Legoland Malaysia

Legoland Malaysia opened in 2012 as the first of its kind in Asia and is aimed squarely at children roughly between two and twelve, with gentle rides, build areas and a driving school that issues its own licences. The section most adults remember is Miniland, where Asian landmarks are rebuilt in brick at small scale, including a Kuala Lumpur skyline and a Singapore waterfront that lights up. A separate water park sits next door, along with an indoor aquarium and a hotel with themed rooms. Crowds come from both sides of the causeway, and the park runs shuttle services from Johor Bahru and across the border.

History

Merlin Entertainments agreed with the developer Iskandar Investment Berhad in December 2008 to build the park, ground was broken on 2 December 2009, and the water park followed in 2013 and the Legoland Hotel, the first in Southeast Asia, in 2014 (Wikipedia, Legoland Malaysia Resort).

The main sights

• Miniland - Asian city skylines and landmarks rebuilt at small scale in brick.
• The driving school - small electric cars and a licence card issued at the end.
• The water park - the separately ticketed slides and wave pool next door.
• The build zones - indoor areas with loose bricks, air-conditioned and popular in the heat.

When to go

Weekdays outside school holidays are far quieter than weekends, when queues lengthen and the car park fills. Johor and Singapore holiday calendars overlap, so check both. Opening hours are shorter than at the European parks, and rides close in thunderstorms, which are common in the afternoon. Arriving at opening buys two useful hours.

What to expect

It is small compared with the American and European parks, and older children run out of rides quickly. The heat is the biggest problem, with limited shade in queues and a punishing midday. Tickets for the theme park, water park and aquarium are sold separately and the combined pass is expensive. Food inside is costly and the options limited.

Nearby

Johor Bahru and the causeway are half an hour east; the Desaru beaches lie on the far side of the state.

Key facts