Tag: LEGO Idea House

The Second Happiest Place on Earth – Day 6 “Leg Godt”

Posted on March 16, 2024 by Bruce

Friday: 4.26 miles

I warn you ahead of time- where most of these posts have been short- the wonderful folks at LEGO House packed a lot into today so this is going to a big post- with lots of photos. To start it will be easier to just share what LEGO House sent us instead of trying to retell it in my words:

“You will be joining a group of 25 passionate LEGO fans with 10 different nationalities, for a guided tour of the LEGO company, LEGO House and other amazing LEGO sites that are normally only accessible to LEGO employees – and some of them not even accessible for LEGO employees.
What have you signed up for?

LEGO House takes you on a unique 1-day tour ‘behind the scenes’ of the LEGO Group. Listen to the sound of LEGO bricks being molded at our factory, visit the home of our founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and rediscover the LEGO sets of your childhood in our internal museum. Last but (absolutely) not least, we will take you on an inspiring guided tour of the awesome LEGO House, where you can see giant LEGO models up close, and finally, you will get 2 hours of exclusive after-hours playtime at LEGO House. Note: The tour even includes tickets to return to LEGO House next day on your own.

More about your day:
We have created a program for you that we are sure you will love. Herewith, I send you the details so that you know what to expect from the day. 
We can make minor changes if other opportunities come up to ensure that you will have the best day possible.

Your adventure will take off at the LEGO House and rocket you into the LEGO universe. 

Here are further details:
08.15 – Doors are open

08.30 – Welcome, Introduction and Play

09.30 – Guided tour in LEGO Idea House 

11.20 – Lunch in LEGO House
12.15 – Introduction to the LEGO Factory

12.30 – Bus drive to the LEGO Factory

12.50 – LEGO Factory tour 

14.15 – Coffee break 

14.30 – Guided tour in LEGO House 

15.50 – Farewell 

16.10 – After-hours play in LEGO House Experience Zones 

17.00 – LEGO House Retail Store closes 

18.00 – End of Play

Please note that you are required to wear closed shoes (no sandals, etc.) for the factory tour.”

We got up early and had a great breakfast wondering if anyone else at breakfast in our hotel was going on the tour with us – nope, none that were there when we were. We then took a bit of a stroll around the area (again) picking up a few more Adventure Lab stages and thinking about what the day will bring.

“Where does he get those wonderful toys?”

We arrived at LEGO house and wandered a bit since we had about 15 minutes until we were actually supposed to be there. What?!? I was excited land anxious, so I followed the “if you are on time, you’re late” rule. 24 people from 9 different countries were in the group, first thing- build a minifig representing yourself. At each seat was a gift (the first of many). We chatted with Brandon and Rob from Las Vegas who were at our table before formal introductions- name, where do you live, favorite LEGO set or theme. Lena, Mads, and Jonathan were our guides which started in the LEGO Idea House, the original home of Ole Kirk Christiansen the founder of the LEGO Group. While there we went through the history of the company from a simple carpenter shop to what it is today. We also had a chance to visit… THE VAULT. (play dramatic music). The vault is home to one copy of every LEGO product produced for retail since the beginning of time. Like everyone I searched for certain sets from my childhood. From there it was fun to explore the sets made during what AFOLs call the “Dark Age” the time after I gave up LEGO play as a child to when I picked it up again as an adult. It was a dark time for the LEGO Group also as they were trying everything and moving further and further away from their core. That was all covered in the next part of our tour at LEGO Idea House, the history of the company, which was fascinating even to a guy who has read two books on the subject. We received a special minifig when we left.

The Vault holds one of everything the LEGO group has produced fro retail.
We were encouraged to hunt down sets and pull out the boxes. We were not encouraged to build the sets.
one of my early sets from the 70’s I built it and then used the parts to build a sci-fi all-terrain vehicle.
I could never get the motor to function properly! this was the last LEGO set I remember building as a child.
Further back in the vault were display cases of some of the older toys that the LEGO Group had produced.
It all started with a carpenter in the depression who decided to take a chance on toys.
one of the early woodworking tools used to make some of the early toys.
“Only the Best is Good Enough.” This sign is actually in every LEGO building. I recall walking under it every day at the Castleton LEGO Store.
Capturing a child’s imagination in play-a lady bug wearing pants with wiggly arms.
one of the many wooden cars made by LEGO
As quality wood became harder to find, the company integrated plastics into the line.

The infamous duck. As the story goes a young Godtfred Kirk Christiansen was finishing up a set of ducks for shipment. He proudly went to his father Ole to inform him that the ducks were done and at the train station. He had even saved the company money by using only two coats of lacquer instead of three. His father was upset and made him retrieve the ducks and finish the job- correctly. Hence the “Only the best is good enough” motto.

LEGO did not invent the plastic brick, but they did improve on the design making it possible to build much more than before. They also didn’t create a “toy” they created a system of play. Every piece in the LEGO system can work with any other piece. A DUPLO brick can be used to build with system bricks. System bricks can integrate with Technic.
yup.. robots- I can’t escape them.
My last complete LEGO set- before Technic, they were called Expert
The LEGO Idea House back when it was Ole Kirk Christiansen’s house.
It seems so simple- let kids learn through play, but it seems so hard to get adults to understand.
One of the hidden rooms showcasing special themes… The first one I saw was Technic, but the panorama didn’t turn out right- something about a great disturbance in the Force…

Building your Lunch

We then headed to lunch at LEGO House which is a unique way to order and receive food. First you pull out a menu and a bag of LEGO bricks. Each brick determines a part of your meal. Adult (yes, I’m considered an adult) use four bricks to build their meal kids three (and a special kid brick for a surprise). You place your build on a tray under a display screen at your table. It is then scanned and your order is sent to the kitchen for the robot chefs to make. When it is ready a large LEGO box comes down a conveyor belt and you are alerted that it is ready and what color box you should look for. You get to keep all the bricks you used for lunch.

Hmmm… a monkey?
Oh another monkey, looking at the menu… what to build?
The Robot servers… I can’t escape robots no matter how hard I try.
Lunch arrives via conveyor belt in a LEGO box.
Inside… exactly what I ordered and it was delicious.

Off to the Factory…

After lunch we head off to the factory to see where LEGO bricks come from. The Billund factory makes bricks but doesn’t do any of the post production. What that means is the bricks aren’t packaged for sale here, that happens in the Czech Republic. Bricks for the U.S. come from Mexico for the most part anyway. As with most factories, there were robots, and no photography is allowed. We had our phones locked up so we couldn’t take pictures of the process. It was amazing to see how it all works and the shear number of elements produced. I guess there is a need for a billion or two purple minifig hands… We received an engraved 2×4 brick when we left as proof that we had actually set foot into the factory.

The Factory as seen from a photo of a photo taken by photographer in a plane
The author outside the factory entrance before they took his phone away.
A reminder from the LEGO Story Video made out of… LEGO bricks

Finally, Exploring LEGO House

We returned to LEGO House for a whirlwind tour of the place given by Mike Ganderton, one of the people responsible for the design of the place… but first a break, some amazing apple cake, and tea (or water, or coffee). So… what is LEGO House? It is the epicenter of all things LEGO. It is the clubhouse for LEGO fans of all ages. It is an activity center for children divided into sections, each focused of a key LEGO ideal with activities developed for children and adults emphasizing the importance of play. Remember: The LEGO Group has a companywide Play Day in which everything shuts down so people can take a day to play. Having worked at a LEGO Store we came back after hours and were paid to play.

The Tree of Creativity & Monkeys

I apologize ahead of time… There was so much to look at while being told about all the other things to look at, so I’m sure I missed something. In the center of LEGO House is a massive LEGO tree. built of millions of bricks it highlights everything that is, was, and will be, and monkeys. It seems that during the design process it was discussed about having animals in the tree. Birds, squirrels, wombats, whatever. Mike suggested monkeys and it stuck so now “Mike’s Monkeys” live on the tree. you can find them in every vignette. For the AFOL these are mocs using the monkey from Creator 3 in 1 LEGO Set 31019 as a base. For the non-AFOL, these are LEGO monkeys. Each branch covers a theme important to the LEGO group. The top of the tree is unfinished and has a LEGO crane so that is shows that we are never done creating.

It’s a monkey party!
Ninjago branches
Ninja Monkey
Sir Monkey on the Castle branches
Friends Branches
Friends Surfer Monkey dude
Arrgh! its the pirate branches
And the Pirate Monkey!
That’s one small ook1 for me, one giant oak for Monkey-kind
The tree never is finished just like creative ideas are never really done.

The Master Gallery

As you climb the ramp leading past all the monkeys, you end up in the Master Gallery dominated by three Tyrannosaurs. Each is built using a different LEGO system, DUPLO, System, and Technic. Around the gallery in display cases are builds from LEGO master builders from around the world. These builders were chosen and their work is displayed for a year. As with looking at anyone’s builds I get two feelings- first, inspiration to build more, then a feeling that I could never match anything displayed. As with a lot of projects I tend to have lofty goals, instead of just trying things a little bit at a time. The “How do you eat a whale? – One bite at a time.” The displays showed the versatility of Lego bricks, in that they covered a wide range. From small vignettes to a dress and everything in-between. I don’t display at LEGO shows, because I’m still in the build a set, maybe modify it a little. Not the build whatever is in your head. I recall the first time I wanted to display, the person running the show was big on emphasizing “We don’t want a bunch of Cafe Corners” which meant it needs to be unique and original… I disagree. at a show you need to show how you can take a set that everyone has at home and improve it. Then again these were masters at LEGO construction, they were definitely at a different level of building than I am.

Why the dinosaurs “ROWR!”
Mike’s Monkey’s are EVERYWHERE!

Getting into the Zone

LEGO House is divided into zones, each zone focuses on a different part of the LEGO educational philosophy. The Red Zone – Creativity Skills, The Blue Zone – Cognitive Skills, The Green Zone – Social Skills, The Yellow Zone – Emotional Skills. The latest addition was to the Blue Zone called “Build the Change” in which visitors are given a challenge and must build it. Each challenge is unique to the visitor and deals with creating something that will address a current issue in the world. The challenges are multitiered but have an element of fun to them.

We did spend a little time in each zone, and had a 7 minute building challenge in the Red Zone. The one thing they wanted to do was not just replicate what people can do at LEGO shows so while there are bins of bricks around every corner, it wasn’t just build, build, build… This was the one time I thought about what I would have brought back to school for my kids if I was still teaching. So many amazingly awesome ideas.

The Red Zone- build whatever you would like.
OUr Group’s builds after 7 minutes.
The Green Zone
Amazing cityscapes similar to ones found at AFOL Events
I think Cecil may have spotted the bananas!
Monkey Overboard! How did he get there?!? Bad Evil GeoCaching Monkey Bent on World Domination!
ONce again… I cannot escape robots.

Now it’s time to say goodbye…

After the guided tour we came back and found a bag full of stuff at our table. We I had been a little disappointed when I walked into the LEGO House LEGO Store, there were two sets I had wanted… OK fine, there were a lot of sets I wanted, but two sets I was looking for weren’t there. The three dinosaurs from the Master Gallery and the Tree of Creativity. They also didn’t have the Moulding Machine, but I was kind of fine with that. What was in our goodie bag?!? The DINOSAURS! so I was really happy!

I said goodbye to everyone and did get Cecil’s photo with Mike so he could join his band of monkeys. Our stuff was safe as we headed out on our own to explore for a bit after hours.

The store was open for an hour after closing so, of course that’s where pretty much every one headed. It didn’t help that LEGO set designers happen to be present signing their sets, including the new exclusive set released at the beginning of the month. Those who know me know I’m not usually one who is big on exclusives, or autographs, but… I think Cecil is still not happy that I didn’t get his picture taken with them. Because of the designers signing things they had also put out the Tree of Creativity Set for sale at the store! Of course now we just had to figure out how to get it all home…

SO you and 24 of your new friends have some time at LEGO House without anyone else around, what do you do? Play and explore some more. Our first stop the basement and the history display. After visiting and seeing everything at the LEGO Idea House earlier in the day seeing the public version at LEGO House was interesting. We did this during our free time I think the most interesting part was how they added a way for the blind to experience the exhibits. it was basically a circle the exterior was displays of LEGO products and innovations throughout the years, the inside of the ring was devoted to displays for the blind. headphones t help focus on the exhibit and eliminate background noise, and then large touchable displays of whatever the focus was, so there were large LEGO bricks, a large minifig, a large mini doll, etc.

We then headed back upstairs and looked around playing with some of the simpler activities… like make a minifig… then we took that mini fig and added it to a stop motion movie- because I kind have a thing for animation. We then spent a what time we had left playing with the robots, because old habits die hard. Fortunately we had a wristband for tomorrow so we could keep exploring.

LEGO Moulds are pretty much a super duper industrial secret… So what do you do when you are done with them? put them in the foundation of a new LEGO Building.
Moles only know the secrets and even the ones in the new factory in Virginia aren’t saying a word.

Wristbands

In the US when you go someplace that requires a wristband for entry they usually are near impossible to get off without destroying the thing. When we visited the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY we were given wristbands with RFID chips in them in an exhibit to keep track of our progress that we had to return. LEGO House, your wristband is used in a similar manner. It is your entry, and exit key, it collects and saves the activities you complete so you don’t have kids screaming about wanting to take home whatever they built. the other thing (as an American) I found fascinating was, you could take it off without destroying it. When you get home you log in using the code on your wristband and you can pull up photos of the things you built or did throughout your day. Since we were rushed we didn’t get much done, but that was OK- because we can come back tomorrow!

The smallest LEGO Moulding Factory is onsite in which you get 6 2×4 bricks and a challenge to build one of the over 915,000,000 combinations that can be made with just 6 LEGO bricks

Build your own Minifig and then what should you do with it? Why make a short film with it!

So here’s my “Finished” stop motion film… If only I had a $200 million dollar budget!

Sue’s stop motion film… She took greater care (since you can’t see her had in any of the film. The images and videos were downloadable from our wristbands. along with this amazing photo!

I cannot say again how wonderful this day was! Line, Mads, and Johnathan did an amazing job of herding cats and getting us where we needed to be while making sure we were taken care of. Our group of 24 experienced a full day of LEGO awesomeness and I look forward to doing it again sometime soon. Having been in charge of 35 years worth of classroom field trips I know how difficult it can be, and they were exemplary.