ResIpsaLoquitur

I checked out their website, as I have a trip to Toronto coming and I might like to go. So a few things: One, their site says the following: "Our attraction is designed for families with children aged 3-10 years old. Adults must be accompanied by children to enter LEGOLAND Discovery Centre. We will host adult nights for our Adult Fans of LEGO without children." (Emphasis mine.) I've been to the LLDC in Grapevine, Texas, and I recall that they also advertised AFOL nights. So yes, he had that option. Two, I'm a lawyer. My instinctive guess is that this is a liability prevention mechanism. All they need is one instance of a lone adult molesting, kidnapping, or injuring a kid to invite a lawsuit and have their target audience asking "Why are lone adults allowed in here?" On a fundamental level, I don't like the notion that lone adults, particularly men, are presumptively out to harm children. In a place as busy as an LLDC, I think it's pretty unlikely. Still, this is probably based on safety concerns (and fear of getting sued as a result), and they made the call to have the policy. Three, having been to at least one LLDC, I should note that a 63 year-old man is *probably* going to be unhappy at an LLDC during all-ages hours. If it's like any other LLDC, then yeah, he might enjoy the two kid-oriented rides and the 10-minute Adventures of Clutch Powers films. However, the rest of the park is probably going to be pretty noisy and overcrowded. Does he *really* want to go in the Fire Department tubes and tunnel play zone with a bunch of six year olds? Or do karaoke in the girl's play zone? I mean, look, whatever floats your boat, but he's going to be competing elbow-to-elbow with a horde of kids half his size. An LLDC is *not* like Legoland (well, I'll assume it's not like Legoland, having never been) where you have much more open space. They're crammed into shopping malls. My guess is that the big draw for an AFOL is the city models. The Dallas model was pretty impressive, and was more interesting to me than to my kid (who wanted to get back to the rides). A smart move for Merlin might be to have the city models visible from the LLDC store, which to my knowledge *is* open to the public even if you're not going into the Center itself.

What do these sets cost? I'm really leaning towards the 7-9 set...

Interesting! I hope the Friends have even a small presence in The Lego Movie (no sign of them in the trailer). I worry that since Friends are their own theme, they may not show up. My daughter and I cross-play Friends with the other themes all the time! Who knows, maybe we'll see Friends on-screen with a Bionicle yet.

My daughter is insistent that the mayor is Stephanie's father (and I guess Mia's uncle, since it's established--in the sticker book, of all places--that they're cousins). I have no idea where she's getting this from, although maybe it explains why Stephanie owns a car and an airplane. Does anyone know where she's getting this from? (It can't be the web shorts--we watched them all, and I'm sure she calls him "Mr. Mayor.")

Has anybody seen this book/set yet? It's an activity set, but it includes a small set of Olivia's cat and a...play-thing for it. It's the same cat as in Olivia's Treehouse, so nothing new and spectacular in here, but including a small set in a book seems like a great idea to me.

This is going to be the best movie ever! I wonder how many licensed lines will get worked in--I mean, Ninja Turtles and DC heroes in the same film? (I have to imagine that Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney stuff will NOT be in the movie since Warner Bros is producing it.) I'm also wondering what the tie-in toys will be. I mean, people will be demanding movie-based sets and minifigs after this.

So today, as a Father's Day event, Toys R' Us had a mini-build of a police car. (TRU seems to be doing these fairly regularly now--they had Star Wars last month, and Friends in March or April.) It was labeled as a "City" event, so I'm reviewing it here. However, this really seems more like a "Creator" project than a "City" one. Maybe City is a bigger draw? I mean, seriously, here's the ad. It says "City." So, if you went--or didn't go, but want to build your own, how does it stack up? Read on! Set Number: Unknown (I haven't found one yet) Set Name: Police Car Sub-theme: Promotional Year of Release: 2013 Pieces: 35 Price: Free! I don't have any pictures of the event itself. My TRU has a small area with just enough room for events like this. Fortunately, they've never been too crowded--maybe everyone was at the beach today? We were the third ones in line with no rush. The pieces were individually set out in boxes (i.e., all the red studs were in their own box), so you grabbed your instruction sheet and then put it together in assembly-line format. Here's what you'd end up with: It's a nice little assortment of parts. I like the "symmetry"--out of most of the parts, you get almost two of everything. I conveniently disassembled the set for this review. The downside is that the transparent 1 x 2 transparent plates were on top of the 2x2 transparent slopes. They were a PAIN to separate! I'd heard that transparent pieces tended to "fuse," and it seems to be true. This is the other side of the instruction sheet, in case you want to build your own. I don't know if Lego is going to upload these anywhere, so I'm glad we got to keep the sheet. Midway through the build, you can see that this car is a solid chunk of bricks, In other words, this won't be a simple mod if you want to put minifigures inside. There's really no room for them. Getting a little closer to finished here. Again, no room for minifigures here. This will become more apparent in a moment.... Ta-daa! It's a complete police car. Admittedly, it's pretty cute. My daughter told me I need to sit in the back of it. I had to explain to her what that meant. Then again, as a City set, it's not so practical. Officer Bob here clearly has no room to get in. At best, this set is maybe 2/3 scale of conventional City sets. Here it is compared to one of the smallest Police sets I have: the "golf cart" from the 2011 Advent Calendar. They both use the same frame and wheels, but that's where the similarity ends. Clearly, the car is meant to be a full-sized police cruiser, so there's definitely a scale problem. Even as part of a Police fleet, this car would look a little odd. It's not a totally bad car--it's a fine little set of bricks for those of you who want to build simple cars and buildings shy of minifigure scale. It's just not a "City" set. I imagine they purposely labeled it that way to get people in the store. Well, it's free Lego, so it worked. I didn't give you a shot of the rear, so here it is in all its license-platey glory. CONCLUSION Design: 8/10; not perfect, but it looks like what it's supposed to be, and little kids who like cars will love it. Parts: 7/10; I like the "symmetry" of most of the pieces. I wish the license plate had come with a sticker, and maybe the "doors" could have had some as well. Build: 7/10; I think it's an easy build, but my daughter actually struggled with this a little. Minifigs: -5/10. That's right, I gave it a negative score on the basis that not only is it minifig-less, it can't even hold a minifig. If they'd called this a "Creator" event, we wouldn't be discussing this. Playability: 7/10; zoom! That's about all it's good for. Price: 10/10. It was free! I don't know if any of you can get one at this point--the event is over--but maybe it'll help you decide if you want to go to a TRU free build in the future. I'll emphasize again: it's free! You can't go wrong regardless of the build if it's free.

Here's a quickie building I put together from my scrap pieces and PAB parts. Plus, I needed a home for CMF Forest Maiden (which resulted in me running out to buy Heroic and Evil Knight, because I didn't want her to be alone). If this looks like "The Lost Village" from Master Builder Academy Set 7, that's because I used it as a rough model. I'm debating getting that MBA set when it comes out so I can learn building-making techniques. In the meantime, I put this together. (Also, there's not much to the interior--there is an upper attic where a minifigure can stand, but there's no decoration inside to speak of. It's only standing on a six-wide base!) Comments are appreciated!

There's not much of an interior to speak of. I laid down brown tiles to give it a "wood" floor. The second floor window has enough room inside for a minifigure with a small ledge to place stuff on. But there's no furniture or anything like that--I don't have enough bricks to make it a whole house!

Here's a quickie abstract of the Thing I put together. The Lego Store has a mini-model build of Superman coming up next week, and I was curious if I could build any other comic characters in this style. So, here's the ever-lovin' blue eyed Thing. I wish I could make his arms more muscle-y, but I'm stuck with the few orange bricks I have. Thoughts are appreciated!

I guess I didn't do a full tally. My immediate reaction on seeing the photo was "CMFs," even with Harry Potter and Batman thrown in there. My eyes immediately went to the two Chicken guys, the Cyclops, etc. It's also why I posted it here, since CMFs are discussed in the Special forum...

I found this article today on Slate (a U.S. web magazine): Are Lego Faces Getting Angrier? (OK, Eurobricks, I don't know why you won't let me embed a link, so here it is directly: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/06/11/lego_faces_angrier_new_study_says_fewer_smileys_more_mad_expressions_photo.html) The article is...goofy. That aside, there's a neat photo of a bunch of minifigure heads, which I guess I'll direct link here:. How many can YOU identify without looking them up? Some are obvious...some are not so recognizable!

Update: Well, I got the magnet! The magnet itself comes out easily enough, and then I worked out the screw with a dremel tool. I too am now stuck with a nice IM figure with a giant spear coming out his lower back. Does anyone out there have thoughts on removing it without scraping up the rear? Update 2: I took off most of the screw with some thick bolt cutters. Then I took my Dremel tool and slowly, carefully, worked away at the stub with a grinding tool. This part was really delicate--one slip and I could have taken off the paint deco on Tony's back. (I think there's a minor scratch, but as a display piece, I can live with this.) The hard part is when you get down to the surface, as you need work exclusively at the screw and avoid touching the plastic. It can be done, but I recommend a lot of light and a steady hand. Of course, now Iron Man has a silver dot in his back. Too bad it can't be where the ARC Reactor goes!

Does anyone know where the lawnmower is going to be available? TRU, Lego Stores, or somewhere else? Polys tend to be so random sometimes.

Grrr! I want that, but I don't $75-want that. Hopefully leftover stock shows up at my shop on August 1.

Hmmm, thanks. I'll try this when I get the magnet next week. You could try using bolt clippers to get rid of as much of the screw as possible, and then carefully Dremel off the rest. I did this ONCE when I got the Aayla Secura keychain. Believe me, it was not easy trying to get in there and shave the screw down to a nub without hitting the plastic.

Zombie Hazmat Guy Gorilla Suit Guy Santa Chicken Suit Guy

Eastern. Well, I guess it's "eastern" based on the fact that, to me, western Maryland would be out in Frederick or near West Virginia. I guess "eastern" could be the eastern shore over the bay. Anyway, it's located in Crofton, which is roughly equidistant from Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis, if that helps. It's actually becoming weirdly Lego-centric around here: there's a Lego-play themed store opening near Annapolis this weekend, we have a Lego Store at the Annapolis Mall, and there's another Lego Store about 25 minutes away at Arundel Mills. And that says nothing of the dozens of Targets in the area and the lone Toys R' Us across the street from the mall.

Gorgeous! Do you have a modified parts list?

So the new seasonal beach scene has been out a few weeks. It looks like Lego is doing one of these Store/Shop exclusive seasonal scenes every few months. A few weeks ago, we had the Spring Scene, and in a few months we'll get the Fall Scene and the Thanksgiving Feast. I guess you could also count last Brick Friday's Christmas Scene as the winter set. But what about the good old summertime--is it represented well in Lego form? Read on! Here's your usual oversized polybag. Not much to see here, except that you know up front that you're getting 40 pieces for 5 bucks (about 12 cents a piece). The build is actually simple enough that you could probably construct it just from looking at the package. (There's actually few enough pieces that you could build this while it's still inside the bag...as I did while waiting in line at the Lego Store for the monthly promotional build.) Your standard one-sheet directions. By step 8, you're practically done with the build! If you're a fan of sand-colored bricks, this set is for you. You get a lot of them in all shapes and sizes, including a number of cheese slopes. Other fun pieces include a yellow flag and hinges, and one of those old-style ladders that I haven't seen in forever. I think many people will agree that one of the big drawbacks of this set is the minifigure. Since this is a beach scene, let's call him "Frankie." Compared to other beach figures we've seen, Frankie is pretty plain vanilla. He's got the same helmet hair that's been around since the 1980s. He's dressed somewhat oddly for the beach. At least in the United States, we tend to think of beachgoers as wearing little more than a swimsuit. This guy is dressed for a summer stroll on the boardwalk, not a stroll on the beach. The shirt is certainly interesting, but it'd be nice if he were wearing a tank top and/or shorts. Plus, he's alone. Unlike the Springtime Scene or the other upcoming sets, Frankie is by himself. It would have been nice if he'd came with a female or child in a swimsuit. Sure, this probably would have driven up the price, but it would have given it a little more completeness. Frankie comes with the clever-yet-annoying addition of a beach chair, made by cleverly combining the ladder, the hinges, the flag, and some clear pieces to give the illusion of the chair standing on legs. The chair certainly looks nice when lying down, but this bottom view shows you that it can't plug into anything. If you want it sitting on your Lego beach, it needs to sit unsecured. The other problem... ...is that Frankie can't secure into it, at least on his back. He can lay on it, sure, but he falls off at the slightest bump. The best you can do is turn him over and plug his feet into the ladder. Even then, it's a bit awkward--usually, when someone reclines on their stomach, they're lying fairly flat. As for the rest of the scene? Well, it's not too bad. You get a little side scene with Frankie's umbrella (why he needs one since he's covered up, I don't know) and a crab. The sandcastle itself is the main draw of the set, and it doesn't look bad. The combination of cheese slopes and cones makes for a pretty sandcastle-like structure that will work well in any beach scene. I personally like that it includes a few darker-tan pieces, since buried sand tends to be wetter and therefore a deeper color. The bucket and flag make nice sandcastle accessories, but again raises the question of why no child minifigure is included. I mean, adults can build sandcastles too, but a kid and a shovel would have made a nice touch. There's also two yellow 1x1 studs included, but I have no idea what those are supposed to represent. Any takers on that one? The usual spare parts. If you like studs and cheese slopes, this set's for you. So what's the final verdict? Design: 7/10: I think it ranks a little bit higher because of the lovely sandcastle. The chair, although clever, has no meaningful use. If Lego wants to produce a different style of chair, they'll need to redesign the classic standard chair. Parts: 5/10: It doesn't really have any phenomenal parts. If you like sand-colored pieces, then maybe this is for you. Otherwise, there's nothing terribly out of the ordinary, except for maybe the crab and the printed umbrella-top. Build: 9/10: It's pretty easy to put together. Like I said, you can probably do it without even reading the directions. Minfigs: 4/10: You only get one, and Frankie's a bit boring. He might have looked better with a more modern hairstyle and painted shorts instead of blue jeans. The shirt is interesting, but not the best choice for the beach. Playability: 4/10: Another low score here. The playability's in the name: this is a scene, not a playset. Frankie's job is to literally sit there and not get sunburned. The upcoming Fall Scene apparently has a wheelbarrow and "leaves," so you'll at least be able to play "cleaning the yard." This? I guess you could have Frankie get pinched by the crab. Price: 4/10: 5 bucks for 40 pieces (or 12 cents per brick) doesn't really impress, especially since the recent Springtime Scene came in at 9 cents per brick with 2 minifigures. It does seem to be on average for polybags these days--the recent Uruk-Hai and Iron Man polys have even fewer pieces for the same price. Still, I can't help but feel like a dollar cheaper would have made it a better value. If you want to take your chances, you could wait and see if your Lego Store will drop the price on clearance. Conclusion: Summer Scene is an alright-looking set, but falls short without a second minifigure and the lousy chair. I'd recommend it only for completists who want a full set of seasons to go with the Springtime and upcoming Fall Scenes.

I'd like to get this once I save up a few bucks for it. One thing that will drive me batty is if I don't have the two Iron Man armors that are intended to go in front of the blue wall panels. I just got the Mark VI in the promotional fighting drone set, but the Mark VII...? You need the super-expensive Avengers Quinjet for that. However, I just discovered that Lego is releasing the Mark VII on a magnet! I know that the minifigure attaches to the magnet from the back. Has anyone figured out how to remove the new figures from the magnets? I'd be contented to have an Iron Man Mark VII minifigure in the scene with a hole in his back, as long as I don't need to pay Quinjet prices for him.

I'd go back and try to get it from a different clerk. When you make a purchase, the clerk should actually scan (and then discount) the free item. Go back with a printed store ad from the website and tell them you didn't get it.

Timmy, it's on the Australia Shop Website, so I assume the stores have it too? I hadn't thought of what Aussies do--do you folks still get the Winter Village sets in December?

I am wondering if this will show up in stores next month. I mean, I plan on making a $50 purchase at the Lego store, so I'll get it anyway. (Actually, I'm getting a $49.99 set, so I need to get something else cheap to bump it over $50. Grr.) It's just that I've seen the last few Shop-exclusive polybags show up at Wal-Mart recently. Can I get this with a coupon? I have a $5 off $35 deal that I'd like to use, but they always have that "not combined with any other offer" deal.... Update: Got my set today! Not only did the store let me combine it with my coupon, they said that a $49.99 purchase was good enough for the bag. I was all set to get a keychain to push myself over $50.

I think he meant to say "if you had done your entry earlier, you should have submitted it sooner."