Legoland Malaysia Star Wars Miniland - The Complete Saga

A long time ago, at Legoland Theme Park far far away...

In September 2014, Legoland Malaysia opens its first theme park expansion since its opening 2 years ago. The Lego Star Wars exhibit features detailed Lego models in elaborate show scenes spanning over all 6 episodes of the Star Wars Saga, as well as Christophosis from the Clone Wars. This walk-through attraction is fully indoors and also includes the largest collection of Lego Star Wars products I ever seen at 1 location. A must visit for Star Wars fans!

About the Attraction

Star Wars Miniland is located in between the Lego Technic and Lego Kingdoms section of the park, at the edge of Miniland. It consists of over 2000 figures spread over 7 galleries and features your favourite planets like Naboo, Geonosis and Endor. The attraction opened in September 2014 and there was extensive advertising both on TV and on notice boards all over Singapore.

All the crew are given light sabers and a distinctive brown cape so they look like Jedi Knight. R2D2 and C3PO will greet you as you walk through the short outdoor queue line. Guests are dispatched at about 5 minute internals into the pre-show area and the wait is usually less than 10 minutes.

The staff here are equipped to look like Jedi Knights!

Move Along...

Pre-Show: Bombad Bounty

The pre-show is a Star Wars Lego video presentation that takes a humorous spin on the Star Wars episode IV, V and VI. The screening room is quite small and can accomodate about 50 people but there are only seats for 12. Basically, the story centers around Jar-Jar Binks and the mayhem he creates as he journeys through Tatooine, Hoth and Endor. Darth Vader will slip and fall from wet floor and Boba Fett tastes so disgusting that the Sarlac decided to spit him out instead of digesting him over 1000 years. As for the rest...you have to watch to find out.

Spot your favourite characters!

Naboo

Naboo is the home planet of Padme Amidala and the centerpiece for Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Here, you will see the Gungans and Trade Federation Army line up for battle, just as a Naboo Starfighter is taking off from Theed. I must say that model for the capital city Theed is really impressive - the details are really accurate and it blends just right with the non-Lego scenery.

Starting up...the SHIELD

"We gotta do something R2" Anakin Skywalker as a child

Geonosis

Geonosis is the first battle of the Clone Wars and a featured planet of Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Here, the Seperatist Droid Army and the Republic Clone Army will duke it out in lethal combat, and you will see many favourite vehicles like the LAAT/i, AT-TE and Hailfire Droid. The execution arena is found at a far corner of the scene.

Does anyone think this amphitheater is too empty?

Around the survivors, a perimeter create.

Kashyyyk

This is the homeworld of our favourite Wookie Chewbacca and the location where Master Yoda evades execution by the Clone Army. The battle scene here features more advanced vehicles than at Geonosis including the droid HMP and Juggernaut wheeled vehicle. However, most of the detail here goes into the military equipment and I hope there was more emphasis on the beautiful Kashyyyk landscape. The water effect is quite well done. 

HMP (Heavy Missile Platforms), one of my favourite equipment of the Seperatists!

Mustafar

Mustafar and Kashyyyk actually shares the same gallery and both are feature in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The focus of this scene is the massive foundry which totally dwarfs R2D2 and C3PO who are waiting anxiously at the landing platform. The lava effect is created by red LED lighting back lit against a translucent plastic piece. As with the movie, Anakin (now Darth Vader) and Obi Wan will duel to the death here.

Can't even tell its made of Lego from this angle!

Where is Kenobi's lightsaber?

Tatooine

Strangely, I cannot find Jabba the Hutt in this scene. Nonetheless, this empty, barren planet has a few well spaced out sets including the pub where Obi Wan met Han Solo and a convoy of Sand People. The Millenium Falcon is also featured here and is the largest vehicle model in the whole Lego Star Wars Miniland exhibit

"This baby still has some surprises left in her, sweetheart" Han Solo

Hoth

This is the location of the greatest rebel defeat in the original Star Wars saga. Imperial AT-AT walkers smashed through the lightly armed Alliance forces and drove them out of the base. In case you are wondering, the same AT-ATs on display here are on sale at RM549. Luke Skywalker is spotted ascending the underside of an AT-AT and there are also several snowspeeders zipping around.

Endor

The forest planet is really well landscaped. There are fewer Lego models here but they are so well blended that at first glance it is hard to tell what is Lego and what is not. The shield generator for the Death Star II is the tallest structure in Lego Star Wars Miniland and you can also find a AT-ST being smashed by giant tree trunks! So, the Jedi has returned!

What? When is Santa Claus a part of Star Wars?

Christophosis

Christophosis is a crystal planet featured in the Clone Wars movie. This scene is much simpler with just a couple of skyscrapers and the 2 armies standing off. I really wished they actually built more crystals and made them shine so as to bring out the unique character of this beautiful planet. If you look carefully, there are 5 clone troopers abseiling from the side of a tower.

After the Galleries

Lego Star Wars Miniland ends of with a souvenir shop that sells a large variety of Star Wars Lego Sets. The smallest ones are RM59.90 while the large Star Destroyer sells for RM599. Talking about Star Destroyer, I am quite disappointed that there is no space battle scene in this exhibit. In general, the Lego sets are comparable in price to Toys R Us in Singapore, so unless you are purchasing limited edition products it is better to purchase back in Singapore so there is no need to carry so much stuff.

Master Yoda, Anakin Skywalker and several other characters will greet you as you leave the attraction.

Awesome this is. Eh he he he he!

Conclusion

Lego Star Wars Miniland is a must visit for Star-Wars fans. The level of detail of the scenes and models is as good as any Miniland exhibit and there is a good use of humour in the pre-show. I just wish that there was a gallery featuring the Space Battles. Also, it will be great if they could have added a Transformers: The Ride style ride as part of the Star Wars Attraction, as Legoland Malaysia do need some rides that can attract older Lego fans.

Legoland Water Park Malaysia - The Complete Experience

It is 2 years since I last visited Legoland Malaysia Resort. By now, Legoland Malaysia has transformed from a single park to an all-inclusive theme park resort with a full sized waterpark and 279 room Legoland Hotel. In this blog, I shall cover about the innovative Legoland Water Park Malaysia and the elements that make this park stand out. Some of my friends even claim that Legoland Water Park is better than the main park! Well, that's for you to decide.

Entrance and Lockers

The main entrance to Legoland Water Park is located on the left side of the Legoland main entrance. There is a small ticketing counter beside the main entrance though you can also buy tickets from the Legoland main entrance. Tickets for adult is RM105 (SGD40) or you can opt for a park hopper 1 day pass at RM175 (SGD70) that covers both theme park and water park.

Most people purchase tickets at the main Legoland ticketing area so water park
ticketing is not crowded

No brochures are available so you have to use these boards for navigation

As the water park is built on a slope, the slides really look quite tall and intimidating from the entrance.

The toilets and lockers are located up the stairs from the entrance. Lockers are available for RM20 (small) or RM40 (big) and can last the whole day. The small lockers are same size as those in USS though the large ones are even bigger than the Adventure Cove Waterpark large lockers. We managed to fit our camera bag, a mid sized carry on bag, 2 pairs of slipper and our valuables in the small locker with a bit of room to spare. The toilets are HUGE with over 30 showers and soap is provided.

[tip] Just bring along a small towel and an extra set of clothes. Almost everything else you need is provided by the water park.

Looks familiar? Same system as Adventure Cove Waterpark and USS!

Build-a-Raft River

This is the attraction that sets Legoland Water Park apart from other water parks. The ability to play with toy bricks while drifting leisurely is...well...unique. The river itself is filled with larger-than-life lego figures that totally immerse guests in the lego experience. 1 loop takes about 5 minutes and the water flow is faster than Adventure Cove's river. I just wish there are more adult life jackets provided.

Life jackets are provided. The reds and greens are for kids, blue for youths
and yellow for adults.

I heard about some safety concerns by other bloggers due to people throwing the lego bricks. I assure you that these bricks are made of a special soft plastic, so even if you are hit the risk of injury is minimal. However, the soft material also makes it difficult to make any big structures. I tried to make a pontoon barrier to block the entire width of the river but the bricks fall apart after a few seconds. 

The Lego bricks in Build a Raft River are larger and softer than standard Lego bricks

Help! I'm falling over!

Joker Soaker

This is probably the largest water playground in Malaysia, with over 5 play levels and 7 water slides ranging from tiny 1 metre talls to larger pipelines with 3-4 turns. However, what I really love about this is the number of interactive water play elements. I counted more than 20 ways for me to spray on other guests, and it is even possible to empty a bucket of water on a hapless victim just as he/she is exiting a slide.

[tip] Even the adults can join in and ride these smaller water slides!

[tip] This is an excellent place to host a water war if you are travelling in groups. Just be careful not to run over the smaller kids.

Just look at how many levels this play structure has!

Shoe racks are provided at all attractions, including Joker Soaker

Duplo Splash Safari

While most waterparks have a tiny wading pool for the youngest kids, Legoland Water Park does things a little differently. The duplo splash safari is a dedicated kids pool with really small slides (less than 1m in height) and several spray and splash elements. Kids can also play with the same giant lego blocks as those in build-a-raft river.

Gosh! I am taller than this slide!

Imagination Station

Lego is one of the best toys for creating and exploring, so it is no surprise that Legoland Water Park will have an area just for people to showcase their creative juices. At imagination station, water interacts with lego as participants can use lego bricks to alter water flow, understand basic hydraulics and even construct tall spinning structures!

Lego Wave Pool

The wave pool at Legoland is almost twice as large as the one at Adventure Cove so no one feels crowded. However, the water is really very shallow and the waves are very small. Because the wave pool is so wide, there is no shortage of chaise longues for those seeking a tan. Cabanas are available for rental and comes with a cooler and safe but I think they look too basic and uninviting to really attract guests to use. Replacing the deep blue canvas with more colours should do the trick.

[tip] The wave pool is large so never crowded. It is best to go there at about 2-3pm when the other attractions are at their most crowded

These cabanas are well equipped but I think they just don't look as cosy or
appealing as those at Adventure Cove

Water Slides

Of course, no water park is complete without the giant water slides. At Legoland Water Park, the water slides are split into 3 slide towers consisting of a tube slide, 2 raft slides, 4 body slides and a mat racer. The balance is good and some slides are quite exciting though I wish there was at least a top level water slide (ie. water coaster or giant funnel) that can attract the post-teen lego fans.

The first tower is located to the right of the wave pool and consists of the raft slide Red Rush and and a blue body slide. The raft slide sits 6 people so the queue runs very fast. For my group, we took this slide first so there was almost no queue. The body slide here is open and relatively short. To the right of this tower there is a small platform with a pair of enclose body slides called twin chasers.

Twin Chasers (green) are enclosed and are the shortest "adult" slides in the park

The second tower is twice as tall as the first and contains all the big slides. The Whirlpool slide Splash and Swirl has the longest queue but it feels quite fast. However, I prefer the whirlpools manufactured by Proslide as this one by Whitewater does not have additional waterjets to propel the tube into the splashdown so it is possible to get stuck (as I did). There are also 2 body slides Tidal Tube and Wave Rider and these 2 are really, really fast.

The final slide of this tower is also the largest in the park - brick blasters. It is a raft slide with a twist as guests will be sent into 2 wide tunnels where they swing from wall to wall. The pacing is good but I don't like the fact that you have to carry this 3 person raft up the 5 storey tower by yourself. You also need to queue for the raft at the bottom of the slide before going up. I recommend taking this slide first.

[tip]Before 11.15am, most of the slides have no queue

Brick Blasters (red and yellow) is clearly visible from a distance)

For Splash and Swirl, both single and double tubes are available

All slides at Legoland Water Park use a splashdown lane rather than a full splashdown
 pool so even non-swimmers will find the landings reasonably comfortable.

These 2 body slides are fast! Really fast!

At the deepest end of the water park lies Lego Slide Racers, arguably the most visually intimidating ride. You will race headfirst down a nearly 5 storey tall slide. Unlike other mat racers, this slide has a 360 degree turn before entering the familiar dipping drops. From the loading platform, the blue colour slides are most intense while the red ones are tamer.

[tip]Almost all slides here have height requirement of 100cm or 107cm so everyone can join in the fun

Lego Slide Racers has a 360 degree turn before the familiar straight drops.

Other Information

While the attractions are well balanced and the lego atmosphere is good, there are a few things I really would like to praise Legoland Malaysia. Firstly, the floor surface is much more forgiving that that of other nearby water parks like Sunway Lagoon and Adventure Cove. You will not get blisters unless you literally drag your feet on the floor. Also, the pathways are very wide and spacious compared to other water parks.

There are 2 snack bar style eateries at Legoland Water Park and the prices are quite reasonable (for Singapore standards): RM15-20 for a set meal that includes drink and main course. The seating is outdoors with umbrellas providing shade. If you want more space, go for the eatery at the Wave Pool. The souvenir shop sells the typical swimming equipment but the swimwear here is more conservative. Lego sets are priced similar to Toys R Us in Singapore.

There are sufficient lifeguards though they are not as tightly packed as Singapore's. Tubes and life jackets are included in the admission price.

This is one of two dining options available at Legoland Water Park. Both are food kiosks

Purchase photos here. 8R sized photos are RM50 (SGD20) and there was buy 1
get 1 free promotion when I was there

As with all Legoland shops, Lego sets are available for sale!

Conclusion

Legoland Malaysia Water Park is a good place for chilling off, especially for families with younger children. The kid-friendly zone is among the largest I seen in any water park. The slides are well balanced but lacks a major attraction to draw thrillseekers. Prices are lower than at Singapore attractions but Malaysians will still it expensive. It complements the theme park very well and teens and adults should be able to complete the major attractions at both parks within 1 day. Kids will need at least 1 day for each park.

• Lazy River: 4/5
• Wave Pool: 3/5
• Kids Area: 5/5
• Water Slides: 3.5/5
• Park Operations: 3.5/5
• Theming: 2.5/5
• Dining: 3/5
• Overall: 3.5/5