I typically find myself in the Toronto area a few times each year. However, those visits have never coincided with AFOL night at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre before. It is an event I include on the Canadian LEGO® Events page I’ve been running this year. As such, I thought it would be a good idea to check it out and give you all my honest thoughts on the matter. My moment finally arrived on July 26, 2024. To be clear, I attended this event on my own and purchased my own ticket. This article is not sponsored in any way.

I have visited the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre once before. I brought my nieces there back in 2017. Adults are generally not allowed to enter the attraction without kids, except on AFOL night. The first thing I noticed on this trip was that not much had changed in the seven years since my last visit. Some of the signs and displays had been updated… but even those were feeling a little old. Emmett and Wyldstyle from the LEGO® Movie 2 (2019) still greet you on entry. You also see Minifigure statues in the exterior displays, but none of the characters are newer than Series 8 (2012).

The decor is a little dated at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Toronto.

The dated decor also shows in the first room that takes you through the process of creating a LEGO® brick. The walls are covered in wallpaper depicting the original ’80s Pirates theme monkeys, old-style City Minifigures, and troll big-figs dating back to 2009. Even the main ride takes inspiration from the defunct 2010 Kingdoms theme. These were old concepts already when the Discovery Centre opened in March 2013. Over a decade later, they make the venue feel a little neglected.

Other attractions were also identical to my first visit seven years ago. The Temple of Airjitzu (based on a 2015 Ninjago set) jungle gym still stood in the same place with the same brick sculptures. The Friends area had not changed with a brick-built statue of the original Friends characters that was looking a little worn.

Miniland had not changed, but it is awesome, so who cares?

Miniland was also the same. However, I can excuse Miniland since Toronto hasn’t changed that much in seven years either. Miniland is also quite impressive and I don’t mind seeing it again. The buildings look great, and you can always find little Minifigure stories you missed on your last visit. Not to mention that you can experience the builds at your leisure on AFOL night without screaming kids butting in front of you. I felt I was able to take it all in better on this visit.

Of course, no AFOL night at LEGOLAND would be complete without a stop in the shop! Sadly, this was not the highlight of my trip I was hoping for. The store had a lot of empty shelving. Additionally, I could not enjoy Pick-A-Brick on my own. You needed an associate to pick the bricks for you. The same was true for Build-a-Mini. The station itself was empty and the parts were sealed off on the Pick-A-Brick wall. Truth be told, I lost interest in both options since I could not take my time enjoying packing my box and picking my parts without pressure.

I was disappointed I could not have the full PAB or BAM experiences.

All that to say that I actually did not dislike AFOL night at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre. I just want to be sure you know that if you have been there before, the experience will not be markedly different in terms of the attractions. Where Pick-A-Brick and Build-a-Mini are concerned, it is actually a little worse. But, experiencing the attractions without kids is what makes the event. I was there alone since I don’t really know any AFOLs in Toronto I can call up to hang out with. But, I could see people having a blast with their friends, geeking out over LEGO®. I appreciate that a lot. ToroLUG was also present showcasing classic LEGO® sets, which were a lot of fun to see.

Also, even though the attractions were the same, I liked experiencing them without kids around. I actually got to try things. Like converting my weight into bricks. I hate having to wait for every kid in the room to go first, or feeling guilty because I’m making some kid wait and their parents are giving me the stink eye.

AFOL night also offers booze and a silent LEGO® auction. They auction off sets that have been previously built and on display in the store. I didn’t buy anything, but it’s potentially a great way to score a deal on a set. That alone makes revisiting the experience intriguing.

The verdict?

AFOL night at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is definitely an event best experienced with your fellow AFOL friends. On my own, I spent an hour and half inside and then felt like I was done. Would I go again? Not by myself. I’ve seen the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre twice now and it was basically the same experience both times, only seven years apart. They would need to overhaul the place to interest me again.

With that said, I am glad I went and experienced AFOL night at least once. Also, if I lived in the area and knew people there, it is a fun venue for a LEGO®-related social event. It is also not that expensive (about $25 CAD). A trip to the movies with snacks will cost you more and you can’t chat with your friends while the movie is running. Have you been to AFOL night at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre? What did you think of the experience? Let me know in the comments or reach out on social media.

Until next time,

-Tom

P.S. if anyone high up in the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Toronto hierarchy is reading this, and you are planning to update your look soon, I wouldn’t mind taking the following tired, old item off your hands. I think you need to get rid of it and I can help you for free 😉

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