The Disney Castle is Back!

You’re reading that right folks, the Disney Castle is coming back to celebrate the 100th Anniversary. And this isn’t just a re-release either. We’re getting a fully repainted and (mostly) refreshed set. While this is nothing out of the ordinary for The LEGO®️ Group (*cough STAR WARS *cough), it feels mostly justifiable. In 2020, the real Castle got a spanking new paint job taking it from white/gray to dusty pink, gold and blue. I actually kind of dig the fact that this at least makes the design current and accurate. But in the company’s defense, the OG castle came out in 2016 and they weren’t too far off. And what better time than the Disney 100 celebration to give us all an update. Let’s see what’s in store.

DISNEY CASTLE

• SET #: 43222
• THEME: Disney / 18+
• COST: $519.99 CAD
• BRICK COUNT: 4837
• MINIFIGURES: 8 – Snow White, Prince Florian, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Tiana, Prince Naveen
• VIP RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2023
• GENERAL RELEASE DATE: July 4, 2023
• COST/BRICK: $0.11 (good value)
• BRICK-TO-FIG RATIO: 549 (poor value)
• DIMENSIONS: 80 cm high x 59 cm wide x 33 cm deep

Castle Redux

Hopefully you all remember that I did a pretty in-depth review of the first 18+ Disney Castle (71040) last year. I love that set! It is a brilliant build and I am so happy to have it in the collection. That baby has it all: great pricing, wonderful build techniques and lots of easter eggs. From what I can tell, all those great details are back, many in similar ways. And quite a few improved upon. While the cost has gone up (naturally), so has the piece count by approx. 757 parts. The cost-per-brick has happily remained at a fairly reasonable $0.11, easily the new average for most sets. I was honestly expecting this to be much more expensive.

Same But Different

One very clear improvement is the exterior architecture. After 6 years, there’s plenty of new parts in the catalogue to take advantage of. The turrets look wonderful now with a mixture of colours that accurately look like stone work. Those arrow-slit windows are brand new printed tiles as well. How great are those going to be for Castle MOC makers? There’s a ton of gold pieces and that more accurate pink for the walls of the upper sections. And I wanna say that the roofs are now regular and not dark blue? Overall, I’m noticing some really clever upgrades to the build. And the inside continues the lovely collection references and easter eggs from 14 classic films.

Another increase this go around is the minifigure count. To celebrate the Disney 100, four famous Disney Princesses and their male counterparts are included with the build. With the exception of Tiana who can be found in the Disney CMF Series 3, all the characters are exclusive new prints. I do like the classic and newer characters, each with great designs and detail. But given the large pantheon of characters and the size/cost of the set, there should be more of them. Will we ever get a Belle minifig? Asking for a friend.

And There’s More!

The Disney Castle (43222) will no doubt make many a collector’s shelf. Even those with the original set may be drawn in to add this new design right beside it. Full disclosure, I might just be tempted enough….eventually. If you didn’t manage to snag the original set, then you’ll want to consider this. I have no doubt this will be just as good a build. The official press release also lists a GWP that will be available exclusively from July 1-9 when purchasing select Disney sets over €100. It is described as a podium, movie screen, light-up projector (which lights up), a desk and a Mickey Mouse minifigure. Unfortunately no pics or details on a CAD threshold were available before the embargo. Stay tuned.

And that’s the all-new redesigned Disney Castle. What do you guys think? Are you excited by this update to an already amazing set? Do you have the original and will you consider picking this one up to go with it? Or did you miss out on this first one and want to add this one to your shelf? Comment below and in all the usual places. Thanks as always for reading and until next time, keep on brickin’. 🧱

– Frank

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