LEGO Ideas Apollo & LEGO Creator Carousel

LEGO revealed a couple of awesome sets while I was out of town, so I wasn’t able to post the press-releases in a timely manner, however I would still love to hear what our readers think. The two sets are the #21309 LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V, and the #10257 LEGO Creator Carousel. I’m sure you have heard the news already, but I have included the summary information about both sets, so we can discuss. 🙂

➡ #21309 LEGO IDEAS NASA APOLLO SATURN V: The #21309 LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V was originally submitted by LEGO fans whatsuptoday and saabfan back in the fall of 2014. The project achieved the required 10,000 public votes by the end of the following year, and it was announced to become the next LEGO Ideas set in the summer of 2016. LEGO has been releasing teaser images in the last few weeks just to keep LEGO fans excited, and at the end of April they finally had a full reveal. Below is the official description, and a bit of information about the designers.

Make history with the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V, the first rocket to put people on the Moon! Build the three stages of this stunning meter-high rocket and display it on the stand or launch into orbit. Offload the S-IC and S-II sections, dock the lunar lander with the command service module, and complete a successful Moon landing mission! The set also includes three stands to display the model horizontally, three new-for-June-2017 astronaut microfigures for role-play recreations of the Moon landings, plus a booklet about the manned Apollo missions and the fan designers of this educational and inspirational LEGO Ideas set. With 1,969 LEGO elements the #21309 LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V rockets its way into LEGO Ideas history as the tallest LEGO Ideas set, as well as the one containing most elements. You’ll be able to find the 1 meter high (approximately 1:110 scale) icon of space exploration in stores from the 1st of June, 2017 for a recommended retail price of just USD 119.99 / EURO 119.99 / GBP 109.99. When available, check the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.

Despite never meeting in person, space and LEGO fans Felix Stiessen and Valérie Roche beat the odds with their wonderfully brick built version of the iconic Apollo rocket. It was a collaboration that tested their skills in numerous ways but, as it turns out, the long-distance collaboration also proved to be a significant benefit to their project, as Felix states “there were often times when one of us abandoned the project for a few weeks and came back to it later; however, thanks to the fact that it is a collaborative project, it was always the case that one of us continued making progress on the project and re-motivated the other”.

Felix and Valérie’s collaborative spirit was transferred to the LEGO design team as well, who took over the project once it was approved, in order to ensure it lived up to LEGO quality standards. Two designers, Michael Psiaki and Carl Thomas Mirriam, motivated by their enthusiasm for space, teamed up to bring the final model to life. “We were actually not asked. I was so excited when I heard that the project was potentially going to happen, and told Carl about it because I knew he was also a space fanatic. We decided it would be really cool to work together since it is such a big model, so we approached the Ideas team about helping develop the product”, Michael said.

This set is a slam dunk. I wouldn’t be surprised if LEGO’s online shop crashes on release day, and the set will go on backorder within the first half an hour. LEGO Ideas sets are usually limited release, but I hope LEGO is planning to make enough of this beauty. See more pictures at the LEGO Ideas blog.

➡ #10257 LEGO CREATOR CAROUSEL: The second major reveal at the end of last month was the #10257 LEGO Creator Carousel. You might remember that back in 2009 LEGO released the #10196 LEGO Grand Carousel, however that set has been retired a long time ago. Since the #10344 LEGO Creator Fairground Mixer (2014) and the #10247 LEGO Creator Ferris Wheel (2015), LEGO fans have been hoping that we will get a new carousel. And here it is! Below is the official description, as well as the designer-video.

Discover the fairground’s star attraction with the Carousel! Experience the majestic Carousel with a wealth of delightful features, including a large textile canopy, ornate reflective rounding boards with blue and gold detailing, reflective center panels, and a 2-tier deck comprising a raised boarding platform with handrail and a main platform with 5 buildable animal rides, including a white swan and 4 moving animals.

Turn the crank and see the elephant, tiger, flamingo and frog move up and down as the carousel rotates. This delightful LEGO Creator Expert model has an iconic elegance that evokes feelings of nostalgia, romance and adventure. The Carousel features a large textile canopy, ornate, reflective rounding boards with blue and gold detailing, reflective center panels, two-level deck comprising a raised boarding platform with handrail and a main platform with five buildable animal rides, including a white swan and four moving animals: an elephant, tiger, flamingo and a frog. Also features a sturdy, buildable base for easy transportation. New decorated elements include printed tickets and printed storybook tiles. Also includes lots of molded golden elements, reflective golden labels and medium-blue/dark-blue elements.

Motorize the Carousel with the #8883 LEGO Power Functions Medium Motor and #88000 LEGO Power Functions AAA Battery Box (not included). Includes 7 minifigures: a ride operator, mom, dad, boy, girl, grandmother and a granddaughter. Measures over 12” (32cm) high, 14” (38cm) wide and 13” (35cm) deep. 2,670 pieces. This set is also going to be available at the 1st of June for a price of USD 199.99 / CA 249.99 / DE 179.99 / UK 159.99 / DK 1499.00. The set is already listed, so you can find more details and pictures at the LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop.

The #10257 LEGO Creator Carousel and the #10247 LEGO Creator Ferris Wheel are perfect for breaking up the monotony of rooflines and adding something interesting and dynamic to any LEGO City layout, or LEGO Modular Building display. I also really like that the color-scheme of the carousel matches the colors of the Ferris wheel – they are obviously meant for each other. This is going to be another set that could very well break LEGO’s online shop, and with all of their website problems and inventory issues, I’m very surprised that they are planning to release them on the same day. There is a possibility that LEGO VIP members will get early access to the carousel, which would help with the mad rush, however this is not yet confirmed.

What do you think? How do you like the #21309 LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V and the #10257 LEGO Creator Carousel? Are you planning to get either of them? Or both? How do you think the carousel compares to the previous version? Do you have the Ferris wheel already? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

• LEGO Ideas Apollo 11 Saturn-V Update
• No More Active Licenses on LEGO Ideas
• Brick Breakdown: LEGO Creator Ferris Wheel