Eight ways LEGO celebrated Disney’s 100th anniversary in 2023
Disney is now 100 years old, and the LEGO Group has celebrated throughout 2023 with sets, GWPs and more. Here are eight ways the two companies came together for the House of Mouse’s centennial.
Save for a surprise last-minute LEGO Disney release for Black Friday (nothing is rumoured at the minute), we’ve likely seen everything the LEGO Group has cooked up for Disney’s 100th anniversary now. And from flagship sets to a new bumper series of Collectible Minifigures, 2023 has been arguably the best year yet for LEGO Disney fans, as Billund’s brightest pulled out all the stops to deliver on the occasion.
It’s going to take some beating in 2024 and beyond, but the good news is that there’s at least one new product from the list below still to look forward to in the years to come. Keep reading for eight ways the LEGO Group made the most of a century of Disney animation, stories and characters.
8 – A LEGO House mural
Visitors to the LEGO House in Billund can currently check out a Disney mural made up of nearly 1 million pieces in the attraction’s foyer, which was conceived and designed by artists Lakwena Maciver, Amy Jones and Kristin Texeira, then constructed in conjunction with fans in Manchester (UK), Paris and New York. The mural features characters including Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Buzz Lightyear, and is on display until October 29.
7 – An exclusive in-store build
Back in July, LEGO Stores around the world hosted an in-store monthly mini build to celebrate the launch of another set featured further down this list (spoilers!). The model given away to fans in-store was 6470860 Disney Mini Castle, a tiny microscale rendition of a Disney icon. Comprised of just 60 pieces, the build sits on a round 8×8 plate (with centre 2×2 studs) printed with the Disney 100 logo.
6 – A 100th-anniversary sweepstakes
Ahead of 43215 The Enchanted Treehouse’s launch in June, the LEGO Group offered Disney fans the chance to win seven sets from its 100th anniversary range in the VIP Rewards Centre. The mini-doll model was among that pack, as well as 41947 Mickey & Friends Bracelets Mega Pack, 41964 Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Back-to-School Project Box, 43212 Disney Celebration Train, 43216 Princess Enchanted Journey, 43217 ‘Up’ House and 43221 100 Years of Disney Animation Icons.
5 – Multiple gifts-with-purchase
The LEGO Group has also offered up several more accessible Disney 100th anniversary freebies throughout 2023, including two different gifts-with-purchase. 40600 Disney 100 Years Celebration popped up at LEGO.com in July and September, and includes a unique Mickey Mouse minifigure, while 40659 Mini Steamboat Willie is currently available at shopDisney with qualifying purchases (and will presumably be coming to LEGO.com soon).
4 – A LEGO Ideas contest
If this year’s huge range of LEGO Disney 100th anniversary sets – more on those in a sec – aren’t enough for you, at least one more is coming in a sort of belated, after-the-fact kind of way. As part of its birthday celebrations, the LEGO Group opened up the design pool for a future Disney 100 set to the LEGO Ideas community, and 2A2A’s Disney Magic took the crown. The set features a giant Mickey surrounded by scenes from Disney’s history. A release window has yet to be confirmed.
3 – Celebratory sets
A surprisingly wide range of LEGO Disney 100th anniversary sets have landed on shelves this year, signified by their specially-designed packaging. They run the gamut from 4+ models like 43212 Disney Celebration Train to 18+ sets such as 43227 Villain Icons and 43230 Walt Disney Tribute Camera, while many mark story, theme or character firsts for LEGO Disney, including 43217 ‘Up’ House and 43226 Disney Duos.
2 – A new series of Collectible Minifigures
This year’s first licensed Collectible Minifigures series was also the last to be released in foil bags, and ballooned the character count from 12 to 18 for 71038 Disney 100. Stand-out minifigures in the super-sized series include Pinocchio, Sorcerer Mickey, Queen of Hearts, Ernesto de la Cruz and… well, all of them really. You’ll need to turn to the aftermarket to grab yours now, though – like all Collectible Minifigures series, they were short-lived.
1 – A new flagship Disney Castle
71040 The Disney Castle finally left shelves in 2022 after six years in production – but the LEGO Group wasn’t about to let one of its greatest House of Mouse money-spinners rest dormant for long. In comes 43222 Disney Castle, a souped-up version of its predecessor with a fresh colour scheme, new characters and an all-around better design. It’s the headline launch of Disney’s 100th anniversary from the LEGO Group, and is available now.
Every LEGO Disney 100th anniversary set released in 2023
| LEGO set | Price | Pieces | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10998 3in1 Magical Castle | £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 | 160 | April 1, 2023 |
| 40600 Disney 100 Years Celebration | Free with orders above £95 / $100 / €100 | 226 | July 1, 2023 |
| 40619 EVE & WALL•E | £13.49 / $14.99 / €14.99 | 155 | March 1, 2023 |
| 40620 Cruella & Maleficent | £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 | 320 | March 1, 2023 |
| 40621 Moana & Merida | £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 | 410 | March 1, 2023 |
| 40622 Disney 100th Celebration | £39.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 | 501 | February 1, 2023 |
| 40659 Mini Steamboat Willie | TBC | 424 | TBC |
| 43212 Disney Celebration Train | £34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 | 200 | April 1, 2023 |
| 43215 The Enchanted Treehouse | £149.99 / $159.99 / €159.99 | 1,016 | June 1, 2023 |
| 43217 ‘Up’ House | £54.99 / $59.99 / €59.99 | 598 | April 1, 2023 |
| 43221 100 Years of Disney Animation Icons | £49.99 / $59.99 / €54.99 | 1,022 | June 1, 2023 |
| 43222 Disney Castle | £344.99 / $399.99 / €399.99 | 4,837 | July 1, 2023 |
| 43226 Disney Duos | £42.99 / $44.99 / €47.99 | 553 | June 1, 2023 |
| 43227 Villain Icons | £124.99 / $129.99 / €139.99 | 1,540 | June 1, 2023 |
| 43230 Walt Disney Tribute Camera | £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 | 811 | September 1, 2023 |
| 43232 Peter Pan & Wendy’s Flight over London | £57.99 / $59.99 / €64.99 | 466 | September 1, 2023 |
| 71038 Disney 100 | £3.49 / $4.99 / €3.99 per bag | Varies | May 1, 2023 |
| 6470860 Disney Mini Castle | Free in LEGO Stores | 60 | July 2023 |
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- I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.
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