According to the Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, the 22-acre Legoland theme park which is currently under construction in Medini Iskandar is expected to be ready by 2012, a year ahead of schedule. Earlier, as we mentioned in our report, it will be Dubai in 2011 and Malaysia in 2013, but now it looks like we will be able to visit Legoland in 2 years time .

NUSAJAYA: The biggest challenge in building the first Lego theme park in Asia is its tropical setting.

Legoland Development general manager John Ussher said the RM700 million theme park over 26 hectares of land here will feature plenty of shade for visitors.

“Although Legoland Malaysia will be similar to the company’s four other Legoland parks, the tropical climate poses a bit of a challenge for us to design the landscape. It will be very green, and the natural hills will be retained.

“We have already placed orders for saplings, so when the park is ready, the saplings will have grown into full trees,” he said after the ground-breaking of Legoland Malaysia by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman yesterday.

The park, scheduled to open in 2012, will provide a full-day theme park experience with more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions mainly for families with young children aged 2 to 12.

On the competition from Universal Studios Singapore which will open next year, Iskandar Investment Bhd president and chief executive officer Arlida Ariff said the two theme parks offer a different experience.

“It would only give tourists more reason to extend their stay in the region as they would want to visit both theme parks,” she said.

Via NST Online.

Tags: green, Iskandar Malaysia, Legoland, legoland development, Legoland Johor