Dancing With the Stars’ Danielle Fishel Kicks Off the Holiday Season at LEGOLAND® California Resort Lighting its 35-Foot LEGO® Christmas Tree
- Monday December 1st 2025
- Danielle Fishel, Dancing with the Stars alum known for her role as Topanga on Boy Meets World, illuminated the Resort’s LEGO® Christmas tree during a celebration that also delivered a $10,000 donation on her behalf to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
- The Park announced its new land, LEGO® Galaxy, is opening March 6, 2026, part of Merlin Entertainments’ largest investment in LEGOLAND® Parks.
- Holidays at LEGOLAND® California, presented by Hallmark Channel, run select days through Jan. 4, 2026, featuring LEGO® builds, holiday-themed shows, and family-friendly experiences throughout the Resort.
CARLSBAD, CA (Dec. 1, 2025) – Stars truly aligned at LEGOLAND® California Resort as Dancing With the Stars alum Danielle Fishel illuminated the Resort’s iconic 35-foot LEGO® Christmas tree during the 23rd annual tree lighting ceremony. The celebration continued with another star-studded moment: the family-friendly theme park revealed its new land, LEGO® Galaxy, will open March 6, 2026, offering guests intergalactic experiences, three epic rides, and out-of-this-world LEGO fun for all ages.
Built from more than 366,000 LEGO and DUPLO® bricks and crafted over the course of 3,000 hours by Master Model Builders, the larger-than-life tree sparkled with giant ornaments, candy canes, stars, and candles as fireworks lit up the Carlsbad sky. In the spirit of giving, LEGOLAND California presented a $10,000 donation to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on Fishel’s behalf. Fishel - best known for her role as Topanga on Boy Meets World, her competitive dancing on the most recent season of Dancing with the Stars, and her self-proclaimed status as a LEGO architect—helped bring holiday magic to life at the Resort.
The festivities reached a galactic level when the Park unveiled the opening date for its most ambitious expansion yet, LEGO Galaxy. This new land, three years in the making, will have three cosmic rides, a junior astronaut training zone in a dedicated toddler play area, and galactic grub spots where guests can refuel with out-of-this world food and beverages. The main attraction, Galacticoaster, is the Park’s first new coaster in 20 years, and is designed around the LEGO universe using space themes from LEGO past, present and future. Guests will be able to digitally customize their spacecrafts, using technology and their imagination, selecting their own tail, nose, wings, and special elements for each spacecraft. Overall, there are 625 different combinations guests can experience when they ride.
"It was amazing to be among the stars today as Danielle illuminated our LEGO Christmas tree and even Space Creature made an appearance for the first time to our guests," said President of LEGOLAND California Resort Kurt Stocks. "Amid the holiday cheer, we were ‘over the moon’ to unveil details about our new land, LEGO Galaxy, which is part of Merlin Entertainments’ largest investment in the LEGOLAND Parks. It’s inspired by the very first LEGO space sets from the 1970s and celebrates the imagination that has captivated generations. We can’t wait for March, when new and longtime fans get to experience the nostalgia of the past, the creativity of today, and the adventures yet to come."
To prepare for launch, Merlin Entertainments has announced a nationwide search for Junior Galaxy Explorers, where kids can build their own LEGO spacecraft for a chance to be among the first to ride the Galacticoaster when LEGO Galaxy opens. The first competition kicks off in Miami on Dec. 13 and comes to California in January.
The annual tree lighting ceremony is part of the Park's winter celebration, Holidays at LEGOLAND California, presented by Hallmark Channel, that runs on select days until January 4. Guests can enjoy falling “snow,” twinkling lights, seasonal shows, and a new holiday-themed ride, all included with general Park admission and select annual passes. Holiday favorites return, including Elves Frode & Ivy, LEGO Santa with his 17-foot sleigh, and character “elfies” with LEGO Gingerbread Man, LEGO Snowman, and more. The event also includes festive treats and holiday-themed LEGO experiences like the Elf Hat Scavenger Hunt. Families can rock around the iconic 35-foot LEGO Christmas tree to seasonal tunes, enjoy fireworks on select nights, and ring in the New Year at the annual Kids’ New Year’s Eve party. “Midnight” comes early for families, who can celebrate together without missing bedtime while enjoying live entertainment, dazzling fireworks, and 3D viewing glasses that turn the display into exploding LEGO bricks.
LEGOLAND California’s 2026 operating calendar can be found here. For more information about LEGOLAND California, visit our website or follow us on Facebook. Guests can also purchase single-day tickets or annual passes with or without a hotel stay. To book a Vacation Package at LEGOLAND Hotel, visit our Vacation Packages page.
Media Contacts
| Julie Estrada North America Communications Director LEGOLAND® California Resort +1-760-846-0886 Julie.Estrada@MerlinEntertainments.biz |
| Sara Wacker, APR Communications / Public Relations LEGOLAND® California Resort +1-858-945-1104 Sara.Wacker@LEGOLAND.com |
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About LEGOLAND® California Resort
LEGOLAND® California Resort includes LEGOLAND® California, SEA LIFE® aquarium, LEGOLAND® Water Park, LEGOLAND® Hotel and LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel. All are geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND® California, you’ll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including our newest land, Dino Valley that features three rides, an interactive build and play area and new costume characters. The family theme park also includes LEGO® Ferrari Build & Race and The LEGO® MOVIE™ WORLD based on the blockbuster films The LEGO ® Movie™ and The LEGO® Movie™ 2: The Second Part. Discover the world’s first LEGO version of San Diego in Miniland USA with a realistic 30-foot beach, streets lined with 120 palm trees, and 55 San Diego landmarks, including The Rady Shell, Petco Park and Coronado Bridge. LEGOLAND® Water Park features more than seven slides, sandy beaches and the unique Build-A-Raft River plus Pirate Reef and LEGO® Legends of CHIMA Water Park comprising 10 acres of water fun! The nation’s first LEGOLAND® Hotel features 250 rooms, all themed either as pirate, adventure, LEGO® DUPLO, LEGO® Friends and LEGO® NINJAGO™! North America’s first LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel features 250 rooms, fully themed as Knights and Dragons, Royal Princess and Magic Wizard. LEGOLAND California is a Certified Autism Center, credited by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).
About Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments is a world leader in branded entertainment destinations, offering a diverse portfolio of resort theme parks, city-center gateway attractions and LEGOLAND® Resorts which span across the UK, US, Western Europe, China and Asia Pacific. Dedicated to creating experiences that inspire joy and connection, Merlin welcomes more than 62 million guests annually to its diverse global estate in over 20 countries. An expert in bringing world-famous entertainment brands to life, Merlin works with partners including the LEGO® Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Peppa Pig, DreamWorks and Ferrari to create destinations where guests can immerse themselves in a wide array of brand-driven worlds, rides and uplifting learning experiences.
See www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
