LEGO Inside Tours: how they make you feel

Great review. Only makes me want to go even more

Actually, Stephen Spielberg does have a link with Star Wars: George Lucas was hedging his SW bet when he made the first movie and made a deal with Stephen: each got a stake in each other's movie (Spielberg was finalizing Raiders of the Lost Ark which Lucas' thought was a way more likely box office success). So when Star Wars went big, Spielberg got quite some money. (I believe he has/had a 2.5% stake in the movie).

Spielberg had a lot to do with Star Wars. Unless you missed that episode of South Park, ;)

Ow the feels, I still get a little homesick every time I think about the tour. Good thing a picture of the set is not out yet. Maybe the participants are out for a great time instead of wanting to make money (hooray!)

And from my perspective it worked very well! There was a father and son who had tried to get in for 7 years without success, imagine their excitement which was typical for everyone else in the group.

I was on the tour this year - just got back on friday. It blew my mind. Serious Lego overdose.

The experience is truly once in a lifetime and I implore EVERYBODY to apply for it every year until they actually get a place.

For me, its right up there with SDCC.

Am I making a mistake by waiting for the new Lego Billund HQ to be be complete before trying to get on one of the tours? It's probably a once only thing for me so would very much like to see the new HQ at the same time if possible - it does look impressive from pics so far :-)

Erm, not to be one of those people, but it's Steven, not Stephen.....

That bit about him talking about meeting LEGO designers, about how some might not really know who they are, made me think.. Why doesn't the set details panel have a listing for who designed the set? I'm not deeply knowledgable about LEGO's design team, but I recognise names here and there for sure. Yet, for the most part I have no idea who designed what set unless it's specifically stated (like the LEGO presentation videos for new high-end sets or if it's stated in the booklet).

I guess such a thing would require LEGO's participation though since most sets don't come with a "designed by" description, but I sure would love it if all sets, big and small, included it in the database.

I have to admit I know little about designers as well with the exception of Jamie who's name seems to come up a lot. It would be nice to hear about others both what they designed and a little about them as well. Any chance Brickset could do more interviews as they had one in the recent past with a designer?

Well put Branko! The tour was indeed awesome and i think should be considered a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity. For me, it was not just about 'the Brick' (although there were many cool 'brick related' experiences on the tour) but also about the people - whether they were LEGO designers, employees or the great bunch of enthusiastic builders from all over the world who could share their passion for building with LEGO.

It sounds like a great time. I'd love to go! My daughter may or may not enjoy it. My wife wouldn't care one bit. But maybe they could sight-see around the city and area?? I have no idea.

But I'll never have the money to go, so I don't think I'll ever apply for it. Which means, if I did apply and got accepted, but couldn't go, I'd hate to try applying in the future only to not get picked again. No way could I keep trying for 7 years. My hope would be diminished after the 3rd or 4th try...

I have no interest in the set from a collector point of view, but if I went on the trip, I'm sure I would keep it.

@flipus74: The Spielberg movie was actually Close Encounters of the Third Kind, not Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Thanks for whetting my appetite! My press credentials couldn't even get me into the Ferrari factory—through they did give me some 60th anniversary keepsakes— so I have higher hopes of joining in someday to celebrate such LEGO history together with fans and creators.

Nice article, but I think your links to other reviews of the tour are incorrect; you link to the 2015 review twice instead of the 2013 review.

^ Huw,

That's what I meant by needing LEGO's cooperation. If that was information LEGO HQ would be willing to give you for this specific purpose then maybe it could be a thing, so ask them and let's give the designers the credit they deserve!

am going on the 21st june tour. cant wait! anyone joining me?

I went on the inside tour a couple years ago and it was amazing! I think my favorite part was the build challenge, but that might just be because I won 1st place in my group.

Re the set design information, if you had the facility, you could fill in this for the ones you know, and for the rest, just have a generic "The LEGO design team" that could be updated if you ever find out. Especially when the set designer has been officially announced, such as the designer videos, and Ideas sets.

Going on the LEGO Inside Tour in May 2015 was an amazing experience for me. I've always been fascinated with the "behind-the-scenes" aspects of LEGO and the people and ideas that made my favorite themes and products so magical. So getting to meet those people in person was a dream come true! Many of the connections I made there I've maintained via Facebook.

The LEGO Inside Tour was actually my second time in Billund, since I'd been there for a recruitment workshop in February 2015 (no, I didn't end up getting the job). But even having gotten an opportunity to meet designers and show them my skills previously, the Inside Tour itself was an unparalleled experience. In fact, I'd say knowing some of the designers in Billund previously actually made the experience MORE rewarding, since not only was I meeting new people, but also connecting with friends I'd already made.

I hope one day I do get a design job in Billund like I've long dreamed of, because every time I go there, I'm more convinced that it is where I'd like to live and work, and that these designers are who I'd like to one day work with! Both times I visited also reassured me that I'm on the right track to reach those goals one day, since the designers really appreciated what I had to offer. I even won first place in the building competition last year!

I'm very excited for my next opportunity to travel to Billund, whenever that might be. It probably won't be the same VIP experience that the LEGO Inside Tour offers, but it will be a great opportunity to build connections.

A few corrections : it is indeed Steven and it should read Children's Wish rather than Make-a-Wish but perhaps both were involved.

The reason LEGO does not reveal the designer names for specific sets is because every set is designed by a team with one designer lead responsible. This lead is considered 'the designer' but this is not an accurate or fair statement to all the people involved. It's about the LEGO experience not the people who brought it.

Mrskinny: the LEGO house will certainly be worth a visit when it's ready next year but this will not be the HQ. The HQ will take a bit longer before it'll be ready and you will not see much of it anyway.

So I'd say: sign up and hope you get selected.

Very well said, Branko. I was a participant for the 10 Year 2014 tour, and I still reflect back on the encounters with other participants and designers, and how genuine most everyone was. Especially the LEGO staff! As most would agree, I would love to spend more time doing the event. There were some aspects that I simply didn't get to fully realize because there was so much going on.
After going and hearing about the design process, and seeing first hand how the company has to be/gets to be run, I left with much more appreciation for the product that actually makes its way to us. I, honestly, tire of reading 'fan' blogs where there is no realization of the great effort that is put forth by TLG and the designers. Best wishes to those who have yet to go!

Why is it such a big deal to reveal the set given to attendees?

Man I wish I could go on one of these. :(