Legoland Discovery Center Archives

LEGO Ideas Tree House (21318) Spotted at LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Texas

It looks like some folks are just plain lucky. After spotting the upcoming LEGO Ideas Tree House (21318) at a Belgian toy store, it looks like this set has found its way in US shores. LEGO fan and AFOLs of Facebook member Michael Bradford shared video footage that shows this set and other forthcoming sets on store shelves of the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine, Texas.

As you can see from the images that he shared over social media, Michael bought the said set right off the shelf and has even posted his receipt as proof of purchase in case LEGO Men in Black cries foul for this early reveal. If you recall from my previous post, the LEGO Ideas Tree House (21318) is expected to be officially released to the general public in August, with an early VIP release of sometime this month. Towards the end of Michael’s 12-second video, it can be noticed that the recently announced LEGO Creator Expert Harley-Davidson Fatboy (10269) is also on display and for sale beside the Tree House, given the fact that this next LEGO Creator Expert set is still due for an early VIP release on July 17.

The LEGO Ideas Tree House (21318) is expected to retail for $199.99 USD and comes in at 3,036 pieces utilizing a handful of new LEGO leaf elements made from renewable botanical sources. This new set is the next LEGO Ideas set to be made available to LEGO fans following the release of the LEGO Ideas Flintstones (21316) and Steamboat Willie (21317), both of which are now available both in-store and online. Keep your radars open for LEGO’s official press release and images of the LEGO Ideas Tree House which will be out soon.

Exclusive LEGOLAND Park (40346) Set Building Instructions Now Available Online

Last month, LEGO revealed that LEGOLAND Parks and Discovery Centers will be exclusively offering the LEGOLAND Park (40346) set to all its visitors and guests beginning June 1st. This 1,336-piece set will retail for $90 USD and features an impressive amount of minifigures – eleven (11) in total. Check out the following official images courtesy of Promobricks.

This set features some of the park’s most famous attractions and landmarks such as its iconic entrance, a Knights themed roller coaster, a Pirate Island ride, Miniland, and an observation tower. The LEGOLAND Park (40346) also sports a LEGO Store, hotdog stand, and a park bench. The choice of minifigures included in this set does not disappoint as well – I like how LEGO opted to add a wheelchair, a baby carrier and a baby minifig in this set. Needless to say, it is a great build that can be added to any existing themed park MOCs that you’re working on.

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However, if in case you’re quite far from any LEGOLAND Parks or Discovery Centers, then it might help to know that LEGO Customer Service has uploaded the building instructions for this set. Except for a few relatively new parts (such as the new railroad parts used in the LEGO Creator Pirate Roller Coaster), and a handful of stickers, you may try to Bricklink your way in gathering the necessary parts in replicating this set. You may also download the complete set of building instructions for the LEGOLAND Park (40346) right here.

Though this is a great set to have, I’m not really sure if I’m in favor of how LEGO handles their “exclusive” sets. Because in the final analysis, it’s the loyal fans who have no access to these exclusives that ultimately end up in the losing end, while LEGO scalpers out there charge a rather exorbitant amount for these highly sought after sets. These are just my two cents on the matter, though. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Upcoming LEGOLAND Discovery Center in San Antonio to Preview Miniland Building Models with Best Replica of City Skyline

In the same manner, perhaps, as the exponential increase of branded LEGO Stores, so too has been the pace of opening new LEGOLAND Discovery Centers – small indoor attractions that offer guests an experience of what can be had in the larger LEGOLAND Resort theme parks. One such LEGOLAND Discovery Center is expected to open in San Antonio, Texas by next year. But just because it’s not yet now it doesn’t mean they can’t show off a few things to drum up interest in future visitors. The Miniland area, while not a huge as can be in a LEGOLAND theme park, is sure to draw the city’s attention thanks to its predominant theme.

That’s because the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Miniland will include choice buildings from the San Antonio skyline. These include the Alamo, Alamodome and the Tower Life Building. That last one is scaled at 6 feet 6 inches, or as tall as Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs.

LDC San Antonio general manager Jeremy Aguillen even shared some statistics on the Miniland model buildings’ construction: 24,000 LEGO bricks for the Tower Life Building, assembled in over 300 hours; 180 hours for the LEGO Alamo; and 2,000 minifigures put inside the Alamodome, for starters.

While LEGOLAND Discovery Center San Antonio won’t be welcoming guests until 2019, these Miniland models will be displayed on Wednesday, December 12, in front of The Shops at Rivercenter where the LDC will be located.

They also plan to hold a building competition from January 12-13 next year to select their resident LEGO Master Builder.

Largest LEGO Model of Millennium Falcon On Display at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Melbourne.

Those who’ve seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi ever since its premiere in December last year would have to agree on one thing: that since the early days of the saga, the Millennium Falcon, will and always be the most iconic spaceship in the entire Star Wars franchise.

LEGO too agrees with that sentiment, and one need look no further than their LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon set (75192) as well as its smaller brick versions, to know that this fandom for one of the most legendary star ships runs deep in the company.

But some LEGO builders apparently don’t think UCS the 75192, in all its intricate details, was a big enough model of the Millennium Falcon done in LEGO. In Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Center, which is home to a LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Master Builder Dave Holder oversaw the building of a 5-meter Falcon.

Holder noted to Australia’s The New Daily how he was assisted by children visitors to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in putting together his large-scale Millennium Falcon model made up of 250,000 LEGO bricks. “If we were to do it by ourselves, {we’d take} probably at least a month,” he said.

LEGOLAND Discovery Centers are smaller versions of the famed LEGOLAND theme parks that would fit enough in indoor spaces of shopping centers and malls. The one in Melbourne is part of 19 such attractions located worldwide, with more under construction in additional countries. They are also run by Merlin Entertainments.

The giant Millennium Falcon model designed by Dave Holder for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Melbourne shall remain on display all through January and up until the end of February. Of course, the official LEGO Star Wars UCS set is still available (barring occasional stock issues), just as The Last Jedi is still running in cinemas.