Review: 43203 Aurora, Merida and Tiana's Enchanted Creations

Aurora, Merida and Tiana's Enchanted Creations are enchanting as brick-built room decor items with practical uses and fun functions!

Merida of Scotland from Disney and Pixar's 2012 "Brave" animated movie makes her first return since 2014's Merida's Highland Games 41051. This time with the new-for-2022 mold part Diamond jewel skirt in transparent blue opal. She also has a new hard plastic hair piece mold in bright orange that appears exclusively here.
The printing on her face and torso is also new and exclusive. This is much more representative of her animated facial expressions, along with eyebrows that match her hair color. Her earth blue tunic top has silver stars and orbs, perhaps forest wisps. Her waistband is gold with a curvy Bear graphic. Both the design print and waist band, along with gold neckline trim, carry around to her back.
I am so happy with her new hair!


The new jewel skirt part come with a "lower rock" piece that when connected in the upright position also works as a spinning Top. Her torso fits onto the top oval stud. The lower part serves as a parasol.
She comes with a bow and arrow element.


First we build her an Archery target stand that is adjustable. Then the drawer is created with smooth tile bottomed inside, silvery Celtic knot and sword banners are stickers on rare transparent blue 2x3 angle shield parts.
Gold 1x1 round bricks break-up the interlocked smooth walls; this will allow pulling the drawer out to be easier.


The base of her small Castle Keep has a spot for her target and cavity for the drawer -- with smooth corner tiles to slide in-and-out on. Blue tiles are also placed as a smaller octagonal shape onto the dark blue plates -- so the inside bottom of the Tower/pencil holder will be smooth.
The dark green 8x8 half circle plate as grassy area base is newly recolored.


Using 3x3x6/45-degree tan wall parts, the tower is hollow -- to hold desk items such as pencils, and has smooth tiles in the bottom interior. It gets a hanging "tapestry" (sticker) of Merida with her mother as a Bear.
The teal and dark blue parapets are striking against the tan castle walls.


The backside shows that the drawer has a bit of air pressure release to make pulling out easier.


The front with the drawer inserted shows that it protrudes along the dark blue tile -- making it look more like a castle room -- especially with banners and side entry torches.


Merida can rotate her target on its stand's spot. The drawer slides out easily on the smooth tiles inside -- with the gold handle, or pushing from the back.


From the back, the left has more architectural detail than just smooth walls like the drawer itself.
Merida can be set atop the tower at this angle of the jeweled skirt; rotate her 45-degrees and she can slide down all the way and be hidden. Her bow with arrow hangs on a clip.


This is Merida's complete Castle Keep to keep some room items: perhaps pencils in the tower (or use it as your Brick Separator keeper as I am here); maybe rubbers bands in the drawer (the Parasol fits in it nicely); or if you have her first set 41051 -- you can store her 3 little bear brothers :-)
The curvy teal 4x4 bow bricks are an interesting choice, giving the tower a very rounded top fascia with parapets. A corner Balcony 1/2 4x8x2 1/3 design #6066 brick exist in many castle sets, even in earth blue -- which could have been used here -- yet I like how this turned out.


Starting the 3rd bag and second of three instructions booklets (3 people can build this box set together), we get Tiana's transparent green opal jewel skirt -- which looks a bit fluorescent in person. That's why I set it with the newly recolored in dark green 8x8 circle plate and 2x2 curvy tile; also newly recolored 1x4 brick and 2x2 curvy bricks in spring yellowish green.

New 1x1 printed tiles for the DOTS portion of this set are frogs on cool yellow with 1/2 circle, and a Water Lilly on transparent blue.
The dark green frog is Prince Naveen and the yellowish green/lime is Tiana. All exclusive to this set, so far.


Here is Tiana (Princess and the Frog - 2009) wearing the new diamond jewel skirt with the similar torso when she appeared in 41162 Ariel, Aurora, and Tiana's Royal Celebration (2019). The previous had a yellowish pearl necklace, while this new one has a silver drop-charm necklace. Otherwise, the water Lily petals chest yoke remain the same print. Her hair piece is also the same rubbery type as before.
Her gown top's print carries around the back, as well as her silver necklace.
The parasol of the lower rock part with gold bar piece looks very appropriate for her.


The first item we build is her DOTS bracelet, which is rare in cool yellow. This is the tile placement per instructions; of course you can create it any way you wish.
Prince Naveen and Tiana's kiss in the Bayou -- which turns her into a frog initially, then into a Princess -- is depicted by these exclusive tile prints. The Water Lilly on transparent blue is also a new print. I like the way its placed as part of a Lily Pad; surprised it's not round. The spring yellowish green tiles create another Lotus or Magnolia type of flower or plant leaves -- echoing her gown top's neckline.


The drawer for Tiana's jewelry box isn't tile-lined; perhaps to make sure a coiled bracelet fits.
The gold drawer pull piece is a nice choice, since it resembles a frog's webbed foot. The sides get transparent blue plates with lets a bit of light in, and the front is finished with a gold Heart.


Everything from bag 3 is built and the DOTS bracelet is ready. We are lucky to get such great spares!


With the DOTS bracelet's stud connected into the last hole, it doesn't quite fit into the drawer. Un-studding it and coiling it more allows it to fit nicely -- yet allowing the drawer to slide.


The next bag begins the base of the jewelry box and cavity for the drawer. The gold scrolled balcony railing parts allow for air so sliding it out is easy. It would make a nice throne chair at this point. The 10x10 plate with half circle is newly recolored in dark green.
The underside foot pedestal's spring yellowish green slide shoes are rare, in only 2 other sets.


The top of the jewelry box get lots of curvy tiles that fit into each other -- creating a water ripple effect. That is such a lovely detail representing the scene when they are frogs in the Bayou.
Then we build four Water Lily Pads into small splat gears.


The center gets a larger splat gear interlocking with the smaller medium azure ones. It only takes a small flick of a finger to get the rotation going.


The drawer slides in easily and the lid can be lifted back off since it has 2 corner smooth tiles; although it take a bit of a pull. The back of this box is fancy too!


Two flicks of any of the 4 smaller gear's arm rotates her this much ...
Tiana's jewel skirt merely "sits onto" the center splat gear, it does not connect -- so keep that in mind when picking up the entire build.
You can attach her jewel's lower rock bottom piece to her skirt, and then insert the jewel's stud into the hole-area created by studs on the gear's center -- which allows her to stay securely. It also raises her a bit from the water.


With a parasol in hand for the New Orleans weather, and the gold fluted box feet evoking that city's charm, Tiana is just gorgeous on her "imaginary music" jewelry box!
Seeing her rotate, along with the Lily-pad flowers is truly enchanting. Playing songs from the movie would be fun while enjoying this build with functions.


Sleeping Beauty's Aurora is the 3rd mini-doll to get a new-for-2022 diamond jewel gown skirt -- this time in transparent medium violet opal.
Her rubbery hair and face print are the same in her other 5 sets; although her gown's torso print is new with slight variations from past.


Surprisingly newly recolored parts in light pink.


Starting with that white angled plate, this brick-built wardrobe chest is a fun build, with all the sweet details.
The interior has an interior Crown room. Each hinged side has a mirror and stained glass "window" stickers: one evil fairy Maleficent, and the other of the 3 good Fairies.


Closed up you can see the top will be able to remove easily via smooth tiles. All sides have great details added. Spare include a transparent opal jewel-cut 1x1 piece that originated with LEGO DOTS.


Bag 6 also includes more recolors: light pink 8x8x2 bow piece, medium azure cake frosting, and dark pink 1x3x2 arch are all only in 43203.


A cake with blue frosting for her 16th Birthday baked by the Fairies gets placed in the left corner (luckily not having to be propped up by a broom ;-) A Crown is placed onto a stand in the center Wardrobe, and a hairbrush in the right side.
The center white sticker with gold stars is not a mirror like the side stickers with blue and gold framing and details are.

The front lock sticker goes onto its own small build.


The chest top fame is built before inserting the bow piece.
Lovely gold pieces get added to create a filigree look, complete with jewels and a center top that represents a monarch's staff.
Inside cavity, which has enough room to store the mini-doll.  Spares include a Crown and cake topper white swirl/ice cream piece.


Completed and Locked! Aurora's chest dressing room with wardrobe can only be opened by unclipping the lock or removing the chest top. It would have been fun for the top to hinge open -- yet that the bottom section hinge-opens is better for access.

The bottom transparent blue slide shoes are important for moving this type of room decor item across a surface to minimize scratches.
Note: When you get to the build stage of applying the slide shoes under the bottom angled white and blue plates hinged section -- after the pushing in the first 3 -- then peek at page 45 to see how the rest are placed. This will help you a lot by stabilizing the entire chest section for when you are adding so many detailed parts to the bottom/interior section. Otherwise it's a bit off-kilter and hard to get secure connection of some parts.


Aurora and her Wardrobe Chest. Lots of shimmery jewel tones along with the gold filigree scroll parts!


Aurora is getting ready: Her jeweled skirt can balance on the transparent blue angle with the crown's stand pulled out.
It really is an intricately detailed interactive brick-built room decor item that resembles a real-life jewelry chest.


Box front: Room decor items to be placed on display tie these 3 Disney characters together.

Contents are 6 numbered bags, 3 instructions books - 1 for each character/build -- so building together would be fun; a DOTS cool yellow bracelet and 2 sticker sheets loose in the box; a soft bag with the dark green plates and light pink 8x8 bow top; plus a Teal brick separator.

Beveled front-side flanges are gone from Disney Princess boxes since the last seen in 2019; they were on the boxes beginning in 2014 with this theme. Bottom right are inset images of the animated versions of the mini-dolls.


LEGO DOTS cool yellow bracelet and 2 stickers sheets come loose in the box. The left sticker sheet has pure mirror backing; there's enough spare pure mirror sticker to the right of #4 Lock to save for a MOC.


Box back: Shows interactive uses for the brick-built room decor items: Rotate Tiana (maybe while playing music); store pencils in Merida's Castle Keep; or even store the mini-doll top sections in their jeweled skirt piece (the set does not include any hip/leg/skirt pieces for any of the three).
Aurora's jewelry chest opens to a dressing room with swing-out sections and then a wardrobe.

Bottom right inset is the mini-doll versions; unfortunately Tiana landed under the box's thumb punch.
I've placed a teal brick separator to give box size reference.

Although I mentioned most of the many new, rare, and recolored parts -- the complete list can be found at the back of instructions book #2.

Merida | Tiana | Aurora

One more look at all three of the brick-built room decor creations and their mini-dolls with jewel-toned Diamond skirts.


Summary:

Brick-built room decor items are so much fun because it's building a scene onto some sort of base. Plus, this type of LEGO product usually comes with nice parts -- as this set does. It has been very enjoyable to build.

This concept of having a standard theme co-opted with a LEGO DOTS item is great -- and should be expanded. I could totally see a Friends combo like this Disney one. Even though the 3 characters here don't normally interact outside their respective IPs, it's fun to have them together. Yet, a separate set for each would be fine too.

If I have any disappointment, it's that we don't get the hip/leg/skirt parts for the mini-dolls to have when not in a "jeweled skirt" state. For fans to get the mini-doll bottom hip with skirt parts, it could require obtaining other sets. Luckily, Aurora has several sets with several variations of prints on her gown skirt.

Merida has only one previous set; that skirt color will easily match the new torso. It even has a Celtic knot motif.

Yet, Tiana only otherwise came in a larger set with 2 other characters -- not her own dedicated set. Her beautiful hip/skirt section in spring yellowish green echoes the print on her torso, and will be harder to substitute if you don't have 41162. Trying to acquire Tiana as a mini-doll alone on the re-sellers market can run from $50-70.  I could not find any places selling just the skirt; nor is it available on Brick and Pieces via Shop-at-Home.

If/when Tiana does get her own set -- we need Raymond the firefly printed on a 1x1 transparent round brick!

The target audience kids might not care about not getting mini-doll bottoms in this set, and will happily store the head/torso inside the jewel. As an AFOL wanting to use them in future MOCs, I would like them. After all ... this set contains inspirational parts and clever build techniques to use with your own imagination!


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 FriendsBricks and are not directed by TLG in any fashion.

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