Sunday, April 24, 2016

Beyond Blue Sky: The Building Blocks Of Magic, Part 2

(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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