Sisilisko

I got the 41068 Arendelle Festival for my youngest (5) for Christmas. Frozen is our favourite movie and the build was great. We enjoyed many hours of building fun. It was not a very challenging build, Friends and Elves are more challenging. However the Snowgies realt satisfied the need for "small cute things to keep an cherish". I enjoyed the color scheme and the overall design. I think I will moc this castle for my minidolls... However I dislike the slide. But then, I am not the target group.

The price tag must come from the licence, right? I think my dislike mostly steams from the cost (I just Know what my Mom spent, it is outrageous). It is not worth it! There is no wow-factor. It is clumsy. The build was ok in the same way a city truck (which I'd never buy for myself) is ok. I am clearly not Target group. /S

Thanks for this review! My kids got this from my mom yesterday. The 6-year old loved the build. He is a minecraft entusiast in a 6-Gear old way. He builds and engages in the game bit he doesn't really grasp the whole. That said I should stress: he loved this build! As for the Lego set he will probably not play with it. He doesn't really get the "ender dragon exit portal" stuff. He is not in the age group, the set ranges from 8-11 I think. However if a 6-year old won't play there is little play to be found. His younger brother loved the hideus dragon. Off it flew, up and away and hade to come to bed with him. So yes. Lego knows what they are doing I guess. And I feel old since I can't find myself liking the artwork of this set. And to be honest I hope to get to borrow the baseplates for my bulids. /S

Hi! I am sorry to hear you lost your passion. The artistlic eye can be exercised. Look up "artistlic exersizes" Search the web. Inspiration comes from work. Seriously: go out on instagram and recreate some wacko cake in LDD. How would you do raspberrymousse in lego? Make a list of 10 things impossible to make/recreate in lego/LDD. Let the list set for a few days. Take it out and have a go at creating. Have a friend make a list of Impossible builds. Go for it! I use that exersize in groups that need refocus and a spirit boost (The brain needs food. New thoughts is what feed our). If you can solve the Impossible action of being able to ride a bike to the moon... Well what can stop you? One exersize I use over and over again is that I limit my options. When i am for example painting I get to choose two colors that I dislike and create with those. Brown and mint blue are now my signature colors. Your brain needs challanges! It might take a few sessions but hey, as long as you are alive your brain is right with you! So when planning a mech, start with chosing a colorscheme you would not use normally. Then you decide on that you get to use 2 types of joints. You don't get to use your favorite pieces. Explore the gear you chose you get to use. Good luck!

Aanchir, thanks for the info on this, I clearly spoke out of better knowledge! I was actually just speaking out of the bulky look of the police station and the firestation except from trying to be smart.

I love the djungle sets. And I also love how the sets are modular. That would be something for the City-designers to take after. I think it is somewhat sweet how the gears from the vet-station is reused and how they put such focus to details.

I totally agree with Naf saying: "A generation of counter-stereotypical gender socialisation? I find this to hardly be the case. I'd argue that gender segregation is stronger than ever." I also agree with what I understood naf to say that: the kids are breaking new ground. I live in a very liberal community. We have girls dressing up as spinderman, boys going all princessy and all in between. Seems it is very bossy little men who go all in the Princess stuff. Go figure. Research has shown that there are more similarities between any male or female brain than any pair same sex brains. [Janet Shibley Hyde, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA]. Socialization is key. Children respond emediatly to our signals: concious and unconcious. I find it so odd how we problematize "girly toys" saying we don't wanna label girls pink. But we willingly put our sons to the stakes of violence Of Ninjago or Chima or LOTR or SW. Go figure?! I prefer my boys playing stables, solving physics problems and learning to cooperate any day over having them go on a crusade of violence. But do they have freedom to choose? Yes. They do play war and fights. It's ok. Do I as their guardian provide choice? Yes. Do I influence them? Yes. I try my best being a in my opinion positive rolemodel. Do I always know when I influence them? No. Lego is one toy that could be gender neutral and when boiled down is. It is plastic bricks stuck together. We can create anything. It is about the joy of building!

Flawed because: She is using Lego to "sell" her book. She speaks out of self intetest. She points out the vanity gear and states that there is NO equipment. Clearly when I check the news van there is both a computer, an antenns and a camera. So she omitted the real truth, what more has she omitted? Earlier when she wrote about a friends set she stared that they are more expensive and less complicated to build then other simulator sets: clearly ignorant to write that. I will not trust that lady. I don't give her credit. You are free to if you like. I won't hold it against you. :) However I do think she has a point in her article but Lego is not really to blame: we all went down different iles when "lead" by big companies.

I read the article. It was flawed in my opinion. It's not the first time the writer points to Friends on a gender issue. She also has a new book out... Anyways, we have changed in the sense of how childrens toys are portrayed and what they contain. However before the Friends line the percetage of the lego bought by girls was 9%, now it is 28%.. I found the figures on another forum www.friendsbrick.com and haven't checked them. If I remember correctly Friends is the forth largest product line in Lego I don't care if the toy is gendersteriotyphical. We don't know what will come out of this. The more girls that build: the better! Children have a great sense of capturing freedom and they are building freely with much more modern stuff. I am glad Lego did evolve to what it is today or it would not be at all.

Oh, that's unfun! Part of me feels really sad for you, but mostly for your dad. And still: I can see why you did it. However, if it comes to question, I always bring out wierd aguments on how the techniques used in friends set are superior to any other set. It's not like anyone is going to know! We all hide things from our parents from time to time. To protect them from themselves. Plus: I am glad to learn you liked the build. I have decided to get the beach house, the juice bar, the news van and the animal packs from this wave. Now I am sure about the beach house.

I want pictures. I know I will be disapointed when picking up the catalogue in January if I look at pictures now but I want to have a sneak preview. Which reminds me I haven't opened the series two animal packs yet... I have a reason to go get the series three too... Oh well!

I see. This will be my first visit in say... 30 years, as an Afol. It will be a blast even without the discount.

How can I become a Merlin member? (Google is my friend...) It seems good cause I plan to stock up. Ah. http://california.legoland.com/en/tickets/Membership_/ Not for me.

I have been following this thread and have almost come to a change of heart. I don't like Princesses. However: If this gets more girls building. I am ok with it. If this is what it takes: all right then! It will be great 20 years from now when more girls get into education programs to become engineers. That I do belive. Having girls developers better sense of space will be rewarding. If it takes pink and Princesses. Ok. However schooling for girls in developmental countries is of outmost importance. Yet that is another subject. Love. /S

Andy. I checked the website. It doesn't say. I will be going to Legoland in Carlsbad someone time in the first or third week of October. I will ask them and post here then. Why don't you email/phone Legoland? You find the contacts on their web. I wasn't able to copy it.