This 4+ set includes a space rocket, research station, and several small side builds. While it is a small simple build, there is plenty of space for your imagination as Mickey and Minnie take samples of the green crystals and discover a cute little alien.
The space rocket easily opens up for interior access and is large enough for both moustronuats with room for stowing their equipment and lunch.
Like the other sets in the new Mickey and Friends theme, the set is designed with a build-play-build structure. There are two main bags of parts that correspond to matching booklets of instructions. Surprisingly, the larger pieces were loose in the box rather than packaged together in an unnumbered bag.
The first bag/booklet will build the space rocket, and Mickey Mouse will guide us along the progress bar.
Mickey Mouse as an astronaut is an all new minifigure from head to toe.
In order to keep Mickey's unique mouse features visible, the space helmet looks more like the Communications Carrier Assembly or "Snoopy Cap" that real astronauts wear under their helmets. I like that they didn't try to make a giant helmet to fit over Mickey's ears and nose. I think this head design works really well to convey both Mickey's features and the idea that he is an astronaut.
The white torso is printed with hoses, panels, and buttons to create the spacesuit details. The back of the torso features a metallic light blue Mickey Mouse Logo. The white legs are printed with more details to complete the spacesuit. Both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse use the same torso and legs for their matching space suits. We'll take a closer look at Minnie when we get to bag two.
After assembling Mickey, he gets a camera to document all his discoveries. We also build a little flag that he can fly on the new planet. While it's a fun little side build, I'm surprised that there is no printing on the flag. 4+ sets don't use stickers, but this is one place I would like one. A Mickey Mouse logo on the flag would be appropriate.
We begin construction on the space rocket with the bottom section. This is a new forward bottom aircraft fuselage piece. The dark azure piece is 6 x 16 x 2 and provides plenty of room for creating the interior of the space rocket.
There are two seats in the rocket, each with a different control panel. The front control panel is a new print for 2021. The 1 x 2 x 2/3 light bluish gray 30° slope shows an oval dashboard with sliver, medium azure, and red gauges. While new, this piece is already used in seven other sets. The second control panel is not new. I'm glad they used two different printed pieces for the rocket controls.
The back cargo area uses two 1 x 2 x 1 trans-bright green panels. These have been around since 2014 but have only been used in six other sets, so it's a fairly rare color for these panel pieces.
Mickey easily fits in the rocket in a comfortable, reclined position.
With the bottom and interior of the rocket complete, we move to the top fuselage. This is the matching forward top aircraft fuselage in dark azure that fits with the new bottom piece. It features a printed window with a silver frame and an alien inside.
The top fuselage has studs on the top and sides, so we can add a little more decoration to the top. A new printed 2 x 2 dark azure tile is used for the hatch. It features a light blue Mickey Mouse logo which matches the logo on the back of Mickey's spacesuit torso.
Next, we add three fins to the top and sides of the rocket fuselage. Each fin consists of just three pieces, but the shaping is excellent. I love the contrast of the red fins against the dark azure body. It really adds to the retro styling of the rocket.
Finally we add the engines to the back. The engine assembly is attached with a new yellow technic pin. While it is new for 2021, it has already been used in five other sets. It's great to get the frictionless technic pin in a new color, and I hope we start getting other technic pins in different colors.
The two finished sections of the rocket are ready for final assembly, and Mickey is ready for his extraterrestrial adventure.
The two sections of rocket snap together easily. It balances upright fairly well, and the engines are not touching the ground. There are just two leftover pieces, including the new yellow technic pin. You can see all the parts from bag one here.
The back of the space rocket is flat and lacks any detailing. While it stands okay, it can fall over if it gets bumped, since all the weight of the rocket is in the bottom, and all the supporting fins are attached to the top. It would be nice to have a fourth fin to support the back, but this would prevent the ship from sitting open for extra play. It's stable enough that I think they made the right compromise.
Here is the competed rocket in the horizontal position. It's cute, compact, and should fit easily into a young builders hand for swooshing. Now we need an alien world to explore.
After swooshing through space with our new rocket, we're ready to land with the next booklet of instructions and bag of parts. Minnie Mouse will be our guide through the second half of this set. All the pieces from bag two can be seen here.
Like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse is a completely new figure from her bow to her toes. She shares the same new torso and legs with Mickey, but her head has printed eyelashes to distinguish her from Mickey. She is also wearing a new red bow. This is the same bow mold that she and Daisy wear throughout the Mickey and Friends sets, but this is the only set where it is red. Red is a classic color for Minnie, and it looks great with the white spacesuit. Minnie is alway so stylish.
Minnie gets a metal detector to help her explore the alien world.
We also build a little alien. The printed lime green 2 x 2 round brick with dome top is an exclusive piece, but I hope it shows up in some future sets. It's added on top of two yellowish green teeth/claw plates to make a simple alien. The printed green spots, white eye, and dark pink tongue give the alien a lot of personality. I wish we had gotten one or two more in this set.
Two trans-bright green crystals and a trans-bright green boulder give use just a hint of the alien's world. The boulder top and bottom was first introduced in trans-bright green in set 2000414: Serious Play Starter Kit (2010). It has since only been used in one other set. I'm all for exciting alien rocks in transparent colors. Or is that an alien egg? The instructions have us put a crystal inside, but the alien will also fit. Perhaps it is a newly hatched baby alien.
Whatever it is, Minnie Mouse is sure to make friends with it as she explores the planet.
The main build in bag two is a small planetary research station. We start with a new 8 x 16 x 2/3 sand blue modified brick with 1 x 4 indentations and two rounded corners. This is the same brick used in the other Mickey and Friends sets, but this is the only set using the piece in sand blue.
On the right side of the research station, we build a small specimen containment chamber. The 4 x 4 round brick with recessed center and hole in red has only been used in set 43179 Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse (2020). It makes a perfect container for our crystal sample and fits neatly under the trans-light blue 4 x 4 x 1 2/3 half-sphere canopy. This windscreen is fairly rare. It first appeared in 2019 in set 70838 Queen Watevra's 'So-Not-Evil' Space Palace and has been used in only two other sets.
In the center of the research station is a large monitor to observe the planet outside. The 1 x 6 x 5 trans-light blue panel is printed with aliens and a rock boulder on the screen with buttons and dials under it.
The walls surrounding this monitor are topped off with the new Mickey Mouse Head brick. This 2 x 2 x 2/3 round brick with two 1 x 1 round tiles is exclusive to the Mickey and Friends theme, and is used in all five sets. You can see it in more detail in our piece spotlight.
A communications tower on the left side completes our research station. It's good to be able to call home when you are stationed on an alien planet.
We have reached the end of the build, and there are no spare parts left. It's a simple structure, but has plenty of room for allowing our moustronauts to carry out experiments, analyze alien crystal samples, and observe the planet around them.
Before we bring the space rocket and research station together for some final thoughts, let's take a look at the packaging.
The front of the box shows the space rocket landed on an alien planet with the research station nearby. Mickey photographs an alien jumping out of a boulder, while Minnie searches for minerals. The background image shows a faded yellow planet surface with another ringed planet and stars in the sky. The Lego and Disney logos are in the upper left corner and the 4+ logo on the bottom left. In the top right corner is a call-out image showing that the rocket splits apart for "More play inside." The bottom right corner show the Mickey and Friends logo next to a classic illustration of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
The planetary background continues around the left side and top of the box. A classic illustration of Daisy Duck is on the left side, while Donald Duck is shown on the top. Astronaut Minnie Mouse is used for the actual size image on the box top.
On the back of the box, the LEGO logo is in the upper left hand corner. All the build sections and accessories are laid out neatly so you can see exactly will get created. Along the bottom is a "Learn to Build" call out image showing the main sections of the space rocket. There is also an "action" image showing Mickey Mouse planting the flag on the alien planet, while Minnie Mouse eats lunch in the rocket, and an alien jumps out of a boulder. The lower right corner has another classic illustration of Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse. This is similar to the front illustration, but they have swapped sides.
We bring the rocket from the first half of the build to land safely beside the research station from the second half. Mickey Mouse is busy photographing the friendly alien he discovered, while Minnie Mouse is searching for exotic crystals to bring back to the research station for further study.
Summary:
This is a fun 4+ set. There are plenty of details for imaginative play or getting started on building a more expansive world.
Fans of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will enjoy the new moustronaut figures. The torsos and legs could be used with regular minifig heads for human astronauts, but would still have the Mickey Mouse branding on the back.
I love the simple little alien. It would have been great to get a couple more. While I appreciate that they are included in the printed details on both the monitor screen and the rocket window, that's no substitute for massing these little green friends.
The research station has just enough detail to inspire creating a larger laboratory. I really like the specimen containment chamber, and the monitor window has good printed details.
I was very happy that the interior of the space rocket held both minifigs easily. There is even room for the alien to stow away in the back. The figures are loose in the rocket and don't stay in place as you swoosh it around. While it would be nice if there were studs to keep them seated, they can't go far so it's a minor complaint.
The rocket is cute for such a simple build, and I like the retro styling and color choice. I could see AFOLs using it in a larger space base layout where the focus is on the base and not on the rocket.
Overall, I had fun building it. Kids will enjoy playing with it, and adults will enjoy it for inspiration and parts.
Happy Building!
-prrbrix
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Disclaimer:
This set was provided by The LEGO Group for the purpose of sharing set details with fans.
Opinions provided here solely reflect those of our reviewer.
Photographs are property of Friends Bricks and are not directed by TLG in any fashion.
so cool! i need about fifty of those cute alien heads.
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