Charlise was able to bring someone along with her to the media preview of The LEGO® Movie™ 4D: A New Adventure at LEGOLAND, so I gladly accepted her invite when she asked me if I’d want to go earlier this month. I mean, it’s LEGO: fun stuff, but the epitome of all evil when stepped on.

(This post was written 27th February, 2016, and I meant to publish it after I typed it up and added the photos, but then life happened: I was injured, I got busy, and it slipped my mind. So let’s go back in time, I guess?)

Anyways, I figured writing about it would be a great way to debut my latest post series, Explore DFW.[1. Took me long enough to get this posted.] Charlise and I go to enough places ’round here, and the DFW Metroplex is large, so it seemed fitting to make a post series about exploring, well, the metroplex. Each place will have its own post, which will make the tag double as a travel guide of sorts…’twas better than having to keep updating one major page of places.

Before today, I’d never experienced 4D. Sure, there was this ‘theater ride’ of sorts at Six Flags Over Texas, but it was literally us watching some ride on a screen and feeling it in our chairs—or something like that. You know, basic stuff. It was similar to “riding” a roller coaster on the Sims Theme Park video game and having your game controllers vibrate. No glasses were necessary.

4D is like 3D, but…there are other special effects. It’s also probably worth mentioning I’ve never seen a 3D movie. I’ve done that 3D glasses thing from when it came as a toy/prize in a food package, but that was also pretty basic stuff.

You guys, the characters and stuff came out of the screen. The movie basically came to life. The 4D effects consisted of blinking lights, raining lemon water, and some other things I can’t figure out how to articulate properly.

It was really cool.

A few times, I thought stuff was actually going to hit me. ‘Twas definitely an experience!

After we saw the movie, the boys went to the cart-like section to drive child-sized LEGO-inspired go-carts. I looked around at some things and took some pictures[2. It was cool. Even the framed photos were made up of LEGO blocks.], but I was carrying a water bottle and a movie poster, in addition to my phone, so it was a little bit of a hassle to actually take many pictures. I wound up getting a lot, anyway, though…I just didn’t charge my camera for this. (Oops.)

Before we went in to see the movie, we went through a miniature exhibit, which was a LEGO replica of Downtown Dallas and legendary places in Fort Worth.[3. I told Charlise about the winter-themed setup at the Fort Worth Stockyards, so we may go there sometime in December and check out everything, which may result in a lovely ‘Explore DFW’ post of a town that looks straight out of Christmas Town. :D] The lights were dimmed when we first entered, so I didn’t capture many shots. It’s kinda hard to take pictures of things in the dark, no?

The blue triangle-shaped building is actually more like a turquoise color in person, and it’s breathtaking. It’s actually my favorite building in Dallas; when I was a kid, I’d always get excited when I saw it. I’ve never been inside, but that I know of, it is open to the public—has something to do with environmental studies or something—so maybe one day! The yellow thing (I don’t know what it’s called) has been there for as long as I can remember, so…maybe it’s a structure?

Overall, it was really fascinating. There was a jungle gym I nicknamed “LEGO Jail”, because kids need a parent present to be permitted in, then another to be permitted out…no corresponding parent/guardian nearby, no escaping the jungle gym. :p

After the movie, I got a small LEGO Wildstyle key ring, which I love because, well, she just looks cool. ❤