Review: 43212 Disney Celebration Train
Posted by CapnRex101,Disney was established in 1923 and accordingly celebrates its centenary in 2023, which provides the opportunity for some anniversary LEGO sets! 43212 Disney Celebration Train features several appealing minifigures, seeking to represent the studio's full history.
That is impossible, of course, but the six characters chosen look superb and provide suitable coverage, originating between 1928 and 2016. Those minifigures alone might be sufficiently exciting for some, although the 4+ train, recalling Disneyland floats, presents clear potential.
Summary
43212 Disney Celebration Train, 200 pieces.
£34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 | 17.5p/20.0c/20.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The minifigures are the outstanding feature, but the accompanying train is fun too
- Exceptional minifigure selection
- Colourful and enjoyable train
- Station feels superfluous
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Mickey Mouse was an essential inclusion, as Disney's mascot. While the famous character has recently appeared in varied attires, this minifigure is new and sports a colourful train conductor's uniform, with an attached pocket watch for timekeeping. I like the metallic silver stripes adorning his waistcoat, although Mickey's legs seem plain, as most of the other included minifigures have printed legs.
These include Minnie Mouse, who has appeared almost as consistently as Mickey. This version returns from 10778 Mickey, Minnie and Goofy's Fairground Fun, featuring the character's iconic red and white polka dot pattern. The fabric skirt looks lovely, but tends not to sit naturally unless Minnie's hands are down by her sides to keep the skirt in position.
Both minifigures include the same head component, although Minnie includes printed eyelashes and wears a yellow bow to differentiate this minifigure from the example in 10778 Mickey, Minnie and Goofy's Fairground Fun. This accessory corresponds with the colour of her balloon, three of which are provided in yellow, red and magenta.
Mickey and Minnie are original Disney creations, representing the company's origins. Peter Pan presumably represents the next stage in its development, as older characters inspired animated projects. This minifigure closely resembles the Collectable Minifigure released in 2016, featuring the same dual-moulded hat and hair, which looks superb. However, the torso has been updated and the legs are now undecorated.
Tinker Bell has only appeared once before in 71040 Disney Castle, so her return is particularly exciting! Additionally, this minifigure improves upon the previous iteration in some respects, now featuring more elaborate trans-light blue wings. The accurate hair component remains the same though, thankfully. Sadly, neither minifigure includes an alternative face, which were also missed from their prior depictions.
The final two minifigures represent modern Disney animation, including Woody from Pixar's Toy Story. The same minifigure appeared twice in 2019 and captures the necessary details from his onscreen garb, benefitting in particular from dual-moulded legs. However, I am slightly surprised by this re-use, given the reintroduction of longer limb elements for the Avatar theme, which were originally created for Woody in 2010.
Disney sets usually contain mini-dolls, including several focused on Moana. The new minifigure therefore provides an interesting alternative and I think the Polynesian princess translates nicely to minifigure form! The intricate patterns on her torso and legs look fantastic, displaying beautiful colour and perfectly reflecting the source material.
Moana's necklace is even printed around her neck, while the new double-sided head looks good as well. My only issue with this minifigure is the rubber hair piece. This was designed specifically for Moana and suits her mini-doll appearances, but seems somehow strange on a minifigure, in my opinion. However, I am delighted to see Moana portrayed in minifigure form, at last.
The Completed Model
Considering the need to celebrate multiple characters and periods in Disney's history, I think the train format is clever. The locomotive and three carriages are nicely designed for their respective minifigures, but share sufficient similarities to appear cohesive. Moreover, the vehicle measures 44cm in length, so is fairly substantial.
This is a 4+ set, so each section of the train is constructed on a standard 4x10 chassis. This has never been used for a train before and the protruding wheels do look peculiar, although I like the selected pearl gold colour. The shape of the locomotive on top is actually quite appealing, with a pair of 1x3x2 bricks with inside bows creating nice curves on either side.
Additionally, the red and dark blue colour combination is lovely, while the Mickey silhouette fixed on the boiler looks marvellous too. A printed 2x4 brick introduces further detail and there is room for a minifigure in the cab. The cowcatcher on the front seems disproportionately small, but I am otherwise pleased with the locomotive overall.
Peter Pan's carriage, loosely inspired by Captain Hook's vessel, is my favourite part of the entire train. The fabric sail is striking and I like the hull of the ship, despite its simplicity. Also, the model includes a lantern and an anchor, but still leaves ample space for minifigures on deck. This feels reminiscent of floats one could see in Disneyland parades, reflecting the celebratory focus.
The carriage designed for Woody shares a similar style, although lacks the detail of Peter Pan's float. The rotating stage and cactus are fun, but the wall behind seems rather bland, even with a printed sign. However, this font resembles that presented on stickers in 7594 Woody's Roundup! from 2010 and I like the golden badge hidden inside the barrel.
As expected, these two carriages are definitely not supposed to be viewed from the back. There are no unsightly colours, but detail is focused on the sides shown above. Although not ideal, the carriages are only four studs wide and space is severely restricted, so I think this design was an acceptable compromise.
Moana's carriage is incredibly colourful, featuring a dynamic wave. The trans-light blue canopy works well and the crab underneath is a great addition, again introducing some colour. Also, the rocky backdrop increases the height of this carriage, so complements those belonging to Woody and Peter Pan.
However, this float is unusual because the back conceals a secret accessory. A trans-green 1x1 round tile, representing the Heart of Te Fiti, is found inside a box and makes the fullest possible use of the available space. I was hoping the printed tile produced before would return, but that is evidently retired, in which case a trans-green tile suffices.
Officially, the accompanying structure is intended to be a station, but it could serve any purpose really. The bulky 2x8x6 frame seems rather bland when compared with the train, although it has only appeared once before in red. Once again, Mickey Mouse's famous silhouette decorates the roof and there are some cakes underneath, presumably to celebrate Disney's centenary.
Overall
4+ sets are obviously intended for a young audience, but those containing desirable minifigures often attract attention from older LEGO fans. 43212 Disney Celebration Train certainly warrants this attention and does include a wonderful selection of minifigures, four of which are completely new! Tinker Bell and Moana especially stand out, but all six are appealing.
Also, the train successfully unites these characters. The age recommendation inevitably restricts the level of complexity, but I find the train very charming on the whole. Unfortunately, 4+ sets are often expensive and the price of £34.99, $39.99 or €39.99 is higher than I would hope, albeit not to the egregious degree commonly found with comparable sets.
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34 comments on this article
Battle pack inflation is out of control!
Cute, but... meh.
I was not gonna get this... then I read this review... now I'm undecided. Damn it!!!
@Zoniax said:
"Cute, but... meh."
You took the words right out of my mouth.
The pirate sail is definitely a nice element to re-use for little ship mocs.
For a 100 years celebration set this is very poor. This is not 4+ set, its a 'up to 4 years old' imo. This idea of a train showing different eras od Disney could be a super nice set like 80111 but instead it's this. I suppose there not many brickset readers that are 4-8 years old, so the review is mostly aimed at afols. And from an afol perspective this is below meh. The pirate sail is the only attention graber.
@CapnRex101 wrote:
"...and I think the Polynesian princess translates nicely to minifigure form!"
"I'm not a princess! I'm the daughter of the Chief!"
Nice use of the word "egregious" :-)
May have to get this for the minifigs, especially Moana, but the train actually looks pretty good for a 4+ set.
These remind me of the McDonald’s toys that were like this, and each did something different: https://www.google.ca/search?q=mcdonalds+train+toys&client=safari&hl=en-ca&prmd=sivn&sxsrf=APwXEdePjg_oAox9picV0xmcHPxlnjxkvQ:1679761970609&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAwML8wPf9AhV_kYkEHctrApAQ_AUoAnoECAUQAg&biw=390&bih=661&dpr=3imgrc=PJ6rCWJBqfVdIM&lnspr=W10=
TLG can't win. Release a big, detailed set clearly intended as an indulgence for AFOLs, and they get hammered for being overpriced and greedy. Release a child-sized toy suited for vigorous play, and they get accused of oversimplification. This isn't a set I'll rush out to buy, but Moana and Tinker Bell are two big incentives, and I do approve of the idea--faint praise though that sounds!
Presume LEGO will come out with additional cars in subsequent waves? I have enjoyed the 4+ Disney sets for Toy Story 4, Incredibles 2, Lightyear, Mickey & Friends. The builds are not of interest to me, but I enjoy them as a “vehicle” to get more minis.
Definitely want this for Moana alone, she looks great, the rest is just icing. The Vidyo wings look perfect on Tinkerbell. Wish they would've included the clear piece so she could be flying.
This is great start for my Disney park parade, definitely need to add a float for Aladdin and a few others. It will be fun to have along side of my Disney train and station (great set), just behind Disney castle.
Our family will also get this primarily for Moana, since I think that we have comparable minifigs for the rest of these characters.
Is it weird that Tinker Bell is taller than Peter? Maybe she should be sporting short or medium-sized legs.
If Tinker Bell was size of a frog, uproar would happen revolt....
Size imo Tinker Bell fans . no way they can make scale
This one just may take the title of "most expensive 4+/Juniors set I've bought" from 10761. I guess I'm just more inclined to spend more money on those sets if they have the Disney branding. Sort of a shame the locomotive doesn't have a place for Minnie to sit, though. I'm still quite tempted, especially since I don't have a Minnie minifig (Minnie-fig?), a Peter Pan, or a Tinker Bell.
@DoonsterBuildsLego: "If you wear a dress, and have an animal sidekick, you're a princess." Maui knows what kind of movie he's in.
Interesting but not my piece of cake. I would rather have a fortieth anniversary Jabba’s palace.
*sigh* Another set with an anchor mounted amidships. Do they want everyone to get swamped in a big storm?
Anyways, I had an idea for Moana, but shelved it because they never made a minifig of her. I may have to buy a second copy to raid for minifigs (already buying one because it’s technically a Toy Story set).
This is one of those cases where the individual parts are more interesting than the sum of the parts. The minifigure selection feels uneven, with two characters from one movie, the Mouse couple, and then two figures representing the rest of the company's legacy. However, the figures themselves are pretty cool. So is the pirate ship sail (ideal for MOCs) and some of the other parts.
To me it would've made more sense if this was released as a loose locomotive with a more substantial station and each of the carriages being released separately as 10 dollar/euro sets with slightly more detail or an extra fig. In fact, if I get it, I'll likely remove the wheels of each carriage and use them as separate vignette pieces, rather than a (somewhat disjointed) parade.
Oh, and @CapnRex101: I put minidoll hair pieces on my minifigs all the time, because they add so much diversity to hair styles and IMO they look great, even if they are a little less shiny.
Will it run on normal train tracks?
The minifigure of Peter Pan is worse than that of the CMF series.
@EvilTwin said:
"Will it run on normal train tracks?"
no, it will not. wrong kind of wheels, and the articulation might be wrong for curves track / switches anyway.
@EvilTwin said:
"Will it run on normal train tracks?"
It doesn't look like it. Those wheels have been used for a few micro trains that creator has released like 31015, 30575 and 4837, and they never didn't fit on properly.
I really wish they’d mix the mini figure and friends / princess figure shapes in sets.
I really like Moana’s hairpiece, and I wish Lego used more Friends hairpieces on minifigures. They have a great range, especially in this year’s sets, and would add some variety, rather than using the same handful of minifig hairstyles that they always use.
Don't you just hate it when you get a regular plastic minifigure with rubber mini-doll hair
@ToysFromTheAttic:
All minidolls can wear any minifig hair. If a below-the-shoulders hairstyle is created specifically for a minidoll, and it doesn't have clearance for minifig shoulders, it won't fit properly.
@ickleb said:
"I really wish they’d mix the mini figure and friends / princess figure shapes in sets. "
Clearly someone doesn't remember the Lego movie 2...
Such a drab little crab. If they'd drum lacquered him, he could be so shiny....
@BobaFettfan said:
"Don't you just hate it when you get a regular plastic minifigure with rubber mini-doll hair"
No.
Not for me. But that's ok.
I've already got the original long legged Woody, Tinkerbell from the Disney Castle, the Peter Pan CMF, and several versions of Mickey and Minnie. Plus am not the least bit interested in Moana, no matter whether minifig or minidoll.
I'm really only interested in Moana and Tinkerbell's wings. I think I would have preferred Moana be a CMF and come with hei-hei and the heart of tefiti. The set is pretty respectable though, especially for a +4. I like the idea of train vignettes and look forward to seeing the MOCs that will be made.
That Legal Line on the front of the pirate sail is a bit of a bummer. …Not clear why that had to be so large and loud.
I love that even though this is a 4+ set and they didn't have to, they still gave us new minifigures like Moana and Peter Pan. I will be getting those two off of Bricklink since the set doesn't interest me that much, although the pieces included look quite useful.
@quincy:
It seems like it sorta disappears when you tuck the bottom edge under as you feed it onto the mast.
Lots of useful bricks. BTW all the mini fig rockers in my lego city have mini doll hair!!