This year has seen several new LEGO® themes introduced and one of them is inspired by Netflix kids show, Gabby’s Dollhouse. The sets inspired by the show are part of the easy-to-build 4+ range, which features unique starter bricks, cool printed pieces and special character elements. Gabby’s Dollhouse began in 2021 and has already made it to its 8th season on Netflix. The show combines live-action sections with animated elements in which Gabby heads off on adventures in her dollhouse with her gang of feline friends. The show is partly inspired by unboxing videos, which have risen in popularity in recent years. Although the show and by extension the sets, may not be of much interest to older LEGO fans, the 4+ sets do offer some interesting elements. This particular set is also one of the largest 4+ builds. So here’s a look at Gabby’s Dollhouse.
Product Details
Set Name: Gabby’s Dollhouse | Set Number: 10788 | Pieces: 498 | Theme: Gabby’s Dollhouse
RRP: £69.99/$79.99/79.99€ | Number of Bags: Bags x 9 + loose elements | Instructions: Paper booklets x 9 + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Mini-dolls: Gabby + Pandy, MerCat and Cakey
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & General Retail
The notion of the 4+ sets is to offer a simplified build experience for younger LEGO fans. This begins with the build instructions, all 9 of them. Each section of the dollhouse has its own instruction book. It does seem a little excessive but if they were all combined in one booklet, it would be a little overwhelming for kids. It also means this is a great set for multiple people to build plus one which can be built over multiple sessions. Rather handily, each section has its own numbered bag, all of which require the addition of larger elements. These are included as separate elements and are mainly base plates for each room of the house.
The build experience of the 4+ sets is simplified but that doesn’t mean the set lacks detail. Instead, that detail is achieved through uniquely printed elements and as a large set, there are quite a few of them. These include some excellent plate panels, wall panels and other smaller elements. Although these printed pieces have a running theme of cats, they are generic enough to be useful in MOCs.
The dollhouse structure is constructed from a series of 6 rooms, a central tower and two roof sections. The rooms are all built on an 8×16 base, which simplifies the build and gives each room a similar feel, but they are made unique thanks to the printed elements and other furnishings. These give the set a fun and colourful appearance. Rooms include a bedroom, art room, bathroom and a music room.
With three of the room sections stacked on top of each other, the two stacks of rooms are linked together by a central tower. This uses some unique elements to create a tower which can hold a lift element. The lift is a variant of the newly introduced gear block. This can be combined with a worm gear to offer a moveable element. Unfortunately, that function isn’t featured in the set. The height of the tower would require a long stack of worm gears, which I think would confuse the build experience too much for kids. With all the sections combined, they are topped by a simple roof section. This includes two plastic film fins to represent the dollhouse’s cat-like ears. The fins are mounted on the special bricks introduced in the DOTS sets as picture mounts.
The set includes characters in the style of LEGO Friends mini-dolls. Gabby is a standard mini-doll figure with a new hairpiece to match both the live-action and animated versions of the character. Gabby is also known for her cat ear headband, which ties into her shrinking down and heading into the dollhouse. This is a uniquely recoloured element which was first featured in the old Friends sets along with the recent LEGO City Downtown set. Although Gabby is the lone mini-doll, she is joined by a trio of her cat chums. These include Pandy Paws, a half-cat, half-panda. Cakey, a half-cat, half-cupcake and MerCat, which I’m sure you can guess is half and half of. Cakey is a completely new element due to the unique shape, whereas the other two characters make use of micro-doll bodies as a base, with minor tweaks such as the added tail on Pandy. Both of these characters also include unique heads. These sort of figures are another bonus for the 4+ sets.
Overall
The 4+ sets continue to impress with their unique elements and cool printed pieces. This particular set fares well on both fronts. Despite being a large set, play features are minimal, but I suppose that’s similar to actual dollhouses. Although I can’t profess to be an avid viewer of Gabby’s Dollhouse, the set seems to do a great job of capturing the fun of the show. The fact the show takes place in a dollhouse makes it even more fun. The highlights are by far the fun little cat figures, so much so it’s a shame only three of them are included in the set. Although some may question these weird, off-beat sets, they offer a nice bit of variety as well as some interesting elements. Plus they are a great way to introduce new fans to LEGO building.
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The LEGO Group provided this set, upon request, for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group, Netflix or Dreamworks. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
