Getting Ready for LEGOLAND® New York Resort!

Waverly here, your Patch NYC Kid's Mayor, bringing you the exclusive scoop straight from LEGOLAND® New York Resort Community Welcome Center! As you may know, I'm one of six lucky Kid Reporters who are going to be spreading all the awesome news about LEGOLAND® New York Resort before it even opens in Spring of 2020. To get ready for this amazing assignment, we all headed over to Goshen, NY, where construction crews are working hard to bring a LEGOLAND® to New York. It was an awesome day - I learned a lot about LEGOLAND®, about being a good reporter, and I even got to go to the construction site! But I'll get to that later...When we got there, I got to meet the awesome LEGOLAND® Team and the rest of the Kid Reporter team that unfortunately didn't get to be with us last time - LEGO Mike came out so we could take a picture! That got us all in the LEGO mood...so did all the LEGO bricks everywhere that we could build and play with! (*Get ready for me to blow your mind...Did you know you're supposed to say "LEGO Bricks?" or "LEGO Structures?" Not just "LEGOS?" Because LEGOS isn't even a real word! Well, now you do! Just doing my job bringing you all the LEGO and LEGOLAND® news!)

First we learned all about the history of LEGO from the very beginning, when Ole Kirk Christiansen began making wooden toys in Denmark. Did you know that "LEGO" means "play well?" I didn't either! We talked about what we were most excited about (for me it's Miniland, Driving School, Heartlake City, the food (their chefs can handle anybody's diet!) , and the Hotel!) We learned all sorts of fun facts, too, like how more than 7 LEGO sets are sold each second - wow! We also learned about all the different LEGOLANDs - the first one was built in Denmark in 1968, and the one opening in New York in 2020 is only the 3rd one in North America! We also learned about how LEGOLAND® does charity work and helps the community of Goshen very much and really cares about children and helps them through the children’s charity Merlin’s Magic Wand. Then we brainstormed story ideas and learned about what makes a good story. It has to be interesting and unusual...kind of like an awesome LEGOLAND® opening up in New York!!

Then we got to go to the construction site - we each got our own personalized vest and hard hat and hopped in carts to get there after a short ride in a really nice bus. When we got there, I even saw some deer running around! There was piles of dirt and construction stuff everywhere, I didn't know how they are going to make this place into a LEGOLAND®...but I trust them! We had lots of fun imagining what's to come! How awesome is that? We all felt so lucky to be standing there imagining what it is going to be like when all the rides come in and the hotel is built...we CANNOT WAIT!!! Back at the Community Welcome Center it was time for lunch and more Kid Reporter Training! I took lots of notes on Reporter Dos and Don'ts and learned "How To Be a Reporter" - and they gave me a LEGOLAND® NY pen...I'm not even sure if that's out yet! I know I'm hyping over a pen but I got a pen of something that doesn't even exist yet! Then I had a chance to practice my interview skills! I chose the theme of construction since we had just gone to the construction site. Check out my skills below interviewing Julie Estrada, Head of Public Relations/North America for Merlin Entertainment! Pardon the background noise…the team was hard at work doing THEIR interviews!

Then we got in front of the camera to end the day by testing out all our new knowledge and skills. It was such an experience! It made me feel very professional to go to the site and see the land that will be LEGOLAND® NY! And being able to spread the news to people makes me feel so good! I will keep bringing you all the cool LEGOLAND® New York news, facts, pictures, and videos so make sure you stay tuned! Next up...I'll be attending a "First to Play" event and will report back on how you can join me and the rest of the team at LEGOLAND® New York before it officially opens. That is definitely going to be BRICKTASTIC! I'll be back soon to tell you all about it....until then, for more info, go to: https://www.legoland.com/new-york/