Legoland Florida opens Galacticoaster, its most high-tech roller coaster ever built

Legoland Florida is opening its first new roller coaster in 15 years.

The indoor, space-themed Galacticoaster is part of a $90 million investment across the Winter Haven and California Legoland parks.

“That represents the largest single impact investment for Merlin Entertainments in our history,” Communications Manager Brittany Williams said. “It’s our most technologically advanced roller coaster that we’ve opened.”

Legoland hosted a media preview to celebrate the attraction’s arrival Thursday night.

The ride itself feels like the kiddie equivalent of Disney World’s Guardians of the Galaxy ride. It is fast and smooth.

“We call them pink knuckle instead of white knuckle. It goes 40 miles an hour,” Williams said. “It is certainly thrilling but absolutely still designed to be a great fit for families with kids between ages 2 and 12.”

The older kids might want more ride time. The little ones new to what a g-force feels like will say the ride is just right.

With the buzz from social media and guest previews, Legoland is expecting Friday’s opening of the Galacticoaster to help boost attendance and be a big park driver.

But the coaster itself isn’t the only star. 

Legoland Florida is debuting its first talking and moving robot — its own version of an animatronic — that narrates the ride’s storyline.

A 3.5-foot Lego Minifigure instructs riders on their mission to build a spacecraft and save Earth from the “Asteroid of Probable Destruction.”

Merlin Magic Making, the company’s creative team, and 2Heads collaborated to build a robot with 45 different facial expressions that can move his body nine different ways.

“When you see him in person, he’s amazing,” company spokeswoman Camila Cicalese said.

After meeting the robot, Biff Dipper, visitors will be ushered to kiosks to design their own spacecraft using touchscreen and RFID wristbands. People can choose their spaceship’s tail, wings and front with 625 different combinations, from something sleek and high-tech to a ship with hamburger wings.

“With the amount of combinations we have, you would have to ride once a day for two years to be able to get all the combinations,” Cicalese said.

The ride height requirements are 36 inches to ride with an adult and 48 inches to ride alone.

Next to the coaster are a new gift shop selling plenty of space-themed Lego sets and an outdoor shaded playground with a slide and Duplos to entertain the younger children. The plaza also offers new Lego sculptures from landscape flowers to astronauts and aliens to capture the magic.