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LEGO announces 10261 Creator Expert Roller Coaster!

April 26, 2018 By Jay 44 Comments

I don’t get wowed often by LEGO sets, but my jaw literally dropped when this press release entered my inbox. LEGO have unveiled one of the most audacious sets in their entire history – 10261 Roller Coaster.

This 4,124 piece Creator Expert set is an actual, working LEGO Roller Coaster and is quite literally one of the most impressive LEGO sets that I have ever laid my eyes on.

Working LEGO roller coasters have always been a pipe dream for LEGO fans, but the lack of specialised parts has been a major obstacle in allowing people to create their very own working version of the classic theme park ride.

The LEGO Creator Expert Roller Coaster won’t come cheap, costing US$379.99 in the US, AU$499.99 in Australia and £299.99 in the UK. Australian price TBC, but my guess is AU$550. While super expensive, I think the set is worth every cent.

See below for regional product pages:

  • LEGO 10261 Roller Coaster – US$379.99 [US]
  • LEGO 10261 Roller Coaster – AU$499.99 [AUS]
  • LEGO 10261 Roller Coaster – GBP£299.99 [UK]
  • LEGO 10261 Roller Coaster – CAD$479.99 [CAN]
  • LEGO 10261 Roller Coaster – €329.99 [EU]

The release date for LEGO 10261 Roller Coaster is 16 May 2018 for LEGO VIPs via the regular early access window.

LEGO rightly recognised that photos won’t do the set justice, so they were nice enough to share 2 videos showing the Roller Coaster in action. Watch them below and enjoy!

The Roller Coaster set, as the video suggests is absolutely enormous, representing a massive headache for adult LEGO fans who are probably already struggling to find adequate space to display their sets. The Roller Coaster model measures over 53cm (20″) high, 88cm (34”) wide and 41cm (16”) deep. It’s 20 inches tall!!!

Whatever the case, it’s bound to be an eye-catching display piece.

The triumph of this set’s design and engineering is two-fold. Firstly, it boasts a fully functional chain-lift to pull the 2 trains up towards the highest point, gaining potential energy as it climbs up the ramp. Something that would be very familiar if you’ve been on a roller coaster.

The second triumph is the introduction of the new roller coaster tracks AND train cars with low-friction wheels to enable it to use the power of gravity to hurtle through the Roller Coaster’s twists and turns. Utterly amazing.

The set includes special new-for-June-2018 elements including a 2x8x6 Rail Slope, 1x2x1 Bow Brick, plant leaves, stalks and flowers. The track consists of 44-pieces made up of 7 different rail elements.

You can also upgrade the Roller Coaster with LEGO® Power Functions for a motorized chain lift, or with LEGO BOOST for automated chain lift activation and realistic sound effects!

Apart from the mechanical marvel of the set, it also includes 11 minifigures, a ticket booth, cotton candy stand and plenty of cute little Easter eggs strewn across the set. 

I love this map of the LEGO theme park which features the Carousel and Ferris Wheel.

The Cotton Candy cart cleverly uses a pink version of the LEGO beehive.

I also love this height chart.

Lastly, the brick-built words are pretty neat.

I have to say that I’m blown away by this set, and kudos to LEGO for finally creating a working Roller Coaster model that I can buy. I know I’ve railed on LEGO for lacking innovation and risk-taking, but this is a great, refreshing and bold response from the team and I hope that we see more audacious sets like this.

The pricetag is extremely prohibitive but this one-of-a-kind set pretty much means that this goes straight on the to-buy list.

What do you think of the Roller Coaster? Is this a must-buy? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 10261, creator expert, lego, roller coaster

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  1. gucci says

    November 10, 2019 at 8:44 AM

    hi

    Reply
  2. David says

    September 27, 2019 at 11:22 AM

    A great concept. Worth getting the motorized version.

    Reply
  3. David says

    July 31, 2018 at 2:44 AM

    Major problem was moving the RC once it was built. Best to add on the battery-operated option to keep things moving. No major concerns with construction although putting together the loop that pulls the cars up was a bit tedious.

    Reply
  4. Alex says

    May 30, 2018 at 8:31 AM

    On one hand, it says expert. On the other, IT’S A LEGO ROLLER COASTER

    Reply
  5. Russell says

    May 22, 2018 at 12:44 AM

    Does anyone have the roller coaster 10261 instruction manual in PDF? HELP!

    Reply
    • Joe says

      October 16, 2018 at 4:36 AM

      Go online!

      Reply
    • u already know says

      November 10, 2019 at 8:45 AM

      NOPE NOTA

      Reply
  6. Mike says

    May 7, 2018 at 7:51 PM

    Wow, Greta set! All of a sudden the Westminster/Big Ben kit I have waiting to be built looks kinda dull in comparison 🙁

    Reply
    • Mike says

      May 7, 2018 at 7:52 PM

      Oops, great not Greta!!

      Reply
    • Jay says

      May 8, 2018 at 12:16 PM

      Yeah, really excited to put this one together. In terms of scale, they both have their merits, in that the Big Ben is more an architectural sculpture, whereas this one’s a massive playset.

      Reply
  7. Tash says

    April 29, 2018 at 5:54 PM

    Oh, my. I’m so excited by this; I will definitely be rushing out to get it! That’s amazing!!!

    Reply
  8. Tim says

    April 29, 2018 at 9:33 AM

    Hang the price, this is a must-have! Awesome set.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 6:04 PM

      Worth every cent. This and Hogwarts (and maybe the Bugatti) are going to be THE must-buy sets this year.

      Reply
  9. Geology Joe says

    April 28, 2018 at 4:09 AM

    Thanks for this early review! At first I thought the set might be too expensive, but after seeing the details, I’m really excited to buy this! I’ll need to start saving now, though.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 6:01 PM

      It’s also 4000+ pieces, including plenty of roller coaster tracks which could be useful if you ever want to take on the challenge of designing your own roller coaster.

      Reply
  10. Anthony says

    April 27, 2018 at 3:28 PM

    Great review as always.
    I’ll need to win Lotto to buy a bigger house , to fit this bad boy in.
    Think I’ll be sticking to the creator roller coaster for now.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:58 PM

      Done. You win Tatts, and I’ll win the Powerball.

      Reply
  11. Michelle says

    April 27, 2018 at 10:05 AM

    I don’t consider it pushing “boundaries” imagine how innovative and generally cooler this set could have been with a electric motor like some of the Technic products or something that interfaced with Mindstorm products. When Lego actually crosses boundaries and works out how to develop more standard lego sets with greater STEM challenges, and more sets with the ability to cross into the land of robotics and mechanisation, then as a former high school teacher and a mother of a child that loves Lego, I will really have something to applaud.

    Reply
    • Mark says

      April 27, 2018 at 6:57 PM

      Actually, it can be motorised, remote controlled, and even controlled using Boost; LEGO’s latest programmable robotic system. Its in the promo videos above. I also think you can do a lot worse than this if you want a hands-on, fun and interactive way to teach a child about Science (eg. gravity/physics), Technology (see above), Engineering (eg. tensile strength, turning radius, critical angle of repose, etc) and Maths (eg. Newton’s laws of motion). This is epitome of a STEM teaching tool in my opinion. Plus, its a roller coaster so its damn cool! : D

      Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:51 PM

      Great point, but from my perspective, it’s just the mechanical concept of a working roller coaster that’s truly groundbreaking. It does support technic motors to automate the chain lift, but I see what you mean. I’ll be interested to see how Boost gets incorporated into this.

      Reply
  12. GJBricks says

    April 27, 2018 at 9:29 AM

    That is damned expensive… but… but… like so many, I’ve always dreamed of a LEGO rollercoaster. It looks fantastic and packed with details! I reckon the designers were as excited as the fans and it shows in the attention to everything. Excellent! And great article.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:36 PM

      Expensive, but I think the cost is entirely justified for pulling this concept off!

      Reply
  13. Peter Sneddon says

    April 27, 2018 at 8:43 AM

    I think this is going to turn into a mod and be built on top of my 5 modulars.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:33 PM

      Wow that sounds awesome. When you pull it off, be sure to share photos!

      Reply
  14. Warren says

    April 27, 2018 at 4:47 AM

    One minor thing: Why is the employee purchasing the lemon drink? He should be operating the control panel.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:31 PM

      On a drinks break, perhaps?

      Reply
  15. Michael says

    April 27, 2018 at 2:55 AM

    $499AUD! Expensive, but not bad – actually slightly cheaper than the straight converted US price.

    Reply
    • Mark says

      April 27, 2018 at 8:06 PM

      Cool. Although still a pricey set the conversion is actually really good! Factor in that tax is already included in the AUD price and we are actually paying less than our US friends.

      Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:30 PM

      Yeah, we lucked out big time with the Aussie price. Add on the chance of a 20% off sale, and this will be the steal of the year.

      Reply
      • Michael says

        April 29, 2018 at 6:07 PM

        Is this a D2C or will it be in retailers?

        Reply
        • Jay says

          May 8, 2018 at 11:24 AM

          It’s definitely a D2C set. Based on previous Aussie releases, I expect David Jones to have this as a timed exclusive first.

          Reply
          • jeff says

            October 5, 2018 at 11:16 PM

            hi

            Reply
  16. Benjamin says

    April 27, 2018 at 2:37 AM

    This looks amazing. I want desperately to purchase. However, between the Death Star, Disney Castle, Porsche, and Helicarrier sets, I’m out of room for another large Lego set. Not even counting the Imperial Star Destroyer and Lego Architecture sets strewn about my home.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:29 PM

      The struggle of all adult LEGO fans.

      Reply
  17. Colby says

    April 27, 2018 at 2:17 AM

    This has been my dream for years! I can’t wait tilll it’s release date! 😀

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:28 PM

      Ugh me too. Next up, for a massive pendulum ride!

      Reply
  18. Bg says

    April 27, 2018 at 12:35 AM

    I’d rather see a wooden coaster but this is okay.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:27 PM

      You could get close by replacing all the white columns with brown ones.

      Reply
  19. Sandrokan says

    April 26, 2018 at 11:20 PM

    Must have , must dream , most funny a real masterpiece of LEGO.
    to built with the family in winter holiday near the fireplace with a cup of chocolate.
    well done LEGO

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:26 PM

      That’s oddly poetic but yeah, I really hope it works as advertised.

      Reply
  20. David Kessel says

    April 26, 2018 at 11:16 PM

    As noted, the major problem will be where to put it. Already, the Taj Mahal, Saturn rocket and carousal are taking up what little spare space I had left. But I will somehow manage.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:20 PM

      The box is also going to be massive, so even hoarding this set will be a pain. But I’m in the same boat, I’ll definitely make space for this.

      Reply
  21. Sara says

    April 26, 2018 at 11:05 PM

    That looks awesome! Commissioning my husband to build a giant shelf for this set!

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 29, 2018 at 5:18 PM

      He sounds like a keeper 😉

      Reply

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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

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