(Don't
worry, I promise this will not turn into a LEGO blog.)
So
the Genie or the Blue Fairy or somebody must have bugged my apartment
back
in March, because the news has broken that the LEGO Company will
release a Disney castle later this year! It's going to be
Cinderella's Castle from Orlando, not Sleeping Beauty Castle, but a)
I predicted this in the earlier post, and b) I'll buy it anyway if I
can remotely justify the expense. I want to send a clear message to
the decision-makers in charge of this stuff that Disney theme park
LEGO sets are a VERY GOOD idea.
And
because my imagination is a naive optimist, it's taking this news and
running wild with more ideas for other Disneyland-based sets. Bear
with me while I geek out some more?
Enchanted
Tiki Room
Not
my most “playable” idea, I'll admit, but it would be a lovely
display model, especially if it included the exterior garden area
with all those Tiki god statues! Absent that, the building alone
would make a great set, chock-full of interesting design elements and
fun features like the fountain and the “bird-mobile.” And of
course, it would be a reason for LEGO to start making more than one
color of parrot again!
Indiana
Jones Adventure
This
one might stand a slim chance of happening, actually. There was an
entire LEGO Indiana Jones theme released when the fourth movie came
out, with sets representing all four...and now a fifth one is in
pre-production. However you might feel about the viability of the
franchise, the odds have never been better that we might see a set
specifically referencing the ride.
Arguably,
parts of the ride already exist in LEGO form, since much of it riffs
on the sorts of highlights from the movies that also make for good
building sets. I would want a set based on the ride to focus on the
truly unique stuff—Mara, the ride vehicle, and maybe the giant
snake. I think the best idea I've come up with so far is a Chamber of
Destiny/Hall of Promise model with modular wall panels depicting the
three different “gifts” offered by Mara. But no matter what, the
cobra motifs in the architecture would be a must.
Fantasyland
Ride Vehicles
I
see this as either a series of small sets ($10-12 price point) or one
big one including all the builds. Each vehicle would come with a
minifig representing an animated character associated with the ride.
For maximum variety, I am including vehicles from both Disneyland and
Walt Disney World. Let it never be said that I don't know how to play
nice with the Orlando crowd.
- Mine Cart (Snow White's Scary Adventures)—A simple four-seat vehicle. Minifig: Snow White.
- Pirate Ship (Peter Pan's Flight)—They've sold models of this one before, but not buildable versions. Minifig: Wendy Darling. (Peter himself and Captain Hook are already part of the Disney Collectible Minifigs series, and Tinker Bell will be included with the castle set.)
- Antique Motorcar (Mr. Toad's Wild Ride)—Steering wheel on the right (British) side, of course! Minifig: Mr. Toad.
- Hunny Pot (The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh)—It feels weird to include this ride in Fantasyland, but like I said, I'm playing nice with the Florida Kids. Minifig: Pooh Bear.
- Caterpillar (Alice in Wonderland)—It would be interesting to see how they managed to create the Caterpillar's face with LEGO parts at this scale. Minifig: Queen of Hearts. (Alice being another character we're getting from the Collectible Minifigs.)
- Tea Cup (Mad Tea Party)—It would sit on a swivel base so it can spin. Hopefully some enterprising fan would use the model as a template for a whole bunch of cups in different colors, and then build a functioning MOC* of the whole ride. Minifig: Mad Hatter
I
suppose ride vehicles in general would be a good basis for small LEGO
sets. I focused on Fantasyland because the vehicles there are really
vital for identifying the rides as distinct from the movies they are
based on.
Matterhorn
Bobsleds
Look
at this:
That
is all.
Okay,
not really. (You didn't expect me to leave it at that, did you?) To
be perfectly honest, I don't have as strong a mental image of the
ideal LEGO Matterhorn set as I do most other items on my wishlist. I
just love the terrain represented by the ride, and this is one of the
few opportunities for a “heroes vs. monster” scenario in our
hypothetical line of theme park sets.
Moonliner
Not only would this be an elegant and apt set in itself, it could
function as a subtle tribute to the Classic Space theme that is still
fondly regarded by many long-time LEGO fans. It's a pretty long shot
for actual production even if we do get more sets based on the parks,
though—the distinctive tapered shape and threefold radial symmetry
of the rocket would require the LEGO Company to create several new
part shapes, and they might not go for that.
And finally (for now, anyway)...
Disneyland
Railroad
Model
trains comprise a LEGO theme all on their own, ramping up the
inherent customizability of this particular hobby to outstanding
levels. Many “LEGO” collectors are actually model railroad
enthusiasts, branching out into other themes solely to get material
for decorating their track layouts.
What is the Disneyland Railroad (and WDW Railroad) but an especially
large, elaborate, and publically available model train? It fits right
into the LEGO tradition and is nearly as iconic as the castle itself.
One
more thing? One more thing.
I
want a mouse-ears beanie for my minifigs. That can't be too hard to
make, can it? Do the right thing, guys!
Thank
you for letting me ramble again. Better stuff next week, I promise.
*
MOC, in LEGO fanspeak, stands for “My Original Creation” and is
used as a generic term for any fan-created model. I've done a few
Disneyland-themed
MOCs of my own in the past, a fact which will surprise no one.
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