Adults not allowed! - LEGOLand Discovery Centres

[happymark]

In US.

I just heard this rule yesterday. I was kinda shocked when I was told that Adults were not allowed to enter Legoland Discovery Center without a child.

I did check the website and found it is true;

To be honest, I felt offended at the first.. what do you think? is this the only place that some facility that not open for Adults??

Can adults visit LEGOLAND Discovery Center without any children?

Sorry, no. Adults must be accompanied by children to enter LEGOLAND® Discovery Center. We will host adult nights for our Adult Fans of LEGO without children.

Also, children are unable to visit the attraction unless accompanied by an adult.

[meyerc13]

I think this is a fairly common policy at Children's Museums across the country. No children without adults, and no adults without children.

[Big Cam]

I don't see what the big deal is, they said they'll have nights for AFOL's.

It is common practice, they want to make sure the kids have the best time possible.

[tedbeard]

As a parent I totally understand. I would be wary of an unaccompanied adult in a children-oriented facility. Heck, at my local playground I make sure that I check in with kids regulalry so nobody reports me for sitting on a bench in a public park. Totally paranoid I know but when it comes to kids safety and security I am happy to see a little over-vigilance.

Of course, as an AFOL I also think special "adult's-only" nights at a Discovery Center are a great idea.

[happymark]

yeah. I do understand as a parent.

it is strange that LEGOLAND or Disney World are open for Adults only..just because Legoland Discovery Center is indoor and more Children-oriented maybe..

As a parent I totally understand. I would be wary of an unaccompanied adult in a children-oriented facility. Heck, at my local playground I make sure that I check in with kids regulalry so nobody reports me for sitting on a bench in a public park. Totally paranoid I know but when it comes to kids safety and security I am happy to see a little over-vigilance.

Of course, as an AFOL I also think special "adult's-only" nights at a Discovery Center are a great idea.

Edited November 5, 2012 by happymark

[JeagerEX]

Why LEGOLAND Discovery Center does not allow adults without children?

[tomdobs55]

Essentially to stop kidnapping and pedophile type people. As a parent I think it's great because you don't have to worry about that creepy guy/girl with no kids who's just watching other kids play and whatnot. Another thing that we have to understand is that while Lego offers unlimited possibilities for people of all ages, it is still a children's toy

[Bamos]

According to the Abel and Harlow child molestation study of 2001 only 2 to 5 percent of the polulation are child molestors. Out of that poulation only 10 percent of child molesters target children outside their family or friends. 68 percent target family members and 40 percent are from social circles the children frequent.

So your kids have a much better chance of being molested by your uncle (insert name here) than someone like a loving couple who do not have kids.

Bill

Edited December 12, 2012 by Bamos

[dr_spock]

I think Chuckie Cheese has a similar policy.

[tomdobs55]

many of the children-focused places around Boston have a similar policy.

[Faefrost]

These days they all have that policy. It's to discourage Jimmy Saville / Tickle Me Elmo type activities amongst the adult population. Those childless AFOL's wishing to see things can come during the adult oriented sessions, and they don't have to worry (as much) about creepy dudes looking for kids.

[Lyichir]

According to the Abel and Harlow child molestation study of 2001 only 2 to 5 percent of the polulation are child molestors. Out of that poulation only 10 percent of child molesters target children outside their family or friends. 68 percent target family members and 40 percent are from social circles the children frequent.

So your kids have a much better chance of being molested by your uncle (insert name here) than someone like a loving couple who do not have kids.

Bill

2 to 5 percent of the population? That sounds much higher than I would expect, personally. But, as far as public safety is concerned, a better question than the number of molestors who target kids they don't know might be how many kids are molested by these people. I still wouldn't expect it to be too high, but since a single person could molest a number of kids it may be at least slightly higher than the number you're citing.

Of course, the safety of the kids should be paramount even if such an occurence is unlikely. And, somewhat more selfishly, I'd hate for the Legoland Discovery Centers have to shut down due to public backlash that would surely result if some scandal did occur and could have been prevented by such a policy.

[Rook]

Not surprised I work in Justice Services and this is classic case of media instilling fear and then companies passing policies that don't actually solve any thing. But it makes the masses feel safe and therefore business can go on as usual. If you really NEED to go that bad I suggest going with a friend of the family and their kid(s). I'll be taking my best friend and his son when Toronto's open up.

[gratefulnat]

So your kids have a much better chance of being molested by your uncle (insert name here) than someone like a loving couple who do not have kids.

Not surprised I work in Justice Services and this is classic case of media instilling fear and then companies passing policies that don't actually solve any thing. But it makes the masses feel safe and therefore business can go on as usual.

Good to know there are others out there with some knowledge of this topic & sense, in my opinion.

As a single father with custody living in a foreign country, I have a different last name and nationality than my own son. I am regularily confronted with issues of who I am in regards to my own son.

I have no problems when being questioned when we travel across borders - and have learned to carry my son's birth certificate, international forms declaring I am his legal father, custodial legal papers, etc.

But I believe this whole issue discussed in this topic is taking it too far.

It's as Rook says: it's looks great for 'whatever' company to have these rules, and they can promote how they try to avoid any 'isssues' on their property (with child protection in the foreground), but it's actually about 'business as usual' - cover my own megablocks but make sure I still get my dollars.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I'm on the other end of the spectrum where my & my son's life is complicated by all these fears and regulations resulting of these fears.

and maybe that's the (better said one of the) sad price we pay for freedom...

-rant over-

[Hrw-Amen]

Unfortunately for me I do not have any children to take to such places with me, I would really like to have a child but the wife is not keen. However as a childless person I am not in any way a child molester or have any inclination towards that sort of thing. But i can understand why companies have these sort of rules. Sometimes it causes problems for ordinary law abiding people, but just think of the problems you may have if you were there without a child and someone started a rumour with the staff or other parents about that creepy man or woman over in the corner looking at their child. That would be horrendous, it is much better to be safe than sorry on all accounts I feel, so i can see why they do it. Yes they are covering themselves but with some of the stories that are in the media you cannot really blame them. Just look at it as though they are not only protecting themselves but they are also protecting you, their valued customer from false allegations.

[Paul B Technic]

While I might not agree with this I can understand the reasons it has been done.

[AndyC]

Whilst everyone immediately tends to jump to the "It's all about keeping paedophiles out" assumption, there is another: Only allowing in adults with kids makes for a more kid-friendly environment. As much as we might all be happy to visit even if the place was packed with geeky AFOLs, kids will have a better time if the place is mostly filled up with other kids as it makes for a more comfortable place for them.

[gratefulnat]

it is much better to be safe than sorry on all accounts I feel, so i can see why they do it.

I'm not sure if I agree with this, but I understand where you're coming from. Life isn't always fair or morally correct...

Just look at it as though they are not only protecting themselves but they are also protecting you, their valued customer from false allegations.

While I might not agree with this I can understand the reasons it has been done.

Fair enough , each coin has two sides.

Whilst everyone immediately tends to jump to the "It's all about keeping paedophiles out" assumption, there is another: Only allowing in adults with kids makes for a more kid-friendly environment. As much as we might all be happy to visit even if the place was packed with geeky AFOLs, kids will have a better time if the place is mostly filled up with other kids as it makes for a more comfortable place for them.

Me being a father, I agree your reasoning makes sense. Children certainly relax & have more fun with other children around, rather than being in the midst of only adults, but... I just don't believe these places, with or without these rules, would be overrun with childless aduts though.

Although this has nothing to do with 'general discussion about LEGO', I do believe it reflects a general direction our society is taking. With a larger and larger population, we unluckily need more & more rules to keep things functioning for everyone; the individual is becoming less important than the masses.

Makes sense, but it still makes me sad.

[fred67]

So your kids have a much better chance of being molested by your uncle (insert name here) than someone like a loving couple who do not have kids.

LEGO executives can't do anything about Uncle (insert name here), they can only do what they can do, and even if only 2% of the population are pedophiles, and 10% of those target children outside the family... hell, let's just say 1% would take a 'target of opportunity', that's still two in a thousand. That sounds like a small number until you ask yourself how many people go through these theme centers every day.

Frankly, I also like the idea of an AFOL night - I'd prefer to see it without a bunch of screaming, head-ache inducing, out of control rug-rats ruining my time (as opposed to the other way around). And I say this as the parent of two.

On the other hand, I have no desire to actually go into one of those centers, I really doubt I'd get anything out of it. But you CAN go do the discovery center stores without children; they sometimes have stuff you can't get elsewhere.

[crossmr]

http://news.national...he-brings-kids/

John St-Onge has long found Lego fascinating — far more interesting than the blocks he had as a boy. So when his first child was born in 1983, he thought to himself: “Oh boy, now I can see what Lego is all about.”

Then, as his kids grew, Mr. St-Onge started buying Lego for himself, building complexities like the Statue of Liberty and the Millennium Falcon. The 63-year-old Windsor, Ont., man has since amassed 75 sets of his own — more than 50,000 pieces of Lego.

So when the Legoland Discovery Centre opened in Vaughan, Ont., this year, Nicole St-Onge, 30, was excited to take her dad. They finally made the three hour drive on Saturday, and he was eager to take photos of the intricate Toronto city skyline exhibit.

But their father-daughter outing ended before they arrived, thanks to a policy they weren’t aware of, one that is becoming more common at family-oriented destinations: Adults are not welcome unless they’re accompanying children.

Funny how disney land doesn't need a policy like this to maintain a "family atmosphere". I've got a hard time supporting a company that thinks I'm a "risk" to their business.

I think my daughter's duplo set I got her last week will be her first and last Lego product.

[timtosino]

All Legoland and Legoland Discovery Centers worldwide are operated by Merlin Entertainments. The LEGO Group sold their ownership of the parks years ago but Trust Company that the Christiansen family runs owns the largest portion of Merlin and the LEGO Group..

Edited July 11, 2013 by leavebeaver2me

[DPrime]

I read this in the news this morning as well, and I did not like it one bit.

I had no idea this was their policy either, and I honestly don't think it's any different than, say, barring people of certain races or ethnic groups because a very small minority are members of gangs or terrorist groups. This is me speaking as a parent, mind you - I'm all for protecting our kids but assuming every adult out there is a potential child molester or worse is not the way to do it.

Some well deserved bad press, I'm afraid. :(

Edited July 11, 2013 by DPrime

[crossmr]

All Legoland and Legoland Discovery Centers worldwide are operated by Merlin Entertainments. The LEGO Group sold their ownership of the parks years ago but Trust Company that the Christiansen family runs owns the largest portion of Merlin and the LEGO Group..

It doesn't matter who owns it, it's got the Lego name on it, and Lego has come out on their facebook page and repeatedly made statements supporting the decision by the Merlin group. That makes them just as responsible in my opinion.

I'm extremely disappointed, and find it disgustingly offensive.

[Legogal]

Is there a sign up at the Discovery Centers saying that adults without children cannot enter the area that charges admission? I did not see this in the Berlin DC, but then I did not attempt to pay admission and enter as a sole adult. Has someone on EB been turned away from a DC when they were not with a child?

[Lance]

It isn't The LEGO Group's fault at all. Merlin Entertainments runs the Legoland (and Discovery Center) franchise. Yes it does have LEGO's name on it, but it doesn't automatically mean you should point to them, and refusing to buy their products isn't really a way to set an example. At the end of the day, the employees are employees of Merlin Entertainments, not The LEGO Group, so it should be taken up with Merlin. Also I'm pretty sure there's AFOL nights in the Discovery Centers, why didn't he go then? And he isn't the only one who's been turned away, loads of lone adults have.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Lance