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Legoland Belgium

AT86

AT86

TS Member
What was that I hear? What Merlin really needs is another Legoland! Well, you are possibly in luck. Merlin have announced they are working with public bodies in Belgium with a view to working towards opening a new theme park.

This would make it the 14th Lego park around the world following the three already in the works in New York, Korea and Shanghai. I believe the long term plan is for them to have at least 20 Lego parks woldwide.

Full details:
https://www.merlinentertainments.bi...way-for-potential-legoland-resort-in-belgium/

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS, Europe’s Number one and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator is actively working with SOGEPA, a public investment fund in Wallonia, to study the potential for a LEGOLAND development in Belgium.

With three existing successful LEGOLAND Resorts in Europe, Merlin is looking to extend its presence in Europe and particularly in the BENELUX/North of France area, which has been identified as a viable market for a fourth European LEGOLAND Resort. LEGOLAND Deutschland, which is highly successful and located in Southern Germany, was the latest European LEGOLAND Park to open 19 years ago.

Merlin Entertainments Group’s COO for LEGOLAND Resorts Group, John Jakobson comments; “We are actively looking at the prospect of bringing a potential LEGOLAND Resort to the many LEGO Fans in Benelux and Northern France. The potential project has received a warm welcome from the leaders of the region. We will continue to work with all the key players in the region, including SOGEPA and we will make a definitive decision on the project, when the effects from the pandemic have passed.” After reviewing many options, the Merlin team is giving priority to the Gosselies site in Belgium, in the Charleroi region.

Merlin will be performing various studies and due diligence of the property in close collaboration with SOGEPA, a Walloon public investment fund, which owns the land. The project currently under analysis plans to develop a LEGOLAND resort with theme park and accommodation on approximately two thirds of the site (70 ha).

Those popular LEGOLAND resorts already opened around the world feature themed accommodation with interactive LEGO features throughout and themed rooms such NINJAGO, Pirate, Kingdom, nightly entertainment, and family-friendly dining. The remaining part of the site could be considered as a possible area for future expansion or a green zone.
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Personally I think it's a shame that the aim seems to be to build as many Legolands as possible rather than developing those that do exist - Windsor, Germany, Billund in Europe alone - into destinations that have international appeal.
 
For such a small country Belgium had a few big theme parks, I suppose we haven’t got a Legoland park at this part of Europe, although it’s not that far from the UK.
 
D4n said:
Personally I think it's a shame that the aim seems to be to build as many Legolands as possible rather than developing those that do exist - Windsor, Germany, Billund in Europe alone - into destinations that have international appeal.
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To be fair to Merlin the Legoland Parks (especially Windsor) get the most investment out of all of their theme parks with new attractions every year as well as renovations to the park. I don't think they could realistically do much more than they're doing.
 
I think a lot of the Legolands have also reached their capacities in terms of areas so any new additions require something to be removed.

Or in the case of Windsor badly placed box buildings.
 
Benzin said:
I think a lot of the Legolands have also reached their capacities in terms of areas so any new additions require something to be removed.

Or in the case of Windsor badly placed box buildings.
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Which means if they were being sensible they would try to create plenty of new attractions for the new Belgium park, that way even if someone has already done Legoland Bilund/Windsor/Germany there is an incentive to go to the new park as well.
But realistically it will be the same rides they've installed everywhere else, just with a localised Miniland.
 
jon81uk said:
Which means if they were being sensible they would try to create plenty of new attractions for the new Belgium park, that way even if someone has already done Legoland Bilund/Windsor/Germany there is an incentive to go to the new park as well.
But realistically it will be the same rides they've installed everywhere else, just with a localised Miniland.
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Oh ideally that would be the way to go (and in some cases there's the odd standout unique attraction to some Legolands), but it's far cheaper and easier for the branding to wheel out the same plastic models and rides.

Plopsa are just as guilty of this. Especially with their indoor parks.
 
You can sorta understand why Merlin are piling a lot into the Lego parks and opening up new ones left right and centre. It's the world's most beloved toy brand so it's like printing money to them. Lego parks are always going to be fairly well attended thus Merch is always going to sell.

Sadly though this has come to the detriment of a lot of the other parks in the Merlin group. I wouldn't say they have totally given up on some of their other parks but if they were to be made a reasonable financial offer for Thorpe Park or Chessington I think they'd sell up no worries. Only Towers in this country do I feel they still truly have 100% faith in outside of Legoland obviously.
 
I guess it’s far easier to market and open a lego park than try and create a brand new theme park. Would certainly cost a lot more in advertising to try and get people to come to a complete unknown park, than it would be to come and visit a Legoland park.
 
djtruefitt said:
I guess it’s far easier to market and open a lego park than try and create a brand new theme park. Would certainly cost a lot more in advertising to try and get people to come to a complete unknown park, than it would be to come and visit a Legoland park.
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Of course. The brand sells itself.

I have only spent one day in a Legoland park and it was considerably the worst day I have ever had in a theme park. Easter 2019. 6 major rides down and the park was touching capacity.

Maybe I was unfortunate that day but the reviews in 2019 throughout were pretty bad. I would like to return to the park but absolutely no way will I go back on a peak day. It can't handle peak days.
 
Was that Windsor by any chance? A quick look on Trip Advisor shows that this is the Lego park with the lowest trip advisor rating at 3.5 versus 4 or 4.5 for the others. It really struggles to cope on peak days.
 
AT86 said:
Was that Windsor by any chance? A quick look on Trip Advisor shows that this is the Lego park with the lowest trip advisor rating at 3.5 versus 4 or 4.5 for the others. It really struggles to cope on peak days.
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Because they keep buying more and more low capacity attractions and demolishing the free-flow things.

Legoland would probably actually do well to increase the entry price, get rid of annual passes and cap the attendance quite low (similar to something like Discovery Cove) offering a slightly more premium exclusive product people are willing to pay for.
 
Blah Blah Blah.

More faceless Legoland resorts built with IKEA flatpack.

There's an existing estate that needs investment.
 
I imagine it will have all the usuals, probably with Mythica area as that’s new, and I guess maybe the New York ride, now they have it developed.
 
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