The annual addition to the Winter Village Collection is a popular set every year. This year’s Santa’s Visit is no exception. As I write this, the set has sold out online. Luckily, I received a copy earlier on from the LEGO® Group. With Christmas rapidly approaching, we now take a closer look at the set. Incidentally, this is one of two popular Christmas sets this year. We reviewed the other, Santa’s Sleigh, earlier on if you are interested. Read on for a detailed Santa’s Visit (10293) review!
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided Santa’s Visit (10293) to review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. True North Bricks’ usual rating system applies (click here for more information).
SANTA’S VISIT (10293) SUMMARY
- NAME: Santa’s Visit
- SET #: 10293
- THEME: Winter Village Collection (18+)
- COST: $139.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 1445
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- VIP RELEASE DATE: September 16, 2021
- RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2021
SANTA’S VISIT (10293)
- VALUE: 80% (Very good cost-per-brick, but not a lot of build time for an 18+ kit.)
- BUILD: 85% (Nice looking building, but too many loose bits for my liking.)
- MINIFIGURES: 77% (Nice minifigs and accessories, but not enough of them.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 90% (Not my favorite xmas set, but still a nice display.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 83% (Good set.)
SANTA’S VISIT (10293) REVIEW
VALUE: 80%
Santa’s Visit costs $139.99 in Canada. Additionally, the set contains 1445 bricks. The resulting cost-per-brick works out to $0.097. Compared to LEGO® sets in general, that is an excellent value. Based on all the sets reviewed here over the years, the average cost-per-brick for a set is currently $0.138. However, compared to similar 18+ sets, the value is fairly normal. Adult oriented sets average at about $0.10/brick. Based on both these comparisons, I rate the cost-per-brick at 90%.
Santa’s Visit took me two hours and 56 minutes to build (176 minutes total). At full price, the cost-per-minute of build time works out to $0.80. Compared to LEGO® sets in general, that is a good amount of build time. However, 18+ sets normally offer more. Comparatively, my average cost-per-minute for LEGO® in general is $0.85, while for 18+ sets it is $0.65. Consequently, I rate the cost-per-minute of build time at 70%. Averaging this score with the cost-per-brick grade gives an overall value assessment of 80%.
BUILD: 85%
Santa’s Visit intrigues from the moment you glance at the box art. The front of the build looks extremely detailed. However, the angles of the building caught my attention most of all. The LEGO® Group put out a few sets recently that exemplify building on non-standard angles. Titanic was an excellent example, and the upcoming Boutique Hotel does not shy away from the challenge either. Similar to those, Santa’s Visit employs hinge plates to secure sections together at different angles.
Like other Winter Village sets, Santa’s Visit features an open back design. In general, I am not a fan of that. I much prefer modulars. However, given that all Winter Village sets feature the same set-up, it is not a big deal in this case. I prefer modulars because the closed sides offer better display potential from all angles in a custom city layout. With the Winter Village, you have to plan your layout specifically with open faces in mind. Problems only arise if you want to incorporate your winter village sets into a custom city.
Santa’s Visit uses hinge plates to achieve interesting build angles.
In terms of interior details, Santa’s Visit is certainly not lacking. You assemble a kitchen, dining area, and living area. Additionally, a small second floor houses a bedroom. While I realize more bricks increases the cost of the set, I still wish for more realistic additions. For example, the parents’ bedroom and stairs to the second floor are lacking. Finally, the only play feature in this year’s kit is a hollow chimney. The Santa minifig included fits down the chimney carrying his sac of toys. The flames in the fireplace knock over on an axle when Santa slides through. Compared to the Elf Clubhouse last year, this feature is fun, but not as entertaining. The Clubhouse had more features with more humor. I will say that I love the 1×2 rounded plates in the chimney build. They are a clever way to add texture without using masonry profile bricks.
In terms of side builds, you assemble a Christmas tree and a fence for the house with a small mailbox. The tree is fun. It features a light brick and pushing down on the tree causes lights on the tree to turn on. The build achieves this by using a core structure of transparent bricks. It is a nice touch. Conversely, the fence does little to add to the set in my opinion. Perhaps fans with an actual winter village set-up will appreciate it. However, for me, it is just another loose piece that does not add anything of interest. I feel the same about all the little presents built to go under the tree. They are just small bits to lose. The Elf Clubhouse featured better side builds that complimented the set well. In Santa’s Visit, I really only like the light up tree.
Santa’s Visit comes with a light-up Christmas tree.
Ultimately, the main house build is very nice. However, Santa’s Visit has a lot of loose bits that do not attach to the main build, and I am not a fan of that. I do like the light-up tree and the angled design of the building though. While the technique for the angles is similar to other sets, this is a cheaper option to get exposure to that style of building. I rate this build at 85%.
MINIFIGURES: 77%
Santa’s Visit includes four Minifigures. Sadly, one of them is a child with unmoving legs. I get that the Christmas scene needs the kid… but the unmoving legs need to retire. There are shorter, moveable minifig legs available. In my opinion, all Minifigures need the ability to sit in a set full of chairs. Otherwise, the three other characters feature all the standard parts. Additionally, similar to Santa’s Sleigh, Santa has dual molded legs. Previous versions of Santa did not. Three of the four characters also feature double-sided face and torso printing. Finally, the set includes 14 Minifigure accessories such as a lantern, cookies, mugs, Santa’s toy sac, letters, whisks, and a pan. I rate the Minifigure design at 92%.
Four Minifigures in a set containing 1445 pieces is not a very good character count. It represents about 361 bricks/fig. Comparatively, my average brick-to-fig ratio across all LEGO® themes is currently 171 bricks/fig. However, large 18+ sets rarely come with a lot of Minifigures. For the adult oriented range, you normally see something more like 362 bricks/fig. Therefore, as an 18+, Santa’s Visit is fairly average. With that said, I love my Minifigures. I want more of them in the 18+ range as well. Consequently, I take both these comparisons into consideration when I rate the ratio score at 61%. Averaging this with the design score gives an overall Minifigure rating of 77%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 90%
Do I like Santa’s Visit? Sure. Do I love it? Sadly, no. It is not my favorite set. I enjoyed last year’s Elf Clubhouse, and this year’s Santa’s Sleigh more. However, I am only marginally interested in the Winter Village Collection to begin with. These sets provide me with inspiration and interesting build techniques for MOCs. However, I tend to recycle them for pieces once the Holidays are over. There is a fervent following for these sets in the AFOL community though. Additionally, they are nice seasonal displays. As such, I rate the entertainment value at 90%.
OVERALL SCORE: 83%
Santa’s Visit is a good set in my opinion, but not a great one. You get a very good cost-per-brick, but the build time is low for an 18+ set. I like many of the techniques used to assemble the kit, but I like sets that have less side-builds, especially if the side builds do not add much value to display. Finally, the Minifigure count is low. However, that is not out of character for an 18+ set. Ultimately, Santa’s Visit is fairly average and does not stand out in my opinion. With that said, it makes a nice addition to all the LEGO® winter villages out there. What do you think? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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