We've been eyeing off the new 2019 color and those new LEGO® gears for a few weeks now, and here both of them are in 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus! Ryan Howerter takes a look at this 1024-piece set which is priced £79.99 / US$79.99 / 89.99€, available at the usual suppliers including Amazon USA and Amazon UK.
Out of the 25+ sets revealed so far for The LEGO MOVIE 2: The Second Part, the Party Bus is the only one to include this year’s new color: Vibrant Coral [TLG]/Coral [BL]. And boy, does it have a lot of it! Let’s get started.
All that pretty teal and coral and pink and purple almost makes you forget that Elves was ever canceled! Almost.
Eight bags! Not only is this bus big, it’s DENSE.
There is a single sticker sheet. Note the mysterious rune lettering; looks like it says “KARAOKE” on the one with the equalizer, and “FUNBUS” on the license plates.
Nothing terribly exciting here on its own, although new windscreens always result in fancy spaceships. It’s nice to see the teal palette rounded out a bit more, particularly the 1x2 and 2x2 curved slopes.
Transparent Bright Bluish Violet [TLG]/ Trans-Purple [BL]:
Perhaps a possible reason for the introduction of this part are Disney sets, which sometimes feature a "Build and Swap" modular concept (such as 41162 Ariel, Aurora, and Tiana's Royal Celebration). These modules often use arches but as they are built on a 8x8 footprint, this leaves little room for adding sufficient stability to the structure to withstand play. Having this new single arch doorway piece, with 1x1 cutouts in the top corners, offers that stability.
At two plates high, it’s a half-plate shorter than the "D" tile (24246) when placed on its side. And with some wiggle room for part tolerances, it fills the space under the 1x3 arch (Design ID 4490) rather well.
And finally, it looks like the mold for the 1x4 plate with 2 studs (92593, shown in lime below) has been updated (now Design ID 41740):
The new version has a groove around the edge, and walls instead of 3 tubes.
(No matter what I do with my camera settings, I just can’t seem to get a photo of this color that feels true-to-life. Vibrant Coral is just so neon that you really need to see it in person!)
Unexpectedly, The LEGO Group have called this colour simply "Coral" in their database of replacement parts, and it seems as a consequence both Brickset and BrickLink are calling it Coral in their parts databases too. However it has been confirmed that Vibrant Coral is indeed the official TLG name for the colour, so presumably they just shortened it for the database.
But unfolded like a Polly Pocket, it becomes a discotheque on wheels.
The bus’s big surprise feature is its disco lighting effect. Pushing in the gray wheel below the jets turns on a regular red 2x3 light brick — but turning the wheel spins both the central dance platform and a dragon egg bottom in Transparent Bright Orange [TLG]/ Trans-Light Orange [BL] (Design ID 24130), refracting the light in all sorts of groovy ways.
Not since the UFO sets in the 1990s have I seen such a good light show put on by a LEGO set!
All that pretty teal and coral and pink and purple almost makes you forget that Elves was ever canceled! Almost.
Eight bags! Not only is this bus big, it’s DENSE.
There is a single sticker sheet. Note the mysterious rune lettering; looks like it says “KARAOKE” on the one with the equalizer, and “FUNBUS” on the license plates.
Recolored parts in LEGO® 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus
This is a parts blog, right? I know why you’re here. Let’s start with recolors.
Nothing terribly exciting here on its own, although new windscreens always result in fancy spaceships. It’s nice to see the teal palette rounded out a bit more, particularly the 1x2 and 2x2 curved slopes.
Transparent Bright Bluish Violet [TLG]/ Trans-Purple [BL]:
- Shell 16X8X5 W. Bow/Circle (Element ID 6253665 | Design ID 16477)
- Wall Element 4X4X6, Round (6256804 | 35276)
- Brick 1X6, W/ Bow (6258123 | 43376)
- Bow, Shell 6X10X4, 22.45 Deg. (6265007 | 43376)
Bright Bluish Green [TLG]/ Dark Turquiose [BL]:
Medium Lavender:- Plate 4X4, ¼ Circle 6254334 | 30565)
- Plate 3X3, ¼ Circle (6251838 | 30357)
- Angle Plate 1X2 / 2X2 (6249425 | 21712)
- Roof Tile 2X2/45° (6249419 | 3039)
- Plate 2X3 (6249417 | 3021)
- Plate W. Bow 1X2X2/3 (6249427 | 11477)
- Plate W. Bow 2X2X2/3 (6223665 | 15068)
- Plate 1X1, W/ 1.5 Plate 1X1, Downwards (6261294 | 36841)
- Microphone, W/ Shaft, Dia. 3.2, No. 7 (6257778 | 50511)
New parts in LEGO® 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus
- Gear Wheel 6X6, Z14 in Vibrant Coral (Element ID 6258385 | Design ID 35446)
- Gear Wheel 2X2, Z6 in Medium Lilac [TLG]/ Dark Purple [BL] (6238330 | 35442)
- Plate 1x2 W/ Vert. Tube in Medium Stone Grey (6258820 | 41682)
- Plate 1x2 W/ Vert. Tube in Black (6250020 | 41682)
The new SNOT bracket have been covered recently but worth noting this set has it in Medium Stone Grey [TLG]/ Light Bluish Gray [BL].
- Mini Doll, Wig, No. 34 in Bright Purple [TLG]/ Dark Pink [BL] (6259668 | 49362)
Unfortunately I don’t have one of the original afros to compare to but this new one is larger, made of rubber, and has a pin-hole on top!
- Wall 1X6X7, W/ Arch in White (6249033 | 40066)
Perhaps a possible reason for the introduction of this part are Disney sets, which sometimes feature a "Build and Swap" modular concept (such as 41162 Ariel, Aurora, and Tiana's Royal Celebration). These modules often use arches but as they are built on a 8x8 footprint, this leaves little room for adding sufficient stability to the structure to withstand play. Having this new single arch doorway piece, with 1x1 cutouts in the top corners, offers that stability.
- Plate 1X1X2/3, Outside Bow in White (6258135 | 49307)
- Plate 1X1X2/3, Outside Bow in Medium Lavender (6261546 | 49307)
At two plates high, it’s a half-plate shorter than the "D" tile (24246) when placed on its side. And with some wiggle room for part tolerances, it fills the space under the 1x3 arch (Design ID 4490) rather well.
And finally, it looks like the mold for the 1x4 plate with 2 studs (92593, shown in lime below) has been updated (now Design ID 41740):
New prints in LEGO® 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus
- Design Plate 1X2X2, No. 3 in Bright Purple (Element ID 6273209 | Design ID 60438)
- Microphone, W/ Shaft, Dia. 3.2, No. 7 in Bright Reddish Violet (6257778 | 50511)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round, No. 1125 in Light Purple [TLG]/ Bright Pink [BL] (6257775 | 50520)
- Plate 1X3, No. 28 in Light Purple (6261968 | 52100)
- Roof Tile 2X1X2, No. 1 in White (6273213 | 60462)
- Brick 1X2X2, No. 152 in White (6261286 | 52008)
- Mini Wig, No. 262 in Bright Bluish Green (6259807 | 50555)
- Mini Doll, Head, No. 187 in Light Nougat [TLG]/ Light Flesh [BL] (6259808 | 47934)
- Torso, Man, W/ Arm, No. 107 in Light Nougat (6259865 | 92815)
- Pants, W/ Hip, No. 141 in Dark Azure (6259868 | 35642)
- Mini Doll, Head, No. 186 in Medium Nougat [TLG]/ Medium Dark Flesh [BL] (6259622 | 47933)
- Torso, Girl, W/ Arm, No. 310 in Medium Nougat (6259628 | 92456)
- Skirt, W/ Hip, No. 176 in Light Purple (6259636 | 35634)
Vibrant Coral parts in LEGO® 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus
And, of course, this set has a ridiculous amount of Vibrant Coral. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a new color debut with so many parts in a single set.
(No matter what I do with my camera settings, I just can’t seem to get a photo of this color that feels true-to-life. Vibrant Coral is just so neon that you really need to see it in person!)
- 1/4 Circle Tile 1X1 (Element ID 6250022 | Design ID 25269)
- Brick 1X1 W. 1 Knob (6261292 | 87087)
- Brick 1X2 (6258572 | 3004)
- Brick 1X2, Outside Half Bow (6261293 | 37352)
- Flat Tile 1X6 (6258096 | 6636)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round (6258405 | 14769
- Gear Wheel 6x6, Z14 (6258385 | 35446)
- Plate 1X1 (6258091 | 3024)
- Plate 1X2 (6258094 | 3023)
- Plate 1X4, @/ 2 Knobs, No. 2 (6259780 | 41740)
- Plate W. Bow 1X2X2/3 (6258075 | 11477)
- Roof Tile 1X1X2/3, Abs (6258098 | 54200)
- Tile 4X4, W/ Bow (6258097 | 27507)
Unexpectedly, The LEGO Group have called this colour simply "Coral" in their database of replacement parts, and it seems as a consequence both Brickset and BrickLink are calling it Coral in their parts databases too. However it has been confirmed that Vibrant Coral is indeed the official TLG name for the colour, so presumably they just shortened it for the database.
The completed build
Okay, back to the set! It looks sleek with all the panels folded in:
But unfolded like a Polly Pocket, it becomes a discotheque on wheels.
Not since the UFO sets in the 1990s have I seen such a good light show put on by a LEGO set!
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New set. New parts. Disco lights. The perfect review!
ReplyDeleteWhat could be the point of the remolding of 92593? It only restricts its usefulness.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, but one possible reason may be to prevent it from being confused with the standard 1x4 plate, which is very similar looking from the underside. If you were to confuse the two in the course of a build you might end up with the wrong one later on (and even if you weren't, it might still make finding the correct one in a pile of parts more challenging).
DeleteOne immediate advantage of the new design I can spot is that the addition of a groove makes it so that one of this part's most common uses (as a loose connection between separating floors like in the modular buildings) will no longer leave such an obvious external discrepancy between 1x4 plates with two studs and the tiles used to round out the rest of the perimeter walls.
DeleteIt's also possible that the use of walls instead of pins on the underside might improve clutch, which enhances the part's main useful attribute (having more clutch power underneath than above)
Having used the current version of this part for topping off walls, I have observed quite a few instances where pulling off the level above pulls one or more off so something that makes it more grippy on the bottom is welcome.
DeleteYeah but I can imagine an enhanced clutch with a simple, slightly larger dot as well. I hadn't spotted the groove, yeah it has pro's & con's I guess. And hey, there are enough of the old style on the market now, so both are welcome afterall.
DeleteBut Andrew has a point, and it could also be effective with Lego's automated sorting. Afterall when you get a missing part in a set, generally you get another lookalike part that was confused by the computer. Perhaps this also helps their recognition?
I don't know about the automated sorting bit—from my experience when you get a missing part that is replaced by a different part, it's not the part's visual appearance but rather its weight that gets things confused. For instance, back in 2006 my younger brother got a Bionicle set that was missing a very distinctive silver shoulder armor piece and had a standard red 2x4 brick in its place. Visually, the parts were unmistakable for one another, but their weight was about the same.
DeleteAh weird, the rare times I've gotten a missing part, there was a visually similar one instead. I can't imagine differenciating parts by weight only to be that reliable.
DeleteJust recently got this set myself—it's fantastic! Not only does it have an abundance of new parts, great figures, and a great light brick function, it's also packed with other interesting building techniques. I love how the curve of the glass canopy is continued through to the fold-out speakers using bow bricks, hinges, and cheese slopes!
ReplyDeleteThe new gear plates are amazing and represent a novel new way of transferring rotation horizontally in a System build without having to conceal a bulky Technic mechanism. This set does also show how it can be integrated with Technic, though, via the gearing for the lighting function.
The new arched doorway is a bit bulky for my taste, but I can't help but wish the standard 1x6x2 arch had those useful 1x1 cutouts.
The new SNOT brackets are very useful, considering how difficult it could sometimes be to add anti-studs to the side of a System build using SNOT techniques before.
The 1x1 half-circle bow is also great, and I hadn't even considered how perfectly it'd fill the space in the 1x3 arch brick! I imagine that'll be useful, both for color variation, offset to change the depth of a relief section, and even combined with the "jumper arches" from the Hogwarts Castle set.
And of course I'm loving the abundance of Vibrant Coral. It's a great new color, almost like an opaque version of Trans. Fluor. Reddish Orange, and fills a previously vacant red-orange part of Lego's active color palette. If Lego were to ever get the Steven Universe license, it'd be perfect for his iconic star shirt!
As for the light brick function—I've never seen a more interesting and dynamic use of a light brick in a set! I've considered how much more you could do with this sort of function—imagine projecting a different color of light from another angle using the yellow light brick and one of the many other colors of Elves dragon egg!
No mention of one of the most intriguing attributes of the new 1x6x7 arch brick: two small holes at the bottom and one at the top. The size and placement of the holes suggest to me that the arch is intended to have some sort of new window pane released for it in the future!
ReplyDeleteA surprising but welcome feature of the gear plates is a triangular arrow on one of the side-facing teeth, which the instructions use to more clearly illustrate which direction the teeth should face so the studs align correctly in their default position. Having had plenty of frustration with finding the ideal alignment for Technic gear teeth in the past, it's nice to have it so plainly spelled out here, and in such a subtle way.
The set manages to amaze even with its use of existing parts, like hinging 1x2x2/3 half bow plates to match a 4x4 circular curve, much like I did with 1x4x2/3 bow plates when constructing PAIGE's "hair": https://flic.kr/s/aHsmbPBEGG
I definitely also recommend watching the designer video for this set featuring designers Joel Baker and Tori Davis: https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/the-lego-movie-2/videos/70828-pop-up-party-bus-0e38adebb8a842058e29b255a64ee794?fbclid=IwAR2zwHc-a_PquEnl8SxuwfuyWXBkEx5nmcr81pz9EKyIyQ3rfefNygE58rQ
Great review! So happy to have picked this set up!
well spotted with the arch brick, hope we get window panes for it!
Deleteand the gear plates are a welcome addition!
Ahhh of course it's for a window pane! I checked if a feather pin fit in the hole, found it was too loose, and didn't think about it any further for some reason. Really looking forward to curved glass pieces, if so...
ReplyDeleteI was bemoaning the 1x4 plate with two studs just this morning. My daughters were playing with the Friends hotel, but every time they switched the floors around, the 1x4 piece would stuck to the anti-studs above and not the studs below. Great update!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrew Barnick. The only piece I've ever had missing (in 100s of sets) was just recently with the Hogwarts Castle. I was missing one of the 1x2x2 arched window panels in tan, but had an extra green 2x2 plate. I assume these are the EXACT same weight. Fortunately I had a single spare panel from an advent calendar a year or two ago so I didn't need to bother hassling Lego customer service (or cannibalizing the Modular Assembly Square for it).
ReplyDeleteI don't use this word when referring to Lego too much but this is beautiful set IMO. Really temped to pick it up
ReplyDeleteThis usage of Light brick here is fantastic! But I beg to differ that the last time it was so good was in the 90s. The author must have forgot about the Temple of AirJitsu, 70751 with the shadow theatre, for me that still remains the best use of light brick ever.
ReplyDeleteI never had that set! Just looked it up, that really is an ingenious effect :) (I didn't say it was the best effect since the 90s, just the best I'd seen!)
DeleteThe projector screen in the Agents Mobile Command Center is another contender. Still, the reference to the old UFO fiber optic set is a valid opinion. A proper rundown of techniques for each type of light element would be a great idea to feature here sometime.
ReplyDelete