Review: 41737 Beach Amusement Park
Posted by MeganL,Every few years, Heartlake City includes an amusement park. Sometimes (most recently in 2021), there are several sets with different rides for a subtheme. This year, the Friends team has surprised us and included an entire amusement park in one set! 41737 Beach Amusement Park also boasts that it has connected functions, which intrigued me from the start.
The result is a set that's unlike anything the Friends team has released before, and I certainly hope it's the start of a trend. Read on to learn why I think this is the best Friends set of the year.
Summary
41737 Beach Amusement Park, 1,348 pieces.
£89.99 / $119.99 / €99.99 | 6.7p/8.9c/7.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A fun, sophisticated build that ranks as one of the best Friends sets
- Great gear building techniques
- Connected functions
- Very fun build
- That arcade game!
- Oddly higher cost in the U.S.
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are 10 numbered bags and a folder with a weighty instruction book. The folder also includes a sticker sheet that is not as large as I expected for this set.
Minidolls
There are four minidolls in this set. Like many other sets, two of the core cast are here, along with two supporting players that we've seen before. Nova is out for a day at the park, and is dressed for it - her sleeveless shirt boasts a gaming controller logo. We meet Charli for the second time - we last previously saw them in 41728 Heartlake Downtown Diner. Zac is dressed in an orange and teal shirt with a large fish on the front - maybe a marlin? Finally, we meet Dia again - she's dressed for a fun day at the park in a purple halter top decorated with a rose print and a blue skirt.
There's some back printing on the torsos, but I think Dia's is the nicest one.
Nova and Zac are both given alternate expressions, as well as some accessories. Zac looks like he's having second thoughts about the ride, and is carrying his phone. Nova looks like she's having a great time, has her game up on her phone, and....somewhat inexplicably is carrying a large wrench. Maybe she's going to help fixing the ride? Or the phone?
The completed model
There are no distracting side builds to this set, so we can get straight to the main model. There's clearly a lot going on here, and there are three main sections to the build.
First up is a wave machine. Appropriately, the wave pool is surrounded by sand. A large video screen serves as the backdrop of the area, and can show a Friend surfing in virtual reality. Large speakers (undoubtedly blaring typical beach rock music) are there to set the scene. Adding to the vibe is a palm tree off the side.
All a minidoll has to do is grab a surfboard to catch some mechanical waves. A camera is positioned perfectly to catch the action. There are moving functions throughout, and when they're activated, the waves move the rider in an undulating motion (up and down as well as tilting back and forth) to make for a pretty realistic motion. The build technique is pretty advanced for the surfing motion, and it's not the only advanced technique to be found in this set.
Minidolls aren't the only creatures who can hang ten in this wave pool.
(Note: surfing sloth not included in this set.)
Next up is the refreshment stand, because it wouldn't be an amusement park without exhorbitantly priced food and drink. While there's no sign indicating prices here (though as the old saying goes, if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it), there are two drinks on a nearby table, and a hotdog on the counter. I like the brick built sign that shows that a Friend can find refreshment here.
Right next to the refreshment stand is the turnstile entrance under a sign (sticker) proclaiming that the area is called Fun Bay. While the turnstile does rotate, it's the only moving function in this set that isn't interconnected with the main actions. Going through the turnstile takes a Friend onto the boardwalk.
The primary feature is the carousel! And a very ambitious carousel it is, being that it has a double rotating function - all three cars rotate around the main axis, and tilt up and down thanks to the angular support post. The nautical scene is tied together nicely with some coral and other marine fauna and flora atop the rocky base of the carousel. I like the rainbow coloured steps to reach the the top of the base, even if there's no discernible way for a Friend to actually get into the ride.
There are three cars in the carousel, all nice little brick-built creatures. The turtle car can carry two riders, and the dolphin carries just one. Again, I love the creativity and whimsy here. It may have been easier to make simple carousel cars, but to have them be in the shape of sea creatures is wonderful and a lot more fun.
I think the cutest creature build of these cars is the seahorse, which also carries a single rider. That means that all four Friends included in the set can ride at one time, but.....who's operating the ride?
The final portion of the amusement park is the arcade game. A Friend can use the water cannon to try to hit targets in the game. Thanks to the interconnected moving functions, the waves in the game move back and forth, as does the ship at the top of the game!
Prizes are to be had if a Friend is successful, including a stuffed bunny, a balloon animal, and in a very meta reference, a copy of 41731 Heartlake International School.
Here's a view of the back of the model, showing the details of the refreshment stand, and the gear that controls all the functions of the set. You can see some of the Technic that's been used behind it.
In what I think is a brilliant move by the designer, instead of hiding all of the gears, they've chosen instead to install clear panels, and dress them up with stickers to include the nautical theme. That allows passers-by to view the gears as they're in motion.
This is certainly not an elementary build. Bag 2 of this set reminded me very much of Bag 5 of 21327 Typewriter - the portion of the instructions dedicated solely to building the heart of what makes the entire mechanism work. It's by far the most complex build I've seen in a Friends set, and I am thrilled that the Friends team is taking builders in this direction.
Overall thoughts
If it wasn't abundantly clear, I love this set. It's a concept that's been done before, but the execution in this case is fantastic and the best that's been done by this team. In previous years, having the carousel with its motion would have been enough for one set. But here, the wave machine is complex, and so is the carousel, but the arcade game (with its dual moving function) is icing on the cake and might well be my favourite section. And then to have these mechanisms connected? For a 12+ rated set? Wow. Friends hasn't done this before, and kudos to the team for thinking out of the box and moving in this direction.
Other things are great too. The team has certainly not spared any of the details you expect with Friends sets, like the shells at the seashore and the boardwalk. I like the choice of the minifigures, and I hope we see Charli more often. More choices for expressions for the minidolls is always good, though I'm still wondering what Nova is doing with that wrench.
I find the pricing on this set rather odd for the different geographies. It's ~$20 more in the U.S. that you would expect based on the EU and UK prices ($119.99/€99.99/£89.99). Regardless, even with that higher US price, I think it's still worth the money.
I'm surprised LEGO hasn't featured this set more in their catalogues. I hope to see more sets like this next year.
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33 comments on this article
Having one connected build in a set like this reminds me of a MOC someone would make, not a LEGO set. This honestly is a set someone could hypothetically plop into their own layout. It's not the way I saw LEGO Friends would go (which is good).
I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that friends has better city sets than city.
The Friends theme goes hard with their big sets, it's almost unreal just how amazing the Friends line goes with the mid ranged and high ranged priced sets. The smaller sets are still nice, but they're simple and cute, simple is still good. But it goes from simple and cute to "Okay, no more play time, time to be serious." and unleash sets that I wish we got for the City theme.
"Zac is dressed in an orange and teal shirt with a large fish on the front - maybe a marlin?"
Looks like a shark to me! :)
Also, and forgive me if I missed this explanation, but what is that clip for in the penultimate picture, at the base of the carousel/whirligig? Maybe it's for Nova's wrench? Or is it possibly a connection point for an expansion set?
One of a tiny number of Friends sets, where the colour scheme is appropriate. Obviously the figures would still be straight for the bin but for £60 from Amazon, I'm quite tempted!
I can't work out if Nova is meant to be wearing;
a) an oddly printed top - black with white edging
b) two tops - white sleeveless with black vest on top
c) just the black vest & showing tan lines
Any way you can show us a photo of all the gears? I have a feeling this Friends set has more Technic functionality than some dedicated Technic sets.
Very nice set! I got for my birthday this year (coincidentally the 1 year anniversary of the Lego friends 2023 announcement!
Did Lego ever confirm charli is non binary, I’ve seen a lot of people (including myself) headcanon charli as non binary, but I’m wondering if it’s confirmed?
I think the wave pool 'sign' is a game screen'. I see a score, and other game elements.
Good review!
I don't think Charli's gender or pronouns have been confirmed anywhere, but just as in the diner, their presentation here is very androgynous, reinforcing my impression that they may be nonbinary. A part of me also suspects that the darker garment under their tank top may be a binder. But obviously at present, all these details are still open to interpretation. In any case, all the mini-doll outfits in this set are very fun and summery, and it's especially nice to get both Charli and Dia in casual clothes, rather than work clothes like their other set appearances!
The graphic designer also deserves a lot of praise for their work on the stickers. Besides the Heartlake International School meta-reference, I believe the narrower action figure box from the prize wall is meant to relate to Zac's interest in Japanese pop culture and anime, as previously referenced on his T-shirt from the skate park. And it's fun that the sea creature stickers for the aquarium tank include fascinating species that have never gotten dedicated LEGO molds such as the pufferfish, triggerfish, and dumbo octopus!
One big correction I want to make — that's a big video screen behind the wave pool, not a sign! It looks like in order to appeal to gamers like Nova, this attraction has been upgraded into a sort of "augmented reality" attraction. The camera captures the surfer's movements, displaying them on-screen interspersed with virtual scenery like the crab, clouds, and buoys, and gives them a score based on their technique! Not sure whether attractions like this are a common thing in real life, but it's certainly an interesting way to incorporate Nova's passion for gaming in this sort of outdoor setting!
The design of the gondolas for the spinning ride is ingenious, as is their "tilt-a-whirl" function! The kraken and pirate ship themed shooting gallery is amazing as well, with some very clever part use for the microscale ships, krakens, and water cannon as well as the big kraken featured on the sign. And the three attractions are elevated to a whole other level by the linkages that drive all their highly unique Technic functions in tandem!
Beyond the attractions themselves, I love the shoreline and palm tree builds in this set — it's particularly neat how Medium and Dark Azur plates are used to represent shallower and deeper water, respectively, and how Tr. Light Blue cheese slopes and 1x2 curved slopes are used to add a bit of choppy texture where the waves lap against the coast. The use of curved blade/spine pieces in Tr. Bright Green Opal as seaweed is also really inspired!
The boardwalk/pier is really nicely constructed too, though it surprises me a bit that the 4x4 corner segment towards the center lacks any studs. The concession stand gets a little overshadowed by all the attractions with their vibrant colors and moving parts, but its beach hut construction and palm leaf awning are very charming and well-suited to the seaside setting. And I'm a big fan of the sunset motif that appears both on the stairs to the spinning ride and the backdrop of the shooting gallery — with the colors shifting gradually from yellows to pinks to purples to blues!
Thanks for this detailed review of such a standout set! It'd be nice if it included a short video or GIF of the attractions in motion, but other than that you covered everything in fantastic detail. And now that we know that we're gonna be getting even more amazing Friends sets tailored to a teen/adult building level next year, I suspect that won't be the last high-detail, highly functional set we'll see from the theme!
Maybe it's what you mentioned that Lego aren't giving enough attention to this in the catalogues or on the website, but this has really passed me by. It looks outstanding.
@Zerobricks said:
"Any way you can show us a photo of all the gears? I have a feeling this Friends set has more Technic functionality than some dedicated Technic sets. "
It does! It's fantastic
This was a great build with my daughter. Lots of Technic used in a fun way, and really good design. Also organised in a way that made the build entertaining throughout. The carousel can spin so fast it can double as a space launcher, which is entertaining, Friends figures are going to need the upcoming hospital for sure. Agree with review that the water shooting gallery is a favourite
This set has NINJAGO MINIDOLL PRIZE
@Aanchir said:
"One big correction I want to make — that's a big video screen behind the wave pool, not a sign! It looks like in order to appeal to gamers like Nova, this attraction has been upgraded into a sort of "augmented reality" attraction. The camera captures the surfer's movements, displaying them on-screen interspersed with virtual scenery like the crab, clouds, and buoys, and gives them a score based on their technique! Not sure whether attractions like this are a common thing in real life, but it's certainly an interesting way to incorporate Nova's passion for gaming in this sort of outdoor setting!
"
You're absolutely right! I had it in my notes, but neglected to put it in the review. I'll go fix that....
@Zerobricks said:
"Any way you can show us a photo of all the gears? I have a feeling this Friends set has more Technic functionality than some dedicated Technic sets. "
Lots of compliments about the Technic action from various reviews.
https://youtu.be/Z0099-tXRnU shows the gearing and how impressive the movement is!
Why does zack look like he's seeing his life flash before his eyes?
"Next up is the refreshment stand, because it wouldn't be an amusement park without exhorbitantly priced food and drink."
I really appreciate your sense of humor and reviews. Thank you Megan :)
Really loving the more ‘advanced’ Friends set such as this and 41732, both enjoyable builds with more detailed building techniques, and look great.
Only downside to this set for me, as mentioned in the review, is there’s no way for the characters to get into the ride - would be nice if there was a feature where you could raise and lower the ride for boarding.
"Step right up kids, and win a sale brick-built scale model of your high school"
Also perhaps it's an all-inclusive resort so the food and drinks are 'free'.
This has been on my radar for a while. Noticed it was on clearance here yesterday at Kmart for AU$99. Such a fun, happy set.
Yes, Nova is carrying a large wrench into the theme park because she wants to *fix* the rides, and definitely not sabotage them to satisfy her increasing lust for carnage and destruction.
Wouldn't the sloth actually be hanging six?
@lordofdragonss said:
"This set has NINJAGO MINIDOLL PRIZE"
Ahh no get it away from me please
The 'Friends' designers continue to hit home run after home run. I'm a 40yo guy, very much not the target demographic, and I'm blown away by many of the 'Friends' sets over the last couple years. I'd even go so far as to say the 'Friends' line has made a better town than anything the 'City' line has put out.
@mikesray said:
"The 'Friends' designers continue to hit home run after home run. I'm a 40yo guy, very much not the target demographic, and I'm blown away by many of the 'Friends' sets over the last couple years. I'd even go so far as to say the 'Friends' line has made a better town than anything the 'City' line has put out. "
But for the Modular range, I totally agree.
I approve.
@Brick_t_ said:
" @mikesray said:
"The 'Friends' designers continue to hit home run after home run. I'm a 40yo guy, very much not the target demographic, and I'm blown away by many of the 'Friends' sets over the last couple years. I'd even go so far as to say the 'Friends' line has made a better town than anything the 'City' line has put out. "
But for the Modular range, I totally agree. "
You could argue that it trumps the modular line as well. The 41711 Art School build was as good as any modular (just not as big) and have you seen 41757 Botanical Gardens...
Certainly a nice set, but not without flaws. I laid out a few things in my own review ( https://myleniumsbrickcorner.wordpress.com/2023/11/03/lets-go-to-the-beach-lego-friends-beach-amusement-park-41737/ ). Most notably I find the connected drive train a bit of a nuisance. everything moving all the time is just too much of a distraction. The other thing is that the landscape layout could be more organic. There would have been room for a more uneven shore line plus some parking space near the entrance. The latter would also have enhanced the play fantasy further with everyone arriving in their family vehicle. Other than it's indeed a pretty perfect package with lots of neat ideas. :-)
The Paradisa vibes jumped out.
@lordofdragonss said:
"This set has NINJAGO MINIDOLL PRIZE"
Really? That’s what it is? I thought it was Gali from bionicle?
@sjr60 said:
"One of a tiny number of Friends sets, where the colour scheme is appropriate. Obviously the figures would still be straight for the bin but for £60 from Amazon, I'm quite tempted!"
Please send any unwanted minidolls to me - I audibly gasped at the idea of them being discarded!
great set just picked it up off amazon for a bargain price