Legoland Florida has officially opened its virtual reality (VR) coaster experience, dubbed The Great Lego Race. Touted as the first VR coaster for kids, The Great Lego Race “immerses riders in a zany race against Lego competitors in a 360-degree, brick-built world.”
Riders will wear optional VR headsets while riding. The animated environment that guests see while riding puts them in the driver’s seat of a Lego race car in a world “where the laws of physics and aerodynamics only loosely apply.”
Some of the characters riders will encounter in their race include a Lego pirate, wizard, surfer, trendsetter and pharaoh. Those characters will be driving brick-built vehicles such as a “rocket-powered windsurfing rig, a stylish scooter fueled by espresso and an ornately canopied bed carried by mummy servants.”
The ride’s entrance (seen in the above photo) features giant versions of several minifigure racers and their custom Lego vehicles.
The nearby queue contains imagery representing each of the five racing teams along with themed elements to entertain waiting riders. Videos in the queue will educate waiting guests about the VR experience.
Once the four-seat cars leave the station, the VR technology syncs the animation with the roller coaster’s twists, turns, drops and climbs.
The Great Lego Race was developed under the supervision of Merlin Magic Making, the company’s global creative and delivery division.
“The Great Lego Race was inspired by the way kids play with Lego toys at home,” said Candy Holland, senior creative director for Merlin Magic Making.
“It’s a unique Lego adventure that lets kids enter an epic, imaginary world made entirely from Lego bricks, featuring a host of different themes and fun Lego characters all mixed up together.”
The Great Lego Race VR experience overlays the park’s Project X wild mouse coaster, which opened in 2011.
It’s the “large park” variation of Mack Rides’ wild mouse model, standing nearly 52 feet tall with a 50-foot drop. It reaches a top speed of 35 mph along the 1,312-foot-long course.
All Images © Legoland Florida
You can preview the VR experience by using the Coastiality mobile app for iOS, Android and Oculus devices. It’s free to download and can be used with or without a VR headset.
Below, watch a video of the ride in action as well as the animation you’ll see when riding:
What do you think about Legoland Florida’s new VR coaster? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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