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Legoland, and its recently opened new attraction, Dino Island, may be fun for kids, but it?EUR??,,????'???s actually a theme park for landscape architects. True it has games, rides, interactive learning opportunities and everything children love, however it?EUR??,,????'???s really a botanical garden?EUR??,,????'??+a park within a park?EUR??,,????'??+and the best one in San Diego. In this theme park, the landscaping itself is the attraction. With themed cluster areas that are analogous to Disneyland, the landscaping changes as the cluster changes which is only natural since the trees and plants have to match each theme.
Legoland, and its recently opened new attraction, Dino Island, may be fun for kids, but it?EUR??,,????'???s actually a theme park for landscape architects. True it has games, rides, interactive learning opportunities and everything children love, however it?EUR??,,????'???s really a botanical garden?EUR??,,????'??+a park within a park?EUR??,,????'??+and the best one in San Diego.
In this theme park, the landscaping itself is the attraction. With themed cluster areas that are analogous to Disneyland, the landscaping changes as the cluster changes which is only natural since the trees and plants have to match each theme.
At Dino Island, all the plantings are intended to have the look of a Jurassic jungle?EUR??,,????'??+and most of them actually are! There are cycads, sago palms, Oldham bamboo and elephant ear palms. The California redwoods on the slopes are a very ancient genus that have been around for eons. As one crosses the entryway bridge there is a waterfall surrounded by leopard plant (Ligularia tussilaginea), Myers aparagus (Asparagus densiflorus ?EUR??,,????'??Myers?EUR??,,????'???) and giant lily turf (Liriope gigantean).Richard Apel of the Collaborative West, California was the lead consultant and principal landscape architect for Dino Island. He also supervised the original landscaping of the entire park from its inception in 1999. Working closely with Legoland?EUR??,,????'???s own in-house designers and park operations staff, TCW provided site planning and landscape architectural design, as well as coordination of the project team, consulting engineers, fabricators and contractors for the new attraction.
The featured attraction at Dino Island for the children is the ?EUR??,,????'??Coastersaurus,?EUR??,,????'?? a roller coaster that climbs, curves and dips in and around a pond and a prehistoric jungle of animated and life-sized dinosaurs made of Lego bricks. However, the most educational part is ?EUR??,,????'??Dig Those Dinos,?EUR??,,????'?? an interactive sand box area that allows young guests to test their paleontology skills as they dig for dinosaur fossils buried in sand pits. Claws, teeth and bones as well as three full-size skeleton reproductions are waiting to be unearthed by junior excavators. Surrounded by boulders, this small man made pond recirculates its water into the adjacent large lake via this waterfall. The water is re-filtered with biologicals in deep gravel beds in the large lake which sucks up through the gravel with pumps. Bacteria grown in the gravel cleans the water as it is pumped through. In addition, the pond has bog plants such as papyrus and water iris to filter the water by absorbing nutrients. The bacteria and plants will out-compete any algae by consuming any the nutrients they feed on.
The featured attraction at Dino Island for the children is the ?EUR??,,????'??Coastersaurus,?EUR??,,????'?? a roller coaster that climbs, curves and dips in and around a pond and a prehistoric jungle of animated and life-sized dinosaurs made of Lego bricks. However, the most educational part is ?EUR??,,????'??Dig Those Dinos,?EUR??,,????'?? an interactive sand box area that allows young guests to test their paleontology skills as they dig for dinosaur fossils buried in sand pits. Claws, teeth and bones as well as three full-size skeleton reproductions are waiting to be unearthed by junior excavators.
Surrounded by boulders, this small man made pond recirculates its water into the adjacent large lake via this waterfall. The water is re-filtered with biologicals in deep gravel beds in the large lake which sucks up through the gravel with pumps. Bacteria grown in the gravel cleans the water as it is pumped through. In addition, the pond has bog plants such as papyrus and water iris to filter the water by absorbing nutrients. The bacteria and plants will out-compete any algae by consuming any the nutrients they feed on.
Landscape architects of theme parks design the walkways, amenities and plants to influence the movement of large numbers of people. They know that most people on entering a facility will move to the right. To break up this pod of movement to accommodate large numbers of people, the entrance to Dino Island subtly encourages pedestrian traffic flow on either side of a large dinosaur made of Lego bricks. Left takes you to the ride, and right takes you to the dig site. The only plant on this island within an island that is not prehistoric is the Spathodia. It will have blooms the size of grapefruits which, though not prehistoric, certainly replicate an ancient plant type.
The design of the queue had to take into consideration the circulation of people as well as the capacity of the ride itself. It was necessary first to predict the number of people per hour the roller coaster could accommodate, then, with that number?EUR??,,????'??+100 guests per hour?EUR??,,????'??+the queue had to be designed to accommodate a 45-minute wait. That required a winding path snaking through the plantings around the pond. By the time the plantings have grown lush and thick, the feeling will be of navigating a jungle path. All the paths were paved with texture mats to intentionally replicate the cracks and declivities of an ancient forest path. ?EUR??,,????'??We also went around the park and got plants and fronds which we pressed into the wet concrete,?EUR??,,????'?? Richard Apel said. The three sand pits have been ingeniously designed to provide an interactive learning experience. Children ranging in age from two to 10, equipped with pails, brushes and shovels, are busy digging, brushing, hunting, measuring and locating teeth and claws that are seeded into the sand just waiting to be unearthed.
The design of the queue had to take into consideration the circulation of people as well as the capacity of the ride itself. It was necessary first to predict the number of people per hour the roller coaster could accommodate, then, with that number?EUR??,,????'??+100 guests per hour?EUR??,,????'??+the queue had to be designed to accommodate a 45-minute wait. That required a winding path snaking through the plantings around the pond. By the time the plantings have grown lush and thick, the feeling will be of navigating a jungle path.
All the paths were paved with texture mats to intentionally replicate the cracks and declivities of an ancient forest path. ?EUR??,,????'??We also went around the park and got plants and fronds which we pressed into the wet concrete,?EUR??,,????'?? Richard Apel said.
The three sand pits have been ingeniously designed to provide an interactive learning experience. Children ranging in age from two to 10, equipped with pails, brushes and shovels, are busy digging, brushing, hunting, measuring and locating teeth and claws that are seeded into the sand just waiting to be unearthed.
A retaining seat wall runs around the edge of all the sand pits and is hand carved to mimic stratified rock. Bas-reliefs of dinosaurs are visible along the wall surfaces, as if just revealed by erosion or a previous archaeologist?EUR??,,????'???s work. Set against a 2:1 slope, the footings are set in 90 percent compacted sub grade with a concrete subslab inset with rebar and an eight-inch gravel layer which holds the drains. The 18-inch layer of sand covers the concrete dinosaur skeletons and provides a maximum digging range.
Intentional mounding surrounds Dino Island, not only separating it from other parts of the park, but creating a feeling of enclosure and timelessness. It also screens out activities relating to park maintenance that occur on the other side. The crest of the slope is all timber bamboo, Oldham bamboo and California redwood to complete the screening effect. ?EUR??,,????'??One of the issues we have with all the different plantings is making sure our irrigation systems meet the needs of each different plant,?EUR??,,????'?? stated Mr. Apel. ?EUR??,,????'??At Dino Island, a dual water system was required because the bamboos especially need fresh water, not recycled water which is high in salts. We?EUR??,,????'???ve combined traditional spray with both surface and underground drip systems. The palms are so invasive we needed to use surface drip systems in order to concentrate water at the root zone where it?EUR??,,????'???s needed most. That way we can also monitor surface drip hoses and move them out as the tree grows.?EUR??,,????'??
Intentional mounding surrounds Dino Island, not only separating it from other parts of the park, but creating a feeling of enclosure and timelessness. It also screens out activities relating to park maintenance that occur on the other side. The crest of the slope is all timber bamboo, Oldham bamboo and California redwood to complete the screening effect.
?EUR??,,????'??One of the issues we have with all the different plantings is making sure our irrigation systems meet the needs of each different plant,?EUR??,,????'?? stated Mr. Apel. ?EUR??,,????'??At Dino Island, a dual water system was required because the bamboos especially need fresh water, not recycled water which is high in salts. We?EUR??,,????'???ve combined traditional spray with both surface and underground drip systems. The palms are so invasive we needed to use surface drip systems in order to concentrate water at the root zone where it?EUR??,,????'???s needed most. That way we can also monitor surface drip hoses and move them out as the tree grows.?EUR??,,????'??
Because recycled water is so high in salts, by the end of summer some plants get salt burn. The rains rinse them, but great care had to be used regarding plant choices since some don?EUR??,,????'???t tolerate the salt well. The models also have to be continuously replaced because of sun and recycled water. There are full time model makers working in shops in England, Denmark and Connecticut as well as in an onsite studio. After leaving Dino Island, heading on the way to other parts of the park, you see a giant lake. Fronting the lake is a row of very large, very old Canary Island palms that, prior to arriving at their new home, had been located in the backyards and on the front lawns of older properties all around Southern California.
Because recycled water is so high in salts, by the end of summer some plants get salt burn. The rains rinse them, but great care had to be used regarding plant choices since some don?EUR??,,????'???t tolerate the salt well. The models also have to be continuously replaced because of sun and recycled water. There are full time model makers working in shops in England, Denmark and Connecticut as well as in an onsite studio.
After leaving Dino Island, heading on the way to other parts of the park, you see a giant lake. Fronting the lake is a row of very large, very old Canary Island palms that, prior to arriving at their new home, had been located in the backyards and on the front lawns of older properties all around Southern California.
Mini Land, which is a recreation and tour of major cities and regions around the United States, is yet another landscape architects horticultural delight. All the buildings are built entirely of Lego bricks and surrounded by tiny trees. The trees, however, have to match the models at 1/20 scale. The park maintains an onsite nursery that bonsai?EUR??,,????'???s the miniature trees continuously, uprooting, pruning and replanting them throughout the year. These mini trees are really shrubs that are pruned to resemble the full tree at 1/20th scale. Fine thyme is the ground cover, chosen because it resembles grass. Japanese boxwood was bonsai?EUR??,,????'???d and planted in front of the White House for the Washington D.C. model. It represents the magnolia that is actually on the White House lawn. Starting two years ahead of time, Richard Apel bonsai?EUR??,,????'???d the boxwood himself in his backyard so it would be ready for opening day in l999.
Mini Land, which is a recreation and tour of major cities and regions around the United States, is yet another landscape architects horticultural delight. All the buildings are built entirely of Lego bricks and surrounded by tiny trees. The trees, however, have to match the models at 1/20 scale. The park maintains an onsite nursery that bonsai?EUR??,,????'???s the miniature trees continuously, uprooting, pruning and replanting them throughout the year.
These mini trees are really shrubs that are pruned to resemble the full tree at 1/20th scale. Fine thyme is the ground cover, chosen because it resembles grass. Japanese boxwood was bonsai?EUR??,,????'???d and planted in front of the White House for the Washington D.C. model. It represents the magnolia that is actually on the White House lawn. Starting two years ahead of time, Richard Apel bonsai?EUR??,,????'???d the boxwood himself in his backyard so it would be ready for opening day in l999.
Another delight is the family of buffalo made of Lego bricks with Podocarpus as the plant material representing the great shag of fur around the head and shoulders. Podocarpus is really a tree so it needs quite a bit of pruning to keep its shape. Organic compost from garden waste is used as mulch around the plants. The park has its own weather station which feeds wind, solar and rain information into a central computer. This allows for adjustments to the irrigation as needed for each kind of planting.
Another delight is the family of buffalo made of Lego bricks with Podocarpus as the plant material representing the great shag of fur around the head and shoulders. Podocarpus is really a tree so it needs quite a bit of pruning to keep its shape.
Organic compost from garden waste is used as mulch around the plants. The park has its own weather station which feeds wind, solar and rain information into a central computer. This allows for adjustments to the irrigation as needed for each kind of planting.
?EUR??,,????'??The park has an onsite horticulturalist, Kyle Silrum, and a wonderful landscape crew. We use Best Management Practices and Integrated Pest Management to reduce the use of chemicals,?EUR??,,????'?? explained Mr. Apel. Organic compost from garden waste is used as mulch around the plants. The park has its own weather station which feeds wind, solar and rain information into a central computer. This allows for adjustments to the irrigation as needed for each kind of planting. This 128-acre family theme park is, of course, dedicated to families with children between the ages of two and 12. And, of course, the same way they make things happen with Lego Bricks, kids are the ones who make things happen at the Park. They drive, pedal, squirt, climb, jump, stomp, slide, steer, pull, click, push, gallop, laugh, build and program their way through more than 50 rides and attractions. And, of course, this is as it should be. However, for a landscape architect, Legoland is really a horticultural dream come true.
?EUR??,,????'??The park has an onsite horticulturalist, Kyle Silrum, and a wonderful landscape crew. We use Best Management Practices and Integrated Pest Management to reduce the use of chemicals,?EUR??,,????'?? explained Mr. Apel. Organic compost from garden waste is used as mulch around the plants. The park has its own weather station which feeds wind, solar and rain information into a central computer. This allows for adjustments to the irrigation as needed for each kind of planting.
This 128-acre family theme park is, of course, dedicated to families with children between the ages of two and 12. And, of course, the same way they make things happen with Lego Bricks, kids are the ones who make things happen at the Park. They drive, pedal, squirt, climb, jump, stomp, slide, steer, pull, click, push, gallop, laugh, build and program their way through more than 50 rides and attractions. And, of course, this is as it should be. However, for a landscape architect, Legoland is really a horticultural dream come true.
Landscape Architect: The Collaborative West Richard Apel, ASLA
Coaster Manufacturer: Gerstlauer Elektro GmbH Siegfried Gertslauer
Structural Engineer: Dunn & Savoie, Inc. Rhett M. Savoie
Civil Engineer: Nolte Associates Jim Hettinger
Soils Engineer: Leighton & Asso. Mike Stewart, CEG
Electrical Engineer: Semenza Engineering Ren Semenza
Irrigation Consultant: D.D. Pagano, Inc. David D. Pagano
Signage Supplier: Fabrication Arts Hernando Garcidiaz
Surveyor: Melchoir Land Surveying Doug Melchoir, Dick Cross, Dale Davis
The Collaborative West, a San Clemente, California and Phoenix, Arizona-based landscape architectural firm, has been honored with more than 90 of the building industry?EUR??,,????'???s most prestigious awards, including seven MAME awards at the 2003 awards presentation at the Disneyland Resort Hotel. The 45-person firm provides state-of-the-art professional services for landscape architecture, environmental design, planning and urban design throughout the world. The Collaborative West?EUR??,,????'???s thoughtful design process and proactive approach to management has enabled them to achieve award-winning results.
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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