Winter Village Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[RichardGoring]

5 hours ago, Arstotle said:

Maybe Christmas in July is just an American thing (I have no idea if it is or not), but it would be a nice opportunity/excuse for Lego to give us a teaser of the new Winter Village set.  Even when Lego is at SDCC, I don't think we ever get any hints about the WV set.  They seem to keep the new WV set under tighter security than they do so many of their other sets.  I remember several years back they released a few super-close-up pictures of the new set (I think it was the WV Firehouse) a week or so before the release, and that provided a lot of fun conjecture.  I'd love to see them do something like that every July - surely the box art and promo shots are done by now, I would think.

I think I heard, but I can't be bothered to do the Google search to find out, that it's a thing in Australia, as July is mid-winter for them, so they like to have more traditional decorations up for it.

I never heard about it in the UK though.

[Caps Beard]

Winter Hot Air Ballon Ride - 1440 pieces confirmed as this years set.

A separate set Santas Delivery Truck - 224 pieces also releasing ($20).

[Space Coyote]

55 minutes ago, Caps Beard said:

Winter Hot Air Ballon Ride - 1440 pieces confirmed as this years set.

A separate set Santas Delivery Truck - 224 pieces also releasing ($20).

I'm so happy they are offering a cheaper set to go along with the bigger one, that Santa's Delivery Truck would be a perfect stocking stuffer.

[Murdoch17]

1 hour ago, Caps Beard said:

Winter Hot Air Ballon Ride - 1440 pieces confirmed as this years set.

A separate set Santas Delivery Truck - 224 pieces also releasing ($20).

We haven't had a leak this early in about a decade, so I don't believe this is true. Also, it makes no sense to have 'ballon' ride being over 1,400 parts, unless it's a Zeppelin on the scale of the Hindenburg. And, LEGO doesn't generally release unrelated side builds like that, unless it's a GWP.

I am fairly confident this "leak" is a fake.

Edited July 3, 2024 by Murdoch17

[Caps Beard]

34 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

We haven't had a leak this early in about a decade, so I don't believe this is true. Also, it makes no sense to have 'ballon' ride being over 1,400 parts, unless it's a Zeppelin on the scale of the Hindenburg. And, LEGO doesn't generally release unrelated side builds like that, unless it's a GWP.

I am fairly confident this "leak" is a fake.

It’s from Brick Clicker, about as reliable as they come. 

Santas Sleigh released 2 years ago, so very recent example of when this was done.

Also, last years was leaked mid July, so only a couple weeks later than this year.

Edited July 3, 2024 by Caps Beard

[Karalora]

A simple hot-air balloon being 1,400 parts? Not likely.

A hot-air balloon being the centerpiece in a set with multiple small-medium models totaling 1,400 parts? Much more plausible. If the leaker is reliable, that is what I would assume is going on here--either that, or it is a very large balloon with intricate patterning on the envelope, a decorated basket, etc.

[Caps Beard]

4 minutes ago, Karalora said:

A hot-air balloon being the centerpiece in a set with multiple small-medium models totaling 1,400 parts? Much more plausible.

It’s exactly this. He says it’s the ballon, a winter house, postbox and Christmas tree.

Edited July 3, 2024 by Caps Beard

[RichardGoring]

It sounds great to me. Should be fun. I also really like the smaller set that goes with it.

[Lion King]

A hot-air balloon, huh? It’s interesing…. It’s first time to not have a building (unless there is a side build). 

Santa’s delivery truck sounds cool to me. I think I need it for my modular city . 

[RichardGoring]

10 minutes ago, Lion King said:

A hot-air balloon, huh? It’s interesing…. It’s first time to not have a building (unless there is a side build). 

Santa’s delivery truck sounds cool to me. I think I need it for my modular city . 

There should be a side-build building with it. I can imagine the building being larger than the hot air balloon, but it won't be the focal point of the set, hence the name.

[Lion King]

52 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

There should be a side-build building with it. I can imagine the building being larger than the hot air balloon, but it won't be the focal point of the set, hence the name.

Agreed. 

[Klaus-Dieter]

Thanks for the news!

To provide misunderstandings: In the same video, Brick Clicker states that the hot air balloon "includes a large side building" (and compares it with the sleigh in Santa's Workshop).

So I can well imagine two possible sets: either a balloon with Santa and as addition his home (since I'm no fantasy fan, I'd dislike this option) or a balloon with a married couple ans as addition a town hall. What do you think?

 

 

[Roebuck]

It it 1 hot air balloon or a carousel with "hot air balloons"?

[Arstotle]

Definitely an original idea.  Not something you see in my neck of the world during the winter time, but I'm guessing this is a tradition in some parts of the world.  It'll be interesting to see what kind of building they pair up with the hot air balloon.

[Lion King]

I could imagine a hot air balloon floating over a natural setting as a side build. But I have a feeling it might be a building more than just nature.

[CoNSpiracy]

Since the set is called “Hot Air Balloon Ride” I am guessing that the small building in the set is the air balloon captain’s home and/or ticket booth for the hot air balloon rides.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the hot air balloon is designed. Brick-built? Or similar to that in set 41097/41423 or in set 41252/71419? Or something completely different - maybe with a big inflatable Santa as the balloon (similar thinking as in set 71472)?

[Space Coyote]

5 minutes ago, CoNSpiracy said:

Since the set is called “Hot Air Balloon Ride” I am guessing that the small building in the set is the air balloon captain’s home and/or ticket booth for the hot air balloon rides.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the hot air balloon is designed. Brick-built? Or similar to that in set 41097/41423 or in set 41252/71419? Or something completely different - maybe with a big inflatable Santa as the balloon (similar thinking as in set 71472)?

I feel like the balloon from that Peach set would be a bit small. Then again if they do it that way there will be more pieces dedicated to the building, which usually makes for a stronger set overall. I've been curious about this one a lot lately too!

[CDM]

I'm not going to make a judgement based on loose description alone...but a balloon ride? For a winter village? I dunno, man.

[Murdoch17]

3 minutes ago, CDM said:

I'm not going to make a judgement based on loose description alone...but a balloon ride? For a winter village? I dunno, man.

If it is true, then they are REALLY scraping the bottom of the barrel...

[FrkW]

I don't know, it's giving Victorian whimsy, I think it could be a lovely set. Not the first thing that springs to mind when I hear Christmas, perhaps. Maybe a polar expedition to Santa's village? 

[RichardGoring]

2 hours ago, FrkW said:

I don't know, it's giving Victorian whimsy, I think it could be a lovely set. Not the first thing that springs to mind when I hear Christmas, perhaps. Maybe a polar expedition to Santa's village? 

I agree. It sounds great, has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to it.

[Black Falcon]

20 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

If it is true, then they are REALLY scraping the bottom of the barrel...

I couldn´t disagree more. Way better than just another building that includes a christmas scene. At least it will be something unique and if done well it has a lot potential IMO.

[Murdoch17]

10 minutes ago, Black Falcon said:

I couldn´t disagree more. Way better than just another building that includes a christmas scene. At least it will be something unique and if done well it has a lot potential IMO.

We can agree to disagree, but I'm just gonna point out that the theme is called Winter Village, after all.... wintery buildings with Christmas decorations are kinda the point. It's like TLG doing a modular building one year without an actual building in it. Can you imagine the uproar?

[Black Falcon]

7 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

We can agree to disagree, but I'm just gonna point out that the theme is called Winter Village, after all.... wintery buildings with Christmas decorations are kinda the point. It's like TLG doing a modular building one year without an actual building in it. Can you imagine the uproar?

Well if we look at the piece count, I doubt it will just be the balloon and after all there needs to be something underneath that lets him fly ;). So yeah, I would guess we will see a building and above that one is the balloon. 

[Lion King]

3 hours ago, Black Falcon said:

Well if we look at the piece count, I doubt it will just be the balloon and after all there needs to be something underneath that lets him fly ;). So yeah, I would guess we will see a building and above that one is the balloon. 

Agreed. I feel like hot-air balloon would be made out of at least 100 pieces.  I got a Friends hot-air bloom with tiger cub rescue in early 2020s and I think it was made out of about 100 pieces. I don’t know how they could do a hot-air balloon out of 1,000 pieces - such as balloon materials out of bricks (which I don’t  think it’s  likely, in my honest opinion).

So - my safe bet is that there will be a building and/or natural scene along with hot-air balloon. 

Additionally, Friends hot-air balloon has 4 thin molded piees as a balloon materials, pretty light. Which it’s a play set. I do think winter village sets should have play features like Santa slides down big chimney from Santa’s Visit set in 2021.