Jay's Brick Blog

A blog about LEGO bricks

  • Home
  • About Me
  • LEGO Reviews
  • News
  • 2023 LEGO Sets
  • 2022 Advent Calendars

Review: LEGO 40478 Mini Disney Castle

September 17, 2021 By Jay 3 Comments

With so many large-scale releases in 2021, the year has actually been an excellent year for LEGO fans on a budget, or if you’re like me, with little to no room left for massive 4-digit piece sets.

Enter 40478 Mini Disney Castle, which was revealed to much fanfare and excitement! This miniature version of the larger and more expensive 71040 Disney Castle is a great alternative for LEGO fans on a budget, and for any type of Disney fan.

40478 Mini Disney Castle has a release date of 1 October 2021, and will retail for US$34.99 / AU$59.99, and will be available from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store.

I was lucky enough to be offered one for early review by LEGO, and am honoured to bring you this early look at the LEGO Mini Disney Castle, which I think is a smidge better than its full-sized cousin.

Read on to see more of 40478 Mini Disney Castle or you can watch a speed build video of the LEGO Mini Disney Castle on my Youtube channel

See below for regional pricing and links:

  • LEGO 40478 Mini Disney Castle [US] – US$34.99
  • LEGO 40478 Mini Disney Castle [AUS] – AU$59.99
  • LEGO 40478 Mini Disney Castle [UK] – £30.99
  • LEGO 40478 Mini Disney Castle [EU] – €36.99
  • LEGO 40478 Mini Disney Castle [CAN] – CA$49.99

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this review set!

Name: Mini Disney Castle
Set Number: 40478
Pieces: 567
Price: $34.99 [US] | £ 30.99 GBP [UK] | AU$ 59.99 [AUS]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com
Theme: Disney
Release Date: 1 October 2021
Buy from LEGO.com [USA] [AUS] [UK]

It’s been a massive year for LEGO Disney fans, with a new Mickey & Friends sub-theme, and now this delightful mini version of the Disney Castle.

This set commemorates 50 years of Disney World, and is a micro-scale recreation of the Walt Disney World Resort Cinderella Castle, in Florida.

Here’s a look at the instruction manual, which has a new (and a little odd) booklet shape which is new to me.

On the inside is a small two-page spread of the Disney / Cinderella Castle with some cool bits of trivia about Disney World and the actual castle in Florida.

I didn’t really like the instructions because the size makes the booklet quite awkward, and the pages can’t rest open without placing a weight on them, which was a bother during the build, as you’re flipping through nearly 50 pages.

Oh, and you’re going to love this about the set – no stickers!

The set comes with just one minifigure – the big mouse himself, Mickey Mouse who is exclusive to the set.

Here’s a look at the Mickey Mouse minifigure, who is exclusive to the set, and features a formal, vintage-style outfit with a black coat, and red bowtie.

Unfortunately he lacks the iconic yellow buttons on his trousers, but he does have shoes printed on him.

Unfortunately, there’s no back printing, which is a bit of a bummer – I think a special 50 Disney World logo on the back would’ve been a great way to make this minifigure a bit more special.

For a small set, it’s packed with a large assortment of new or rare elements. New to this set, is the clock piece, printed on a drum-lacquered gold Nexo shield, and you also get plenty of new opalescent pieces, such as the blue dish and cone, as well as a satin window pane.

Most interesting of all are the Cinderella glass slipper tile and a 2×3 tile of 71040 Disney Castle which is just a brilliant nod to the original castle.

The Disney Castle tile was previously only available in the pricey Disney Train and Station set, so it’s great to see it being available in a much more accessible set!

The build was fairly enjoyable for me – I really like building at micro scale, and at 567 pieces, was a medium-length and rather satisfying experience.

There are some fiddly bits as you’re building mostly with small elements, but I did enjoy the techniques that made this unique shape possible.

You can watch a speed build video of the LEGO Mini Disney Castle on my Youtube channel

Lots of fun techniques that place panels at angles like this.

Fair warning – both the Glass Slipper Tile and Disney Castle LEGO set tile are housed on the inside of the castle, along with 2 black microfigures – but once you build over it, there’s no really easy way to get them out, or even see/interact with them which is a little silly.

I’d just remove both tiles during the build, or else you’ll have a hard time accessing them after – you literally have to break the castle to retrieve them.

Here’s a look at the completed Castle, and it is a beauty – perfectly capturing the iconic silhouette of Cinderella’s Castle.

The colours are also excellent, and the blend of blue, opalescent blues, against the greys, and pearl golds are absolutely stunning.

Here’s a look at the entrance and the doors – you can see golden spikes inside the arch which is a nice touch.

The printed clock is just stunning, and the decision to print on a drum-lacquered element is inspiring. The clock reads 9pm, which I believe is when fireworks go off at Disney World?

From the side, the blue rooftop cones with pearl gold ski poles contrast brilliantly against the white main structure.

And these upside down binoculars, and gears effectively create some really nice textural details.

And lastly, the tallest spire looks great, toped with a golden cone-shaped roof.

And here’s how it looks from the back.

The satin windows are great, and I love how the light makes them shimmer at different angles.

What I liked:

  • Great new elements – so many opalescent elements
  • Printed tiles like the clock, LEGO Disney Castle and Glass Slipper
  • Fantastic and accessible price
  • Doesn’t require heaps of space

What I didn’t like: 

  • Mickey minifigure is a little plain
  • Placement of the tiles INSIDE the castle is silly
FINAL THOUGHTS:

The mini LEGO Disney Castle is hands down going to be one of the most popular LEGO sets of 2021, striking the right balance between a price and display presence.

For those on a budget or those short on space, this set is just perfect, and I think in many ways, is superior to the big Disney Castle. For context, I own the large Disney Castle but it’s still in the box because I don’t have the space.

The build was surprisingly long, and kept me engaged throughout, and I had fun seeing the Castle come together.

The only real downside is Mickey Mouse, which is a little plain, and I wish they had made it a lot more interesting, and weaved in the 50th Anniversary in a bit more.

That said, there’s so much to love, and I especially like the new printed tiles with my favourite being the LEGO Disney Castle tile – I just love it when LEGO gets meta, and produces tiles of actual LEGO sets.

This set looks awesome on display on your desk, or next to your other LEGO sets with its beautiful colour scheme.

Highly recommend this set, and this is pretty much a flawless set, and contender for one of the best and most satisfying sets of 2021. An obvious 5/5 score for this miniature magical wonder.

Rating and score: 5/5 ★★★★★

Build [4] – Lots of fun building at microscale, and kept me engaged
Real Value [5] – So many new elements, a great display piece for under US$50? Yes please
Innovation [4] – Lots of cool techniques and element innovation in the set
Coolness [5] – It’s a mini LEGO Disney Castle, nuff said
Keepability [5] – An instant classic, and works solo or as a companion set to the large Disney Castle


Thanks to much for reading my early review of 40478 Min Disney Castle!

40478 Mini Disney Castle has a release date of 1 October 2021, and will retail for US$34.99 / AU$59.99, and will be available from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store.

What do you think of the mini Disney Castle, is this a must-buy?

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this review copy!

To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.

Subscribe to receive updates on new posts and reviews!

In case you missed it, check out some recent posts on the blog:

  • Three new LEGO Disney Brickheadz sets are coming soon, including Wall-E, Maleficent and Cruella!
  • First look at LEGO Harry Potter Dots: 41809 Hedwig Pencil Holder
  • New LEGO Friends The Next Chapter animated series launch special now streaming on Youtube – my first impressions!
  • New LEGO 40585 World of Wonders gift with purchase spotted on LEGO.com
  • Happy International LEGO Day! The LEGO Brick turns 65!

Filed Under: Disney, LEGO Reviews Tagged With: 2hy 2021, 40478 2021, 5/5, disney, disney castle, disney world, disney world 50th anniversary, lego disney, mickey mouse, min disney castle

« LEGO 10293 Santa’s Visit is now available through VIP Early Access!
More LEGO sets championing Diversity & Inclusion are coming – an interview with Matthew Ashton »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Kelly says

    March 4, 2022 at 1:16 AM

    Hi! Do you have any suggestions on where I might find one of these that won’t be crazy overpriced? (I’m in the US) It looks like the Lego store is sold out and on eBay and Amazon they are so much more than the original price. I’m new to legos and have been dying to get the bigger Disney castle, but with the price tag thought I could start out smaller with one like this. Let me know if there’s any good Lego resale website you know of!

    Thanks!!

    Reply
  2. Andy says

    October 5, 2021 at 1:27 AM

    Very nice!

    My daughter actually has the Glass slipper tile from a Lego Disney Princess magazine, it is nice to see it pop up in a proper set as well.

    Reply
  3. AA says

    September 18, 2021 at 9:09 AM

    I was so excited when I first heard & saw this new mini castle! 🏰 I’ll definitely be getting it. Like you mentioned, I wish that LEGO didn’t put printed tiles inside the castle if it can’t be seen, sounds kind of useless to me.

    Reply

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Jay's Brick Blog. In here, you'll find independent LEGO set reviews, commentary on LEGO trends & news, bargain hunting tips and an inside look into the life of an average LEGO fan. Find out more about me here

Subscribe for updates

Enter your email address here to receive updates about new posts from Jay's Brick Blog - straight to your inbox!

Join 4,057 other subscribers

Site Search

Buy LEGO

Buy LEGO

jayong28

Jay Ong | Jay's Brick Blog
How good do these new @lego Disney Brickheadz look How good do these new @lego Disney Brickheadz look? 

Three new Disney Brickheadz double packs will be released on 1 March 2023, and will retail for US$19.99 / AU$29.99 / £17.99

🧠 40619 EVE & WALL-E 
🧠 40620 Cruella de Vil & Maleficent
🧠 40621 Moana & Merida

Very excited to add these to my collection, especially Wall-E and EVE! 

#lego #legodisney #disney #legoleaks #legonews #disney100 #legobrickheadz #rlfm #reveal #40619 #40620 #40621
First look at @lego Harry Potter Dots with 41809 H First look at @lego Harry Potter Dots with 41809 Hedwig Pencil Holder!

Coming March 2023, with at least 2 other confirmed Dots sets: 41811 Hogwarts Desktop Kit and 41808 Hogwarts Accessories Pack.

Hit the link in bio to read more!

#lego #legodots #legoharrypotter #harrypotter #legoleaks #legonews #lego2023
Up next, here's a quick look at the @lego Captain Up next, here's a quick look at the @lego Captain Rex Helmet which comes out in March 2023!

Some really cool techniques here, especially the Jaig Eyes, but unfortunately the mismatched colour stickers just look nasty. 

Hit the link in bio for my full review!

Thanks to LEGO for sending this review copy over. 

#lego #LEGOstarwars #starwars #clonewars #legoreview #rlfm #reviews #75349
Happy International @LEGO Day! The 28th of Januar Happy International @LEGO Day!

The 28th of January commemorates the date where the first patent for the iconic LEGO brick was filed with the Danish Patent and Trademark Office in Denmark by then-owner Godtfred Kirk Christiansen.

Here's a photo of the patent which is on display in the history section of the @legohouse, which I got to see last year when I visited Billund!

There's tons of incredible historical artifacts, and I've also shared some other displays that commemorated this part of LEGO's history!

#lego #InternationalLEGODay #LEGOhouse #afol
Quick look at the new @lego Clone Commander Cody H Quick look at the new @lego Clone Commander Cody Helmet, coming in March 2023!

Hit the link in bio for my full review!

#lego #LEGOstarwars #starwars #clonewars #legoreview #rlfm #reviews #75350
My review of the new 75349 Captain Rex and 75350 C My review of the new 75349 Captain Rex and 75350 Clone Commander Cody is up, and here's a closer look at some of the details. 

They both will be released on 1 March 2023, and will retail for US$69.99 / AU$99.99 / £59.99 and can be pre-ordered now. 

Hit the link in bio to read my full review!

I think both helmets are excellent additions to the LEGO Star Wars Helmet Collection. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 Clone Trooper helmets translate incredibly well, and there are some masterful sculpting techniques and great use of negative space to get the look just right. 

I have to say that I much prefer Commander Cody out of the two, because of the 212th's orange markings, and cool features like the visor and fin. Captain Rex, while having some cutting-edge building techniques have some really poorly colour-match stickers which distract from the otherwise great build. 

Will you be planning on picking any of these up?

Special thanks to @lego for sending these early review sets over! 

#lego #LEGOstarwars #starwars #clonewars #legoleaks #afol #legos #75350 #75349 #reviews #rlfm #legophotography
Cheeky Easter Egg on the Commander Cody Helmet! 👀

#lego #LEGOstarwars #starwars
Here's your official look at 75349 Captain Rex and Here's your official look at 75349 Captain Rex and 75350 Clone Commander Cody helmets coming on 1 March 2023!

LEGO Star Wars celebrated 20 Years of Clone Wars with these 2 new additions to the Helmet Collection.

Hit the link in bio to see more!

#lego #LEGOstarwars #starwars #clonewars #legoleaks #afol #legos #75350 #75349 #reveal #rlfm
The new @lego Ideas A-Frame Cabin displayed alongs The new @lego Ideas A-Frame Cabin displayed alongside 21318 Tree House!

They go particularly well together!

Read my full review of the A-Frame Cabin on the blog via link in bio!

#lego #legoideas #lego2023 #legoreview #legoleaks #legonews #legophotography #legos #afol #21338 #reviews #rlfm
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Follow on Facebook

Jay's Brick Blog

5 hours ago

Jay's Brick Blog
Here's a look at three new Disney Brickheadz double packs coming in March 2023!Really pumped for Cruella, Wall-E and EVE! Also, a good time to stock up on Dalmatian Brickheadz!Will you be adding these to your collection? ... See MoreSee Less

Three new LEGO Disney Brickheadz sets are coming soon, including Wall-E, Maleficent and Cruella! - Jay's Brick Blog

jaysbrickblog.com

The LEGO Instructions portal has given us our very first look at three new LEGO Disney Brickheadz featuring some iconic LEGO Disney characters! We don’t have a release date for these sets yet, but i...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Jay's Brick Blog

16 hours ago

Jay's Brick Blog
Love this!It’s WINTER 🥶 we got lotsa snow here 🧊 ❄️ ⛄️ careful out there Lego people ! ...#lego #winter #tnycartoons #cartoons #lol #humor #funmy #haha ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Jay's Brick Blog

18 hours ago

Jay's Brick Blog
We have our very first look at LEGO Harry Potter Dots!Here's 41809 Hedwig Pencil Holder, and there's at least 2 more confirmed Harry Potter Dots sets on the way too. ... See MoreSee Less

First look at LEGO Harry Potter Dots: 41809 Hedwig Pencil Holder - Jay's Brick Blog

jaysbrickblog.com

Harry Potter meets LEGO Dots in March, and we have our very first preview of 41809 Hedwig Pencil Holder featuring a customisable Hedwig!
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Recent Posts

  • Three new LEGO Disney Brickheadz sets are coming soon, including Wall-E, Maleficent and Cruella!
  • First look at LEGO Harry Potter Dots: 41809 Hedwig Pencil Holder
  • New LEGO Friends The Next Chapter animated series launch special now streaming on Youtube – my first impressions!
  • New LEGO 40585 World of Wonders gift with purchase spotted on LEGO.com
  • Happy International LEGO Day! The LEGO Brick turns 65!
  • Review: LEGO 75349 Captain Rex and 75350 Clone Commander Cody Helmets
  • LEGO also announces 75351 Princess Leia (Boushh) Helmet!

LEGO Reviews

Review: LEGO 40533 Cosmic Cardboard Adventures (GWP)

Review: LEGO 31203 World Map (Part 1)

Review: LEGO Brickheadz Pets Ginger Tabby, Cockatiel, Hamster (40480, 40481, 40482)

Review: Legoland Discovery Centre Melbourne

Review: LEGO 21032 Sydney Skyline

Review: LEGO 76046 Heroes of Justice Sky High Battle

Review: LEGO 4002022 10 Years of Friendship (2022 LEGO Employee Gift)

Categories

Archives

Jay

Jay is passionate about LEGO and the endless creative adventures made possible by this complex interlocking brick system.
Learn more →

Popular Posts

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · WordPress · Log in We may earn a commission when you use one of our offers/links to make a purchase.