LEGOLAND Malaysia

We’ve had a sneak peek at LEGOLAND Malaysia (LLM), which is set to open on 15 September in Johor Bahru, just a five-minute drive from Singapore (via the Tuas Second Link). With 50,000 annual passes already sold, the 30-hectare theme park looks poised to be a popular family destination, with park officials expecting 1.2 million visitors in the first year. The park is recommended for kids aged two to 12, and many of the attractions have an educational slant – from building and testing centres to a Lego City driving and boating school. Even the rides have an interactive element; the Power Tower’s pulleys allow riders to easily pull themselves up the multi-storey structure.

There are two rollercoasters – the popular Dragon Coaster (seen at other LEGOLANDs) and Racer X, which has four-person, Lego-style cars. The park centers on Miniland, a staple of LEGOLANDs worldwide. LLM’s Miniland puts the focus on Asia and features 17 regional cities, including Singapore. Among the structures are 1:20 scale models of the Merlion (which can spray water), The Fullerton Hotel, Riverside Point and the Singapore Flyer. Though there’s no Marina Bay Sands (which had yet to be built when LLM was being planned), park engineers says there’s room for expansion.

Other highlights include a replica of Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers, the record-holder for tallest Lego structure ever built (at over 11m). In pictures, it’s hard to tell it apart from the real thing, especially at night when its lights come on. Though LEGOLAND was still under construction during our early-August visit, the surrounding area looks to be developing rapidly. Recently, the area was granted special economic zone status.

At the moment, there’s a LEGOLAND waterpark and hotel in the works, which are slated to open next year and in 2014, respectively. The operators of the park are working with tour companies in the region to set up bundled packages and arrange direct public transportation connections from Singapore via the Tuas Second Link.

LEGOLAND Malaysia is in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Operating hours: Daily 10am-6pm. Day ticket MYR140/$56; annual pass MYR275/$115. www.legoland.my.