Submitted By: Anonymous on 2008-02-23
About the video: Family Theme Park Builds Iconic City's Strip out of LEGO® Brick

CARLSBAD, Calif. (March 29, 2007) /PRNewswire/ — After nearly three years of planning and design, more than sixteen-thousand hours of creative artistry and more than two-million LEGO® bricks, LEGOLAND® California officially opened Miniland Las Vegas today.

The family theme park in Carlsbad unveiled its largest Miniland expansion ever with the recreation of the fabulous Las Vegas Strip made entirely out of LEGO® brick. Miniland Las Vegas features the world-famous Strip including ten different hotel properties chosen for their unique style. "The Strip" at LEGOLAND also features a miniature wedding chapel, monorails and real life sounds recorded in Las Vegas.

"Miniland is the heart of LEGOLAND California where kids and their families can see all that can be created with LEGO elements. As a visually stunning United States landmark, Las Vegas is a shining example of creativity and imagination," said President and General Manager John Jakobsen. "Las Vegas is recognizable around the world and we are excited to give our family visitors the chance to experience the city in a kid-friendly environment."

Jakobsen presented a check on behalf of LEGOLAND California to the Foundation for Positively Kids for $14,354.25 – the money was raised by auctioning off some former Park models for the first time ever on eBay. Positively Kids is a non-profit children's charity in Las Vegas dedicated to developing services that provide comprehensive care for Nevada's medically fragile and terminally ill children.

"This is an amazing time for Positively Kids. LEGOLAND has been an unexpected hero," said Fred Schultz, founder of Positively Kids. "It is very rewarding to know that a large organization like LEGOLAND has stepped forward to embrace a local non-profit when we know that their choices were many. The real benefactors are the children and the families we serve."

The top pick in a poll of LEGOLAND guests, Miniland Las Vegas is designed to simulate the feeling of walking down Las Vegas Blvd. Models in the area range from the 20-foot-tall Stratosphere tower to the intricate sculpture of an MGM icon, made from 1,250 LEGO bricks. The largest Miniland hotel, the Venetian, is comprised of more than 20 individual models. Each Miniland Las Vegas building has amazing lighting and sound features, with many of them replicating the famous lights of the Nevada city.

Las Vegas is one of seven geographical locations in Miniland U.S.A. recreated entirely of LEGO bricks. More than 24-million LEGO bricks create this attraction considered the heart of the Park.