Since it’s launch last year, the Disney Princess line of building sets from LEGO has slowly, but steadily been gaining a foothold here at Rock Father HQ. We’ve built a variety, from the now-retired Ariel’s Amazing Treasures, to Rapunzel’s Creativity Tower (reviewed here) and Cinderella’s Romantic Castle. Our most recent build from this world comes from the Kingdom of Arendelle, with the first-ever LEGO set based on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award-winning FROZEN. Officially released on January 1st, we managed to score Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle (#41062) a few days early on a post-Christmas visit to Toys “R” Us, and after teasing our build on the socials (here & here), it’s time for a proper review right here on the site.
For the first FROZEN set to be released, Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle isn’t quite as big as you’d expect, with just 292 pieces. Compared to Cinderella’s 646-piece Castle, there’s quite a difference, yet the smaller set size keeps Anna & Elsa’s entry into the brick world reasonably-priced at just $39.99. Recommended for Ages 6+, the smaller piece count also keeps younger builders like mine focused without overwhelming, and that’s a good thing in itself.
Addie and I started off as we always do, sorting the pieces of each bag by color (I’m always surprised at how many folks skip doing this) before digging in. Her favorite part of any build is the assembly of the included figures, so that always follows, and here we find Queen Elsa, Princess Anna and the lovable snowman Olaf (who I might know a thing or two about).
There’s a lot of play value packed-into this modestly-sized set, with wintery fun including a sled hill (with a hidden compartment) and sled, ice skates and skis. Olaf has his own picnic “blanket,” complete with a sandwich and cookies for use “in summer” or any season.
The Ice Castle itself has a “magical” staircase (a feature familiar from other sets we’ve done) that kids can make disappear and reappear, and the three-level structure features a kitchen on the lower floor (with “frozen” treats to make), Elsa’s bedroom on the second, and a hideaway nook at the top.
Rock Father-approved, and highly recommended.
Please note: List price on this is $39.99, and while it may be hard to come by (LEGO Shop online shows February 7, 2015 as the next in-stock date as of this writing), local retailers may have them on-shelves, and more will ship soon. If you see it priced higher, it’s likely a secondary seller.
