{"id":1404050,"date":"2026-02-08T09:26:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T14:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/?p=1404050&preview=true&preview_id=1404050"},"modified":"2026-02-08T09:27:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T14:27:03","slug":"legoland-coaster-0204","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/2026\/02\/08\/legoland-coaster-0204\/","title":{"rendered":"First look: Galacticoaster at Legoland Florida, inside and outer space"},"content":{"rendered":"

WINTER HAVEN \u2013 Final preparations are being made inside and outside Galacticoaster<\/a>, Florida\u2019s newest roller coaster, which is set to open at Legoland Florida<\/a> theme park this month.<\/p>\n

Space-themed Lego<\/a> models \u2014 rotating ride vehicles that are customized by passengers and a next-generation animatronic named Biff Dipper \u2014 are prominent parts of the indoor coaster.<\/p>\n

Near the entrance is a brick-by-brick and way-bigger-than-life model of Lego set 918, a spaceship introduced in 1979.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s \u201ca classic ship, but it\u2019s got some extra flourishes that you only really find in the Legoland park,\u201d says Rosie Brailsford, senior project director for Merlin Magic Making, the creative arm of Merlin Entertainments<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About four years ago, Brailsford was instructed to work with Lego Group to develop an attraction that would work on a global platform, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a line, kind of from the \u201970s and various different iterations of that, which is what you will find in Lego Galaxy,\u201d she says. \u201cSo, it\u2019s kind of a merge of past and present and opportunity for future iterations as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brailsford guided the Orlando Sentinel on an exclusive walk-through \u2014 no riding yet \u2014 of the attraction, which opens to the public Feb. 27.<\/p>\n