This KC-designed LEGOLAND attraction puts young builders in the driver’s seat of their own Ferrari
April 15, 2022 | Channa Steinmetz
Racers, start your (virtual) engines.
Dimensional Innovations has partnered with Merlin Entertainments and Ferrari to bring a one-of-a-kind experience to LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad, California, shared Spencer Farley.
“We continue to liberate the world from mediocre experiences,” said Farley, an account director for Entertainment and Retail at the Overland Park-based design firm, Dimensional Innovations. “[Merlin Entertainments and Ferrari] were looking for a turnkey provider that could build out an attraction; and we just happened to be a turnkey fabrication and technology firm that can develop, program and build everything needed for the attraction.”
Click here to check out Dimensional Innovations.
LEGOLAND California Resort is set to open its newest attraction, LEGO Ferrari Build & Race, May 12.
Weston Owen, Dimensional Innovations
Spencer Farley, Dimensional Innovations
The experience features Dimensional Innovation’s use of custom aerodynamic image analysis, which allows individuals to take their constructed LEGO race car, scan it and then digitally race it to compete for the fastest time, explained Weston Owen, who serves as the public relations and social strategist at Dimensional Innovations.
“When you scan those cars, it actually does a real-time scan of the car itself to determine how aerodynamic the car is going to be — which will change how it performs and how it races digitally,” Owen noted. “When you go through and change your tires or engine, there’s a little graph that shows you if your car is optimized for the conditions.”
Users can also personalize their license plate and even add stickers to their vehicle.
The scanned cars and virtual racetrack are a product of blending a physical space with the digital element of projection mapping, the duo noted.
“It’s a little bit of AR but not much,” Farley said. “You’re scanning your car and then seeing it projected down along with the track onto this physical surface.”
The virtual racetrack is modeled after the famous Italian racetrack, Pista di Fiorano, owned and operated by Ferrari for development and testing purposes.
“What’s cool is that our track conditions change based on the weather conditions in Italy,” Owen said. “If it’s clear and sunny or if it’s raining in Italy, then that will be mirrored on our virtual track. It makes it a more robust experience and more fun for the kids.”
As Ferrari aims to reach a younger audience, the partnership with Merlin Entertainments — which owns LEGOLAND and is able to provide unique experiences — works toward that goal, Farley said.
“LEGO and Ferrari are pretty iconic…and they knew the story they wanted to tell from [the Ferrari founder] Enzo Ferrari to the Pista di Fiorano track,” Farley noted. “But they also knew that their target audience for this attraction would be children.”
As attendees go through the entire attraction, they start by learning the history of Ferrari. From there, they are able to build their own vehicle; scan, test and modify it; and then the big finale — race it.
But the attraction isn’t exclusively for kids. Farley and Owen see adults getting involved, they shared, noting their personal fun experiences in developing and trying out the project.
“I think we’re going to see some dads really invested, some moms really invested — grandma and grandpa too,” Farley said. “It brings a little bit of youth out of the adults as well and gives them an experience. It’s competitive for sure, but everyone is having fun together.
“Selfishly, we want people to walk out of LEGOLAND California and say that Ferrari is the best attraction there,” he continued. “Because we did it.”
Click here to read about Dimensional Innovations’ 93-foot, 3D-printed structure at the Allegiant Studium — home to the Las Vegas Raiders.
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