40478 Mini Disney Castle was widely discussed among the most enjoyable small sets produced last year, including some elaborate construction techniques and impressive detail. The structure arguably reaches the standard of 71040 Disney Castle in certain respects!
As anticipated, 40521 Mini Disney The Haunted Mansion lacks the same beautiful colour, although closely resembles the original Disneyland building and neatly complements the castle. The exclusive Butler minifigure is appealing too.
Summary
40521 Mini Disney The Haunted Mansion, 680 pieces.
£34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 | 5.1p/5.9c/5.9c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Despite falling short of the Disney Castle, the Haunted Mansion is satisfying, if expensive
- Wonderful architectural detail
- Ideal companion for 40478 Mini Disney Castle
- Expensive, relative to size
- Awkward position on base
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigure
Butlers guide visitors through the Haunted Mansion and one such character is included, with a delightfully morose expression! I love the eyes, in particular. Moreover, the reddish brown hair element looks good, but I am surprised no alternative face is provided because the hair piece would conceal it perfectly.
Even though these cast members wear varied costumes at the attraction, products inspired by the butlers almost always feature a teal jacket and striped waistcoat. This colour scheme looks excellent, with dark blue highlights complementing the predominant teal shade, while the fabric tails are also a welcome addition.
The Completed Model
Haunted Mansions are found at several Disneyland parks, but this model recreates the original example at Disneyland in California. The distinctive colonial architecture, most associated with New Orleans, is immediately recognisable and these muted colours appear similarly authentic, when compared with the actual building.
However, the sand green, white and dark orange colours are inevitably overshadowed by the vibrancy of 40478 Mini Disney Castle. The matching bases between these models are superb and I think they look reasonable together, although the Disney Castle is significantly larger and provides far better value than the Haunted Mansion, which becomes obvious when displaying them together.
While the contrast between the base and the Haunted Mansion is effective, I dislike how the mansion is offset. The original building is asymmetrical, but I think extending the base by two studs would have improved its display value. The vacant studs beside the entrance are useful though, providing somewhere to stand the minifigure.
The dramatic portico corresponds with the source material and the verandas are also splendid, comprising sand green window frames, with 1x1 round plates and 1x2 rounded plates creating some texture underneath. Remarkably, sand green 1x1 round plates have only appeared once before, in 4733 The Duelling Club from 2002, so their return was certainly overdue!
1x1 clips are arranged along the edge of the roof, surrounding four chimneys and the central tower. I am impressed with such intricate architecture, particularly considering the small scale. Complex detail continues inside the mansion and is easily accessible, unlike the hidden interior of 40478 Mini Disney Castle.
Five stickered portraits are located inside, depicting the Hitchhiking Ghosts, the Gravekeeper and Madame Leota. The surrounding furniture looks attractive too, including golden highlights with some colourful flowers. However, my favourite addition is the chandelier, which is cleverly represented by a pearl gold candelabra suspended from the ceiling.
Overall
40521 Mini Disney The Haunted Mansion includes extensive detail and closely resembles the original mansion, so achieves its essential goals. The designer had made great use of smaller elements to create realistic architecture and I welcome the shared design features between this model and 40478 Mini Disney Castle.
However, negative comparisons with 40478 Mini Disney Castle are unavoidable. The mansion lacks the exceptional display value of its predecessor and the cost of £34.99, $39.99 or €34.99 seems very expensive, exceeding the price of the castle! Unfortunately, that price spoils what is otherwise an enjoyable homage to Disneyland's historic Haunted Mansion.
103 likes
42 comments on this article
By MisterBrickster in United Kingdom,
Honestly I'm okay with the price. The castle was crazy cheap, we can't expect that to be repeated.
By denn in United States,
gotta pick it up to go with my mini castle, hope i can find it on sale at some point though
By ScholtzTKO in United States,
Just wait for the "system" sized Lego Haunted Mansion. Probably 3,000 pieces and priced at $7,897.99 in the US, 40,000.00 Australian.
By picopirate in United States,
Castle is from Magic Kingdom and the mansion is from Disneyland. If more sets are made, will they use structures from other parks or what.
By Murdoch17 in United States,
@ScholtzTKO said:
"Just wait for the "system" sized normal Haunted Mansion. Probably 3,000 pieces and priced at $7,897.99"
Does it come with a minifig of Disney in a cryogenic chamber? ;-)
By Watsonite in Belgium,
I think it is ugly and barely resembles the real thing. Seems more thrown together than thought through.
By BigDumbWookiee in United States,
What date is this releasing?
By hoodie in Mexico,
I hope they make a bigger scaled one like the castle
By Tc99m in Netherlands,
Big Haunted Mansion fan here, but still on the fence if I'll pick this one up. Definitely overpriced, and I don't get why they went for the butler as the accompanying minifig.
The Bride, Hatbox Ghost, one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts or a Singing Bust or even Madame Leota's head would all make more sense to me.
By Lee_Fogel in United States,
I really like the minifigure...the mansion, meh. And at $40 it's a hard pass.
By briandrewz86 in United States,
I'm hoping the release a mini attraction every year. By the time they are done, we'll have a mini Disneyland.
By Mylenium in Germany,
I can't get over the price, too. Compared to the castle this should be 10 Euro cheaper. Too bad it won't be available in regular retail, so I may have to swallow the bitter pill...
By cofaigh in Ireland,
@Murdoch17 said:
" @ScholtzTKO said:
"Just wait for the "system" sized normal Haunted Mansion. Probably 3,000 pieces and priced at $7,897.99"
Does it come with a minifig of Disney in a cryogenic chamber? ;-)"
just the head.
By yellost in Belgium,
@cofaigh said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
" @ScholtzTKO said:
"Just wait for the "system" sized normal Haunted Mansion. Probably 3,000 pieces and priced at $7,897.99"
Does it come with a minifig of Disney in a cryogenic chamber? ;-)"
just the head.
"
As long as it sings :D
By WemWem in United States,
@Tc99m said:
"Big Haunted Mansion fan here, but still on the fence if I'll pick this one up. Definitely overpriced, and I don't get why they went for the butler as the accompanying minifig.
The Bride, Hatbox Ghost, one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts or a Singing Bust or even Madame Leota's head would all make more sense to me."
Minifigs of the ghosts DEFINITELY would have made this set pop more.
Also make it more identifiable. I doubt anyone other than Disney superfans would correctly ID the building as the Haunted Mansion on first glance.
And honestly, I kinda like the set! I like the Architecture line and microscale buildings. This just lacks a sense of pizzazz.
By Grammaticul in United States,
surprising that this is 100 more pieces than the castle; in any case it's a charmer for certain! glad i'm not buying but from an outsider perspective it would be perfect if it was like $20
By TeriXeri in Netherlands,
@CCC said:
"I can understand the Castle. But not this. The minifigure doesn't make sense. It is out of scale and the Castle didn't have one. It makes it look like they started a new line then changed their mind about what it should contain."
https://brickset.com/minifigs/dis057/mickey-mouse-tuxedo-jacket-red-bow-tie was in the mini castle set
By MisterBrickster in United Kingdom,
@NatureBricks said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
"Honestly I'm okay with the price. The castle was crazy cheap, we can't expect that to be repeated."
Cult members like yourself are the reason we can't have nice things."
That's really quite an unpleasant thing to say to someone.
By gatorbug6 in United States,
Wish it came a ghost fig, like the Hatbox Ghosts, instead. Need ghosts for my Haunted Mansion moc!
By MisterBones in United States,
@MisterBrickster said:
" @NatureBricks said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
"Honestly I'm okay with the price. The castle was crazy cheap, we can't expect that to be repeated."
Cult members like yourself are the reason we can't have nice things."
That's really quite an unpleasant thing to say to someone. "
I agree, unnecessarily rude.
The set is a bit expensive, but then that matches everything Disney does.
By MisterBrickster in United Kingdom,
@WemWem said:
" @Tc99m said:
"Big Haunted Mansion fan here, but still on the fence if I'll pick this one up. Definitely overpriced, and I don't get why they went for the butler as the accompanying minifig.
The Bride, Hatbox Ghost, one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts or a Singing Bust or even Madame Leota's head would all make more sense to me."
Minifigs of the ghosts DEFINITELY would have made this set pop more.
Also make it more identifiable. I doubt anyone other than Disney superfans would correctly ID the building as the Haunted Mansion on first glance.
And honestly, I kinda like the set! I like the Architecture line and microscale buildings. This just lacks a sense of pizzazz."
That hatbox ghost is definitely a Disney superfan deep cut! I'd have loved to see the hitchhiking ghosts though, especially if they were partly transparent like they've been doing with Ninjago figs for a while. Maybe they'll delve into stuff from the parks if they do a third series of collectable figs.
By benbuildslego in United States,
Those columns are far too tall and throw off the proportions of the mansion.
By Natethegreat101 in United States,
This is appealing to me just for all the new and rare parts in sand green. Hope this means they'll be bringing those 1x1 and 1x2 round plates into more sets in the future.
By elangab in Canada,
These sets are nice as a full line for Disney super-fans, otherwise they're a bit pointless, moreover when it's just one of them. I would say - collect them all, or not at all. Unlike the Disney Castle, it's not easy to tell what this set is without context.
The mini figure is great, I like the design.
Price and lack of interest will keep this one on the shelf for me.
By Indy24LA in United States,
"I thought it'd be bigger."
By AustinPowers in Germany,
@MisterBrickster said:
" @NatureBricks said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
"Honestly I'm okay with the price. The castle was crazy cheap, we can't expect that to be repeated."
Cult members like yourself are the reason we can't have nice things."
That's really quite an unpleasant thing to say to someone. "
But he's absolutely right.
If it weren't for people like you, LEGO wouldn't get away with raising prices to ludicrous levels.
As for your original comment, calling something that was simply reasonably priced "crazy cheap" just shows how conditioned you have been by TLG to accept any price no matter the value you get.
I'm 100 percent with @NatureBricks on this one. Actually I would have been much harsher. I really hate people who behave like TLG evangelists and try to justify anything, no matter how unreasonable!
By Paperdaisy in United Kingdom,
@AustinPowers said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
" @NatureBricks said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
"Honestly I'm okay with the price. The castle was crazy cheap, we can't expect that to be repeated."
Cult members like yourself are the reason we can't have nice things."
That's really quite an unpleasant thing to say to someone. "
But he's absolutely right.
If it weren't for people like you, LEGO wouldn't get away with raising prices to ludicrous levels.
As for your original comment, calling something that was simply reasonably priced "crazy cheap" just shows how conditioned you have been by TLG to accept any price no matter the value you get.
I'm 100 percent with @NatureBricks on this one. Actually I would have been much harsher. I really hate people who behave like TLG evangelists and try to justify anything, no matter how unreasonable! "
So no one is allowed to have different opinions on perception of value for money, ever?
What if you think some sets are priced way too high in a certain market for example, and others are ok value for money? Or is everyone who doesn't criticise nearly every price a 'cult member' or 'TLG evangelist '/apologist?
Brickset comment sections have become really toxic of late.
By Padmewan in United States,
@AustinPowers said:
" But he's absolutely right.
If it weren't for people like you, LEGO wouldn't get away with raising prices to ludicrous levels."
Being nasty to a lone commenter about market pricing is about as effective as yelling at a fellow grocery shopper for buying grapefruit that's not on sale. And about as unpleasant.
By Carbohydrates in United States,
@AustinPowers said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
" @NatureBricks said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
"Honestly I'm okay with the price. The castle was crazy cheap, we can't expect that to be repeated."
Cult members like yourself are the reason we can't have nice things."
That's really quite an unpleasant thing to say to someone. "
But he's absolutely right.
If it weren't for people like you, LEGO wouldn't get away with raising prices to ludicrous levels.
As for your original comment, calling something that was simply reasonably priced "crazy cheap" just shows how conditioned you have been by TLG to accept any price no matter the value you get.
I'm 100 percent with @NatureBricks on this one. Actually I would have been much harsher. I really hate people who behave like TLG evangelists and try to justify anything, no matter how unreasonable! "
You don't have to be zealous to see that the mini Disney castle was, in fact, a killer deal. 567 pieces for $35? On top of that, an exclusive fig? Plus all printed parts (including a new unique one) instead of stickers? New molds in new colors? And the design was impressive and detailed. By the standards of either a Disney set or an Architecture set, it was, by all measures, a steal. You are more than welcome to disagree, but you really don't need to come down harshly on someone for feeling that way.
By Sab97m in United States,
I hope they do a version of the train station!
By djcbs in Austria,
This is very cool BUT at 40€ it's overpriced AF.
By PDelahanty in United States,
I'm assuming we'll see Space Mountain in a year or two.
By Starik20X7 in Australia,
Doesn’t seem to be listed on the AU store yet… wonder if it’s got a delayed release date here?
By AustinPowers in Germany,
@Paperdaisy said:
"So no one is allowed to have different opinions on perception of value for money, ever?
...
Brickset comment sections have become really toxic of late."
And we have TLG to thank for that.
They are doing everything (sometimes perhaps unwittingly, sometimes at least taking the effects into account) to alienate their customers, and recently even their most loyal fanbase (hashtag sigfiggate anyone?).
Dragging legal competitors to court, lashing out in all directions with their army of lawyers (and I am not talking about going against Lepin or other illegal clone brands - that is totally necessary of course), posting record profits and bragging about the wealth of the owner while almost simultaneously announcing the most drastic price hikes in years...
Need I go on?
I know lots of people (parents mainly) who have actively turned away from buying LEGO and only buy alternative brands now. Some honestly hate TLG for making the brand they loved as kids (the fondness for which they had intended to pass on to their own kids, something they now can't anymore with good conscience) either into a brand for luxury items or one for making the bread and butter sets ever less value for money. Meaning providing ever less for the money spent (quality of the bricks, designs, amount of pieces per unit of money,...)
Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and sure, some people may feel they are getting their money's worth, but value for money is actually something that is measurable.
With LEGO, there are several methods even to determine the value for money.
There is of course an emotional component, mainly because some people simply have too much money to begin with so they don't care about ridiculous prices because they are used to them from all the other luxury brands they buy, or because their judgment is clouded by their love for a certain theme/IP so they don't notice how much they are overcharged just for that, but that does not take away from the fact that value for money is indeed measurable.
And yes, considering what you got the Mini Disney Castle was objectively good value for money (while this Haunted House isn't - depending on the region you're buying it in).
By Wrecknbuild in Netherlands,
I don't know this building, but the price seems fine for the number of pieces, and the minifig looks great.
Recently, the price point for many other sets is just outrageous. And it will fire back, because then they will only sell when at a huge discount, which isn't good for the company image imho.
By TheBrickBulbasaur in United States,
@Murdoch17 said:
" @ScholtzTKO said:
"Just wait for the "system" sized normal Haunted Mansion. Probably 3,000 pieces and priced at $7,897.99"
Does it come with a minifig of Disney in a cryogenic chamber? ;-)"
Nope, that’s in the pirate’s ride. Also it would just be his head lol
By Faefrost in United States,
I'm a bit underwhelmed. I kind of get why they went with the Disneyland New Orleans style version. But with that said, the Magic Kingdom/Tokyo one is the much more interesting building and would have produced a larger and more impressive build with it's Gothic Exterior and grounds.
By brick_r in Canada,
The real "Haunting" thing is: They still expect you to to full-price for a ticket..."Small World" my...'um:)
@Murdoch17 : No, Walt's figure comes with whatever coliseum "The Anaheim Ducks" are playing in...'Honda Center' after looking it up...:D
By lemish34 in Australia,
@AustinPowers said:
" @Paperdaisy said:
"So no one is allowed to have different opinions on perception of value for money, ever?
...
Brickset comment sections have become really toxic of late."
And we have TLG to thank for that.
They are doing everything (sometimes perhaps unwittingly, sometimes at least taking the effects into account) to alienate their customers, and recently even their most loyal fanbase (hashtag sigfiggate anyone?).
Dragging legal competitors to court, lashing out in all directions with their army of lawyers (and I am not talking about going against Lepin or other illegal clone brands - that is totally necessary of course), posting record profits and bragging about the wealth of the owner while almost simultaneously announcing the most drastic price hikes in years...
Need I go on?
I know lots of people (parents mainly) who have actively turned away from buying LEGO and only buy alternative brands now. Some honestly hate TLG for making the brand they loved as kids (the fondness for which they had intended to pass on to their own kids, something they now can't anymore with good conscience) either into a brand for luxury items or one for making the bread and butter sets ever less value for money. Meaning providing ever less for the money spent (quality of the bricks, designs, amount of pieces per unit of money,...)
Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and sure, some people may feel they are getting their money's worth, but value for money is actually something that is measurable.
With LEGO, there are several methods even to determine the value for money.
There is of course an emotional component, mainly because some people simply have too much money to begin with so they don't care about ridiculous prices because they are used to them from all the other luxury brands they buy, or because their judgment is clouded by their love for a certain theme/IP so they don't notice how much they are overcharged just for that, but that does not take away from the fact that value for money is indeed measurable.
And yes, considering what you got the Mini Disney Castle was objectively good value for money (while this Haunted House isn't - depending on the region you're buying it in). "
@Austen Powers.
Why exactly are you on this website (Brickset)?
You clearly don’t even like LEGO at all!
By AustinPowers in Germany,
@lemish34 said:
" @AustinPowers
Why exactly are you on this website (Brickset)?
You clearly don’t even like LEGO at all!"
Clearly indeed.
I've got over 1,500 LEGO sets plus thousands of additional individual pieces ordered from Bricklink etc. over the years. I got my first sets over forty years ago and the latest ones a couple of days ago.
Clearly I don't like LEGO and have no reason for being on Brickset.
You know, just because I heavily critisize the company behind the product for specific things I am angry about or don't agree with doesn't mean I don't like LEGO sets in general.
The only thing that has changed in recent years is that I have broadened my horizons and begun to buy sets from alternative manufacturers as well. Especially for those subjects that LEGO doesn't even offer at all (either any more or never in the first place) like realistic trains of German prototypes and their accessories, historic warships and airplanes, Star Trek based sets, vehicles from 80s TV shows etc. etc.
By BJNemeth in United States,
There are so many lovely, wonderful people here at Brickset, and reading their comments brings new insight and a shared sense of joy. Then there are are a few bad apples who seem to constantly complain and whine and accuse those of us having a good time of being sheep or whatever.
Scrolling thru Brickset comments used to be a lot more fun.
By Adamskibrick in United Kingdom,
I get that this is the original Haunted Mansion, but given the castle more closely resembles Cinderella's Castle at Disney World, I don't understand why they went with the original Disneyland HM as opposed to the Disney World version.
Additionally the Disney World design resembles a haunted house way more than the original attraction in Disneyland which was originally themed to blend in with the New Orleans Square area in the park.
That all said perhaps the original design is used in the upcoming film in which case I guess this makes sense from a sales standpoint.
