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Bionicle at Legoland


Alexander123

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I recently found several early Bionicle comics at 2nd and Charles, and as I was looking through them I found several mentions of Bionicle stuff at Legoland Ca. First was apparently there was a scavenger hunt to get the Trans Neon Green Miru and you had to use a map to complete it. Then there was mentions of several stage shows. Also I heard Legoland Windsor had Mask of Light fireworks does anyone have a video of this and were they good? Feel free to talk about other Bionicle stuff that was at Legoland.

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Oh, I remember the Mask of Light fireworks! Um... vaguely, at least! The fireworks display itself, if I remember rightly, was pretty standard fare for Legoland fireworks, but I'm pretty sure I remember that it was opened by a conversation between Hahli and Turaga Vakama... I believe it was set after the movie, because the premise of the fireworks display was that it was celebrating Takanuva's victory over Makuta; I think they may have mentioned Hahli's new role as Chronicler. I really don't remember much of it beyond that... I feel like they projected a pretty standard image of Vakama up onto one of the screens whenever he was talking? But my memories of it are blurry now, and that's as much as I recall. I'm not sure if the voices were recordings of the movie actors, or just stand-ins but... I would guess the latter.

I do remember bits and pieces of the Windsor version of the 2001 event, too; I know that a friend and I got two TNGMs each out of it - I feel like not many people were taking part in the scavenger hunt thing (which I had forgotten completely until you mentioned it!), so they let us take more than one each - though I don't have either of them anymore. It was... up in that round building just a little bit up from the park entrance, that would soon become the exit shop for the Rocket Racers attraction (that being gone now, too), and there was a large brick-built Tahu sculpture right in the middle of the area. I remember my friend and I hanging out around there, filling out the scavenger hunt sheet, but that's really all I can place of that.

Oh and, of course, the larger-than-life Onua model right near the park entrance. That one wasn't brick-built, but was still an incredibly cool welcome into the park... they kept him around for several years after too (if stashed a bit more off to the side than he had originally started off), though I couldn't tell you if he was still there now or not. A similarly large Turahk model was around the aforementioned Rocket Racers area during the 2003 event; and likewise, ones of Toa Vakama and Vezok were added to the Big Lego Shop in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Of them, Vezok was the only one actually built of Lego bricks.

That's about the extent of what I remember; 2006 was the last time I visited during Bionicle's run (the last year I was still eligible for child ticket prices!) so if subsequent years had any Bionicle goings-on then I missed them. I vaaaaaugely feel like I remember Lego Magazine advertising some sort of Bionicle event there in 2008, too, but I may be misremembering.

Edited by Darth Jaller
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Banner.png.3e903c5c49a30ba9503c72b2d57066b0.png

"New legends awake, but old lessons must be remembered.
For that is the way
of the BIONICLE."

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In the Russian magazine Lego Samodelki, a couple of pages were devoted to Bionicle at Legoland in 2001.

Text from the pages:

Spoiler

 

Page 1:

    Text over green circle:
        Secret Materials
    Pepper text:
        The *red*Legoland*/red* in Windsor is starring a *blue*fantastic show*/blue* with amazing fireworks, dedicated to *red*Bionicle*/red*.
    Large letters white text:
        Bionicle show
    Text on red:
        Such a show was first made in California. Here is before you the giant model of Onua - the Toa of Earth, and dragons, made with LEGO bricks.
    Text on yellow:
        Here are some more exclusive pictures from Legoland California. Using a special map, the visitors look for keys which will help find the Masks of Power.

Page 2:

    Pohatu text:
        hurry to see the fantastic show!
    Text on red, top:
        Here is before you Tahu's red mask. In the Bionicle club, everyone can try to win a special golden mask.
    Text on green:
        The masks and fireworks get translated to the large television screens located around the park.
    Text on yellow:
        And here is Kopaka's special card, hidden somewhere in the ices. It is guarded by a wonderful dog made with LEGO pieces.
    Text on red, bottom:
        It is worth it to see the fireworks that start at night!
    Text on blue:
        The one who finds all the Masks of Power wins a trip to Legoland California.

 

1.jpg.125377c988ded4ea5c8648b4bb0a2c03.jpg2.jpg.2784a464050b2276c561101a838333b6.jpg

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Yeah, that Onua model, on that left page, is the one I was referring to! It was basically designed to look like a life-size (or larger-than) version of the actual set... he became something of a familiar sight to me, as Legoland was an annual trip for my family.

Now that you've posted the pictures, I do remember those brick-built masks and the giant cards, too. The Kopaka one pictured there was in the Explorer's Institute attraction (an attraction that is, regrettably, no longer there now, since that area of the park was replaced by Heartlake City. I miss it, the atmosphere in there was amazing, even if it did terrify me when I was a little kid... but I'm getting off the subject xD) At any rate, the cards were giant-sized versions of the ones from the Quest for the Masks card game and, like it says, the point was to find them and the masks 'hidden' around the park, which would give you clues to fill in the 'map' sheet you were given upon entry.

We didn't stay for the fireworks that year - 2003 was the first year I saw them - so I don't have any recollections about them to add.

Banner.png.3e903c5c49a30ba9503c72b2d57066b0.png

"New legends awake, but old lessons must be remembered.
For that is the way
of the BIONICLE."

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Just thought I'd add my comments:

  • I saw the Mask of Light fireworks at Legoland Windsor in 2003 and my memory is pretty much the same as Darth Jaller's post. Don't remember any projections (I was it from the harbour stage, but as with most firework displays at Windsor there were multiple stages throughout the park to watch the fireworks from, so there might have been projections elsewhere in the park). I do remember a voiceover conversation between Hahli and Vakama playing over the speakers, and that each stage had a big model of the Avohkii on it. (I might have old camcorder footage of the show on a VHS tape somewhere...)
  • I also have vague memories of the Onua statue near the entrance to the park - if anyone has any good pictures of it I'd love to see it!
  • Windsor also had a 'Bionicle Baguette Bar' (or some other similar name) at one point, possibly in 2003. It wasn't really anything to write home about, sadly - just an outdoor cafe with a few stone totem poles with carvings of the six Great Kanohi from 2001 (which may or may not have been actual stone). I think it was near where the mazes were, and I don't think it lasted very long before being removed.
  • In addition to the other brick-built statues mentioned by Darth Jaller, there was also definitely a Kalmah one, and possibly an Antroz one - though I might have just imagined the latter...
Edited by Distorted
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I was at Legoland California in June 2001. The scavenger hunt involved finding brick-built Hau scattered throughout the walkthrough attractions, each with a letter attached. Those letters went onto a map of Mata Nui that was handed out upon park entry. Once the letters were placed you would go to the Lego Maniac's Club in the City section of the park and hand them your map. They'd cut a corner off, where a completed phrase was written, and hand you a TNGM. The club itself was completely decked out in Bionicle gear. The computers all had the MNOG running, there was a large diorama with all of the sets displayed, and two wall-mounted cases with all of the Kanohi displayed. It's the only time I've ever seen a 'brown' Kaukau (it was TNOrange, and I'd still love to get my hands on one!). There were also shows held at the town stage and a parade, both of which happened in the evening after my family had left. Both were heavily inspired by the Polynesian roots of that first year. Also when you went through the gates you got a special promo pack of Bionicle TCG cards which included an exclusive foil Miru card to represent the TNGM. I wish I had pictures from the park, other than my souvenir picture from the Dragon coaster, the Bionicle reskin of the Lego Maniac's Club was awesome and I wish I could see it again. 

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@Distorted Ah... I saw it from the Miniland stage so, like you say, they might have been unique to that one stage. It wasn't anything significant; if I remember rightly, it literally just projected a black-and-white version of Vakama's set image onto one of the white screens when he spoke, and that was all. Thanks for confirming my memories... and for reminding me about the giant Avohkii on the stages, I'd forgotten that part ^^

I may have a couple of photos still lying around of the Onua statue, too; not certain, but I'll see if I can find them.

Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I do remember the Bionicle Baguette Bar too! My memory of it pretty much lines up with yours, too; I'm not sure whether the bar itself was removed after that, but they definitely dropped the Bionicle branding from it after not very long.

 

Seeing Peri's pictures from the quest... yeah, I remember my friend and I cheated at it xD We already knew enough about the lore to know the answers without needing to find the letters around the park, so we filled it out right away... not sure if the map was exactly the same for the Windsor version, but in essence the 'puzzle' was identical. I don't remember Windsor having a Lego Clubhouse, though, so I can't think where we would have taken the map to collect the prizes.

Edited by Darth Jaller

Banner.png.3e903c5c49a30ba9503c72b2d57066b0.png

"New legends awake, but old lessons must be remembered.
For that is the way
of the BIONICLE."

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thanks all for sharing your experiences, i didnt get to visit a legoland until 2011 so hearing about the bionicle stuff i missed out on is very neat!! vakama and hahli narrating the 03 fireworks show is an interesting pairing, and its cool they were running mnog on the clubhouse computers in california.

still hoping someday someone who witnessed the tribal jam in 01 will come forward to describe it... ive only been able to find this lone photo:

Bionicle Jam

 

believe victims. its actually not that hard, and youd look kind of bad if you were to, say, side with an abuser because theyre your friend

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New inspiration for Human Ga-Matoran! Maybe I'll get back to drawing Bionicle some more.

I had forgotten that the main stage was in the center of the Town pavilion. Its been too long! If I'd known how important Bionicle would end up being, I don't think I would've put my camera down. If time travel becomes a thing in my lifetime, Legoland California in July of 2001 is one of those destinations I'd visit!

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I lived in Florida at the height of my Bionicle interest, so visits to the Legoland location in Kissimmee were plenty enough to get to see the line's feature there at the height of its popularity. Particularly, around 2005 to 2006-ish, I recalled a brick built Hakann or Vezok that were a bit bigger than me, having been a young child at the time. As well, I recall those life size Vakama weapons they used to sell that were made out of foam, and shirts that featured the Piraka that my mother had asked if I wanted. Lots of non-Lego merchandise for sale at the time.

I went back to the same location during Bionicle's second release, around 2013 or 2014. Definitely a lot less love for the line, as not much was there featuring it. A little disappointing as it's feature paled in comparison to what I saw the first time I had gone there during Bionicle's first release. Didn't seem like it was given much of a chance.

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I actually went to the Legoland Windsor fireworks event, I was really young though so I barely remember it. I vaguely remember sitting on the grass watching and hearing vakama and macku's dialogue. The hype for MoL was real there, they had screens in the shops showing clips of the movie everywhere.

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I wasn't at the Mask of Light premiere at Legoland, but I remember these banners around the Imagination Zone afterward:

molmovie7.jpg

I believe Dylan and Cole Sprouse were at the premiere, and I also believe the Toa Nuva briefly invaded Miniland, USA:

pictures1and2.jpg

Edited by Toa of Mirrors
Found pictures of Toa in Miniland
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Come see my story-corrected Tahu And Takanuva MoCs

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