Disney has been the source of some wonderful animated adventures over the years. The latest of those adventures, Raya and the Last Dragon is now showing on Disney+ Premier Access. Set in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons once lived together in harmony before monsters threatened the land. Until the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years on the threat returns and Raya must track down the last dragon to save the world once more. The land of Kumandra is split into tribes connected to magical orbs created by the dragon. One tribe is found in Heart, which is also where the palace featured in this set can be found. So here’s my review of the LEGO® Disney Raya & The Heart Palace set.
Product Description
Adventure awaits Disney fans with this LEGO® ǀ Disney Raya and the Heart Palace (43181) set. The set comes with printed building instructions and digital Instructions PLUS! Using the LEGO Building Instructions app, the guided, real-life building process leaves even younger builders feeling like real master builders… awesome!
The buildable palace has 6 different rooms to explore, including a throne room, treasure room and a hidden room behind a revolving wall. The 2 side towers open and can hold Raya’s and Namaari’s weapons. The central tower opens to reveal a bedroom, with portraits of Raya’s friends. Kids can dive into playing with 2 mini-doll figures from Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon – Raya and Namaari – plus Tuk Tuk and Namaari’s Serlot LEGO figures.
- Set Name: Raya & The Heart Palace
- Set Number: 43181
- Pieces: 610
- RRP: £74.99/$79.99/79.99€
- Measurements: Measures over 9.5 in. (24 cm) high, 11 in. (28 cm) wide and 6 in. (16 cm) deep
- Mini-dolls: Raya & Namaari, Tuk Tuk & Serlot creatures
- Availability: LEGO.com, LEGO Stores and LEGO retailers
The Build
I think it’s fair to say that I’m probably not the target audience for these types of Disney-themed sets. But I thought the set looked interesting and had some equally interesting elements, including the unique Tuk Tuk figure. Which is where the build begins. Tuk Tuk is a rather large armadillo-type creature and is adorned with a small buildable seat-type mount. This is perfectly scaled to not only hang over the sides of Tuk Tuk but also hold a seated Mini-Doll.
The palace is made up of several platform-type sections which are connected together by a series of hinge bricks. Each of these features different areas of the palace, such as a throne, a fruit-filled banquet table, treasure chest and a great rotating section of wall, hiding a legendary map, which shows the Kumandra tribes placement along a giant dragon-shaped river.
As you’d expect from a palace, it’s rather ornate. The details which portray this are achieved by a mix of element use, many of which are uniquely coloured, along with a number of stickers. For once I welcome the use of stickers as they add some much to the appearance of the set. They also look great when combined with the largely white, blueish green, bright blue and pearl gold elements.
Once all the sections of the palace are constructed you add various details such as cascades of 1×1 plates in various colours which are offset from each other to look like paper lanterns. One of the most striking features has to be the large curved bulbous dome. This is crafted from two identical elements, which are similar in style to the curved sections used to create air balloons in Friends and NINJAGO sets. As far as I tell this is a new piece and the printed detail of the ones used here is certainly unique to this set.
The configuration of the set is also quite interesting. As you build, the sections are basically a strip of interconnected sections. Once you get to the last stages of the build these are all connected to a central plate. This transforms the set into a contained and completely different looking set. That central plate also plays an important part in the story of the film. It’s where one of the Dragon Orbs are found and Mysterio’s helmet piece is a great stand-in for this.
The Characters
It’s a well-known fact that not everyone is a fan of Mini-dolls. These alternatives to Minifigures have populated the Friends sets since their conception and has been used for many of the Disney sets. I’m sure the two characters included would look great as Minifigures but they are just as good in Mini-doll form. To capture the look of both Raya and Namaari, a couple of new elements have been introduced including Ray’s hair and hat, as well as her soft material Cape are all new. Namaari also has a new hairpiece, this is nicely blended with a little extra print detail on the character’s head. This is really good and helps match the Mini-Doll to the character’s animated appearance.
As well as the Mini-Doll characters the set also includes two creatures. One using a newly recoloured and uniquely printed version of the fox/wolf elements, which has been used in past Friends and Elves sets. But the star of the show is Tuk Tuk, a large armadillo-type creature. This is a brand new piece and it’s only found in this set. Connection points include 2×3 set studs on the top of Tuk Tuk and the four single points on the feet. Despite being a big element, the inside is hollow and thus the element is fairly light.
Overall
Although I’ve not seen Raya & the Last Dragon, I’ve watched the trailer and previews, so seeing enough to make a basic connection between the set and the source material. Although the set seems far more colourful compared to the on-screen version, the overall shape it there. Although not an exact replica, it contains enough story elements to make it a great set for fans of the film to continue their adventures. The scene can also be expanded by adding set 43184: Raya & Sisu Dragon, which not only features a Dragon but also additional elements for the palace. I’m not sure it worth the RRP though, especially when you compare it to the recent Monkie Kid sets. For example, a similarly priced set from that theme has almost double the number of elements. The Raya set certainty has some unique elements, I’m not sure that warrants the pricing. However, if you spot the set below RRP, I’d certainly consider picking it up. Even if you aren’t a fan of the source material or style of characters it has some great elements. Raya & The Last Dragon is airing now on Disney+ Premier Access and in selected cinemas.
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This set was requested by BricksFanz and provided by the LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group ot Disney. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
