Cobble Hill Student Will Be One Of LEGOLAND's Kid Reporters

COBBLE HILL, BROOKLYN — For 10-year-old Daniel Davidson, applying to become one of LEGOLAND New York's Kid Reporters was a no-brainer.

When his mom let him know about the competition — which chose five junior journalists to report on a new Legoland theme park — Davidson said he instantly knew he would be best for the job.

"One, I love legos. Two, I love LEGOLAND. Three, I live in New York," Davidson said. "Combine those three together, and I’m a perfect match!"

And it turns out, he was right.

Davidson, who is from Red Hook and goes to school at Cobble Hill's P.S. 29, was the only Kid Reporter from Brooklyn that was chosen out of 450 children who applied for the job. He joins four other winners, two from Hudson Valley and two from New Jersey, who will work alongside "Kiditor-in-Chief" and Patch NYC's own Kid Mayor, Waverly Winchester.

The Kid Reporter competition asks children ages 6 through 12 that live within 100 miles of the new park to apply.

Like the other winners, Davidson applied for the Kid Reporter spot using a one-minute video. He wrote the script himself, memorized the lines — "that took a while," he said — and took about five to 10 takes before the final product was done.

"I was born to be many things, and one of them is a LEGOLAND New York Kid Reporter — so look no further," Davidson says in the video.

He goes on to tell the LEGOLAND judges about his love of Legos, his experience working for his school's newspaper and his hope to inspire other children who, like him, have disabilities. Davidson is autistic and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Now that he's won, Davidson said he is excited to learn more about the newest theme park, which is set to open in Goshen, NY.

"When I had got the call...I was so excited, I couldn't stop thinking about it," Davidson said. "I couldn't wait to go behind the scenes of LEGOLAND New York and go there when it opens."

Legoland New York Resort will be the largest Legoland park ever built by Merlin Entertainments, with more than 50 interactive rides, shows and attractions on 150 acres. The family theme park will be open seasonally from spring to fall.

The resort will also feature a 250-room Legoland Hotel, which will be open year-round.

Davidson and a few of the other Kid Reporters have already gotten started with their new jobs, and got to meet their "Kiditor in Chief" earlier this month. Winchester, who announced all five of the winners on Patch last week, said she is excited to work with them on the "awesome adventure."

"I've been telling my classmates about the park since I first heard it was opening, and now I get to share my excitement with kids from all over the country!" Winchester said. "I couldn't wait to meet my fellow reporters…and after meeting three of them yesterday for an appearance on Fox 5's Good Day New York, I can tell you that they definitely did! This is going to be one fun ride!"