Malaysia: #MasterYourForce Together on #LEGOStarWarsDays at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort

Every year, LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort in the southern state of Johor celebrates LEGO Star Wars Days with exciting installations and activities for its guests to soak in galactic atmosphere. This annual event takes place throughout the entire month of May and this year, it’s no different. Well, actually this year is different because it’s the region’s largest collaboration of LEGO Star Wars Days 2016, focusing on the parent-child theme.

I was lucky to have been able to join in with the excitement these past couple of days, watching the preparation taking place for the region’s largest LEGO Star Wars Days at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort. Over the long Labour Day weekend, the Resort was building LEGO Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon, which at some 4m x5m, is the largest in the whole of Galaxy! ;) 

Fitting the parent-child theme, for this project, they have brought in 2 LEGO Master Builders, a father-son duo from the US, Dan & Chris Steininger, who took some 3 days to build the gigantic spaceship on location at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort.

Chris & Dan giving an interview with Millennium Falcon behind them

Trivia: Did you know that there are only 8 LEGO Master Builders around the world at the moment? And that Dan & Chris are the only father and son Master Builders in the team?

I asked both of them what they love the most about their job as LEGO Master Builders. Chris’ answer was being able to travel around the world and trying out local food (he loves to eat, apparently, and he loves Malaysian food!) Dan’s was being able to do something that he loves doing based on his background (he’s from an arts background, by the way), and… gets paid for it! So any of you who are really into playing & building LEGO models, why not give it a shot? You can certainly make a career out of it!

Anyways, back to the iconic spaceship.

Although they took some 3 days to complete Millennium Falcon, the planning took a bit longer back in the States, where they had come up with smaller prototype manually using 2x4 LEGO bricks. And whilst building the iconic spaceship, they’re helped by some lucky kids at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, using more than 200,000 LEGO bricks. The final few bricks were placed on the spaceship on 3rd of May, just in time for #MayThe4th.

Other than Millennium Falcon, there’d also be two replicas of LEGO TIE Fighters, which would be built by the Resort’s own Model Builders over the 7th and 8th of May weekend. Those who visit LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort during that weekend would also be able to watch an Imperial March, involving more than 90 participants from the 501st Legion in various characters from the series. That would certainly be an awesome sight, definitely something not to be missed if you’re a diehard Star Wars fan!

As LEGO Star Wars Days takes place the entire month of May, there are also other interesting activities which have been planned for guests. To encourage participation and get guests in the mood for the Park’s LEGO Star Wars Days, all children below the age of 12 who dress up in a Star Wars (complete) costume would get to enter the Park for free, as long as they’re accompanied by a paying adult. Although adult guests won't be getting free tickets, they are not stopping anyone from wearing Star Wars costumes either. Which side would you be on? The Dark Side or the Light Side?

Star Wars fans especially, can also look forward to build and take home a limited edition mini LEGO Millennium Falcon at the LEGO Academy each weekend throughout the month. A word of advice however, go early, as you should know, limited edition means that stocks are very limited!

Other than limited edition mini LEGO Millennium Falcon, guests can also redeem commemorative Star Wars Days Brick, which would be given to families that complete the Star Wars Activity Trail – essentially completing all the LEGO Star Wars Days activities – at the Park. Again, there are limited sets only and would be given out on a first-come-first served basis.

On top of all these, there is also an ongoing “Build Your Dream LEGO Star Wars Starship” contest where teams made up of a parent and a child, regardless of age, can submit images of their most creative spacecraft made using authentic LEGO bricks to LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort’s Facebook page. 

The submission should be in the following format:

• One image of your LEGO creation in jpeg format
• The title of your entry in 5 words or less
• Indicate both the names of parent and child builders
• A description in 50 or less words sharing “Why your spacecraft is the best in the galaxy”
• Include the hashtags #MasterYourForce and #LEGOStarWarsDays

This contest is going to end soon on 8th of May 2016 so waste not anymore time, #MasterYourForce and submit! ;) Who knows, you and your team member could be the next father-son LEGO Master Builders like Dan & Chris, who would be judging the contest too!

Good luck, and #MayThe4thBeWithYou!

Going to LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort? Do check out either LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort or Somerset Medini Nusajaya for your accommodation requirements there. For other blog entries on Malaysia, click here. For other blog entries on Theme Parks, click here.