It feels just like last year when you could get a Disney Castle LEGO Set with over 4000 pieces and came with 7 minifigures. Wait, it was, and with classic iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy, along with the signature Tinker Bell, and a random statue. Back at the time the set was released (September 2016), this was the first time we would see Tinker Bell in true minifigure form. And it has taken another 7 years before she would appear as a minifigure once more!
But we are not going to talk about that set much today (initially at least)
Instead, we are going to talk about a brand New Disney Castle, set to form the centerpiece of the 100 years of Disney Celebrations, in LEGO form. The minifigure selection Highlights Disney Princesses from across the years, including Snow White (her first time in minfigure form)and Prince Florian; Cinderella and Prince Charming; Princess Tiana and Prince Nareen; Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder. With 4837 pieces, the set is due for release on July 1 (VIPs) and July 4 (every one else). It is priced at £344.99/ €399.99/$399.99/8999.9 TRY/169990.0 HUF/3299.0 CNY/519.99 CAD/
599.99 AUD.
Now, as I implied earlier, the previous Castle was retired just 6 months ago. Does this set offer enough reasons to make chasing it down worthwhile, despite the increased price tag? Let’s take a closer look at the set, and perhaps compare what we know of the two. (And read the press copy along the way.)
Here are the 8 minifigures included in this set: as you can see from the gallery below, they all have dual sided face prints. Tiana is in fact the only character here to have appeared in minfigure form – in the recently released Disney 100 range. Otherwise, all others are new to the format.
There are Easter eggs from different Disney Films tucked away in the set, from the full range of Disney’s History. From the Magic Mirror, to the Rose from Beauty and the beast, to Alladin’s Lamp. What others can you see here?
21st June 2023: The LEGO Group today revealed an all-new LEGO | Disney Castle set, to celebrate 100 Years of Disney. The new 4,837-piece set is a celebration of the playful joy and creativity that the LEGO Group and Disney have inspired in families around the world over the past 24 years. Since the first LEGO | Winnie the Pooh set was unveiled in 1999 to the hidden time capsule in the new LEGO | Disney Castle, the two brands have helped fans share the wonder of Disney storytelling by inspiring children, and adults, to reimagine fan-favourite moments through LEGO play.
The new LEGO | Disney Castle set is a homage to the iconic castle at the beginning of all Disney movies. The 4,837-piece features not only the castle building, but also references from 14 classic Disney films over the last 100 years, such as Steamboat Willie and Snow White (the first Disney Princess) to The Princess and the Frog, and Moana.
The set comes complete with eight minifigures, representing some of the Disney Princess characters and their male counterparts. Inside the castle are various rooms including a kitchen and dining room, a ballroom and bedroom. Each room has references to Disney films and characters, and there is even a secret turret for fans to discover a Disney time capsule with references to the 100-year history. Outside, the castle is decorated with fireworks.
Talking about her role as the Creative Design Lead for LEGO | Disney, Benedikte Stamp said, “Over the last century, Disney has created some of the world’s greatest stories which are loved by generation after generation. Just like these stories, LEGO play transcends age, language, culture and interests to inspire millions of children to build and create anything they can image. As a designer, it’s my role to bring together the magic of the two brands and give fans of all ages the chance to celebrate their love for Disney stories through building.”
The new LEGO | Disney Castle set will be available globally via LEGO Stores and at LEGO.com/Castle for LEGO VIPs from 1st July 2023, and for all from 4th July 2023 at the recommended retail price of $399.99 / €399.99 / £344.99. During 1st to 9th July anyone who purchases select LEGO | Disney sets over £95/$/€100 in LEGO Stores or LEGO.com will also receive the LEGO | Disney 100 Years Celebration set for free, which features a podium, a movie screen, projector (which lights up), a desk and a Mickey Mouse minifigure.
So… How does this compare with the Castle from 2016. The minifigures have already been touched upon. Of a useful note, none of these characters (other than Tiana) have previously appeared in Minifigure form in the past – plenty of minidolls, but not minifigures. The characters seen in the previous castle have all appeared in other sets, although in different forma. As such, they are no longer as exclusive as those featured in the new castle.
How about the model itself? Seven years is a long time in the LEGO parts palette, and there have been a number of new elements introduced during this time that might affect the overall look, compared with the previous model.
This model measures L 33cm/13″ x W 59cm/23″ x D 80cm/31” – larger in every dimension when compared with the older model 31cm x 48cm x 74cm
The previous model was priced at AUD499.99/USD349.99/£289.99 – we are seeing an 18-20% increase in price since 2016 – we have had an average CPI of roughly 3 % – linked over 7 years brings us an effective increase in realprices of around 23% Add to this the 20% in part count, as well as the increase in minfigure characters (all but one of which are new to the minifigure format.)
Compared with the Death Star rerelease back in 2017, this has much more to offer, for the price increase.
But one question remains: This is still a relatively costly set. It will have strong appeal to Disney fans, but will those who already own the previous model choose to add this to their collection? I’d love to hear your thoughts – why not leave them below and until next time,
Play Well!
