I have been asked the question; from the two currently available LEGO Winter Village sets which one is better? We reviewed both sets separately, but this question prompted me to also write up a comparison review. So, below, we will discuss how the different features of the #10267 LEGO Creator Gingerbread House from last year and the #10275 LEGO Creator Elf Club House released this year compare. This may help those who are deciding between the two sets due to space or budget restrictions.
Let me start by saying that both sets are charming and worthy additions to the LEGO Winter Village collection. You can’t really go wrong with purchasing either of them. However, if you have to make a choice, there are some differences that may make you sway towards either of the two.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – STATS
The Gingerbread House comes with 1,477 pieces and two minifigures, and the Elf Club House with 1,197 pieces and four minifigures. They are both just about eight inches tall, and their width and depth are about the same as well. The Gingerbread House has a slightly larger white base (28 x 16 studs) with more snowy landscape at the front of the building. However, even though the Elf Club House is on a smaller base (26 x 12 studs), it has a separately attached chimney which is not on the same base. So all in all the two buildings are about the same size as far as the amount of space they take up. Both buildings come with a light-brick to illuminate parts of the interior.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – ARCHITECTURE
The architectural style of the two buildings is also similar with several high-pitched roofs and tall and prominent chimneys reminiscent of Alpine architecture. However, while the Elf Club House is almost symmetrical, the Gingerbread House has a more variegated look from the front.
While the architecture of both buildings is based on reality, they are also in a fantasy setting. The Gingerbread House is occupied by gingerbread people, and the Elf Club House is the dwelling of Santa’s elves. And this is where the two buildings diverge quite a bit. While both sets feature fantasy elements, the Elf Club House remains far more realistic. It could be easily used as a regular Alpine house with very little modification. The Gingerbread House, on the other hand, is based on a delicious gingerbread house, which is in turn based on real architecture. If you would want to turn it into a realistic dwelling, you would have quite a bit of work to do.
The bottom line is that the Gingerbread House leans more towards fantasy and the Elf Club House more towards reality. This makes the Gingerbread House more festive and a more interesting display piece, while the Elf Club House is a better representation of real Alpine architecture.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – ROOFS
As the roofs are so prominent on both buildings, I feel it’s important to talk about them separately. Traditionally, the LEGO Winter Village sets have white roofs to represent packed on snow. Or at least have some added on white elements on regular roof colors to represent melting shown.
The LEGO Elf Club House follows this tradition and has a fully white roof made with white plates. Because the roof structure is symmetrical and because it’s all white, I feel it’s a bit plain and could really benefit from a few additional white plates and tiles for some variety and extra texture. This is something that would be very easy to do and would make the roof more interesting. Another option to consider is that when the winter season is over, you can change the roof of the Elf Club House to black or dark-brown, so you can display it all year long.
The Gingerbread House has a very complex roof structure with five different sections. The tallest roof is on the left with a similar but shorter roof on the right, and a small slanted roof section in between them. Over the front door and the side door there are two shorter roof sections with intricate shaping to fit around the walls. By the time you finish building this set, you will be a master of roof building!
The roofs are covered with icing and candy for a full gingerbread house look, however you could easily fill the decorated sections with regular white plates and tiles if you want to remove the fantasy element. Whether you keep the gingerbread house look or you turn the roof more traditional, the roof of the Gingerbread House is a clear winner. It is pretty, sturdy, interesting, and the building techniques are quite advanced.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – COLORS
Colors are another area where these two buildings differ quite a bit. The Elf Club House use muted colors of dark-tan, sand-green, brown, and a little bit of tan. If you remove the Christmas lights, it’s a traditional pretty little Alpine house. that doesn’t care about showing off.
The Gingerbread House on the other hand is all festive and fun. Although the building itself is predominantly brown, the white icing, the colorful candy, the nougat chimney, bight-green doors, and translucent and sparkly pink and purple windows makes this set an instant attraction.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – INTERIORS
Although the two buildings are about the same size, the interior of the Gingerbread House feels more spacious due to the open floor plans for both the lower and upper floor. The Elf Club House, on the other hand, has a split floor on both levels, and also a separately attached chimney. This makes the layout of the Elf Club House More interesting, and the Gingerbread House more accessible.
I would say that from the two floor plans, the Gingerbread House is more effective. Although the Elf Club House is more variegated on the inside, it’s very hard to reach some of the areas because of the segmented sections and narrow spaces. Also, the separately attached chimney tends to unclip.
Both buildings have a fully tiled first floor and various pieces of furniture. Overall, I’m more impressed by the furniture pieces and the interior color choices of the Gingerbread House. However, the Elf Club House has the working pancake maker and shaking beds going for it. The Gingerbread House doesn’t have such fun working play-features.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – MINIFIGS
As I mentioned above, the Gingerbread House comes with two minifigs, both exclusive to this set. There is also a gingerbread baby, represented by a 1×2 printed tile. The Elf Club House comes with four elves that are identical except for their faces. I feel that a little bit more variety in clothing or accessories would have been beneficial.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – CHRISTMAS TREES
Both sets come with a separately built Christmas tree. They are constructed in a similar way – wedge tiled over a core column with studs on the sides – and then decorated with smaller pieces and a giant star. I find the Christmas tree in the Elf Club House more attractive. It’s a bit larger, the colors brighter, and the building techniques more interesting.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – EXTRAS
Both sets also come with several additional separate accessories. These are mostly little gift items or items the residents can use around the house. These little builds are always fun and appreciated. The small ship, old style computer, and little airplane in the Elf Club House are all lovely. The Gingerbread House comes with a bit more small add-ons, including a baby carriage, wooden horse, truck, toy train, and a cleverly built snow blower. I feel that the add-ons of the Gingerbread House are more creative, but then the Elf Club House has one last add-on that is one of the main attractions of the set; a brand new reindeer, pulling a small sleigh. So all in all, I would say it’s a toss between the two sets.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – PLAY-FEATURES
One of the play-featured of both sets is the inclusion of a light brick. In the Gingerbread House, the light-brick is activated by pushing down on the white “smoke” (ice cream piece) on top of the chimney. The light illuminates the dual fireplace, which is visible from both the inside and outside of the building. In the Elf Club House, the light-brick is activated by pushing down on a lever under the roof. The light illuminates the bedroom with the triple-story bunk bed.
The Gingerbread House has no other active play-feature, but the Elf Club House has two more. One is that the chimney has a lever to drop pancakes into a pan to “cook” them and them dump them out. The other is that the wall-mounted clock can be turned to knock the elves out of bed when it’s time for them to wake up. In summary, in terms of active play-features the Elf Club House has more to offer.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE VS. ELF CLUB HOUSE – BUILDING EXPERIENCE
Building the Elf Club House is a nice and relaxing experience. It feels mature and engaging, but not boring or difficult. I especially appreciated the architectural details. The designer obviously has a love of Alpine house, and the above-mentioned play-features work well and are fun additions to an otherwise less flashy set.
Building the Gingerbread House is an adventure with delightful details everywhere. I feel that building this set with children would be a great experience. Chatting about chocolate beds, chocolate baths, cotton candy lamps, and candy covered roofs while building is always fun. It reminded me of building gingerbread houses with my mom and siblings for the holidays.
To summarize all of this, I would say that from the two sets, the #10267 LEGO Creator Gingerbread House is more festive, a better building experience for families with children, and a better display piece for the holidays. On the other hand, the #10275 LEGO Creator Elf Club House is a better match for the non-fantasy LEGO Winter Village sets, it’s easier to turn into a traditional Alpine house for other dioramas, and has better active play-features. Also, while the Gingerbread House has two unique minifigures, the Elf Club House comes with an exclusive reindeer. So take your pick, and if you want to get either of them or both, you can find them at the seasonal sets section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? Which of the two sets do prefer? Or do you like them equally? Do you own either of them already? And which is your favorite LEGO Winter Village set so far? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!
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