LEGO Ideas 21352 Magic of Disney is late but great say early reviews

Early reviews for the latest LEGO Ideas set have surfaced and 21352 Magic of Disney is said to be as great as it is late to the 100th anniversary.

With over 1,000 pieces and an array of exclusive and enticing minifigures, 21352 Magic of Disney launches early next month as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Disney, which ended over nine months ago. While it's late to the party, there are believed to be plenty of reasons to pick up this build according to early reviews, presenting commendable value for a licensed model.

Here's what the early reviews for the latest LEGO Ideas set have to say about 21352 Magic of Disney, its miniature scenes and those brand-new minifigures.

— Set details —

Theme: LEGO Ideas Set name: 21352 Magic of Disney Release: October 1, 2024

Price: £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 Pieces: 1,103

LEGO: October 1, 2024

Lots of detail, but in a small, fair-priced package

Despite its 1,103 pieces, don't expect 21352 Magic of Disney to take up a massive amount of space on your shelf. This LEGO Disney model is short but sweet as Tiago Catarino demonstrates, comparing it directly to 43249 Stitch and 43217 'Up' House.

The size of this set compared to the piece count is all down to a mix of smaller elements used to capture detail in the small scenes at the base, which inflate the piece count somewhat. Early reviews agree that the price is still worthwhile though.

"I'm happy to say this thing will retail for $100, which is a surprising, yet welcome and more than fair price tag for what you get out of this," shared Tiago Catarino.

"Don't be fooled, there's an unreasonable amount of small one-by-one pieces I was not expecting to find when building the Encanto and The Lion King micro scenes, which could dilute the sense of value by a little bit. Yet, I still feel like this is one of the few LEGO sets where you get your money's worth out of it."

Matticusbricks didn't completely agree with Tiago's point, stating, "I think the set looks great on display, though it is a little smaller than I was expecting for the $100 price point. However, it does include a great selection of minifigures including characters we've never had before."

As much as the many smaller elements are noted by Tiago concerning the price of the set and the piece count, the added detail is said to be worthwhile.

By Disney fans for Disney fans

As Tiago notes in his review, Disney fans are going to get the most out of this set as it's evident that 21352 Magic of Disney has been designed by fellow enthusiasts. Early reviews all note that there's a hidden reference inside Mickey and it's not hard to tell which film it's intended to represent. According to matticusbricks, this is a homage to the fan designer's favourite Disney movie.

Movies more clearly referenced in the set include Pinocchio, Encanto, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia, The Lion King and Lilo & Stitch. Overall, it makes up a colourful display piece ideal for Disney enthusiasts, so says early reviews.

"I love the build, I love the hidden stuff inside, the dioramas out in front and the way they chose different things to tie into the water effects and the magic from Mickey," says Ashnflash. "I think it's so much fun."

The central portion of the build, depicting Mickey Mouse in his garb from Fantasia, is also highlighted in early reviews. Some note that the lack of a mouth on the head is offputting but overall, the impression is positive.

"I really like the way Mickey is sculpted, it's a perfect representation of this iconic character," comments matticusbricks.

For Disney enthusiasts, it seems that 21352 Magic of Disney is a worthwhile addition to your collection, but its model is not quite the star of the show.

A fantastic, but unexpected mix of minifigures

It's possible that the project that inspired LEGO Ideas 21352 Magic of Disney won the contest due to the proposed inclusion of minifigures. This includes the debut depiction of Belle from Beauty and the Beast beyond her many mini-doll appearances. Notably, Belle is the only common occurrence between the submission and the set.

"Not to take away from the model, but one of the main reasons some of these Disney products do so well is because of minifigure collectors and the selection here is really good," comments Tiago, suggesting that the LEGO Group and Disney know exactly what they're doing with this LEGO Ideas set.

The likes of Pinocchio, Ariel, Stitch, Elsa and Aladdin have been swapped out for Geppetto, Bruno and Lilo as well as figures of Simba, Sebastian, Flounder and a rat. Flounder and Sebastian were suggested in the project but as brick-built figures. This selection is going to be enticing for Disney enthusiasts since many of the new minifigures will pair excellently with other rare Disney minifigures.

"One of my favourite things about this set is that it adds a couple of other characters that accompany minifigures that we've been waiting to get for a really long time, like Lilo and Stitch and we've had this Stitch since 2016 but with no Lilo," notes Ashnflash. "Bruno is weird, he's our first minifigure from Encanto but then in the other Encanto sets, it's only been mini-dolls and he's been missing."

While Mirabel might been more suitable for our debut Encanto minifigure, none of the reviews list his inclusion as a negative and he's a welcome addition to an already amazing model. The minifigures are believed to be the icing on top of a great and good-value LEGO Disney set, with some comparisons made to another recent licensed Disney reveal.

LEGO Ideas 21352 Magic of Disney launches on October 1 for £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 and pre-orders are open now.

Featured image: Tiago Catarino

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