Blocks gets all excited about how the new LEGO 40478 Mini Disney Castle could be the beginning of a full theme park.
At the centre of Walt Disney World in Florida is the crowning jewel of the theme park – Cinderella’s Castle. Based on the magical location from the classic animated film, it is instantly recognisable with its baby pink walls capped with blue roofed towers. Back in 2016, the LEGO Group released 71040 The Disney Castle, which was a 4,080 piece homage to Disney animated movies – but it was a behemoth at nearly a metre tall and came in and out of stock regularly.
Now, fans have the chance to own a much more pocket-friendly micro-scale version in 40478 Mini Disney Castle, which is coming on October 1. This scale presents a unique opportunity to actually make a whole theme park’s worth of sets that could be combined, so Blocks is wishing upon a star for more we’d like to see in future…
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Thundering through many of the Disney parks is the Big Thunder Mountain rollercoaster, complete with mesas and mining shafts. Its wild west theme would be a big hit with fans, and there’s plenty of opportunity for making mini cacti and gold ore. One of the hardest parts would be creating the train-tracks at this size but the designers would be sure to use some clever parts usage. Considering the nature of the ride, then prospector Stinky Pete from Toy Story 2 would be the perfect minifigure to include.
Splash Mountain
After calmly gliding across the pools of the bayou and travelling through dark caves, Splash Mountain then lives up to its name by depositing visitors down a 16 metre drop. It’s a very natural landscape that could make use of LEGO foliage elements and even a few big ugly rock pieces. Last year Disney Parks announced the ride was getting a Princess and the Frog update, so a minifigure of Tiana in her classic green ballgown would be a great fit.
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Main Street
An intrinsic part of almost every Disney Parks is Main Street. Based on the style of early 20th century America, the architecture of the buildings would be pretty easy to recreate in micro-scale, maybe even with little printed signs for the shops and attractions. A tiled avenue down the middle of the model would add to the authenticity and open up the option for a mini Disney Train too. Minifigure-wise, a generic choice like Minnie Mouse would work or even someone more unusual like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
The Haunted Mansion
Creepy colonnades and sand-green balconies, plus a cracked-glass effect greenhouse, would be ideal for a LEGO Haunted Mansion. Hidden Side and even some of the Scooby Doo sets have meant there’s a lot more Halloween inspired pieces perfect for a model like this and one of the ghouls from the attraction, whether that’s Constance Hatchaway or the Hitchhiking Ghost, would have to be included.
Walt Disney World Railroad
If the LEGO designers are in the process of miniaturising, why not 71044 Disney Train and Station? Based on the red-and-green locomotive from Walt Disney World, making a smaller train and carriages would be a fun challenge and allow fans the chance for another budget friendly version. Any of the minifigures from 71044 could be included or a new version in conductor’s uniform would be cute.
With the introduction of 40478 Mini Disney Castle, fans can only hope this trend will continue. Being able to make a theme park from LEGO sets would be a dream come true for Disney fans and displaying them in the same way as the park map would look amazing.