“Everything Is AWESOME!!!” from “The LEGO Movie” hasn’t always rung true for everyone, but LEGOLAND Resorts announced new efforts Thursday to help ensure “awesome is for everyone,” including autistic guests.
All three LEGOLAND Resorts in the United States will be Certified Autism Centers by the end of next month, joining a growing number of theme parks working to improve accessibility for guests who are neurodiverse or have sensory issues.
According to the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, at least one in every 44 children is autistic.
“Belonging is one of our core values,” Scott M. O’Neil, CEO of LEGOLAND’s parent company Merlin Entertainments, told USA TODAY. “What excites me the most is creating a space where children on the spectrum can come with their families and friends and have a fun, safe, and enriching experience, hopefully creating memories that will last a lifetime.”
What visitors can expect
LEGOLAND Florida, Peppa Pig Theme Park, and LEGOLAND California are all already Autism Centers. When LEGOLAND New York reopens for the season on March 31, it will be one of them.
On March 31, 2023, LEGOLAND New York reopens for the season.
“Everything Is AWESOME!!!” from “The LEGO Movie” hasn’t always rung true for everyone, but LEGOLAND Resorts announced new efforts Thursday to help ensure “awesome is for everyone,” including autistic guests.
All three LEGOLAND Resorts in the United States will be Certified Autism Centers by the end of next month, joining a growing number of theme parks working to improve accessibility for guests who are neurodiverse or have sensory issues.
According to the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, at least one in every 44 children is autistic.
“Belonging is one of our core values,” Scott M. O’Neil, CEO of LEGOLAND’s parent company Merlin Entertainments, told USA TODAY. “What excites me the most is creating a space where children on the spectrum can come with their families and friends and have a fun, safe, and enriching experience, hopefully creating memories that will last a lifetime.”
This is how they intend to accomplish it.
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What visitors can expect
LEGOLAND Florida, as well as the nearby Peppa Pig Theme Park and LEGOLAND California, are already Autism Centers. When LEGOLAND New York reopens for the season on March 31, it will be one of them.
Each resort’s attractions have been rated for their level of stimulation on each of the five senses: hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste. Sensory guides with these ratings are available online, in the parks, and outside attractions.
“This gives the parents time to reflect on their unique child. Every autistic child is unique, and different triggers can change the course of a vacation “said Kelly Hornick, LEGOLAND Florida Resort’s head of marketing and communications. “We take a lot of the guesswork out of it.”
All resorts provide low sensory areas where guests can relax and recharge. Quiet rooms are available at both LEGOLAND Florida and LEGOLAND New York. For guests concerned about overstimulation, LEGOLAND California will also turn off all sound effects on its newest ride, Ferrari Build & Race, from 1 to 2 p.m. Earplugs are also available at First Aid upon request to help reduce noise.
All three resorts offer Assisted Access Passes to guests who are unable to stand in line for extended periods of time due to physical or cognitive disabilities or other medical conditions.
Accessibility at other amusement parks
In 2018, Sesame Place Philadelphia became the first theme park to be designated as a Certified Autism Center. Sesame Place San Diego debuted last year.
“It’s been great to see all of our employees embrace that for us to have the training… to really kind of be aware of how to best help families, depending on what level of need there is for each of those individuals,” Sesame Place San Diego President Jim Lake told USA TODAY. Among its amenities are sensory guides, low sensory parade viewing areas, quiet rooms, and noise-cancelling headphones.
The Count’s Splash Castle, a multi-level water play area, will open this summer at the Southern California park. (This summer, LEGOLAND New York will also open a new water park.)
“We’re really excited about this one because it has a significant amount of new ground level areas, so it’s really accessible to everyone,” Lake said, noting the 111 interactive features. “Three water slides are available. There are several valves, levers, bridges, hydro blasters, and other interactive props that will provide a truly tactile experience for those who desire (it).”
Families who are concerned about overstimulation can rent cabanas nearby or retreat to two quiet rooms in the park. The sensory guide at the attraction can also help set expectations before guests arrive.
“You can decide whether it’s the right attraction for you, and then B, how you want to experience the attraction,” Lake explained.
Other theme parks that have received IBCCES certification include Discovery Cove in Orlando, Knoebels Amusement Resort in Pennsylvania, Nickelodeon Universe in Minnesota’s Mall of America, and Six Flags parks, which announced in 2020 that they would be the first theme park family to have every park certified.
Other attractions, such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, have their own accessibility programmes.
