Remember the Stormtrooper
/Back in 2003, my partner and I completed a crazy trip around the world to visit all the LEGOLANDs that existed at the time, Disneyland and a World Science Fiction Convention. It was a meticulously over-planned holiday where we tried to achieve a ridiculous amount in six weeks. But that’s just the background to this tale… the full story has so much more.
Our full story begins in Los Angeles—a common entry point for Australians travelling to the United States. This gave us the opportunity to visit Disneyland in Anaheim and the nearby LEGO store at Downtown Disney. This was our very first visit to an official LEGO Store. I wish I could tell you I was full of awe and wonderment. But I can’t. It was a rushed visit at the end of a long day, and we really only had time to have a quick look around the store and then rush back to the bus stop for our ride back to Los Angeles.
My one lasting memory from that time is of making the decision to not purchase anything because we were in a hurry, the store was busy and, as my partner declared, “They’ll have the same stuff at LEGOLAND California so we can buy it there.” I eyed the keychains, but we did not purchase any.
The entrance to LEgoland California in 2003. photo by author
A few days later we visited LEGOLAND California and had a wonderful time trying out the different rides, exploring the park, admiring the sculptures and builds in Miniland, and shopping in the stores. It was our very first visit to a LEGOLAND and we wanted to experience it all. The stores were full of exciting LEGO products including a number that were unique to the park.
And the keychains! So many keychains! I’m quite a fan of LEGO keychains and had acquired a small collection prior to this visit, so I bought as many different ones as I could as they are small and easily fit into your luggage. Sadly, there was no Star Wars Stormtrooper keychain. I really wanted one as I had seen one at the Downtown Disney LEGO store. “It’s okay,” said my partner. “We’ll be able to get one at the next LEGOLAND.” We really believed this was true.
The Big shop at LEgoland california in 2003. Photo by author
Fast forward a couple of weeks where we had enjoyed the delights of New York, attended a World Science Fiction convention in Toronto, and marvelled at Niagara Falls. Our next stop was to London where we planned to visit LEGOLAND Windsor and, once again, hunt for that missing Stormtrooper keychain.
The legoland windsor shuttle bus in 2003. photo by author
Just like LEGOLAND California, LEGOLAND Windsor was a delight. There was so much to see and do and many stores to check for the elusive Stormtrooper keychain! Alas, there was not a single Stormtrooper keychain anywhere in the park. There were lots of other Star Wars-themed keychains, but not the one we were after. “That’s okay, we’re heading to Billund next, and there *has* to be one there,” says my weary partner. “It’s the home of LEGO, after all, so they’ll have a full range”.
The Brick brothers shop at legoland Windsor in 2003. photo by author
Off to Denmark we travelled with our heads full of expectation. In 2003, there was still a lot of history in the park with lots of nods to past and present LEGO themes. Of course, we ran around like crazy people trying to take in as much as we could. There was so much to see and do and many little stores to visit. But again, no Stormtrooper keychain. Despite being in the home of LEGO, LEGOLAND Billund does not carry a full range of products. This was a hard lesson to learn.
The lego shop at legoland billund in 2003. photo by author
Fast forward another week where we’d travelled to Sweden and visited Parken Zoo in Eskilstuna to see the adventure playground themed around The Phantom comic book character. Then onward we travelled to LEGOLAND Deutschland (Germany) for our last LEGO-themed stop of our journey.
the entrance to legoland deutschland in 2003. photo by author
LEGOLAND Deutschland was only a year old when we visited in 2003. Everything was still new and shiny. It was smaller than it is today, but there was still plenty to keep us entertained. The Fabrik (Factory) section was just as much a delight as it is today. Back then, you actually claimed a freshly printed souvenir brick directly from the machine rather than being given a pre-packaged brick at the start of the attraction.
These days, the park is well-known for the fantastic pick-a-brick selection attached to the Fabrik area. It was a lot smaller in 2003, but that didn’t stop it from being full of an amazing range of parts. Parts were purchased and we moved onto the other stores in the park, still on the hunt.
The city shop at legoland deutschland in 2003. photo by the author
At this point, you are probably hoping for a happy, delightful ending to our journey with us finding a Stormtrooper keychain. I can’t give you that ending, though, as there was no Stormtrooper keychain in the park. Not one. We had failed. It seems not all LEGO Stores and LEGOLANDs carry the same products and we learned the lesson to buy something when you see it, if you can.
The story doesn’t quite end there, though, as I did eventually find a Stormtrooper keychain. I don’t remember how it happened. It might have been on a return visit to LEGOLAND Windsor or Billund; it might have been via the online LEGO Shop; maybe it was gifted to me or purchased from BrickLink.
After six weeks of chasing the Stormtrooper keychain unicorn, we finally obtained one which ended up being not as memorable as I would have thought it would have been. But still, I did eventually acquire a Stormtrooper keychain! The whole experience turned into a bit of Aesop’s Fables now. Even knowing we’ll see something again in stores, we say to each other, “Remember the Stormtrooper!?”
What keychain do you love the most that you would travel continents to find? Let us know below!
Do you want to help BrickNerd continue publishing articles like this one? Become a top patron like Charlie Stephens, Marc & Liz Puleo, Paige Mueller, Rob Klingberg from Brickstuff, John & Joshua Hanlon from Beyond the Brick, Megan Lum, and Andy Price to show your support, get early access, exclusive swag and more.
