2023 Inside Tour registration begins tomorrow
Posted by Huw,
Details of next year's Inside Tours have just been published and registration for the once-in-a-lifetime experience commences tomorrow.
The three-day event includes accommodation, a factory tour, a visit to the LEGO Idea House, quality time in the company of LEGO designers, LEGO House and LEGOLAND annual passes, a visit to the employee store, and much more.
Six tours will be run between May and November. Find out more and register for a place at the LEGO House website, and check out our reviews of previous years' tours in our news archive.
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43 comments on this article
"The price per person for taking part in LEGO Inside Tour is DKK 20,000"
That's approx 2700 EUR, or 2800 USD. Ouch!
@Tuzi said:
[[[[The price per person for taking part in LEGO Inside Tour is DKK 20,000]]
That's approx 2700 EUR, or 2800 USD. Ouch!]]
And that’s not including the cost of traveling to and from Billund in the first place!
@Tuzi said:
[[[[The price per person for taking part in LEGO Inside Tour is DKK 20,000]]
That's approx 2700 EUR, or 2800 USD. Ouch!]]
And as everyone who goes will tell you, worth every penny...
@Huw:
To be brutally honest, the high cost surely weeds out anyone who would disagree, such as people who are having trouble making rent.
@Huw said:
" And as everyone who goes will tell you, worth every penny..."
Went in 2018, and can confirm it's worth every single penny. Trip of a lifetime for any Lego fan. Still remember waking up at 4am in November 2017 to register. The 10 months getting ready for the trip were a blur, but we enjoyed every minute of the tour.
Just to compare, we paid 14,000DKK in 2018. So it's up over inflation but I still wouldn't hesitate.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Huw :
To be brutally honest, the high cost surely weeds out anyone who would disagree, such as people who are having trouble making rent."
To be really brutal, Lego is not a hobby for someone who has trouble making the rent. Yes, there are entry points for people of all means, but Lego products are expensive overall.
Did the Fan Tour in October. I cannot imagine the extra cost for the Inside Tour is actually worth it, personally, but I can see why the employee store and time with the designers would be worth it to some. If I were single, the Inside Tour might have been a fun trip, but for 2 people it's really hard to justify that price difference.
Hmmm... definitely a 'must do.' Not sure about this year. Although, I didn't go to Qatar, so it is doable.
The real question is, whom do you take? My brother has built Lego models professionally as part of his graphic design business. My son is a crazy MOCing fool. My wife puts up with us all, and loves Europe and travel.
Went in June of this year. Was originally scheduled to go in 2020, and we all know how that turned out. Yes, it is worth every DKK you pay. Spent more time than I probably should have chatting up Mike and Carl (those two are crazy funny together :) ) Everybody super nice, and I met some other wonderful LEGO fans who I am still in contact with. Shopping at the Employee store was surreal, but factory tour was highlight for me as my background is in Operations Management.
In years past, it was my understanding that it was not first come first served, but the website does not specifically say that. Any thoughts?
The price is good. We have just done a 10 day South Pacific cruise and it cost a similar amount. Airfares from NZ to Aussie were extra.
@SearsTower said:
"In years past, it was my understanding that it was not first come first served, but the website does not specifically say that. Any thoughts?"
I too would be curious to know how they choose who goes. I thought it was a lottery thing at one point.
It is no longer first-come-first-served, so there's no desperate hurry to register.
I believe they like to have a mix of attendees and not all families or all AFOLs for example, so will use some criteria when deciding who to invite.
@MLF:
I’ve met all kinds of people, and this is a hobby that can, and should, be for all kinds of people. I know at least one person who had to liquidate their collection to make rent, and I know someone who doesn’t need to work and just attends every convention possible. I’ve encountered people online who get by with at most a few thousand pieces and the enjoyment of looking at pictures on the internet, and I know people who can’t set foot in a LEGO Store without spending 3-4 figures.
So, in terms of a trip like this (especially if overseas airfare has to be factored in), I can see five groups of people. First, is those who can easily afford the cost, for whom I can definitely see it “being worth every penny”. Second is those who could afford it, but are realistic about how much of a sacrifice it would be to make it happen. Third is who choose to make that sacrifice anyways. Fourth is those who realistically can’t afford it, but make the trip regardless. And fifth is those who simply can’t pool enough money no matter how hard they try.
If I’m being realistic, I fall into the second group. I own my home, so I’ve been insulated from rising housing costs, and I have a job that’s not only pandemic-proof but has come with unexpected pay bumps in each of the past three years. But for me it’s a choice between my hobby and a trip that’s about my hobby. I could probably save up to fund a trip for myself, but I’d have to stop buying any LEGO product to do it. That’s a sacrifice I’m not willing to make. I have a lot of unbuilt MOCs that could be completed with that kind of money, and several expensive holes in my collection I’d like to fill.
Especially at this time of year, it’s important to remember that not everyone needs to be wealthy to be an AFOL, and some have more pressing concerns than having one day’s build from an Advent Calendar spoiled for them by accident.
I think it's something I'd like to do at some point but I was a little surprised at the cost - though am happy to take people's word that it's worth every penny / cent / ore. If I get a bonus next year then I'll put a bit aside for the next time that they issue invites.
Went in 2014, worth every penny. Highly recommend trying if you can swing it, since there is no guarantee you will even get in. Having to do it on a time crunch was heart-attack inducing, but it was sort of nice that that was enough to get in before.
I was lucky to be part of the LIT 2016, worth every cent!
Worth every penny...
@Huw said:
"It is no longer first-come-first-served, so there's no desperate hurry to register.
I believe they like to have a mix of attendees and not all families or all AFOLs for example, so will use some criteria when deciding who to invite."
We were told that groups are mixed to a degree, but the adults are groups are sorted into "collectors" and "builders" and put on separate tours. We had a good mix of people, of all age ranges.
Again, from what we were told, they do screen people, and hand pick participants. They are not chosen at random or first-come-first-served. That said, I don't think it would hurt to be early, but taking the time to answer the questions fully is most likely more important.
@PurpleDave said:
"...and some have more pressing concerns than having one day’s build from an Advent Calendar spoiled for them by accident."
Wow, no idea what you would think the value of a personal dig like this would be. Completely undermines everything else you wrote. Maybe next time, before accusing other people of being judgmental, you need to remember that you also know nothing about the life of the person you are responding to.
Not that my circumstances should matter, but I read the advent calendar articles while sitting in a hospital room with my wife, where she has been for the last two weeks recovering from cancer surgery, before coming home and opening the calendars we have over a video call in the evening. I am sorry if I offended you or anyone else with my polite request for the slightest amount of restraint as to not to steal that tiny bit of joy and surprise from us during the holidays. Hopefully, my wife will be out of the hospital soon enough to open the calendars herself, so I can participate on the site without drawing the ire of Brickset power-users.
I perfectly understand the point you were trying to make. My wife and I have made Lego our primary hobby. While it has been an important escape these last few years, we understand it is the first thing to be put aside when time or finances don't permit it.
My wife and I grew up poor (by North American standards at least). We are not wealthy now by any stretch. We worked hard as adults and got to a point five years ago where we could afford the tour. We were incredibly fortunate to be chosen that year, as literally any later and we would not have been able to attend, because of the state of the world and our personal circumstances. It was the trip of a lifetime for us. I find it saddening that trying to share those happy memories here, with people who are far more likely than the general population to have the means and motivation for this trip, has resulted in such scorn.
In a perfect world, everyone would have that opportunity and good fortune. As I said, there are entry points to this hobby for many people, but the reality is that the majority of products and experiences offered by The Lego Group are out of reach for many. If you want an even more brutal reality check, remember that, even having any time as adults for a hobby like this is a luxury out of reach of a good majority of the world population. We can acknowledge that disparity without it impacting the joy this hobby should provide.
@MLF:
The tone of your post honestly came across very much like many of the gate-keeping posts I've seen here in recent years, and your previous post about AC spoilers provided zero context to indicate why you felt something that had never been an issue before was suddenly such a big deal. That's far more information than you owed anyone, but even a simple "going through some tough times" would have shifted a lot of the responses you got towards compassion, including mine. Just a weird suggestion (and this may seem "wrong"), but if you wait until the day after to read the comment sections for the calendars you didn't get, not only will you be far more likely to avoid any potential spoilers (I mean, the contents have been known for months, but people mostly try to avoid spoiling later dates except when they report getting the wrong model), but you'll get to read the full day's comments rather than just the early posts.
In my extended family, I know of four relatives (three by blood, one by marriage) who died from cancer, and two (both blood relatives) who are cancer survivors. In my LUG, we've lost two members to cancer, and have at least three more cancer survivors. I also recently lost a coworker of 17 years, who was near my own age, to cancer. So, I do not wish your wife a speedy recovery, but rather a full recovery, because with something like this, that is far more important in the long run.
My LUG also does a show every year during the week of Thanksgiving, called Detroit Festival of Trees. The purpose is to raise money for research at Children's Hospital of Michigan. One session I make a special effort to attend is the morning before it opens to the gala. For a few hours, they invite families with kids who have chronic and terminal diseases to come in and get a brief respite from what they deal with on a daily basis. We also did a display for a special needs baseball league this summer, which may end up becoming a recurring event. I've definitely seen a lot of families who have or had it worse off than you, or me, or anyone else who's likely to be frequenting this site. So, that's the situation I'm coming from when I write a response like that at this time of year.
I highly encourage anyone who can afford it to apply. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity (unless you're a particular Bricksetter whom I judge for going twice, taking a spot from someone who hasn't gotten to go) that I describe as "winning Willy Wonka's golden ticket but for LEGO fans." The opportunities to tour the factory, visit the buildings where designers work, eat meals with designers and pick their brains, free-build small MOCs alongside the designers, have those MOCs judged by designers (I get to tell people I won a LEGO trophy in a contest which had Brickmaster Jamie from LEGO Masters as a judge!), and to truly experience all things LEGO for three days is unparalleled. In addition to the many great deals at the employee shop, the company is very generous in providing numerous sets and other LEGO goodies to the participants in addition the exclusive Inside Tour set limited to each year.
The cost is high, but for me and other participants who have posted here, the relative value is absolutely worth it. For comparison, "cheap" Super Bowl tickets cost about twice what the Inside Tour does, and that's for a four-hour football game with a short concert at halftime. This is a three-day experience packed with activities and tons of take-home goodies. Speaking of, while I proudly have my Inside Tour Ferguson Tractor on display, there are participants who sell theirs. I've seen some sell on eBay for more than the cost of the whole Inside Tour itself; a guy a couple years ago took two kids and listed the two extra copies of everything on eBay within minutes of the embargo being lifted.
I will note one negative about the expense of going: this year's price increases also apply to the Inside Tour. I'm glad I got to go when the cost was 14,500 DKK instead of 20,000 DKK. That's nearly a 40% increase--but there's a new hotel to stay in and a new LEGO Campus to visit, so hopefully more bucks gets you more bang!
@MLF said:
" @Huw said:
"It is no longer first-come-first-served, so there's no desperate hurry to register.
I believe they like to have a mix of attendees and not all families or all AFOLs for example, so will use some criteria when deciding who to invite."
We were told that groups are mixed to a degree, but the adults are groups are sorted into "collectors" and "builders" and put on separate tours. We had a good mix of people, of all age ranges.
Again, from what we were told, they do screen people, and hand pick participants. They are not chosen at random or first-come-first-served. That said, I don't think it would hurt to be early, but taking the time to answer the questions fully is most likely more important."
How do they know who's who? Do you have to include social media handles on your application?
@Idasiv:
I would assume legal names are required.
@Huw said:
" And as everyone who goes will tell you, worth every penny..."
I completely agree. I was lucky enough to be chosen to attend this year (actually accepted 2 years ago but Covid delayed the tours). It was indeed worth every penny and more. They made us all feel so special and it was wonderful meeting so many designers and going behind the scenes. An experience of a lifetime for a Lego fan!!
I am very curious how this can worth every penny of 3 months salary.
Suddenly I’m starting to think that staying in the Star Wars hotel at Disney World is affordable.
For me it’s not so much about can I afford it, it’s more about if it’s the best use of my money. If I were to spend this sort of money I would probably hope to be going to Antarctica or the Galapagos. Of course the real issue is that my kids would be jet lagged making it an impossible trip until they are older.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Idasiv :
I would assume legal names are required."
I see that I was misreading his comment. They sort that when you've already shown up, I thought he meant they planned groups around builders/collectors.
Perhaps the money is worth it but I don't understand how a company like LEGO can justify asking this much money from their biggest fans. Surely this is not an area where the bottom line matters.
Even though I could afford to join (and I would love to go) something doesn't sit right with me with this price tag.
@MLF said:
" @Huw said:
" And as everyone who goes will tell you, worth every penny..."
Went in 2018, and can confirm it's worth every single penny. Trip of a lifetime for any Lego fan. Still remember waking up at 4am in November 2017 to register. The 10 months getting ready for the trip were a blur, but we enjoyed every minute of the tour.
Just to compare, we paid 14,000DKK in 2018. So it's up over inflation but I still wouldn't hesitate.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Huw :
To be brutally honest, the high cost surely weeds out anyone who would disagree, such as people who are having trouble making rent."
To be really brutal, Lego is not a hobby for someone who has trouble making the rent. Yes, there are entry points for people of all means, but Lego products are expensive overall.
"
I also went in 2018 and would go again in a heartbeat. All I can say is if you really love Lego and can almost afford it, do it!
After not being in the draw last time, me and my girl are trying again this year. We'll keep on trying :)
Any clue on how many people get to attend a session? I read someplace you have a 15% chance of being chosen, that was back in 2019 though.
Did anybody get a registration confirmation email? I wanted to make sure I entered the correct email since I'm pretty sure I misspelled my name (sigh).
There were around 35 people in our group when I did the tour in June.
@randomballoon said:
"Did anybody get a registration confirmation email? I wanted to make sure I entered the correct email since I'm pretty sure I misspelled my name (sigh)."
No I didn't.
@Gizmojlc said:
" @randomballoon said:
"Did anybody get a registration confirmation email? I wanted to make sure I entered the correct email since I'm pretty sure I misspelled my name (sigh)."
No I didn't.
"
Me either
Can someone who attended already tour explain me how does it look buying in Lego employee store? Assuming I buy a lot Lego can all be shipped to my home address by them? Or it's on me to carry Lego with me ? That might be hard if someone travels from US... Just thinking
@Gizmojlc said:
"Any clue on how many people get to attend a session? I read someplace you have a 15% chance of being chosen, that was back in 2019 though."
It is like 50% chance: you will be selected or not. :) You know this is a joke, right?
@gradatim said:
"Can someone who attended already tour explain me how does it look buying in Lego employee store? Assuming I buy a lot Lego can all be shipped to my home address by them? Or it's on me to carry Lego with me ? That might be hard if someone travels from US... Just thinking "
I believe you can have box(es) of a certain size filled with your purchases shipped to you.
@Huw said:
" @gradatim said:
"Can someone who attended already tour explain me how does it look buying in Lego employee store? Assuming I buy a lot Lego can all be shipped to my home address by them? Or it's on me to carry Lego with me ? That might be hard if someone travels from US... Just thinking "
I believe you can have box(es) of a certain size filled with your purchases shipped to you."
Thanks Huw!
I just hope this time there will be higher chance to get tickets as there is more slots than in 2022 so assuming more participants? and they also increased price...
Do you know how long it takes them to review applications? how was it in last year?
Has anyone received an email yet? Just wanted to double check I hadn't missed anything? My husband keeps asking ;-)
Happy Holidays!
@Gizmojlc said:
"Has anyone received an email yet? Just wanted to double check I hadn't missed anything? My husband keeps asking ;-)
Happy Holidays!"
not yet - I think they are going to send confirmations somewhere in second week of Jan
@gradatim said:
" @Gizmojlc said:
"Has anyone received an email yet? Just wanted to double check I hadn't missed anything? My husband keeps asking ;-)
Happy Holidays!"
not yet - I think they are going to send confirmations somewhere in second week of Jan"
thank you