WINTER HAVEN — Legoland Florida will expand its Miniland area to include “Star Wars” scenes in November, General Manager Adrian Jones announced Thursday.
The addition will include seven clusters to represent the six films plus the animated TV series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”
Unveiled Thursday were Lego models of the Millennium Falcon spaceship and red-faced villain Darth Maul from the Star Wars universe. More than 1.5 million bricks will be used in the 2,000 “Star Wars” models, Jones said.
The scenes will be arranged in a chronological path, Jones said. The models will be installed behind the New York section of Miniland, which is currently a grassy patch across from the entrance of the Coastersaurus roller coaster.
“We will always continuously add new attractions here at Legoland Florida,” Jones said.
Legoland California has a similar Star Wars display, but the Florida version will have a few more interactive moments, Jones said.
“Their Millennium Falcon is static, whereas ours actually rises, and there are few extra models thrown in there,” he said.
Some of the models, built in shops in California and Europe, have arrived at Legoland Florida.
“We should be starting toward putting them in place towards the end of October,” said Jason Miller, master model builder for the attraction. Blue tarp already surrounds the future Star Wars Miniland section.
Jones would not say how much the park was spending on the Star Wars Miniland, but called the investment “substantial.”
Internet reports have suggested that a pirate-themed expansion was in the works for Legoland Florida, but that was not announced Thursday. Jones said to expect more additions to Miniland, which will come before its already-announced hotel is completed, which is “a little way off,” he said. No timetable has been set for the hotel.
Although the Star Wars universe is fictional, the Lego displays will stay true to the vision of mastermind George Lucas. They will be in proportion to one another and constructed in a 1/20th scale.
“Fans have actually figured out the specifics for all the ships, for all the buildings, according to the scales that they see in the movies or the TV show,” Miller said. “Every scene that you see will be so lifelike, if you will, that you’ll be able to recognize scenes immediately.”
The new sections will also inject joke and bits of humor, he said.
“Star Wars” has been a force in Central Florida theme parks and attractions for years. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the host of an annual Star Wars Weekends event and features a Star Tours ride year-round, and the Star Wars Celebration fan gathering recently wrapped up its second meeting of the past three years at the Orange County Convention Center. Next month, an exhibit called “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” will open at Orlando Science Center.
Legoland Florida opened last October on the grounds of the former Cypress Gardens attraction. It opened a water park this spring, which Jones said helped position the attraction as a multiday experience. He said he was pleased to have a park expansion within the first year of operation.
“It’s testament to the success of the park,” he said.