Pirate Adventure Ride Review

Bricktober at Toys R Us used to be amazing. For several years, we got awesome Minifigure packs based on themes like Ninjago and Jurassic World. However, all that came to an end in 2019. When the American Toys R Us chain went under, we suffered the diminution of the event here in Canada. While Bricktober limped on through the ensuing years, none of the giveaways or deals enticed me to purchase. In 2021, things looked a little better with a series of micro-builds. However, even those are not my thing and I still found myself skipping the event. This year, all that has changed. Bricktober is back to form with a couple of amazing giveaways. First among them is the Pirate Adventure Ride available from September 29 – October 5, 2022.

PIRATE ADVENTURE RIDE SUMMARY

• NAME: Pirate Adventure Ride
• SET #: 6430420
• THEME: Bricktober Toys R Us Exclusive
• COST: Gift-With-Purchase ($19.99 CAD value)
• BRICK COUNT: 169
• MINIFIGURES: 1
• RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2022

PIRATE ADVENTURE RIDE QUICK REVIEW

• VALUE: 100% (You can’t beat free bricks and build time.)
• BUILD: 90% (Great little design, but the mast fixed in place well.)
• MINIFIGURES: 91% (Great child minifig with moving legs!)
• ENTERTAINMENT: 100% (Amazing GWP with phenomenal packaging.)
• OVERALL SCORE: 95% (Excellent set.)

PIRATE ADVENTURE RIDE REVIEW

VALUE: 100%

I pretty much always give GWPs 100% in this category. You are getting free bricks and build time with purchases you were probably going to make anyway. I have a few items on my wish list that I save for GWP opportunities. So, I simply threw one of those into my cart this time around. If you’re curious what it was, you can check it out on TikTok 😉. Yup, that was some shameless cross-channel promotion.

However, for argument’s sake, let’s say I bought this for the recommended retail price of $19.99 CAD. In that case, the cost-per-brick is $0.118. That is actually quite good, earning 88% on our usual rating scale. Meanwhile, the cost-per-minute of build time is $1.11 (it took me 18 minutes to assemble). Conversely, that is not so good, earning 67%. You would not get a lot of build time for the price if you bought this set. Averaging these two scores gives an overall value grade of 78%. Luckily, you don’t have to buy this if you act fast.

BUILD: 90%

The coin operated ride is a concept we have seen before. It is a cute idea though, and many fans with amusement park set-ups will likely enjoy some variety in that department. The base features the coin box and some stairs. Additionally, you acquire a wonderful printed 2×2 LEGO® logo tile. The system functions using a slider and crank set-up inside the base. Turning a knob on the back activates the mechanism. The pirate ship ride sits atop cross axle serving as the slider.

This build looks really nice. Even as a shelf ornament, it is fun. The only issue that I have with it is the mast. It consists of Technic tubes mounted on a plate with vertical snap. That setup is quite loose. Consequently, the mast rotates freely around the snap. Since the ride rocks back and forth, and the mass of the sail is not evenly balanced, the sail flops around as the ride operates. That sucks for any Minifigures onboard and doesn’t look to nice to the observer.

I don’t know how you would fix that issue. I once built a ship on a similar scale for a competition, and it suffered from the same problem. My solution was to awkwardly wrap the rigging around the mast to limit movement. To keep this set simple, I can see why designers went this route. However, I wish the build was cleverer and taught me a way around an issue I’ve seen before. Ultimately, it is a nice build that functions more or less as it should. I rate the build at 90%.

MINIFIGURES: 91%

I LOVE the Minifigure in this set. You only get one child character. It has the classic, generic smiley face with no rear printing. Additionally, it features a front and back printed pirate torso we’ve seen before. Why do I love it? It sounds kind of boring, right? Well, this minifig does NOT have the stupid, stumpy legs that do not move. It has the shorter, moveable legs. I feel like my prayers were answered. One of my biggest complaints with the Fairground Collection sets involves the child minifigs. They are never able to sit on the rides because their legs don’t bend. Here, we’ve got a child character who can sit in the ride he comes with!

Now, I said “he”… but it does not have to be a boy. The set includes a red, long hairpiece as well as a black, shorter hairpiece, and a pirate captain’s hat so you can customize the figurine how you like. Finally, the set includes a golden chicken, pirate flag, printed LEGO® logo tile, and six printed “5” coins as accessories. I give this Minifigure 100% for design.

In terms of the number of characters you get, the set is average compared to other LEGO® sets. While I always welcome more Minifigures, I can’t really complain about only getting one in this set either. It is a one-person ride, and a 169-piece kit. I rate the brick-to-fig ratio at 81%. Averaging this score with the design score gives an overall Minifigure rating of 91%.

ENTERTAINMENT: 100%

I saw this set and decided to make a purchase just to get it. Like I said before, I have a list of sets I could buy at any given time to get GWPs. So, while I didn’t need to make a purchase, this sweetened the deal on a set I wanted. In this case, that was important. The reason I had not bought the other set already was because it is a terrible value. The Pirate Adventure Ship justified the buy a little in my mind. This set is also bound to be a collectors’ item given its exclusivity and fun design. Plus, it is pirate themed. That ups the appeal for AFOLs for sure. I really like this offering.

On top of that, the box is amazing! I never keep LEGO® packaging, but this one is beautiful and extremely well executed. It’s like one of those gift boxes people wrap presents in that just looks so nice you can’t throw it out, even if it served its purpose. What a great choice for a GWP. I would not mind seeing more GWPs in boxes exactly like this in terms of size. I’m impressed with this offering, so I give it an entertainment score of 100%.

OVERALL SCORE: 95%

October 2022 is a tough one for AFOL collectors. There are a number of promotions tugging at your purse strings this month. On top of that, you have to consider that November is historically another big month with VIP weekend and Black Friday promotions. Budgets are going to be tight. With that said, this is the first solid Toys R Us Bricktober offering since 2018. If you are into Pirates, amusement park rides, or collectors’ items, this might be the promo for you. However, Toy R Us will offer a similar spaceship ride from October 13-19… then there’s Ray the Castaway at the LEGO® Store until October 13… and double VIP points from Oct. 10 – 16… AHHHHHH!!!!

Until next time,

-Tom

Want to support True North Bricks?

If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, or TikTok for regular content. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the main menu. As an affiliate of those retailers, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings come at no extra cost to you but help to keep the content at True North Bricks free. Thanks for your support!