WINTER HAVEN, Fla. & CARLSBAD, Calif. — Out of this world adventure awaits! Today, LEGOLAND Florida Resort and LEGOLAND California Resort proudly announce the winners of the first-ever Junior Galaxy Explorers search, a hands-on STEM contest that invited young LEGO builders and space enthusiasts to dream big, build boldly, and explore the future of intergalactic discovery.
The Junior Galaxy Explorers search launched late last year to find a team of young explorers who will be among the first to ride the new indoor space-themed roller coaster, Galacticoaster, when it opens as part of LEGO Galaxy at both LEGOLAND Florida and California Resorts on February 27 and March 6, respectively.
“With contests hosted at children’s museums across Florida and California, along with an online submission open nationwide, Junior Galaxy Explorers inspired kids ages 6-12 to use imagination, independent thinking, and LEGO® bricks to create their own space-themed builds inspired by exploration beyond Earth,” said Julie Estrada, North America Communications Director, Merlin Entertainments. “On-site participants also took part in interactive workshops and build challenges designed to spark curiosity and problem-solving.”
After a careful judging process conducted by LEGOLAND Master Model Builders, engineers from Astrolab (a company developing next-generation lunar mobility systems), and Club Ambassadors from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future (a nonprofit inspiring future generations to pursue STEM careers), the top Junior Galaxy Explorers were chosen:
- Junior Galaxy Explorer Winners – California
- Eric Abajian, age 12 – San Juan Capistrano, CA; Homeschooled
- What do you think it’s going to feel like to ride Galacticoaster? “I think it is going to be AWESOME!!!!! It will be a new experience, especially for me, because I have never been on a rollercoaster before. But I’m excited about building my own spaceship and riding in it! That is SUCH a unique feature!”
- Aili Imamura, age 9 – Pasadena, CA; Washington Elementary Stem Magnet
- Why do you love building with LEGO? “Because it’s so much fun and you can literally make anything you can imagine.”
- Dylan Nowatnick, age 9 – Chula Vista, CA; Wolf Canyon Elementary
- How did you react when you found out you were chosen as a Junior Galaxy Explorer? “Not a lot of people get chosen, so it felt crazy that I was one of them. That made me feel proud, like I did it!”
- Holden Wrey, age 12 – San Francisco, CA; St. John’s Catholic School
- Why do you love building with LEGO? “I like building with LEGO because it feels like a fun thing to do that is more active than reading or watching a screen.”
- Junior Galaxy Explorer Winners – Florida
- Landon Bauer, age 11 — Lakeland, FL; Homeschooled
- How did you react when you found out you were chosen as a Junior Galaxy Explorer? “I cried in joy and I was so shocked about it. I hugged my mom; it was just a really great time!”
- Gabriel Hart, age 10 — Orlando, FL; West Creek Elementary School
- Why do you love building with LEGO? “I love building with LEGO because you can get creative and build whatever you want, and you can build with other people.”
- Jovian Hinojosa, age 7 — Hialeah, FL; Miami Springs Elementary School
- How did you react when you found out you were chosen as a Junior Galaxy Explorer? “I was so excited to be the official Junior Galaxy Explorer of the two things I love, LEGO and Space.”
- Masha Novoa, age 9 — Miami Beach, FL; North Beach Elementary School
- What do you think it’s going to feel like to ride Galacticoaster? “I think I will feel like a queen of the galaxy. I may not be able to sleep on the previous night; it will be the best experience of my life.”
Galacticoaster is the headline attraction at LEGO Galaxy, marking Merlin Entertainments’ largest investment in LEGOLAND Parks to date. The first-of-its-kind indoor, space-themed family coaster delivers an immersive, customizable adventure where riders design their own spacecraft using interactive touchscreens and RFID wristbands across four build phases—nose, tail, wings, and a special element—creating up to 625 possible ride combinations, so no two missions are ever the same! The attraction reaches speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, delivering thrilling twists, turns, and launches designed for the whole family. Galacticoaster also represents a major milestone for both parks, debuting as LEGOLAND Florida’s first indoor coaster and LEGOLAND California’s first new coaster in nearly two decades.
Designed as an immersive, story-driven land, LEGO Galaxy at both LEGOLAND California Resort and LEGOLAND Florida Resort invites families on a journey through the stars. At LEGOLAND California, the new land is anchored by Galacticoaster and features two additional cosmic rides and interactive experiences, a Junior Astronaut Training Zone, a Rocket Assembly Bay where guests can launch their LEGO spacecrafts into space, and galactic-inspired food and beverages designed to fuel every space mission. At LEGOLAND Florida, guests can explore hands-on attractions, including the Junior Astronaut Training Zone, a DUPLO®-inspired play area, interactive experiences, Orbit Outpost, a space-themed retail experience packed with out-of-this-world finds, along with galactic-themed food and beverage offerings designed to fuel every space mission.
