Theme Park Insider - Staff Columns - Entry Written by Robert Niles Published: May 22, 2004 at 5:25 PM RIDE REVIEW: Here's a novel concept: a theme park introducing new attractions for its anniversary.Okay, okay, I know Disneyland finally got around to announcing it will add a new ride, fireworks show and parade for its 50th anniversary next year. But Legoland California, down the road an hour in Carlsbad, is also celebrating a birthday, turning five this spring. And the park is trying to out-do its larger, older rival by debuting five new attractions for its anniversary.The latest of these, the Fun Town Fire Academy, opened this morning for a gathering of invited guests. Let's back up for a moment, first. Only two of Legoland's new attractions can be considered rides. Two others are walkthrough exhibits of Lego constructions and the fifth is a fake dinosaur dig in the dirt, where parents have to pony up $3 to rent a shovel and bucket. But Legoland's never aspired to offer blockbuster attractions like the Disneylands of the world.
This park aims to create fun, often interactive, play experiences for kids and occasionally their parents. And Legoland succeeds again with its newest attraction.The Fun Town Fire Academy defies conventional theme park categories. It's not a dark ride, a playground or a show. Perhaps my six-year-old daughter best categorized it when she declared, "it's like a challenge on 'Survivor'." Up to four people work together as a team to power a rather large fire engine down a track, where a "burning" building awaits. Four teams are competing to see which can get to the fire, put it out by soaking a target with water, then get back to the starting line first. To move the fire engines, at least two people must pump a handle, like an old rail car, while one person holds a joystick down in the direction the car is supposed to go. And when the team gets to the "fire" (a false-front building with painted flame targets in the window), two people must work another pump to crank out water, while the other two aim the streams at their target.
Then everyone rushes back into the engine to pump it back to the starting line. All the challenge lacked was Jeff Probst off to the side, barking "Survivors... go!"Here's a hint: do not be the only person over age six in your car, unless you really, really want to feel the burn. And I'm not talking about the fake fire. Moving these cars takes work. Kids really like getting exhausted. The littlest ones can "steer" the truck and aim the hoses while the bigger kids (or adults) do the pumping work. (Children must be at least 34 inches tall to participate.) And everyone gets to run around, piling out of and into the truck at the fire scene.Despite the best efforts of me, my daughter and three-year-old son, the Niles Tribe finished third in our initial challenge. (At least we didn't finish last!) And the kids begged to go again. Which, ultimately, marks any successful attraction.Now indulge me a momentary tangent. Why on Earth doesn't Viacom (owner of Paramount Parka and Survivor's CBS television network) take a lesson from Legoland and develop a *real* Survivor challenge into an attraction at one of its theme parks?
Universal showed with Men in Black: Alien Attack that an attraction built around an interactive competition creates a unique experience for each visitor on every visit, making people want to ride again and again and again. Survivor is one of the hottest entertainment properties in America now -- wouldn't a Survivor challenge attraction break the turnstiles at a Paramount park?Okay, back to Legoland. The park also unveiled today a new edition of its Big Test firefighters' show, featuring a bumbling troupe of recruits who discover how to work together to learn some fire safety rules, overcome their fears and make the most of a second chance to become certified Fun Town firefighters. It's a charming little show, filled with slapstick and tumbling. You could easily miss it, but won't regret sitting down for a performance, either.The Fun Town Fire Academy and the Big Test show will open to the public May 25.NOTES:Legoland has allayed my previous fears, and improved the area around its new Dino Island.
When I first reviewed the new Coastersaurus roller coaster and Dig Those Dinos play area last month, I complained about the lack of décor in this land. Now plants are growing throughout the land, and Legoland has installed a couple impressively colored dinos. Still, the coaster could use another dino or two along the track, but Dino Island's now a worthy addition to the park.The fifth new attraction at Legoland, A Florida-themed expansion of the Miniland walkthrough, will debut on Father's Day weekend in June. The other new attraction, the Lego Block of Fame, features Lego models of various pop culture icons and opened in February.Legoland's picked up Volvo as the sponsor of its Driving School and Junior Driving School attractions. As a result, the kids' cars now sport the Volvo stroke on their grilles. Legoland's also added several new sidewalk set scenes and figures throughout the Driving School. On the down side, the new instructional video is now shown on overhead monitors, instead of a large screen at the front of the queue.
That makes it easier for kids to blow off the video, especially if the line is short. Which, in turn, leads to all sorts of unnecessary mayhem on the course. The instructional video is essential to this attraction, and no parent should allow a child on the course without watching it first. Lego's employees shouldn't allow kids on who haven't watched it, either. Coming next week: A visit to Las Vegas, with reviews of the Hard Rock Hotel, Mamma Mia! Just click the green flag and watch the animation. Notes and Credits (added by CalJackson99) A remix of the item by @CoolLegoJack hope you enjoy it guys :) it's supposed to be a bit of humor Thanks to CoolLegoJack for: Shared: 4 Jul 2013 Please enter the text below: drawing a new costume creating a new spriteWe went to Target today and Mathew found a Transformers Fire Truck. Inferno is the fire trucks name. We have been on the Transformers website dozens of time and I had not seen the fire truck. It was the only one on the shelf and we had not seen it in the store before.
He has not put Inferno down since we got back.Transformers Universe Voyager Class: Inferno Help Fire Fighter Frank suit up to put a fire out. Liberty Mutual put together this "Be Fire Smart" site for kids. It has a coloring book, video, , and some interactive fire fighter games. Here is the US Fire Administration for Kids website. Lots of games and for your kids to about fire safety. We love at our house. We love fire trucks too. Lego has a free game that combines the best of both worlds. Lego Fire truck challenge lets you drive the fire truck to the emergency. Play below or click here. Here is the official Fireman Sam website. They have a couple episodes of Fireman Sam that we have not seen on Sprout. Sam has some matching, racing, and coloring games on his site too. We found a company in Orange County, CA that does have a Fire Truck jumper. It does not look quite as big as the jumper I found in the previous blog post. Maybe we will have this fire truck jumper in the front y for Mathew's next birthday.
Here is the link to their site: http://jumporama.net/inflatablejumpers.html The guys at Fire Safety for Kids have a site dedicated to educating kids in fire safety. They have games and videos. It looks like they have own race team too. I am sure remembers Smokey the Bear. Sparky the Fire Dog is the mascot for the National Fire Protection Association. Sparky has a website dedicated to help teach children fire safety. Here is Sparky's Arcade: Link IMG_1117Originally uploaded by dave_myers12000We took these pictures at a local shopping center. Mathew always needs to check out the trucks up close. We just found the Orange County Fire Authority Kid Zone website. It has some games like putting out a fire on a burning building, build-a-scene with a firetruck and building, and a couple puzzles. Check out the link below.The OC Fire Auhority has a station nearby our house. Mathew loves driving by the station to see if the trucks are there. He also goes to preschool with one of the firefighters kids from the station.
We have been able to see the trucks a bunch of times and they also make trips to his school. They are great group of firefighters. Orange County Fire Authority Kids Puzzles and Games Firefighter George & Fire Engines, Fire Trucks, and Fire Safety, Volume 2 The Sprout Channel has some Fireman Sam Fire Safety videos. Sam is not in the video, but there are and firetrucks. They are quick 2 minute videos demonstrating things like exit plans in an emergency. I just ran into this site that has a Firetruck Slide Jumper. I have not seen a Firetruck jumper at any party we have been to. The company is in Colorado, so I doubt they will deliver to Southern California. We will be trying to find a company closer to home with a Firetruck jumper.Here is their site: Big Air Jumpers Our Uncle let us borrow this movie. This was a great movie for us adults as well as the kids. There was plenty of fire fighting action for the kids. Although, Mathew was in tears at the end of the movie because of the ending.