LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan will be hosting a Homework Trade-in event to celebrate the end of the school year and kick off summer vacation by inviting local K-5 students to bring in old homework to ceremonially shred. The event will take place from 10am-4pm on June 13th and 14th and is open to the public. Admission to the attraction is not required in order to participate in the event.
The first 100 students each day to bring in their homework will receive a LEGO® prize in exchange for “trading in” their old school work. At the conclusion of the event, the shredded homework will then be properly recycled. It's time for students to say goodbye to those school day blues and shred their way to summer!
The NHL's Redwings and NBA's Pistons have a new home in Detroit at the recently opened Little Caesars Arena in the city's downtown. That isn't the only cityscape Little Caesars Arena is altering though … a reproduction of the sports stadium has just joined Comerica Park, Ford Field and other Detroit landmarks within the Miniland display at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan. Being huge fans of our local sports teams, my kids and I were excited to be invited to the unveiling of this Little Caesars Arena model made entirely from LEGO toys.
We had a chance to meet Clint Parry, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan's own Master Builder, who constructed this miniature LEGO reproduction of Little Caesars Arena. To call this a "miniature" model though may be an understatement though as this replica is 6 feet long and consists of more than 30,000 bricks. Parry spent 60 hours designing the model and more than 100 hours building it.
Some of the details he shared with us about this LEGO version of Little Caesars Arena is that it has more than 1,000 windows and 600 mini-figures within its layout. You could peek inside to see a hockey game being played on the ice rink during our visit, but Parry told us that this floor plan can be switched out to show mini-figures playing basketball on a hardwood court as well. So both the Red Wings and Pistons can be featured in this model of the home arena they share by switching some pieces in and out.
In addition to updating the Miniland with Little Caesars Arena, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan also created a mock parade taking place. The annual Thanksgiving Day parade down historic Woodward Avenue in Detroit has been going on since 1924 and has become known as "America's Thanksgiving Parade." It was a nice touch to have it added to the Miniland display during the holiday season.
My son was really impressed with the Merlin balloon that was incorporated into the Miniland's parade. He brought up how much he liked it a number of times during our visit and on the drive home. By the way, Merlin Entertainments, which is the #1 company in Europe for operating entertainment attractions and the world's second largest attraction operator behind Disney, runs LEGOLAND locations so that parade balloon is also an Easter egg for their brand.
For the holiday season, Miniland has also received a coating of snow to give it a white Christmas feel. Check out one of my favorite place in Detroit, the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle, covered in snow. I wonder if it will look like that in real life when my wife and I head over there next week for an annual Christmas party we always go to.
After the unveiling of Little Caesars Arena and walking around the Miniland, the kids spent some time making a LEGO build of their favorite Detroit sports team logo. Of course they picked the Old English D because they always see on the baseball caps I wear. Though I have to say the Detroit Lions logo template other kids were making with LEGO bricks looked really sharp.
While at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan for the Little Caesar Arena LEGO model unveiling, we also had some time to enjoy the other features that there are to enjoy there. We watched a 4D cinema show about the Legends of Chima, took a spin on the Merlin's Apprentice ride, battled beastly trolls and sneaky skeletons on the Kingdom Quest ride, and built LEGO cars that we raced on a test track. It is always a good time when our family visits LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan.
My kids have been really into the LEGO NINJAGO cartoons, toys and video games lately. So they were ecstatic that we were invited to attend a VIP screening of a brand new movie for the 4D theater at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan featuring the main characters from LEGO NINJAGO ... Lloyd, Kai, Zane, Cole, Nya and Master Wu. My son and daughter were so excited when we arrived at Great Lakes Outlets for this special premiere showing of LEGO NINJAGO: MASTER OF THE 4TH DIMENSION that we were greeted at the entrance of LEGOLAND Discovery Center by Kai, the Red Ninja himself. Of course, we had to take a fun picture with him!
As we made our way back to the 4D theater, the path led through a LEGO mini-land cityscape of Detroit that was experiencing a NINJAGO takeover. LEGO NINJAGO toys had been placed throughout the display tying in to the movie theme of our visit. We also jumped on KINGDOM QUEST and MERLIN'S APPRENTICE RIDE before heading over to the theater. Ride through a medieval landscape while shooting at evil creatures with a laser gun to save the day in KINGDOM QUEST. It is always a blast competing to see who gets the highest score! MERLIN'S APPRENTICE RIDE has you pedal a cart around the magician's library. The faster you pedal the higher your rise while circling around the room.
While waiting for the new 4D LEGO NINJAGO movie's show time outside the theater, my son created a brick sculpture of his favorite ninja character on one of the LEGO play boards mounted on a wall. What a nice job! He was really proud of his creation.
Then it was time to turn in our tickets to see LEGO NINJAGO: MASTER OF THE 4TH DIMENSION!!!
In this 12-minute long 4D movie, Master Wu prepares the ninjas to take on the teachings of the mysterious 'Scroll of the 4th Dimension' but disastrous consequences strike. Cole, Kai, Lloyd, Nya and Zane find themselves in a whole heap of trouble trapped within the 4th Dimension. Can they escape from this weird place? Go see the movie at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan to find out!
The 4D theater at LEGOLAND Discovery Center takes 3D movies then adds special effects like blowing wind and spraying water at the audience in sync with scenes within the show. The Ninjago characters are a nice fit for this format as their elemental powers coincide with the types of 4D special effects utilized in the theater. When Nya uses her power to control water be ready to get wet!
So what did my kids think of the new 4D LEGO Ninjago movie at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan --> "That was AWESOME!"
For more information about LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan, including admission prices, directions, hours and special events, head over to michigan.legodiscoverycenter.com.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan is going medieval over the Memorial Day Weekend as it debuts a new movie to its 4D theater: LEGO® Nexo Knights™ - The Book of Creativity. Nexo Knights are a new LEGO toy line introduced at the beginning of 2016 that combines fairy tale castle, knight, monster and wizard themes with futuristic sci-fi elements. Join the LEGO® Nexo Knights™ as they race across Knighton to beat
Jestro and his Book of Monsters to obtain the most powerful and
dangerous magic book yet - the Book of Creativity. Giant
battles enhanced by in-theater special effects make for a 4D adventure
you will not want to miss.
If you are in the Metro Detroit area it is supposed to be a scorching weekend; so if you don't have any special plans and want to do something fun indoors to avoid the heat, swing by Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall to experience LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan. The attraction will be having a special NEXO KNIGHTS takeover going on all Memorial Day Weekend long. In addition to the premiere of the new 4D movie (which for those who may not know combines 3D visual effects with physical effects such as fog, rain, snow and wind to create an added dimension of fun) there will also be themed LEGO building lessons, a special scavenger hunt, and the NEXO Knights will be invading the Discovery Center's MINILAND.
For more information about LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER MICHIGAN, visit our post about A Geek Daddy's visit to the attraction's grand opening. My kids always enjoy spending time at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan and are really looking forward to checking this new 4D movie out. Be aware that tickets must be purchased online for weekend visits so not to disappoint people showing up to find the attraction at capacity and for children's safety, plus to preserve a family friendly environment, adults are only allowed in when accompanied by a child.
A Geek Daddy has been selected as a brand ambassador for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan. In exchange for informing our blog readers and social media followers about news and updates for the attraction and sharing our experiences when visiting LEGOLAND Discovery Center, A Geek Daddy occasionally receives complimentary admission and invitations to special events for free. A Geek Daddy does not receive any financial compensation from this relationship. Opinions expressed are honest and my own. #LEGODAD
Metro Detroit is getting a brand new entertainment attraction in a few days when LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan opens to the public on March 25, 2016. The nice folks at Merlin Entertainments invited our family to an advance sneak peek of the 32,000 square foot LEGO themed indoor facility located at Great Lakes Outlet Mall which is geared towards entertaining children ages 3 - 10. So I let my 7 year old twins play hooky from school one day for a few hours so they and I could explore the place.
As you enter LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan, guests are ushered into the Factory Tour room. This presentation theater allows visitors to create their own customized virtual reality LEGO mini-figures projected on 360 degree screens then shows a video describing the process a factory would go through to make it.
Departing the Factory Tour you enter the queue area for the first of the attraction's two rides, Kingdom Quest.
Kingdom Quest is an interactive laser shooting experience where visitors will journey into the depths of a medieval castle and zap various targets to help save the princess from the evil mage's skeleton warriors. It is a bit spooky but not overly scary so most children should be amused by the experience rather than terrified by it. My daughter was a bit tepid about getting on the ride at first but as soon as we got off of it she immediately asked if we could do it again.
Kingdom's Quest incorporates both interactive video screens and physical models for riders to target with their laser shooters. All the riders in your cart try to hit the most targets to gain the most points so they can have bragging rights to being the Princess's "Champion." We rode Kingdom's Quest several times and this was hands down my kids' favorite part of our trip even though their competitive dad never let them win a shooting match.
Next to Kingdom's Quest is the facility's other ride Merlin's Apprentice. This takes riders up into the air and spins them around the sorcerer's library.
LEGO Racers: Build & Test Zone lets you build your own car and race it down a track. This area also has special earthquake stimulating tables. Build a skyscraper out of LEGO bricks and see if it can survive the shaking.
The LEGO FRIENDS section will delight the young ladies allowing them to play in and build upon the imaginary Heartlake City which is home to Olivia, Emma, Stephanie, Mia and Andrea from the LEGO toy collection. It also contains life-size sculptures of the LEGO FRIENDS.
DUPLO FARM is a play zone for the Discovery Center's smallest visitors with its own play zone designed for young children and tubs of super-sized DUPLO bricks to play with.
To the rear of the building is a 4D Cinema and the LEGO CITY play zone. The 4D cinema shows a LEGO three dimensional cartoon with real environmental special effects let loose withing the theater making viewers feel as if they are part of the adventure as images leap off the screen and you are immersed in fog, snow and water while sitting in your seats. The LEGO CITY play zone next to the cinema is a great place to let kids run free and my children started begging to jump in it the second they saw this area that includes police, firefighter and construction work motifs.
For those parents comfortable enough to let their kids have a long leash once you've arrived there is a nice parents lounge with big windows looking out at the main area of the Discovery Center, plush chairs and free wi-fi. Also to give parents some peace of mind about child safety, adults 18+ must be accompanied by a child aged under 18 to gain entry to this attraction to avoid there being any questionable characters lurking around. For those 18+ who may want to come to play themselves once a month there is a dedicated Adult Night (no kids allowed) that takes place after the general admission hours are over. LEGOLAND Discovery Center admission hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturdays and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sundays. The Discovery Center remains open for 2 hours after last admission.
Once your day of play has wrapped up you'll pass through a MINILAND exhibit of Metro Detroit landmarks built from LEGO bricks on the way out. Take some time to linger through this area as every five minutes MINILAND completes a day to night cycle, with the models illuminated to show off the Detroit skyline after dark. Watching a firework display in the night sky over the GM Ren Cen in the MINILAND is stunning.
Keep an eye out for buttons and controllers located throughout the MINILAND which activate special effects within the models. For example you can control some vehicles moving through the streets of Motown in one section of MINILAND.
My kids had a great time during our visit to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan and were already asking when we could go back again five minutes after we'd left during our drive home. There are going to be a lot of happy kids in Metro Detroit once LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan officially opens its doors on March 25th.
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Michigan will unveil its first MINILAND LEGO® brick model, which will be of the iconic GM RENCEN,
at the North American International
Auto Show (NAIAS) at 2 p.m. on Monday, January 18, 2016. Measuring approximately
six feet by six feet wide and standing six feet tall, the model will be
on display at NAIAS until Sunday, January 24th. The GMRENCEN
(aka Detroit Renaissance Center) was selected as the Metro Detroit area’s favorite landmark from among
dozens of beloved Detroit attractions, buildings and landmarks through a public vote that LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan sponsored and will
eventually be displayed permanently in the highly anticipated MINILAND exhibit
when the attraction opens later this year at Great Lakes Crossing outlet mall in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The NAIAS is considered to be one of the most prominent automotive events in the world drawing more than 850,000 attendees and 5,000 members of the media from more than 60 countries each year.
"As an iconic symbol of Detroit's history and innovation in the automobile industry, we are honored to debut our LEGO model of t he GM RENCEN at the Motor City's preeminent event of the year," Hayley Anderson, general manager for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan told A Geek Daddy. "Being included in the North American International Auto Show is a unique and exciting opportunity that will allow us to share our model with the community and region."
The first MINILAND model for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan - GM REN CEN unveiled 1/18.16
Situated along Detroit's international riverfront, the GM REN CEN is an
iconic collection of seven interconnected skyscrapers that are owned by
and serve as the world headquarters for General Motors. The central
tower, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, is the tallest
building in Michigan and the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western
Hemisphere.
“On behalf of the tenants, employees, businesses and visitors at the GMRENCEN,
we’re honored to be chosen as metro Detroit’s top landmark in the
future LEGOLAND Discovery Center,” Claudia Killeen, General Motors
manager of Renaissance Center Development communicated to A Geek Daddy. “With its unique cylindrical
design and glass exterior, we have no doubt that the GMRENCEN will make a great addition to the Detroit MINILAND.”
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan will be a 32,000-square foot indoor
attraction featuring millions of LEGO bricks and themed exhibits
including a 4D cinema, two interactive rides, large soft play areas and
much more. One of the highlights of any LEGOLAND Discovery Center is
its MINILAND which feature miniature LEGO brick landscapes inspired by
the community where it is located. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan
will have a MINILAND featuring Metro Detroit buildings, attractions, and
other notable landmarks that will include in addition to GM REN CEN,
the Spirit of Detroit statue, Belle Isle, Motown Museum, Fox Theater,
Guardian Building, Comerica Park, and the giant Uniroyal Tire.
Do you have the ability to sculpt things from LEGO bricks that amaze and wow people?
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan is seeking adult LEGO fans to apply up until midnight on Monday, January 4, 2016 for the coveted role of Master Model Builder, a full-time salaried position at the attraction. How awesome would it be to tell people you are a professional LEGO bricks model builder when asked about your career?! This is a dream job for anyone who has ever loved playing with LEGO bricks!
The Master Model Builder is a hands-on role that is responsible for maintaining and updating MINILAND models and developing new features, exhibitions and building new models at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center, as well as working with the thousands of children expected to visit the attraction. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan will be a 32,000-square-foot indoor attraction at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in the Metro Detroit community of Auburn Hills that will feature millions of LEGO bricks and themed exhibits including a 4D cinema, two interactive rides, large soft play areas, and much more.
Applicants will compete against each other in an exciting two-day Brick Factor competition, set for Saturday and Sunday, January 9 & 10th at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets. During the two-day Brick Factor event, participants will display their skill by taking part in creative challenges and building original LEGO brick models in timed rounds of judged competition. The first day will consist of two rounds of competition with eliminations taking place during each round. The day's top competitors will participate in formal interviews and a final challenging building round on Sunday, after which one will be crowned the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan Master Builder.
"The Master Model Builder is one of the most exciting and creative jobs on the market today," Hayley Anderson, general manager for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan communicated to A Geek Daddy blog. "We are looking for a high-energy and inventive individual who understands the colorful world of LEGO to welcome to our team."
Applicants must be familiar with LEGO bricks and have experience in the model-making or craft field. Those interested in this incredible opportunity can apply through the Merlin Entertainments Career website. CLICK HERE to select Michigan--Auburn Hills--United States from the drop down menu and click on the Master Model Builder Job # 4468 for the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan attraction.
Good luck to all the applicants! What a SUPER job this would be!
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan broke ground in the Fall of 2015 and will be opening in the Spring of 2016.
