Newsgroups: rec.toys.lego,misc.kids.info,rec.answers,misc.answers,news.answers
Subject: LEGO frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Followup-To: poster
Reply-To: pfeifer@multicon.de
Distribution: world
Organization: http://www.multicon.de/fun/legofaq.html
Summary: FAQ about the construction toy LEGO, posted monthly
Keywords: LEGO, toy, construction, FAQ
Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu,kids-info-request@ai.mit.edu
Archive-name: LEGO-faq
Last-modified: Jun 19, 2000
Url: http://www.multicon.de/fun/legofaq.html
I compiled it from information in postings, email contributions and catalogues. Providers of larger pieces of information are mentioned. Please feel free to mail me corrections and contributions. I do not work for the LEGO company. The usual FAQ disclaimers apply.
All trademarks and tradenames are the property of their respective owners. LEGO, DUPLO, TOOLO, LEGO SYSTEM are trademarks of the LEGO Group.
Please include the word LEGO somewhere in the Subject-line of email.
Tom Pfeifer
e-mail: pfeifer@multicon.de
*** Last-modified: Jun 19, 2000
*** New since last version
Legoland park California Openings 2000
Legoland parks Billund, Windsor: 2000
Bulk orders
new comment about plural of LEGO
*** Recent updates:
German Address changed
Profit section updated
minor corrections, phone numbers, etc.
*** Since Jan 30, 1996 The LEGO company has its own www-server:
http://www.lego.com/
See also http://www.lego.com/info/addresses/default.asp
From Denmark: This department store might send you something (Jeffrey T. Crites (crites@cc.purdue.edu) has computerized their
price list):
Magasin Du Nord
13, Kongens Nytorv
DK-1095 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel. (905) 887-9046 (General information) or (905) 887-5346 Tel. (416) 940-6600 Fax (416) 940-0745 Toll-Free 1-800-387-4387 (Dacta)
Phone +45 - 75 35 11 88 Fax +45 - 75 35 33 60
Phone +45 - 75 33 13 33 Fax +45 - 75 35 31 79
Consumer Service - 01978 296 247 LEGO Club - 01978 296 290 LEGO Technic Club - 01978 296 251 Service, spare parts - 01978 296 233 Retailer Queries - 01978 296 224 LEGO (UK) Ltd Main Fax - 01978 296 296 LEGO (UK) Ltd Main No. - 01978 290 900 DACTA Order line - 01978 296 289 DACTA (from 1995 Catal.)- 01978 296 239 DACTA Customer service - 01978 296 293 DACTA freefax Order line- 0 800 317 673 LEGOLAND Windsor Park Ltd. (for visitor information and booking look in respective section) Windsor, Berkshire SL4 4AY Tel: (+44) 1753 626111 Fax: (+44) 1753 626119The LEGO club costs 3.95 pounds (4.50 pounds for Ireland). They need: name, address, post code, sex, date of birth. Cheques made payable to 'LEGO U.K. Ltd' or credit card.
orders and info: 1-(800)-527-8339 1-(860)-745-1730 fax: 1-(860)-763-2466semi-official email: LegoDacta@aol.com
A video is available from Enfield, CT called "How Lego Bricks Are Made".
It runs 12-15 min and takes the viewer through the various production and
packaging stages. It also talks briefly about the design and manufacture
of the molds or "tools". Unfortunately it does not dwell at all on things
like how sets are
designed, how themes are chosen, etc. Nonetheless it's informative and
well worth the slight hassle of getting one's hands on it.
You can "check the video out" by sending a $20 check made out to LEGO
Systems, Inc. to:
Ms. B. St. Pierre, Lego Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 1138, Enfield, CT 06083
You can keep the video for two weeks and upon its return LEGO will mail
back your original check. Simple. --- Mario (marpi0591@aol.com)
marpi0591@aol.com
Subject: 3) Bulk orders, Price comparison & profits
Since 2000, LEGO offers a limited assortment of LEGO elements in
bulk through LEGO Shop At Home.
See http://www.lego.com/bulk/.
The profits of the company are falling in the last years. Reasons are weaker demand due to interest in computer-based toys and video games. LEGO itself was a bit late with their computer development.
LEGO will cut 1000 jobs of its 10000 employees worldwide. Half of the workforce is based in Denmark. They will focus also on opening more theme parks worldwide, in addition to Billund, Windsor, Carlsbad.
LEGO, privately owned by the Kristiansen family, claims not to have had a loss since it was founded. Look at the optimistic photograph of CEO Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen.
1992 1996 1997 Sales US$ 1000M US$ 1200M US$ 1200M Profits US$ 100M US$ 78M US$ 10M or in DKK: Sales DKK 7600M DKK 7600M Profits DKK 470M DKK 62M
Somebody calculated the price per piece in the 'old days' as $0.10. Today it may be between $0.10 and $0.30. Count, calculate and mail me (Tom) your comments.
LegoLand, Billund, Denmark is reported to sell at list prices, no
factory discounts.
Billund is in Jylland (Jutland), a town of only just over 4500 people
somewhere between Esbjerg (65 km) and Vejle (35 km).
Tel. +45 - 7533 1333, Fax +45 - 7535 3179 Increase compared to 1997: 30 (early season); 25 DKK (peak) per day ticket.
When admission has been paid, all rides and exhibitions are free.
Until 1993 the indoor exhibits (8000 sq m) were open until December,
now they close with the outdoors.
The Legoland driving school is for kids aged 8...13.
Examples of the replications in the park and their piece counts,
found by Mike Weldy (bullwnkl@mentor.cc.purdue.edu) in a magazine:
From the US or anywhere else: Fly to Koebenhavn (Copenhagen)
"Kastrup Airport", then to Billund.
Once in Billund, walk. It's just across the parking lot, about five
minutes away. The Legoland Hotelis half a mile from the airport.
If you arrive with a ferry from England (Harwich - Esbjerg), take
the train from the ferry to Esbjerg rail station, and go by bus to
Billund (about one hour).
The park opened 1996.
Catering: 5 Moevenpick operated resaurants in each of the themed areas.
Educational programmes for primary and secondary schools, incl. DACTA
Justin knows how to get there (j.watkins@surrey.ac.uk).
Travel to Windsor takes just under half an hour from London (Paddington),
changing at Slough. From Waterloo, trains go direct. Windsor has two stations
(also for historic reasons, and not because of its size). A dedicated shuttle
bus runs from the stations to the park.
From other parts of the UK, particularly the airports, Slough is on the
Reading to London line, which has lots of trains running. Timetable and
fares can be found by phoning:
If you bring your own bus, you get free coach parking, and the driver gets in
for free if you have at least 15 people.
Gatwick is a bit further away, and you should either take the train to Reading
and change, or alternatively take the Gatwick Express into London (Victoria).
The LEGOLand Family Park in
Carlsbad, California (a city near San Diego) has opened in 1999, obviously.
See their website at http://www.legolandca.com/
Theresa Motyl (laygoman@ally.ios.com) knows where you can get short
information:
The Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota (USA), has a Legoland store
near the center of the mall. It has a large area for play, with tables and
chairs. The tops of the tables are LEGO, and there are basins set in the
center where loose LEGO bricks are stored.
There are also huge models there: some hang from the ceiling by cables,
others stand tall on the ground, with moving parts and blinking lights.
And best of all: ALL AGES ARE WELCOME.
... The sculptures range from dinosaurs, circus performers,
and animals, to scientific models of such things as the space shuttle.
pattie.fulton@sfwmd.gov (Pattie Everett Fulton) remembers an exibition in
a museum in Frankfurt, Germany, for architectural demonstrations.
Mark Hornblower (wombat@hookup.net):
Patrick Goodsell (goodsell@ziplink.net):
Fred Martin from the MIT provides:
Call Dacta and get their catalog, which has
many LEGO Technic kits. Recommended kits are the 1038 Technic
Universal Buggy (a specialized kit for building a small LEGO vehicle
with a dual motor drive; about US$60), the 1032 Technic II with Motorized
Transmission (a small general-purpose kit including one motor and one
battery pack; about US$76), and the 9605 Technic Resource Set (a large
general-purpose kit including two motors and two battery packs; about
US$200).
Catalog names:
Dacta charges 5% shipping cost (while Shop at Home shippes free).
vaughn@pluto.cis.udel.edu (Chris Vaughn) found in the Dacta catalog:
Interface Box and Transformer - US$188.00
This box is what you connect all your motors, lights, and sensors to.
It has 2 inputs, and 6 outputs (3 if you want to use three motors and have
them all be reversible).
carol@edfua0.ctis.af.mil (Andy Carol):
jkoch@ee.ryerson.ca (jim koch) provides:
vaughn@pluto.cis.udel.edu (Chris Vaughn) writes:
All of the information about the Mini Board is available at an FTP site
(the address is "cherupakha.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.47)")). This includes
diagrams and a parts list. The tech reference is a 47-page Postscript
document.
There is a mailing list at listserv@oberon.com. Send the body
"SUBSCRIBE ROBOT-BOARD your_name" to this email address, the body
HELP for help.
The purpose of this mailing list is to discuss robot controller boards,
and robot control in general. In particular, this list will be used to
support the Miniboard 2.0 and 6.270 board design by Fred Martin and
Randy Sargent of MIT. However, any and all traffic related to robot
controllers is welcome.
Documentation about the MIT 6.270 is also available by FTP:
slh@digitool.com (Stephen L. Hain) contributes:
One catalogue, dated 1980, has the following on its back page:
Matthew Miller, mattdm@mattdm.org, added:
In fact, they seem to assume that "LEGOS" is the natural plural, since
that's the only one they bother to correct.
So, in formal usage, both "Lego" and "Legos" are wrong. To me, that means
people shouldn't make such a big deal about it in informal use!
LEGO - eine Sprache der Kinder (LEGO - a language of the children).
European LEGO advertising is quite good - they just
show an animated film of lots of LEGO being assembled, disassembled,
reassembled etc. a few times over in 15 seconds. Some of them
are quite impressive.
Per K. Nielsen" (pnielsen@image.dk) remembers a bag LEGO used to sell
in the good old days in Denmark, which could also made by yourself.
The bag was big and blue, similar stonewashed jeans. It was
really nothing but a large circular piece of cloth with holes around the
edge, enforced with brass rings. Through them went a piece of
thin red rope. Whenever you wanted to play, all you did was open the bag
wide and sit on it. When you were through playing you just pulled
the red string and the blanket turned into a bag. Convenient!
Most netters strongly object sorting their pieces and enjoy sitting on
the floor having their pieces all around them.
Simplastix Innovations offers "BOX-4-BLOX": flat containers, 10.25" = 26 cm
each side, which can be stacked on top of each other for storage. See
http://www.box4blox.com/ for online
orders.
The variety and size of technic elements may still demand some sorting.
Hardware stores sell storage units with 18-60 drawers, intended for
sorting nuts and bolts and the like. The transparent plastic drawers (which
can include transparent dividers) allow one to see the contents of a drawer
without opening it.
Rick Clark (JRClark@aol.com) highly recommends Brookstone's #177956 Flipper
Parts Boxes (phone 1-800-926-7000 (24 hrs)).
Franz-Michael S. Mellbin (fischer-mellbin@fischer-mellbin.com)
recommends not to sort by color but by size:
Collect all your blacks. Stir well. Now find that 2x1 black with a hole through.
Then, try to collect all your 2x1 with holes through. Stir well. Now take out
two black, three white and one red. Get it?
LEGO now sells a small handle-like gizmo called a "brick separator".
It works GREAT! It's under US$2 and also found in some basic buckets.
[part number 821]
dholmes@netcom.com (Dennis Holmes) means:
What you need is TWO separator tools. Stick one on top and one underneath,
with the handles facing the same direction, and then squeeze the handles
together. Works like magic!
1x1x1s are easy - twist one of them through 45 degrees, and then prise
them apart with fingers.
To separate 2x1 flats crj10@phx.cam.ac.uk (Clive Jones) writes:
Joe Garlicki (jlgst56+@pitt.edu) has another way to separate 2x1 flats.
First, take two 2x1 blocks (the regular size). Put one on top of the 2x1
flats, and put the other one on the bottom. Then, snap the two 2x1 flats
apart. After that, it's easy to get the 2x1 flats off of the 2x1 blocks.
Note: This method can be applied to other small plate sizes as well.
malakai@potomac.engin.umich.edu (Jeff Jahr) uses
... the small black mechanics wrench from some of the old space sets.
The jaw of wrench is designed so it can grab onto a LEGO bump -
absolutely useless for prying - but the other end is flattened
like a screwdriver. They seem to be made from a slightly softer
plastic than the blocks to avoid scratches.
LEGO comes from Danish "leg godt".
The "20th anniversary" in the early 90ies refers to the LEGO company in the US (1973),
not to LEGO itself. It was available before because Samsonite had a license
to produce it.
Andreas Henning (d2henan@dtek.chalmers.se) and Timo (tho@tik.vtt.fi) say:
Franz-Michael S. Mellbin comments (fischer-mellbin@fischer-mellbin.com)
comments:
nad@cl.cam.ac.uk Neil Dodgson found:
My "The Art of LEGO" book says that the company name, LEGO, came from
the Danish "Leg godt", roughly translated as "Play well". The company
originally made wooden toys during the depression. They also made
yo-yos for a while, during the yo-yo craze. Unfortunately this left
them with warehouses full of yo-yos when the craze suddenly stopped;
so the boss just cut all the yo-yos in half, and used them as wheels
for toy trucks, etc. The same guy invented the LEGO bricks, initially
without the tubes inside; the addition of these tubes meant that the
blocks held together really well, and sales took off. I think it was
in the mid to late '50s that LEGO decided to drop all its other
products and just make the bricks (risky...).
(Somebody found in a book that LEGO dropped their other product lines
when a fire burned down the building housing them. Thus, it was not as
risky to sell the bricks exclusively. It would probably have been
riskier to re-capitalize the wooden toy line than to drop it.)
Bo Kjellerup (kokdg@diku.dk):
"The Art of LEGO" says that one reason LEGO survives is that it
constantly adapts itself to the modern world; e.g. the original LEGO
trains, and now the remodeled one that will run off the mains.
Perhaps all these new special blocks are a reflection of a society
that wants instant gratification, rather than spending a few hours
building a model?
found by r1b6116@zeus.tamu.edu / Ken Blair:
Taken without permission from _Brick Kicks_ #1 ("The official magazine
of the LEGO builders club", USA) (circa 1987 or 88?)
"Bricks & Pieces: The LEGO Story"
Did you know that 300 million children have owned LEGO sets since they
were first made? And that you are one of the 68 million kids from around the
world who like to play with LEGO building bricks today! Here's the story of
how we grew...
Although the international LEGO Group is now very large, it is still a
family-run company that started out quite small. More than 50 years ago, a
carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen and his 12-year old son, Godtfred,
started making toys in the little town of Billund, Denmark. Plastic had not
been invented yet, so they made toy cars, trucks, yo-yos, animals, and other
toys out of wood. They decided that a good name for their company would be
LEGO, which means "play well" (**) in Danish, and also, they discovered, happens
to mean "put together" in Latin(***)! Ole and Godtfred were very proud of their
workmanship, and adopted the LEGO motto that "only the best is good enough."
When plastic became available after World War II, LEGO began to make
both wooden and plastic toys. It was about this time that the idea of plastic
LEGO bricks was introduced. Godtfred loved to build with these colorful new
pieces, and was continually putting them together and taking them apart to
build new designs. In fact, it was Godtfred who perfected the special design
that makes every single LEGO brick fit together in any combination, over and
over again. The first LEGO building set was made more than 30 years ago- and
the bricks from that set can still be used with even the newest LEGO building
set of today!
LEGO bricks first appeared in the United States in 1961 and quickly became
as popular here as in Europe. The international LEGO group is now worldwide,
and is run by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Old Kirk Christiansen's grandson. As the
company keeps growing, so do the kids of exciting LEGO kits that are now sold in
129 different countries ... from DUPLO preschool to FABULAND, LEGO BASIC, to
LEGOLAND, LEGO boats and trains to LEGO TECHNIC SETS. In fact, this year alone,
we will make more than six billion bricks and building pieces for all the
LEGO lovers 'round the world- like you!
(**) more precisely, it is derived from "leg godt", as stated above.
From _The_World_Of_LEGO_Toys_, by Henry Wiencek, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987,
1949 was the revolutionary year for the company--it was in that
year that the company introduced something then called the
"automatic binding brick." For years Ole Kirk [found of LEGO]
had been making wooden blocks in the traditional European
style--simple, handmade cubes that could be stacked one on
top of the other. When he began producing plastic toys he
copied the old wooden design in the new material, but the
plastic cubes didn't seem quite right..."It occured to us
that the bricks would become an even better toy...if they
could be 'locked' together." What emerged...was later to become
the real LEGO brick.
devaney@ACFcluster.NYU.EDU:
Before LEGO was in the US market, the luggage manufacturer Samsonite
has had a manufacturing license, but without much success in the toy
market, so LEGO took the license back and opened a shop in Connecticut.
From [Uhle, Mergret: Die LEGO Story. - Vienna: Ueberreuter, 1998]:
My xwebster says: ABS: a tough rigid plastic used esp. for automobile parts
and building materials.
bullwnkl@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Bullwinkle J. Moose / Mike Weldy) found in
Israel Shenker's article:
The ABS granules is dyed to LEGO's secret specifications in factories in
Holland and Germany. Molds for the pieces are made in a factory in Germany
and two factories in Switzerland. The margin of error in the molds can only be 5 one-thousands of a millimeter -- less than the thickness of a human hair!
For security reasons, LEGO inters worn-out molds in the concrete of its new
buildings.
Franz-Michael S. Mellbin (fischer-mellbin@fischer-mellbin.com) comments:
Legos real industrial force is the very fact that
no other company can provide the same quality plastic molding (at a
competitive price) as Lego can. This is why the molding process is such a
heavily guarded secret. It is make or break for their profit margin if anyone
could match them on this.
There are LEGO factories in Billund(3), Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea,
and the United States (in Enfield, Connecticut).
More Random Lego tests: Random pieces are selected and tested for size,
sharp points or edges, damage when dropped or compressed, torsion,
flammability, toxicity, colorfastness, and "clutch power"(resistance
to separation). Optimal clutch power comes after 8 to 10 couplings.
One last Lego test: Pneumatic-powered steel jaws mimic children's jaws,
treating the pieces to the ultimate test-- trial by biting!
Two 2X4 bricks can be joined 24 different ways. Six can be joined 102,981,500
different ways.
Geometry, provided by Jef Poskanzer (jef@netcom.com):
Thanks to various pointers, especially the MIT course notes, here is
the metric version. **All measurements in mm.**
I can hear that restful sound of LEGO pieces in my mind even now. It's kind
of like the peaceful sound of a waterfall, but more tinkly.
LEGO is not a toy. - It's a way of life.
"Too low they build, who build beneath the stars."
All the sites mentioned below are maintained by enthusiasts, not the
LEGO company. Please mail corrections to me.
The latest version of this faq is available at
Todd S. Lehman and Suzanne D. Rich maintain the Website of the
LEGO User Group "LUGNET" (independent from the company) at
http://www.lugnet.com/. They
also have a News site and
product guide.
Paul Gyugyi (paul@gyugyi.com) used to maintain an FTP archive of
LEGO information, which has been taken over by Brian Ward
(bri@blah.math.tu-graz.ac.at):
ftp://blah.math.tu-graz.ac.at/pub/lego/,
there is a README that describes what the site contains, for example
CAD, faq, games, images, sets, uploads. The latter is an upload area for
contributions.
Jeffrey T. Crites (crites@cc.purdue.edu) maintains his famous
Here is a list of further WWW pages and ftp sites:
Links added 1998
erikred@uiuc.edu (Erik Robert Wilson)
TYCO are reported to have sold (up to approx. 1995) compatible basic bricks in
500/1000-piece buckets
for approx. $0.03 per piece. They also made that LEGO-looking telephone.
There are LEGO compatible "superblocks" as well as DUPLO compatible ones.
They are of fair quality (for a clone) in
different colors (orange, green, hot pink, neon yellow, regular
pink, violet, sky blue, pastels), including 1/2 height
plates (not LEGO 1/3). If you mix them with your originals, you can
use non LEGO colors so they are easily distinguishable.
Mini-Micro Blocks are found in 1000-piece buckets about $0.02 per piece.
There are large quantities of the basic 2x4, 2x2, and 1x2 bricks, more
tight but reported to be fully LEGO-compatible. Made by a company called
Ritvik, which also makes Mega-Micro blocks.
ed@odi.com: The Ritvik Mega-Blox are giant-scale;
a 1x1 brick is about 2cm x 2cm
by 8 cm. The knobs are only a tiny bit shorter than the base of the
bricks, and they don't hold together via friction; turn a model upside
down and it falls apart. The charm is that they're great for very small
(pre-Duplo) children who don't have the strength or coordination to
play with Duplo or LEGO.
Ken Koleda (kkoleda@mediaone.net):
PEDLO is reported to be similar, but not compatible with LEGO. Their plates
are only 1/2 height of full bricks, not 1/3 like LEGO.
mckinney@adonis.ee.queensu.ca (Alexander (Sandy) McKinney):
elgaard@diku.dk (Niels Elgaard Larsen) and fischer-mellbin@fischer-mellbin.com
(Franz-Michael S. Mellbin) says:
There are more clones playing with the brand name, e.g. 'ELGO'.
perryda@sol.acs.uwosh.edu (Russ Perry Jr):
tore.eriksson@mbox325.swipnet.se (Tore Eriksson):
ats@acm.org (Alan Shutko) knows:Subject: 4) LegoLand theme park
See also
http://www.lego.com/legofinder/legoland.asp
Billund, Denmark, Europe:
since 1968
LEGOLAND Park, Nordmarksvej 9, DK-7190 Billund
official
entrance fees for 2000: sping/fall summer (peak season)
Baby Kids (0-2) free free
Little Kids (3-13) DKK 125 DKK 135
Big Kids (14-59) DKK 135 DKK 145
Senior Kids (60-) DKK 100 DKK 105
Two-Day-Ticket DKK 180 DKK 200
Season Ticket (full day early season, after 16:00 in peak) 185 DKK
Season Ticket (all season) 375 DKK
The Traffic School has a separate booking and payment system.
Guides and coach drivers are free and get free meal coupons.
In 2000 the whole park (both indoor and outdoor) will open:
Early/Late: April 1 - Oct. 29 --- 10 am - 8 pm (rides - 6 pm)
Peak season: June 17 - Aug. 27 --- 10 am - 9 pm (rides - 7 pm)
fin@unet.umn.edu (Craig A. Finseth) and kokdg@diku.dk (Bo Kjellerup)
have details how to get there:
AIR:
From Europe: Fly to Billund. (Yes, there are flights directly to
Billund from most major European cities.) The airport, which was at
first build by the LEGO company, is the second busiest (behind Copenhagen)
in Denmark. The first model of the airport was made out of LEGO bricks.
TRAIN:
You can't directly. Billund is about as far as you can get from any railway
lines and still be on land in Europe. Since the town was essentially
"put on the map" by LEGO Systems and that company didn't really get
going until well after World War II, I would guess that they missed
out on the railway building era. In any event, you can take a train
to Vejle (nice town) and a bus to Billund (about half an hour).
BUS / AUTO:
The bus goes there. A main road goes there.
As I recall, the airport and LegoLand parking lots are one and the same.
Store:
There is a large store and it carries the entire current line. It
does _not_ carry old, non-standard, or discontinued kits. All sales
are at list price. If you're from the US, the only reason to buy
anything is that the current line is somewhat different in Europe than
the US, so you might find a new kit (and wince when you have to pay
for it). Price is a smaller consideration for other countries.
Features:
Family Hotel LEGOLAND, open all year round, Tel. +45 - 75 33 12 44
Banking: Den Danske Bank has a branch in the Information Office.
Handicapped: Walking-impaired and wheelchair users can go all over the park.
More:
To keep the FAQ in limits, I'll email you the heartwarming descriptions
by some visitors, if you email a Subject line 'LEGOland Billund request'
to pfeifer@fokus.gmd.de
Windsor, UK, Europe
official entrance fees for 1999:
Gate price
Little Kids (3-15) UKP 13.50
Adult Kids (16-59) UKP 16.50
Senior Kids (60+) UKP 10.50
British LEGO Club members UKP 10.50
2-day Little Kids (3-15) UKP 17.00
2-day Adult Kids (16-59) UKP 20.00
2-day Senior Kids (60+) UKP 14.00
Season Little Kids (3-15) UKP 39.00
Season Adult Kids (16-59) UKP 49.00
Season Senior Kids (60+) UKP 30.00
Season British LEGO Club members UKP 37.00
(in 1996 there war a pre-booking discount, which is not listed
for 1997. Tell me if you know.)
Group tariffs (min. 25 paying) and school rates available on request.
Booking 1997: +44 (0)990 04 04 04
Booking: +44 (0)990 62 63 64 (individuals)
Information: +44 (0)990 62 63 75
Groups/Schools: +44 (0)1753 626 100 Fax: +44 (0)1753 626 200
Pre-booking is recommended for guaranteed, fast track entry.
In 1999 the park will open:
daily: March 13 - Oct. 31 --- 10 am - 6 pm
Peak season: July 17 - Sep. 5 --- 10 am - 8 pm
Features:
By Car
Legoland is located on the B3022 Bracknell/Ascot road just 2 miles from
Windsor town centre - easily reached and well signposted from the M4, M25,
M40 and M3 motorways.By Rail
London has a large number of railway stations, few of which are connected.
This is a hangover form the early days of the private rail companies (pre-
1940). It means you have to travel on the Tube or the bus, but who cares.
Windsor is South-West of London and can be reached either from London
Paddington or from London Waterloo.
London - 0171 928 5100 (24 hours)
Reading - 01734 595911
By bus
A dedicated shuttle bus runs from both Windsor stations to the park. Other
bus companies may provide transport to Windsor town, but you'd have to make
your own enquiries.
Tourist Information, Basingstoke - 01252 20968
By aeroplane / helicopter / parachute
London Heathrow and London Gatwick are within easy reach of the park.
Heathrow is best, and you should be able to see the park from the aeroplane
as you land. Enquire at the airport for local buses.
Heathrow Airport enquiries - 0181 759 4321
Gatwick Airport enquiries - 01293 535353
By Foot
Take the train to Windsor, then get the special shuttle bus. You'll need your
walking feet for the rest of the day!Carlsbad, California, USA
In 2000 the whole park will open:
1999-Dec-31 - 2000-Mar-31 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
2000-Apr-01 - 2000-Apr-07 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
2000-Apr-08 - 2000-Apr-29 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
2000-May-01 - 2000-Jun-18 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
2000-Jun-19 - 2000-Sep-04 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
2000-Sep-05 - 2000-Oct-29 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
2000-Oct-30 - 2000-Dec-15 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
2000-Dec-16 - 2000-Dec-31 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (24, 25, 31: until 5 p.m.)
official entrance fees for 2000:
Gate price
Little Kids (3-16) US$ 29
Adult Kids (17-59) US$ 34
Senior Kids (60+) US$ ask at gate
Parking: $4 Motorcycles, $7 Cars, $8 Campers/RV's. Buses and bicycles are free.
Passports (2000)
Annual Passport Primo (3-16) US$ 89 (all days a year)
Annual Passport Primo (17-59) US$ 109
Annual Passport Primo (60+) US$ 89
Annual Passport Block (3-16) US$ 59 (except 19 high traffic days))
Annual Passport Block (17-59) US$ 79
Annual Passport Block (60+) US$ ask
Family Discount: 10% if you bye 4 or more
Ambassador Lifetime US$ 1000
Order Passes: 1-877-LEGOPASS or 1-760-918-5347
Genral Information: 1-760-918-5346
Karen Ireland
LEGO Park Planning Inc
Suite 130
5600 Avenida Encinas
Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
Tel +1 (619) 438-5570
Fax +1 (619) 438-9499
Subject: 5) Large displays / play rooms:
The Seattle Children's Museum (Seattle Center) has a large DUPLO playroom.
They have also had LEGO exhibits from time to time.
merritt@u.washington.edu (Ethan A Merritt)
nudnik@winternet.com (Steven Parks)
... there are two *MEGA LARGE SIZE* lego blocks located in one part of
the surrounding parking lot that you might want to take a picture of.
foo@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu (FOO)
There is a LEGO play area and store at Ontario Place in Toronto, Ontario,
Canada. It consists of a medium-sized room equipped with about 25
building tables, and a retail area. The play area allows "big kids" to
play, no questions asked. Ontario Place has a sliding admission scale
(depends on the day of the
week) but is often free for various special events. DO NOT try to visit
the LEGO area during the Canadian National Exhibition - you won't even
get in the door.
A permanent exhibit, "LEGO Mindstorms", opened 11/1997 at the Chicago Museum of
Science and Industry, sponsered by the company, features hands-on building
opportunities--with voice-controlled robots, touch-screens, and push-button
controls.
Workshops offer visitors the chance to design, program and test a rover
vehicle. Young navigators also create, then maneuver their own robot
athlete--all via computer. There is a $5 charge per computer station for
each 40-minute session. Reservations are required for workshops.
Subject: 6) Computer connections and DACTA
See address of DACTA in the address section.
LEGO Dacta is the educational branch of the LEGO company (which
has its U.S. headquarters in Enfield, CT). Dacta sells the LEGO Technic
product line -- the geared and motorized version of the LEGO system.
Orders can be placed with a credit card over the phone or through
the mail with a check. Schools can order with a purchase order. This is only
for the US. For other countries you should contact your local Dacta
representatives. Most countries should have one. If not, Denmark should be
able to let you know where you can order from.
MS-DOS or Apple II Slot Card Pack - US$161.50
includes slot card, cable, LEGO TC logo software and reference guides.
(card is for most MS-DOS machines, except IBM PS/2 Models 50 and above or
any other microchannel computer)
The Lego Control Lab for Macintosh and/or PC is available for about
US$600. It connects to any computer via serial cable (RS-232), has
8 different output ports which can control motors, lights,
and sounds. It has 8 different inputs for buttons, angles, thermal,
etc. This is _NOT_ a plug in card, but rather an external device
hooked up via serial cable. It is programmed with LOGO, and has a
really nice graphical system under Mac and Windows. It's also
possible to use a C and C++ API for all control functions.
The price for Apple or IBM starter pack US$798.00 (Jan 92).
The Mini Board is a "miniature microprocessor-based controller board
designed for control of small robotic devices". It was designed at the
MIT Media Laboratory. This board is perfect for controlling LEGO devices
(and in fact looks to be much better than the interface designed by LEGO).
aeneas.mit.edu [18.71.0.38] in the ~ftp/pub/ACS/6.270 directory.
May I suggest adding Paradigm Software's Pearl Controller and Object
Logo to this section. The Pearl Controller connects between a
Macintosh serial port and a LEGO Robotics controller, and it is
daisy chainable. Object Logo has an extension consisting of a set
of object-oriented robotics programming features, allowing event-driven
robot control. Contact Paradigm at 617 576-7675. (Stephen works for them.)
Subject: 7) Plural of LEGO
While most people point out that they just say LEGOs,
lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex) dug out:
The word LEGO(R) is a brand name and is very special to all of us in
the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in
keeping it special. Please always refer to our bricks as 'LEGO
Bricks or Toys' and not 'LEGOS.' By doing so, you will be helping
to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud and that
stands for quality the world over. Thank you!
Consumer Services (Susan's name is a pseudonym for the service dptmt.)
The above quote from the catalog is often cited as evidence for "Lego"
as the proper plural, but in fact that is misreading it. Trademark law in
the US at least is easiest if the trademark is used as an _adjective_. The
point they're trying to make is that you should say "LEGO Bricks", rather
than calling the product itself either "Legos" _or_ "Lego".
Subject 8) LEGO advertising
LEGO is new toy every day.
LEGO c'est un nouveau jouet chaque jour.
LEGO es un juguete nuevo cada dia.
LEGO ist jeden Tag ein neues Spielzeug.
LEGO e' un gioco nuovo ogni giorno.
LEGO zeigt, was Kinder koennen (LEGO shows what children can).
Subject: 9) How to wash LEGO pieces
There's nothing wrong with that. I'd pretend that their faces melted, and
became faceless mutant LEGO people. The fun really started when I discovered
permanent markers...
Subject: 10) Storing / sorting / using LEGO
One of the greatest ideas was:
Keep them on a bed sheet:
spread the sheet for playing - fold it together to tide up in seconds,
and put it in whatever container you like.
Sort big and small pieces together. Who has space for 69 different boxes? By
mixing big and small together, you can easily find both as long as there are
not to many big pieces. Sort only what you need to find.
Subject: 11) Taking pieces apart
People use teeth, fingernails, screwdrivers, penknives, ...
Let: -
...be the 1-wide cross-section of the 2x1 block, so:
-
-
represents the two blocks stuck together. Now find two 12x2 plates.
Apply them like this:
------------ <- wiggle
-
-
------------ wiggle ->
...and wiggle them backwards and forwards *hard*. Within a second or
so, you'll find that all but the most stubborn plates separate, and
getting the 2x1s off the 12x2s is then easy.
Subject: 12) LEGO history / What does LEGO mean
See also: Facts and Figures, listed below in the
WWW section.
The LEGO patent of the original brick has expired some years ago.
Lego changed their strategy, so now they are taking out patents (lots!)
on their specific sets - including many sets, that are never marketed.
The fire was caused by the son of the boss, Kirk Kristiansen, who was
playing in their garage/hobby room aside the factory and set it all on fire.
BTW, the son's name was misspelled in the church's annuals, so he is
spelled with 'K' now.
(***) claimed by kirby_lord@hotmail.com to be not correct in Latin.
"lego" means "I pick out" or "I choose", while the infinitive,
"to pick out," is "legere".
quoted by dulcaoin@cats.ucsc.edu (joshua):
Company structure:
Tools (moulds) produced in Germany and Switzerland,
micro motors in Hungary
Subject: 13) Material, Technology and Measurements
The LEGO motto: Det bedste er ikke for godt. (Only the best is good enough.)
Actually a word-by-word translation would be, "The best is not
too good" - in which "not too good" parses nicely into the idiom of a
Jutlandish understatement, making the between-the-lines statement be,
"Actually, we'd prefer to deliver rather better than the best".
Henning Makholm (hem@math.ku.dk)
|side: __ __ __ __ top: +----------------+
| +----------------+ | () () () () |
| | | | |
| | | | () () () () |
| +----------------+ +----------------+
|spacing of knob centers: 8
|diameter of knobs: 5
|height of block: 9.6
|
|end: __ __ bottom: +================+
| +--------+ # -- -- -- #
| | | # ( )( )( ) #
| | | # -- -- -- #
| +--------+ +================+
|height of knobs: 1.7
|thickness of block walls: 1.5
|outer diameter of cylinders: 6.31
|thickness of cylinder walls: 0.657
(height of block) =
(spacing of knob centers) * 6 / 5
(thickness of block walls) =
((spacing of knob centers) - (diameter of knobs)) / 2
(height of knobs) =
(height of block) / 3 - (thickness of block walls)
(outer diameter of cylinders) =
sqrt(2) * (spacing of knob centers) - (diameter of knobs)
(thickness of cylinder walls) =
((outer diameter of cylinders) - (diameter of knobs)) / 2
Subject: 14) Nice quotations
I'm surprised that no one has ever mentioned the glorious sound of LEGO.
LEGO bricks are about the only present you can tell what is by shaking it.
chelius@studsys.mscs.mu.edu (The Shaggy T.A.)
kurisuto@chopin.udel.edu (Sean J. Crist)
mikes@bioch.ox.ac.uk (Mike Smith)
Edward Young / Night Thoughts
"Particularly they who do not build with LEGO."
Jeff Crites / Synopsis of Oneself
crites@cc.purdue.edu
Subject: 15) FTP and WWW sites, further references
The LEGO company has its own www-server:
http://www.lego.com/
http://www.multicon.de/fun/legofaq.html.
"Jeff's Castle LEGO Listing"
(http://www.cs.tu-berlin.de/~tom/castle.crites.txt),
and typed LEGO's
"Facts and Figures"
(http://www.cs.tu-berlin.de/~tom/facts_figures.crites.txt)
for your reading. Now on my server.
http://www.gyugyi.com/
http://www.gyugyi.com/legocad/legocad.html
ftp://ftp.gyugyi.com/www/legocad/layout/ by
paul@gyugyi.com (Paul Gyugyi)
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~crow/lego/empire.html by
crow@coos.dartmouth.edu (Preston F. Crow), PC's LEGO Empire
http://fys.ku.dk/%7Esparre/LEGO/index.en.html (Europe)
(Jacob Sparre Andersen)
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Info/People/karr/lego/index.html by
David A. Karr
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/hyplan/mberz/LEGOS/lego.html
http://sbchm1.sunysb.edu/msl/lego/homepage.html by
Joe Lauher lauher@sbchem.sunysb.edu
(lists of all Technic stuff and pictures of each set)
http://starline.princeton.edu/
by Jason S. Ehrlich with searchable LEGO set databases
http://www.blake.pvt.k12.mn.us/highcroft/lego/opening.lego.html
by
Marilyn_Kelley@blake.pvt.k12.mn.us (Marilyn Kelley)
http://rhf.bradley.edu/~xero/Lego/lego.html
LegoWars by Eric O'Dell and Todd Ogrin
http://blah.math.tu-graz.ac.at/~ward/lego by
Brian Ward
http://att2.cs.mankato.msus.edu/~superdan/lego.html by
Dan Bailey
http://home.t-online.de/home/hoelscher.cord/lego.htm by
Cord Hölscher (German)
http://www.weirdrichard.com/ Richard Wright provides a lot
of information and other links.
nextSubject: 16) Substitutes / compatibles / clones
Finally some information about similar products. Most people state
that the quality is much lower then original LEGO pieces.
Ritvik Toys Inc., P.O. Box 1408, Champlain, NY 12919
HQ in Quebec, Canada. Offices in U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
Tandem Bricks, made in Taiwan
Tandem Toys, Rolling Hills, CA 90724
Notes: Largest brick is the 2x4 full height. A large portion of these
bricks are 1x flats. The flats are the same height as LEGO (1/3).
Colors are similar to lego, except with a good number of gray flats
and greens bricks. Quality is similar to other clones, generally
somewhat below LEGO (loose, but workable).
Qubo ville Basic Building Bricks, look identical except for the LEGO
missing from each of the studs. Assortment of 23 standard pieces,
2x4, 2x2, 1x4, 1x2, 1x1, about CAN$ 2.95
Made in Italy by GOMPLA S.n.c. di Bisello D.&C., Via Emila Romagna 13/15,
35020 Saonara (PD) - Italy
Imported by Wallace Companies Inc.,
USA, 175 Citation Court, Birmingham, Al 35209
CANADA, WSP Marketing Int., 49 Valleybrook Dr., Con Mills, Ontario, M3B 2S6
Some years ago LEGO did have a lot of trouble with a Chinese
company that made LEGO clones called "0937". I wonder if they
placed them upside-down in the stores. Now they changed their
product name and the style to military dark green bricks and weapons.
Glow-In-The-Dark BetterBlocks^TM, usable with Lego^R, Tyco^R and Micro Bloks^R,
200-piece set $25, The Lighter Side, 4514 19th Street Court East, PO Box 25600, Dept L9501, Bradenton FL 34206-5600, USA
In Sweden we have two clones: Byggis abd Bricks. Probably from the same
factory. Sometimes they have a 'B' printed on each stud. The quality is
almost LEGO-like.
Rokenbok systems (http://www.rokenbok.com) has LEGO compatible
deckplates and ramps, although their building materials are not
aesthetically compatible (and I don't know if you can build Rokenbok
structures on LEGO baseplates).
** end of rec.toys.lego faq **
e-mail: pfeifer@multicon.de