LEGO Imagination Centre

[Hippychickali]

I plan to go to "Lego Land" on our trip to the World in July. I was wondering if anyone can tell me what it is like. I understand that it is much more than a store. Has anyone been there yet since it re-opened after renovations? Photos and reviews would be much appreciated.

Ali

 

[Matt'sMom]

Legoland (the park) is in CA, not FL... so visiting there while on a WDW vacation isn't gonna work. Sorry.

But there is a large Lego Store located at Downtown Disney. It is pretty impressive, especially since they just recently completed a major renovation. It's called the 'Lego Imagination Center'. Perhaps this is what you were thinking of?

The Lego store includes a lot of neat Lego displays (scenes & models both big and small), including a life size family of tourists (& their dogs), a 12 foot tall dino model, and a 30 foot long sea serpent that is 'swimming' in the lake, to name a few. And there is a play area for the kids too--where they can have hands on fun building with Legos, or can go and play on the slide and such.

 

[MichiganMomto4]

Sorry, Haven't been since they made some new displays. There is a large area outside that is filled with bins of legos that kids can play with and build. Inside, it's just a big store filled with Lego sets to purchase and individual pieces in bins. There are also some "lifesize" models like the ones my boys are standing next to below:

 

[Hippychickali]

Thank you MichiganMomto4 for the information and the great pics. I can't wait to go there.

Legoland (the park) is in CA, not FL... so visiting there while on a WDW vacation isn't gonna work. Sorry.

But there is a large Lego Store located at Downtown Disney. It is pretty impressive, especially since they just recently completed a major renovation. It's called the 'Lego Imagination Center'. Perhaps this is what you were thinking of?

Matt's Mom, I obviously know that the LEGO Store in DTD is called the LEGO Imagination Centre and not "Lego Land". Check out my subject line and my use of quotation marks around "Lego Land". My question was about the major renovation. Maybe you could tell me more about that.

Ali

 

[Mr.BsMom]

I don't have any pictures since the renovation, but it seems much nicer than it was before (IMHO). It's much brighter and seems to be laid-out better. There are tons of boxed sets to choose from and there is also an area where you can get a bucket (they have different sizes) and fill it up with individual pieces in hundreds of different colors. We didn't get one of these, but I believe they just charge you one price based on the size of the bucket and then you can fill it up with whatever pieces you want to.

There are several displays both inside and out (really amazing!), as well as several play areas. There are a few different (small) play areas inside the store - one of them has the Duplo blocks for smaller kids - and the large play area outside. Outside there are several tables with millions of Legos to build with, and 2 racing ramps. All the tables and the ramps are under a large covering that blocks the sun and rain. There is also a small house with a slide that kids can climb on and then slide down.

It's always crowded, and if you have kids it's hard to get them to leave!

 

[TimothyG]

The Lego Store in DTD is so amazing! I haven't been since it was redone, I think, but the huge displays are fantastic. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. DEFINATELY check it out.

 

[carol1231]

We were there a couple of weeks ago. The new layout is great. The tables are all under one big roof to block the sun and rain. I thing the old tables were under individual roofs. There is a ton of variety of blocks. We didn't go into the store, it was packed (week before Easter). So I don't know what is new inside. It is a definite "must go" for my kids.

 

[Hippychickali]

Thank you all so much for your review of the store since the renovations. I don't have children but I do have one really excited fiance. I'm glad to hear that the renovations were worth the temporary closure.

Ali

 

[WDSearcher]

Matt's Mom, I obviously know that the LEGO Store in DTD is called the LEGO Imagination Centre and not "Lego Land". Check out my subject line and my use of quotation marks around "Lego Land".

There are a LOT of people who show up at DTD expecting to see "Legoland" so that's probably why Matt's Mom responded as she did. Lego store CMs are continually having to explain that Legoland is a California theme park and is not anywhere near WDW, even though guests insist that they were told "Lego Land" was in Florida. So ... while it was obvious to you that you knew the LEGO Store and Legoland are two different places, it might not have been to everyone else!

 

[Hippychickali]

There are a LOT of people who show up at DTD expecting to see "Legoland" so that's probably why Matt's Mom responded as she did. Lego store CMs are continually having to explain that Legoland is a California theme park and is not anywhere near WDW, even though guests insist that they were told "Lego Land" was in Florida. So ... while it was obvious to you that you knew the LEGO Store and Legoland are two different places, it might not have been to everyone else!

Yes. I appreciate the distinction. I am, in fact, referring to the LEGO Imagination Centre.

Ali

 

[eileenfk]

LegoLand (in California) is worth visiting for a few categories of people
1) pre-school aged children
2) people who think that Lego is the most (or almost the most) awesome toy ever invented.
3) People that build with Lego as sort of an art form. For this group, it is like a painter visiting an art museum.
(I fall into categories 2 and 3).

For older kids, who do not also fit into category 2 or 3, who have been to other amusement parks (such as Disney), LegoLand is not such a big hit.

As for the Lego Imagination center, I remember really liking it the first time I visited it. That was before LegoLand was built.
I do like the availablity of the bulk bricks, where I can choose the bricks I want and pay by the bucket (not cheap, but I can pick my selection).
So many times, I have bought full Lego sets to get more of some specific piece (justifying to cost, based on the belief that I would eventually use the other pieces for something).

Last time I was there, I wanted to get another one of the Lego back Packs (the type that look like a large Lego Brick) but they didn't have them.
I instead got a Bionicle back pack (and I am not a fan of the Bionicle sets). It did turn out to be the most comfortable small day size back pack that I own. The pack also had one of those little straps, that goes across the front, which made a good seat belt for Pal Mickey.

- Eileen

 

[MickeyMacks]

Hi, I'm going the first week of December and I'd like to check out the Lego Store and take my Lego-freak DS8 to DisneyQuest too. Anyone know what time the Lego Store opens in the morning? Is it earlier than DisneyQuest? Hope so, because the plan is to play at the store a bit and use DisneyQuest as incentive to drag him away...

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Any Lego-loving kid (or even Lego-loving adult) will enjoy the store. My DS7 enjoyed getting his photo taken with the giant crab, fish and shark -- he has these sets, so it was cute to see them in giant size. We also liked the sea serpent, dog-walking kids, and dinosaur.

We were hoping the store would have some special WDW-only set or something different than ToysRUs, but no luck. They did have a small or large container ($6.95 and $? for the large) that you could fill with various pieces, but seemed that all you'd get when you got home was a mish-mash of pieces (unless you practiced building it first in the store, but my kids weren't interested in that). So we bought a regular $20 set -- just to have a take-home gift -- and the price was the same as ToysRUs.

There's a big McDonald's right there, so, of course, we ate lunch there. Would have been cute if they offered some Lego-type thing in the Happy Meal -- we would have paid extra above HM price -- but again, no luck.

 

[aurora'smom]

We just got back from our vacation this week and the LEGO store was a must see for my DS12 and DS9. It is always one of the highlights of their trip and it is much nicer after the renovation!! There are lots of "building" areas. My kids each bought a large cup of legos. There were many colors that are not usually in LEGO sets, like pink, teal, pale yellow, etc. There were also little wheels, flowers, doors, windows.

There was also a section where you can build (and buy) your own LEGO person, but my kids didn't do that one.

It would have been nice to see some "Disney exclusive" LEGOs, like the Mr. PotatoHead pieces in Once Upon a Toy at Downtown Disney, but there were none there that we saw.

 

[Hippychickali]

Thank you aurora's mom for the review! It sounds like a great place and I'm glad the renovations were worth the time it was closed. I can't understand why LEGO doesn't cash in on the whole Disney theme.

Ali