LEGO® Disney™ review: 43212 Celebration Train

As part of the Disney™ 100th anniversary celebrations, LEGO® has released two main sets plus an upcoming series of collectible LEGO Minifigures. We have already reviewed 43217 'Up' House and now it's time to take a look at 43212 LEGO Disney Celebration Train.

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.
LEGO® 43212 Disney Celebration Train
39.99 EUR / $39.99/34.99 GBP/49.99 CAD/59.99 AUD
200 parts
1 April 2023

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The train features beloved Disney and Pixar characters on parade floats, similar to the parade trains that can be seen at Disney resorts. This set is a 4+ set so obviously it's a simple build for younger LEGO builders, but there are some new elements and recolours plus 6 minifigures, so it's worth taking a closer look even if you're a smidgen older than the target demographic.

New elements

Disney Pirate Cloth Sail with two holes (6440074) is a new element for this set with the Skull and Crossbones/Hook. The rear is unprinted.

Minifig Neckwear Wings Fairy Curvy in Trans-Light Blue (6441317 | 77192) is also new. A printed version appeared in 43110 Folk Fairy BeatBox but this is the first time an unprinted version has been in a set.

Recolours

There are two elements that come in new colours in this set.

Wheel 18 x 8 with Fake Bolts and Deep Spokes with Inner Ring in Warm Gold/ Pearl Gold (6435037 | 13971), there are 16 supplied.
Wedge Sloped Inverted 6 x 6 x 1 Triple in Reddish Brown (6437859|29115)

New prints

There are no stickers in this set as it is a 4+ set and I think avoidance of stickers is better for the younger age group. Two rather lovely printed parts are provided.

Tile 2 x 6 with SHERIFF print in Medium Nougat (6422796)
Brick 2 x 4 with Disney Celebration print on both long sides in Earth Blue/Dark Blue (6422795)

Minifigures

LEGO Disney minifigures are sought after and although all of these characters have been seen before in minifigure form, there are a few new prints and elements in this selection.

Since many will want to know about the minifigures in detail, I have taken individual photos and listed the new printed elements under each character.

LEGO Minnie Mouse

There are no new prints or elements for Minnie as this version is found in 10778 Mickey, Minnie and Goofy's Fairground Fun. The only difference is the Large Bow Accessory with Small Pin in Yellow (6393602 | 45598) rather than Red.

LEGO Mickey Mouse

Mickey's head has been used before and his legs are unprinted. The only new print is his Torso with Red Tie, striped waistcoat and pocket watch in Blue (6447831).

LEGO Tinkerbell

Tinkerbell has only appeared in one previous set, which is now retired, 71040 Disney Castle from 2016. As a result, Tinkerbell commands a high price on the secondary market so this will be a welcome return of Peter Pan's favourite fairy.

Tinkerbell has Dual Moulded Legs with printing in Lime and Light Nougat (6442131) rather than the cloth skirt the earlier version wore. Her Torso, head print and hair are the same but her wings are more ornate using Minifig Neckwear Wings Fairy Curvy in Trans-Light Blue (6441317 | 77192) as mentioned.

LEGO Peter Pan

Peter Pan's hair/hat element and head print have been used previously for this minifigure. His legs are unprinted but his Torso with collar and belt print in Lime (6460342) is new.

LEGO Moana

I really like this detailed version of Moana.

Moana is the minifigure with the most new printing. Her head in Medium Nougat with printing on both sides (6422802) is new but her hair element has been used for previous versions of Moana.

She also has an updated Torso with printing in Red (6439434) and Dual-moulded Legs with printing in Tan and Medium Nougat (6447832).

LEGO Woody

Woody is the same as the previous Woody minifigure found in 10767 Duke Caboom's Stunt Show and 10766 Woody & RC, both from 2019.

Rare elements

These elements have only been in one previous set:

Large Bow Accessory with Small Pin in Yellow (6393602 | 45598) also appeared in 10777 Mickey and Minnie's Camping Trip.
Grappling Hook with 90° Shaft in Silver Metallic/ Flat Silver (6391135 | 15534) is of note as it has only been seen in one expensive set 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine from 2022.
Hair Top Knot Bun and Fringe in Cool Yellow/ Bright Light Yellow (6157793 | 25613) appeared as Tinkerbell's hair in 71040 Disney Castle from 2016.
Plate Special Round 2 x 2 with Melting Drops on Sides in Medium Azure (6313605 | 65700) also came in 43203 Aurora, Merida and Tiana’s Enchanted Creations released last year.
Door Frame Double 2 x 8 x 6 in Red (6422248 | 80400) appeared in another 4+ set earlier this year, 60375 Fire Station and Fire Engine.

Building 43212 Celebration Train

There are 5 instruction booklets that correspond to the train engine, 3 parade floats and Minnie's party set-up. Having the booklets and bags split into 5 means that this can be enjoyed by multiple family members, something LEGO has been doing with some sets for a while now.

Mickey and his engine come first and you can see the final location of the Brick 2 x 4 with Disney Celebration print on both long sides in Earth Blue/Dark Blue (6422795).

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell are enjoying their pirate ship based float complete with the new Sail element, recoloured bow element in Reddish Brown and the rare grappling hook (cosplaying as an anchor in this parade).

The sail has nothing to stop it from sliding down the mast a little and as you can see in this image it has naturally slipped down a touch simply with gravity.

Woody's sheriff float is very basic with a simple Sheriff's facade and a cactus plant with a hidden star inside the barrel. While the turntable can be rotated, the narrow opening means that Woody just hits the facade if you attempt to turn him around.

On Moana float she gets to body surf a wave. She has a boat in the movie which is missing here but she at least has an oar. There's a nod to the mountain she climbs in the movie and a friendly crab sits under her wave.

The rear of her float has a little hidden box which contains a 1x1 Round Tile in Trans Bright Green representing the Heart of Te Fiti. It's a nice touch that almost makes up for her losing her boat.

As you can see, none of these builds are complex or detailed but seem age-appropriate in terms of a train and party station to display the minifigures. Some balloons and the cake clarify that this is a celebration train.

Conclusion

This is a reasonably cheap set to get 6 minifigures, including two particularly sought-after characters in Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. While the set is very basic, it is age appropriately for a young 4+ builder and not aimed at the average AFOL or adult builder.

Parts-wise, there are a couple of recolours and a handful of rarer parts so there is a draw beyond just the figures. I'm sure the 16 gold wheels will be welcomed by MOC builders. The new printed 2x4 Disney Celebration brick is very attractive and will most likely be a unique collectable as Disney has a wide market of fans beyond just the core LEGO fans.

There's not too much in the way of play features but this is a moving train so I imagine it can easily be expanded to include additional Disney character floats for a visit a bigger party station.

The minifigures are sure to make this an instant purchase for some considering buying these figures individually on the secondary market would be more costly than simply purchasing the set. As ever, if you're buying it from LEGO.com, please consider using our affiliate links, as we may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop.

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08 April 2023