LEGOLAND New York Reveals LEGO Oculus Replica and First to Play Passes

LEGOLAND NEW YORK is opening in 2021, and I couldn't be more excited about it! You might've read some of my past posts about the arrival of LEGOLAND New York (if you haven't, look here for all of my LEGO related articles), and now, you can actually purchase passes to be one of the first people to visit the park when it opens! Read on to see how.

Disclosure: I was invited to a media event by LEGOLAND New York to unveil its LEGO Oculus, announce the sale of First to Play Passes, and meet the LEGOLAND New York Kid Reporters, but I was not otherwise compensated for this post. I am a loyal LEGO fan and I'm looking forward to the opening of the park as much as you!

The LEGO Oculus

Appropriately located in New York's newest transit hub at the World Trade Center, LEGOLAND New York held a fun media event to unveil their amazing LEGO Oculus model. Here's a little blurb from their press release:

Created out of more than 400,000 LEGO bricks, the three foot high Oculus model took Master Model Builders about 555 hours to design and build. This is the first LEGO model that has been announced to be installed in LEGOLAND New York as part of Miniland, a massive panorama of interactive, animated LEGO built cities from across the country.

“Just as the Oculus is among the newest iconic additions to the New York City skyline, our LEGO Oculus model is one of the newest iconic additions to LEGOLAND New York Resort,” said LEGOLAND New York Public Relations Manager Matt Besterman. “We’re building the ultimate LEGO theme park experience just 60 miles away from New York City, and we’re proud to feature this amazing structure as part of it.”

Check out my video of the media event and the LEGO Oculus unveiling!

I was so excited to be a part of this event and witness the unveiling of the Oculus model. I felt like I was a small part of history, and I knew it would be a special moment to see it in the actual LEGOLAND New York theme park someday.

LEGOLAND New York's First to Play Passes

Also unveiled at this fun media event were the details of the limited edition 'First to Play' pass, which comes with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience LEGOLAND New York Resort before it officially opens. Pass holders will gain access to a special pre-opening Preview Day event in advance of the Resort’s Grand Opening in 2021. They have a great FAQ sheet available that tells you everything about the pass and what the holder can expect of it. For $94.99 you can purchase a First to Play Pass (while supplies last). Some of the pass benefits include:

• 12 months admission to LEGOLAND New York Resort (blackout dates, terms and conditions will apply) with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions
• Invitations to special events at LEGOLAND New York Resort
• A commemorative First to Play Pass Card
• Exclusive seasonal offers only for Pass Members

Fine print from their press release: When it opens in 2020, LEGOLAND New York Resort will be the biggest LEGOLAND Resort ever developed by Merlin Entertainment, with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, as well as a 250-room LEGOLAND Hotel. The 150-acre Resort is being built on a 500-acre site in Goshen, New York, just 60 miles northwest of New York City. The First to Play Pass is available for purchase on LEGOLAND New York’s website. There will be a limited number of First to Play Passes available. When they are sold out, other tiers of annual passes will be released throughout spring and summer.

LEGOLAND New York Kid Reporters

I had been following the search for LEGOLAND New York's Kid Reporters for months, and I was so excited when they finally announced the winners (you can read all about them and where they're from in this post).The grand media event was a nice opportunity for LEGOLAND New York Resort to introduce its team of Kid Reporters in person. The kids will cover the construction of the theme park and LEGOLAND Hotel from a kid’s perspective. It was so nice to finally meet them and see how enthusiastic they were about their new jobs!

The press release describes the Kid Reporters at their best, so I'll leave it to them. Here's what they said: Five lucky young journalists, ages 6-11, were chosen out of more than 450 entrants in a social media contest to join 10-year-old Waverly Winchester, Kiditor-in-Chief of the website Kids’ News NYC, on the team. The six Kid Reporters were each presented with a special one-of-a-kind LEGO® built microphone, and four First to Play Passes for themselves and their families. The team will report for LEGOLAND New York’s website and social media channels from now through the Resort’s Grand Opening.

Find out more information about LEGOLAND New York Resort here:

LEGOLAND New York Resort website: https://www.legoland.com/new-york/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LEGOLANDNewYork

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LEGOLAND.newyork/