Details of the Dragon Coaster: Shining Some Light on a LEGOLAND Classic
My favorite ride at LEGOLAND California is The Dragon roller coaster. The coaster is one of the standard LEGOLAND rides, appearing in all ten parks. The roller coaster itself is reasonably exciting (for a park designed for younger children), but the coaster part is not the main attraction. The best part of the ride is seeing all the LEGO models depicting scenes within the castle.
But the ride takes you through the castle at such a brisk pace that it’s hard to take everything in. If you blink, you’ll surely miss some of the great models! Our family would often ride twice, and I would decide to “look to the left” this time and “look to the right” the next time just to get fleeting glances at the impressive LEGO builds on display in the dark portion of the ride.
Here at BrickNerd, we want you to be able to enjoy all the LEGO details. Several years ago, I was given the rare opportunity of a walk-through tour prior to the park opening. It was with official permission and is not likely to be repeated, so I won’t go into the details of how exactly the visit happened though I was grateful for the chance to see everything close up and with the lights on. So join me as we jump into the classic green car and begin our ride on the Dragon Coaster!
Entrance Guards
“Keep your hands and feet inside the cars at all times”. The coaster cars have been loaded and start to move forward. The large wooden doors blocking the path swing open. Two intrepid guards are stationed just behind the doors. I’ll call them Slim and Not So Slim. Their comical appearance gives more the impression of a welcoming committee rather than being able to fend off intruders. Like many of the models, there are some animated motion effects and timed audio tracks. Slim is stationed near a “No Photography” sign for riders. Anyone trying to sneak in a quick photo or video will get chastised by the ride operator over the loudspeaker.
Kitchen Area
As we move down the curved track to the next section, there is lots of activity in the kitchen area including a porter about to crash a tray of dishes after being startled by one of the resident rats. A cat, rat and goose are chasing each other around in circles The two chefs appear rather upset with a mischievous boy and his slingshot.
I’m very fond of the multiple Ollie the dragon models throughout the castle. Two Ollies inhabit the kitchen area. (Ollie was released in one retail set 3724. You can find several other exclusive versions of Ollie in previous BrickNerd articles here and here).
There are many other baskets and smaller LEGO models that could easily be overlooked by riders, especially in the dark. And as you can see, even LEGOLAND isn’t immune to the constant battle against dust on LEGO models. I’m sure the ride is given a daily safety inspection, but dusting? Not so much.
Taking a closer look at the figure sculptures, all of the animated models have access panels to maintain the pneumatic mechanisms. Most of the models had these panels in place, but one large panel was missing. Perhaps this model was more troublesome so the panel was just left off (unseen by the coaster riders). Another unexpected detail is the model identification labels. This makes sense, but the labels were only sporadically evident.
Royal Dining Hall
In the next room along the track, the royal family dines surrounded by a variety of entertainment and distractions. There is an animated dancing bear (I don’t really understand why), and a minstrel playing the lute. Meanwhile, a crossbow archer is aiming for some unknown target. A friendly swordfight is taking place along with the sound of clanking metal. The only problem with the sound is that there is only one participant in this swordfight! For many years, the second sword fighter hung from a large wooden chandelier over the track, but I believe they were possibly removed due to a change in California safety regulations pertaining to overhead structures.
Looking at the far wall, there are two fabulous stained-glass windows made from transparent bricks. There are also several detailed studs up “tapestry” mosaics. The third Ollie is in the dining room, having adorned himself/herself with a necklace.
The king and queen are dining with a guest at the large table. There are multiple LEGO models, including plates, goblets, food and knives. But wait, something’s missing! The three main diners are built without any legs! (It appears one of the mice on the table has suffered the same fate.) To be honest, I never noticed the missing legs while on the ride. Like I said, there’s a lot to take in pretty quickly. (Side note: I rode the Dragon Coaster in LEGOLAND Billund several years later and I noted that their diners have the correct number of legs!
While the queen may not have legs, she does have a hidden operational phone at her side. This is out of sight to riders, and probably gets used infrequently by maintenance personnel.
There is also a court jester and a boy (maybe a prince?) having a play knife fight. Well, at least it looks like play to the jester. The boy on the other hand appears quite frightened. Perhaps he thinks he’s fending off an assassination attempt?
Wizard’s Studio
On our way towards the wizard’s studio, we pass a rather alarmed character desperately trying to keep something from breaking through two wooden doors. A fan blows air on the riders as they pass by, hinting at what it may be.
The wizard is a wonderful model with the moon and stars motif on his robe. He’s busy at work on a potion while the fourth Ollie is doing a little stargazing through a brick-built telescope. There are a variety of LEGO models in the room you can see from the track but the illuminated “Magic” parchment paper text isn’t really visible to riders.
Dragon’s Treasure Room
Moving to the last dark area of the ride, the treasure room has a large minifig skeleton behind jail bars. Apparently, his lawyer couldn’t arrange bail before it was too late. The fifth Ollie in the ride is playing with some treasure while an Ollie photograph is on display in an elaborate LEGO frame.
On the other side of the track is this stunning red dragon model guarding even more shiny treasure. Riders get to see the dragon's body, jaw and tail move with added smoke and sound. Its eyes are made from transparent green bricks that are illuminated. This was perhaps the main disappointment of the walking tour, seeing the dragon temporarily lifeless—it felt slightly less impressive and terrifying.
Nerdy trivia time. The gold coins in the treasure are actually from the “LEGOREDO LEGOLDMINE” experience in LEGOLAND Billund! Also, I normally avoid being in silly photos, but my guide insisted I take up a sword and pose with the dragon.
After passing by the dragon’s tail poking through the wall, there are some bats suspended from the ceiling and the wizard reappears to send riders on their way to adventure. Another pair of wooden doors swing open as you depart the castle, and riders begin the ascent of the roller coaster hill followed by a twisting and turning dragon ride!
Behind the Scenes
During the tour, I took the opportunity to look at the operator’s control panel. On the left you can see the red- and gold-colored locks on the master control. Each department in the park has its own lock, and this ensures the ride can’t be operated until everyone working on the ride is out of harm’s way. The placards say the ride was manufactured in 1997 (the park opened in the spring of 1999). So far so good understanding the information. But I don’t understand the updated date saying 8/4/01 on the sign—unless perhaps the ride was later modified to increase the throughput rate in 2001?
The operator station also has multiple video display views to monitor the ride (and watch for those rule-breaking photographers). At LEGOLAND California, the coaster was recently closed for several months, reportedly to upgrade the operating system. So, it is likely this version of the control panel has been replaced.
The coaster cars are also just as interesting to see up close. One of the out-of-service trains had the dragon head and tail portions removed, and it’s surprising to see how minimal the cars are without the fiberglass shells!
Final Thoughts
As we whip through the coaster and arrive back in the station, you always have to exit through the gift shop! The Dragon Coaster has been recreated in various LEGO sets, including 40306, 40346 and 3850070. So now you have seen for yourself why this fun ride is at every LEGOLAND park!
BrickNerd has enjoyed bringing you this exclusive close-up look. Now you’ll have some fun details to watch for next time you “conquer the dragon”!
Best of BrickNerd - Article originally published on June 20, 2022.
Have you ridden the Dragon Coaster at LEGOLAND? Let us know in the comments below!
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