First look: Legoland Florida ready to launch indoor, space-themed Galacticoaster

First look at Legoland's Galacticoaster

Legoland Florida is getting ready to open Galacticoaster, an indoor, space-themed family coaster. FOX 35's David Martin has a preview of the new ride. 

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Legoland Florida is gearing up for the debut of Galacticoaster, a new space-themed family roller coaster.

The attraction is set to open on Friday, but Legoland shared more details about the ride during a media preview on Monday.

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Galacticoaster, a project four years in the making, is Legoland's first indoor coaster. It will take riders on a space adventure that they will be able to customize.

Before boarding, riders stop at customization bays where they'll use touchscreens to personalize their spacecraft. They can select different components, including the wings, the tail and the nose. 

Along the way, riders will also meet Biff Dipper, an animatronic Lego minifigure that will brief them on their upcoming space adventure.

Riders will board vehicles designed to look like space-themed Lego models. The vehicles will rotate in a control spin to direct riders to the scenes that feature projections and nods to Lego space sets from over the decades.

"We've got more screens and more interactive stuff in this coaster, and we want to make sure you're facing the right thing to see the right feature," said Blake Boyter, senior project manager for Merlin Magic Making. "So we can control that throughout the whole ride."

Galacticoaster will reach speeds of up to 40 mph, but it's a family coaster designed for younger visitors to ride. The minimum height requirement is 36 inches to ride with an adult. To ride without an adult, riders will need to be 48 inches, Legoland said. 

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Legoland goes bigger for Galacticoaster

Galacticoaster is located on the former site of Flying School, a suspended coaster that closed in 2023.

Legoland used more land to make the new attraction a "bigger experience." Galacticoaster is more than twice the size of the previous attraction, according to park officials.

The attraction area includes more than just the new coaster. There's Duplo Tot Spot, a play zone designed for visitors ages 1-4. Visitors can also purchase souvenirs at the nearby Orbital Outpost. 

Galacticoaster is the biggest single in-park investment Merlin Entertainmants has made with $90 million spent to create the attraction for both Legoland Florida and Legoland California. The West Coast version, which includes a new space-themed land called Lego Galaxy and two other rides, is scheduled to open March 6.