MERLIN CHOOSES MANCHESTER FOR FIRST UK LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTRE

£7.5m INVESTMENT FOR THE TRAFFORD CENTRE

Merlin Entertainments, UK and Europe’s biggest visitor attractions operator, announced today plans to open its first UK LEGOLAND Discovery Centre (LDC) in time for Easter next year, in a 3,500 sq m unit in The Trafford Centre, Manchester. This will also be Merlin’s first brand new attraction to open in the UK since the Edinburgh Dungeon in 2001. First launched in Berlin in 2007, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres are Merlin’s newest concept. Exciting new indoor attractions based on the ever popular LEGO brick, a LEGOLAND Discovery Centre offers a fun, highly interactive and educational experience ideal for children 3-12 years old. Reach out and touch the stars in the 4D cinema; learn top secrets from the LEGO Master Model Builder; have fun on an exciting interactive LEGO ride; see iconic global landmarks in the hugely popular MINILAND; make that birthday or celebration even more special in one of our special party rooms; and much more..........A visit to an LDC is the perfect way for Dad to amuse the kids for 2/3 hours while Mum shops, or a place for the whole family to enjoy together. The £7.5m Manchester attraction will be the fourth LEGOLAND Discovery Centre to open after Berlin; Duisburg in Germany; and Chicago, USA. The new Trafford Centre attraction, located in Barton Square, is one of 2 new LDC’s scheduled to open around the world in 2010, AND Merlin is pro-actively looking for other suitable sites in prime locations in Europe, USA and the Far East. This underlines Merlin’s aggressive growth plan, both in rolling out new sites for its exciting brands around the world, and continuing to invest in new experiences and improved customer service across its existing portfolio of 58 attractions. Commenting Glenn Earlam, Managing Director of Merlin’s Midway Attractions’ Operating Group which includes the LDCs said: “Merlin is one of the few major companies in the sector which is continuing to invest heavily in both new and existing attractions not just in the UK, but globally. We have taken some time to find exactly the right location for our first UK LEGOLAND Discovery Centre. We already have 21 attractions in the UK, including the London Eye, Alton Towers Resort, SEA LIFE and Madame Tussauds, but this is a particularly significant development for us because it is the first completely new site we have opened here in almost 10 years.” “We make great efforts to ensure we choose exactly the right location for each of our attraction brands. In our view a LEGOLAND Discovery Centre and The Trafford Centre make an ideal combination. As one of the country’s premier and most exciting cities, Manchester, and most particularly the Trafford Centre, ticks all the boxes for Merlin – and the LDC will provide an exciting new element to a family day out shopping, and we believe bring significantly more visitors to the City. We have already proved that quality retail and leisure make an ideal commercial mix - and developments like this will play an increasingly important part in the company’s future growth strategy for its ‘midway’ or indoor City Centre attractions.” Rob Smith, Marketing Director LEGOLAND Discovery Centres said; “We have received great support both from The Trafford Centre and Trafford Council in developing the project, and are delighted it has been approved. This is one of Merlin’s most exciting new attractions and will add a new leisure dimension to this quality shopping environment. It is also one of our most interactive attractions - enjoyed equally by kids and their parents – and as our latest development we will be unveiling some fun new additions in Manchester - so watch this space! We have no doubt it will prove a great success with shoppers.” Gordon McKinnon, Director of Operations at The Trafford Centre said: “The new LEGOLAND Discovery Centre will be the ideal addition to the retail and entertainment offer we already have here, and we are particularly delighted to be working with Merlin Entertainments on this project. Like them, we believe retail, leisure and catering is a great combination - and the juxtaposition of these three sectors has always been a major attraction at The Trafford Centre. Merlin already runs many of the most popular leisure sites in the UK, and we hope this will be the beginning of a long-term partnership which will benefit not just both companies, but most importantly our visitors and shoppers.” Work on models for the project is already underway ready for opening Easter 2010. - ends -

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