Big news for Harry Potter fans today. The LEGO® Group officially announced that Diagon Alley (75978) is coming soon. It is a monstrous set, clocking in at over 5000 bricks. Incidentally, it is the second largest Harry Potter set ever produced, and the fourth largest LEGO® set of all time. Based on the pictures, the detail in this set looks phenomenal. There are seven modular shops that you can arrange in any way you want. Additionally, the storefronts line-up to be over a meter long.
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The press release describes Diagon Alley as follows:
Diagon Alley™ is one of the most iconic locations in the Wizarding World. It’s where Harry Potter gets his first glimpse of the exciting new world he is about to join, as he’s guided through the magical shopping street by Hagrid. And now LEGO® and Harry Potter fans alike can build and create the iconic street in their own homes.
Behind magnificent and detailed storefronts lie intriguing interiors, fascinating features, and familiar characters. Fans can recreate some of their favourite moments from the Harry Potter film series including; discovering the wands at Ollivanders™ from Harry Potter and the Philosophers / Sorcerer’s Stone; dropping in on Gilderoy Lockhart™’s book-signing event at Flourish & Blotts™ bookstore from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; or obtaining a love potion from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes™ from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Diagon Alley measure over one meter wide.
In terms of set specifics, fans can expect:
- NAME: Diagon Alley
- SET #: 75978
- THEME: Harry Potter
- COST: $499.99 CAD ($399.99 USD, $599.99AUD, €399.99, £369.99)
- BRICK COUNT: 5544
- MINIFIGURES: 14
- DIMENSIONS: 29 cm high, 102.4 cm long, 13 cm wide
- RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2020
- COST-PER-BRICK: $0.09 (Excellent)
- BRICK-TO-FIG RATIO: 396:1 (Bad overall, but in line with other sets this big.)
There are a couple of interesting points to note here. Firstly, the price. $499.99 CAD is huge. However, the cost-per-brick is $0.09. That is amazing. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick currently sits at $0.14. Secondly, look at the international pricing. Currently, $399.99 USD is about $524 CAD. €399.99 is about $624 CAD. $599.99 AUD is about $579 CAD. Therefore, Canada is one of the cheapest places in the world to buy this set. Initially, my only complaint with Diagon Alley is the number of Minifigures. Large sets like this rarely come with a good brick-to-fig ratio. However, a set this big needs at least 23 Minifigures in my opinion. With that said, the ratio is in line with other large kits like the Creator Expert modular buildings.
Explore Diagon Alley in augmented reality!
Another interesting aspect of Diagon Alley is that it is an augmented reality set. Fans can scan a QR code online or at the LEGO® Store. Additionally, you can build the QR code with bricks using instructions from LEGO.com. According the press release, in scanning the code:
fans will be transported to the most famous street in the Wizarding World where they can explore the LEGO® set… The AR experience will enable fans to see some of the amazing details that have gone into recreating each shop, as well as see some of the minifigures interact with the set including: Harry Potter with his brand new wand from Ollivanders and the Weasley twins showing off a new item from their joke shop, Weasley Wizard Weezes™… Once inside the animated experience, minifigures of Fred and George Weasley will appear to welcome fans to Diagon Alley. James and Oliver Phelps, who star as the Weasley twins in the Harry Potter film series, have joined the fun by creating their own QR codes to access the incredible LEGO set via their social media.
While I have dabbled in Harry Potter sets in the past, I am not a collector of the theme. However, even from my perspective, this set is impressive. It tempts me to make a purchase. What are your thoughts? Diagon Alley (75978) is coming soon, will you pick it up? Comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
p.s. for more news on the Fall 2020 LEGO® line-up, click here.
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