expected to cost an estimated $12 million, will be located on the
northeastern side of the water park next door to the 1.5-acre Pirate Reef
attraction that opened in 2012. While the theme park’s owner, London-based
Merlin Entertainments Group, typically doesn’t divulge project costs, Ronchetti
said the Legends of Chima attraction will be very similar in cost to what was
spent on the original water park. The $12 million investment in that project was
disclosed at the time it opened in 2010.
Admission to the aquatic attraction, including the new addition, will remain
$15, over and above the charge to get into LEGOLAND, which is $78 for adults and
$68 for children. It is a seasonal attraction that is open between Memorial Day
and Labor Day and subsequently, weekends through November.
Final sketches of the project have not been completed yet, but LEGOLAND revealed
details on four of the eight principal areas of the new water park, each tied to
characters in the Chima story line. Chima, as LEGO describes it, was a once
“pristine, natural paradise” that has been transformed into a battleground where
animal tribes vie in a mystical land for control of the precious energy source
known as “CHI”.
The centerpiece of the planned water park is “Lion Temple Wave Pool,” where
water will cascade down a 30-foot-tall floating “Mount Cavora” that depicts the
various creatures representing each animal tribe.
“Craggers Swamp” will be designed as a hands-on water play area where kids will
be able to ride water slides, blast water cannons and slide through the head of
a huge crocodile.
“Eglor’s Build-A-Boat, similar in style to the existing water park’s
Build-A-Raft attraction, will give children the chance to build a boat while
learning how to adjust the currents, create and dodge obstacles and race against
their companions.
A fourth area, called “Wolves’ Cantina,” will be devoted to food service in an
environment populated with collectibles belonging to the wolf tribe.
“If you combine the sounds, the sights, the rock work, the brick theming, it
will give children the feeling they’re walking into this world with a lot of
interactive activities,” said Ronchetti. “The wave pool in Florida (not
Chima-themed) is extremely popular so we’re very excited to have one of our
own.”
LEGOLAND regularly introduces new attractions on an annual basis, but larger
investments like the Chima park are not as frequent. The park is banking on the
new project to help boost attendance, especially now that it has its own themed
hotel to attract guests who want to spend more than a day at the park. Not long
after the first season of the water park, LEGOLAND officials noted that the new
attraction had helped lift attendance by double digits.
The theme park’s latest initiative is not only in keeping with a nationwide
trend to expand aquatic attractions, but it also makes good business sense given
its tie-in to a popular LEGO product, said theme park expert Dennis Speigel.
“In that Southern California market, with that weather band, this is a logical
type of expansion, and LEGOLAND is capitalizing on their existing relationship
with Legends of Chima, which is very popular with their demographic, so it’s a
smart move,” said Speigel, president of Ohio-based International Theme Park
Service. “This will boost attendance.”
Merlin makes it a policy of not revealing actual attendance figures, and
Ronchetti declined to say how the park’s attendance is currently trending. The
hotel, however, experienced a very successful summer, he was quick to point out.
“If you had tried to book a hotel in June, July or August, you would have found
us full,” Ronchetti said. “This was a massive project, and we feel compelled to
go into another large-scale investment so you can assume from that it’s been a
very successful launch.”
UTSanDiego.com
-end of report-
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LEGOLAND Dream dies for man, 63, over rule that adults must be accompanied by
kids
By Andy Johnson, CTVNews.ca
Published Monday, July 8, 2013 2:54PM EDT
A 63-year-old man who travelled from Windsor, Ont. to Toronto to fulfil a
lifelong dream of visiting a LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, feels discriminated
against and embarrassed after being turned away because he didn’t have a child
with him.
John St-Onge has been a self-described “LEGO fanatic” ever since his children
were young and he first began buying them sets, ranging from miniature cities
and farmscapes to models of the Star Wars Millenium Falcon.
Once his kids grew older and found other interests, John stuck with LEGO,
breaking down and rebuilding their sets, and buying new ones to add to his own
collection. He now has around 75 sets, comprising about 50,000 pieces of LEGO.
“It’s a Lego house,” he joked in an interview with CTVNews.ca, explaining that
he spends his winters indoors due to health problems, and keeps busy working on
Lego projects. John has diabetes, cancer and recently had heart surgery.
His dream has always been to visit the flagship LEGOLAND location in Denmark,
but due to his health problems, that has become unrealistic.
As a result, John was excited when he picked up a flyer for the Vaughan Mills
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre at an Ontario tourism centre, and learned that there
was a location much closer to home.
John and his daughter, Nicole St-Onge, saved up, planned the trip and made the
three-hour drive, only to be turned away at the door because of a rule,
unbeknownst to them, that adults must be accompanied by a child in order to get
in.
“They wouldn’t let us go in and so we asked to see a manager,” Nicole said.
“Five minutes later the employee came back and said the manager was too busy to
see us, but that was their policy, they weren’t allowed in without a child and
there was nothing they could do about it.”
As a result, they turned around and headed back to Windsor.
“I was crushed. My dad is 63 years old, he was devastated. The look on his face
was like a child not getting the gift at Christmas that they want. He felt
discriminated against because he’s a senior citizen who also happens to like
Lego,” Nicole said.
When the pair asked where the rule was posted, they were told it was listed on
the attraction’s website. The rule can be found there by clicking on the “Book
Online” tab, then “More Information.”
John, a retired custodian from a steel plant in Windsor, is not Internet savvy
and never thought to check the Web.
“It made me feel awful. I felt discriminated against. I thought what the heck is
the reason for this? If they gave me a reason maybe I could understand but they
gave me no reason,” he said.
John added that all he really wanted to do was take photographs of a Toronto
skyline exhibit at the centre, in hopes of building something similar.
He said he didn’t intend to build anything in the interactive section of the
discovery centre, or go on any of the rides, which are geared toward kids.
Lara Hannaford, marketing manager at the Vaughan Mills LEGOLAND, said it is
unfortunate that John left disappointed and wasn’t able to speak with a manager.
Ideally, Hannaford said she would have met John at the door and brought him
through the centre as her guest.
However, she defended the policy that requires adults to be accompanied by
children, saying “it is a child attraction so we do have this in place to
protect the families and children that visit.”
Hannaford pointed out that LEGOLAND does have adults-only nights once a month,
for grown-up fans of the iconic building blocks. She also said the rules are
posted at the location, and are in fact on the flyer as well.
CTVNEWS.ca
-end of report-
Note: LEGOLAND Discovery Centers and LEGOLAND Park (currently six parks around
the world) are owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments Group
MerlinEntertainments.
The Blackstone Group a private equity investment firm has an a investment with
(MEG)Merlin Entertainments Group. MEG has a 70 percent stake and LEGO Group
retains a 30 percent stake.
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The Harlem Shake hits LEGOLAND California. Model Citizens (employees) from
LEGOLAND California Resort get down with the Harlem Shake in Miniland USA. If
you know about the ‘Harlem Shake’ on ‘YouTube’. You would know what I am
talking about.
YouTube channel: LEGOLANDCalifornia
LEGOLAND
California
FYI: SONG NAME: Harlem Shake - Baauer
Enjoy.
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Published: Monday, October 22, 2012
LEGOLAND Florida Seeks Master Model Worker
By Gary White
THE LEDGER
Applicants Have to Submit Videos of an Original Creation.
WINTER HAVEN: LEGOLAND Florida is taking applications for what some might
consider the ideal job.
The bad news: Those younger than 18 need not apply.
The theme park is creating a position for an in-house master model builder to
construct all manner of objects from LEGO bricks. The new hire will join the
park’s two current model builders, Jason Miller and Roger Moreno, and a team of
animators and technicians.
LEGOLAND Florida announced the opening on its first anniversary, Oct. 15. The
attraction is accepting applications through Nov. 1. LEGOLAND has posted
specific guidelines on its website (florida.legoland.com). Applicants must
submit videos of up to five minutes demonstrating an original LEGO creation.
Candidates are asked to describe the model and explain why they should be
hired.
“With the growth we’ve experienced over the last year and the growth plans for
2013 and beyond, we’re in desperate need of more model builders,” LEGOLAND
spokeswoman Samantha Lane said.
Lane said the attraction is continuously creating new LEGO models for display.
She said the model builders also oversee maintenance and repairs to existing
models.
Qualified candidates need more than just the ability to assemble interlocking
plastic pieces. Because model builders often speak to guests and media members,
Lane said the park seeks applicants with congenial personalities.
A LEGOLAND team will review the submissions, and the best will be posted on the
park’s Facebook page for public voting to determine the finalists. That group
will be invited to LEGOLAND for a competition to be held Dec. 1 and 2.
The winner will begin work Jan. 1, 2013 Lane said. The job description lists
the pay at $12 per hour, plus benefits.
LEGOLAND General Manager Adrian Jones said model builders have the most
important jobs at the attraction.
“Our builders typically have a lifelong love of LEGO, are wildly imaginative,
extraordinarily detailed and focused, and just love what they do,” Jones said in
a news release. “If you have a passion for play, we encourage you to apply.”
theledger.com
-end of report-
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How to go to LEGOLAND® Malaysia in Johor
Directions to Johor LEGOLAND Malaysia
Location map of Johor LEGOLAND Malaysia and how to go there:
LEGOALND Malaysia is sited in Iskandar Malaysia and is scheduled to open on 22nd
September 2012. Being situated next to Kota Iskandar, the new administrative
center of the Johor Government.
There are three routes you can take, namely:
From the north via the Kuala Lumpur/Tuas link. From the North-South Highway,
take the direction exit 253 to Tuas/Nusajaya/Pontian/Tanjung Pelepas(this exit
follows after the Kulaijaya/Kota Tinggi exit). Proceeding further, you will
enter the Lima Kedai Toll (you must pay using electronic card) and proceed until
you meet the Pulai Interchange. Proceed straight until you see the exit (312) to
Gelang Patah and take the exit showing the way to Kota Iskandar. You should see
the signboard to Johor Legoland before reaching Kota Iskandar.
From Johor Bahru via the Coastal Highway. If you start from Johor Bahru town,
take the new Coastal Highway to Nusajaya/Kota Iskandar from Taman Perling side.
Proceed straight after the Toll House and take the exit showing Kota Iskandar.
You will reach Johor LEGOLAND before reaching Kota Iskandar.
From Singapore via the Tuas second link. Proceed until you see the Gelang Patah
interchange and take exit 213 which will lead you to LEGOLAND and Kota Iskandar.
In case you get nowhere, here is the GPS coordinates for LEGOLAND
GPS Co-ordinates: 1º 26’ 14” N 103º 37’ 2” E
You are reminded that due to your GPS Maps being not updated to the newest
version, you will not be able to search for LEGOLAND on your GPS devices. Even
the road names have not been given but do come back later to this page for the
latest updates. As of December 2011, LEGOLAND is not ready to take in visitors
and as such, do not attempt to go there. Johor LEGOLAND is anticipated to be
open on 15th September, 2012.
Bus Coach from Singapore to LEGOLAND
Special coaches to LEGOLAND is being arranged by WTS Travel Singapore. Ticket is
priced at $20 per person. WTS coaches will leave at 8.30am each morning, with
five services in each direction on weekdays. Service frequency will be increased
to eight trips on Saturdays and Sundays, school holidays and public holidays.
WTS coaches will travel through Tuas link and will take 15 minutes whilst
through Woodlands crossing taking 30 minutes. Another shuttle service will also
operate from Jurong East and Boon Lay to the Tuas Second Link. After the
immigration checkpoint, a direct shuttle will ferry visitors to LEGOLAND and the
Johor Premium Outlets (JPO). Both services will commence September 15th, 2012.
For more info, call +65- 6587 8558 (Singapore) or Fax +65- 6782 8974 (Singapore)
A second coach company Causeway Link will be operating a shuttle service
connecting Singapore and LEGOLAND. A total of six trips from the Tuas Second
Link to LEGOLAND will be made daily.
From the Woodlands checkpoint, visitors can expect up to 15 trips made on
weekends, and buses will travel the following routes: from JB Sentral to Larkin
Sentral to LEGOLAND and to Gelang Patah. For more info, call Causeway link at
+607 - 360 2244 (Johor Bahru, Malaysia) or fax +607 - 358 4970. Services start
on 15th September 2012 only.
You might want to also visit Hello Kitty Land Malaysia
Where to stay?
As both the LEGOLAND and Hello Kitty Town is new, there are very few hotels
ready to cater to visitors. However, if you intend to stay, we have made
arrangements with a few hotels to accomodate you. You can email us for help at
hotel@iskandarproject.com for bookings. Boookings must be made in advance.
Bus Services
A daily dedicated bus service, operated by Konsortium Transnasional Berhad
(KTB), will leave Larkin for LEGOLAND® every thirty minutes between 9:00am and
midday. Return buses will run from LEGOLAND to Larkin from 4:00pm until 6:30pm
from Sunday to Friday. On Saturdays, school holidays and public holidays they
will run until 8.30pm. Each round trip will cost only RM12.
Causeway Link (based in Johor) will operate two new bus services. There will be
a total of SIX trips each day between Johor Premium Outlets (JPO), LEGOLAND® and
the Tuas 2ndLink. Visitors can expect up to 15 trips on the second Causeway
Link route: JB Sentral – Larkin Sentral – LEGOLAND – Gelang Patah.
If you wish to drive to Legoland, there will be over 3,500 car parking bays on
site and over 100 spaces for buses and coaches available. More on
Bus Schedules to
LEGOLAND Mayaysia.
Source: Iskandarproject.com
-end of report-
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Thousands visit LEGOLAND Malaysia
August 27, 2012
JOHOR BARU: Thousands of excited and curious visitors have been visiting
LEGOLAND Malaysia to take photographs and admire the exterior although the park
is only scheduled to open on September 15, 2012.
Some visitors were there to collect annual passes but the majority were only
there to get a first glimpse of the much-talked-about theme park.
Engineer Jesper Bruhn, 40, from Denmark, said he was pleasantly surprised to
find that the theme park was very similar to the one in his home country.
“It feels familiar, which is something I did not expect,” he said, adding that
he had travelled to the theme park with his family to redeem their yearly passes
and catch a glimpse of its interior.
Bruhn added that he had to queue for about 90 minutes for the passes but it was
worth the wait.
“I cannot wait for the park to officially open,” he said.
Singaporean Tan Yan Fen, 24, said she made a special trip with five of her
friends to get a closer look at the theme park.
“I am not a major fan of Lego but this theme park is quite interesting,” said
the public relations executive.
Tan said it was exciting just to look at the exterior of the park.
“This is different from Universal Studios Singapore,” she said.
Civil servant Rohaya Amir, 36, was on her way to Nusajaya with her family when
she noticed a large crowd of people turning into LEGOLAND.
“We were curious and decided to stop over,” she said, adding that the park was
beautiful.
Rohaya said the queue for purchasing tickets was too long and she would return
on another day to buy the passes.
LEGOLAND Malaysia general manager Siegfried Boerst said park officials did not
expect so many people to turn up before the official opening.
“We initially opened up the main foyer, several F&B outlets and the souvenir
shop for those who came to redeem their passes.
“Word got around that we were allowing people to enter. Suddenly, thousands of
people started coming over to have a look,” he said, adding that the main foyer
had been opened for about a week now and would be closed starting today.
thestar.com.my
Straitstimes.com
-end of report-
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