Amusement Parks are good fodder for Lego. The Creator Ferris Wheel from last year is one of the best sets currently available. But it’s Lego Friends which this year gets a complete range of sets in that theme, even including a roller coaster, something Lego fans have wanted for years.
There’s sets in the range to suit all budgets, and this is one of the cheaper sets, the Amusement Park Hot Dog Van. It has 243 pieces, goes for £24.99, and is available now. But despite being one of the cheaper sets in the range, that price means it’s more than 10p per piece, which is expensive for an unbranded set. I’d like to see Lego do better than that for their own brands.
You can watch our video review, then read on…
There are various parts to this model, the van itself, two minidolls, two stools, a hot dog outfit, a sign pointing in the direction of the van, and a camera along with one of those things that you stick your head through and get your photo taken (which I have hunted for a name for, but can’t seem to find one).
Most of these are made from just a few parts, with some foil stickers providing the detail. But while they do all match up with the style of the van itself, I do find the camera and head in hole thing an odd choice of item to include. I would have thought that something like a mobile hot dog cart would have been more fitting with the rest of the set. Anything else food related would have been a better choice.
As for the van itself, it looks really nice. On the box, the colours look really garish, which is a problem a lot of the Friends sets seem to suffer from. But once you’ve actually built it, the colours all work well together, and with just a small number of pieces it does a good job of actually looking like a hot dog bun and sausage. There are nice details throughout the inside of the van itself, with a griddle area, sauces, steering wheel, and two hot dogs. There’s even a ramp at the back to let the minidolls get inside.
Speaking of minidolls, you get Stephanie and Nate – and neither of them are very interesting, with fairly dull printing on each and uninspired designs and hair. The hot dog costume is a bit of fun, and fits either of them when the hair is taken off. The actual piece was also included in a previous set of minifig blind bags, which means it fits minifigs as well as minidolls.
Despite the downsides, the nice thing about a set like this is that it pairs up with so many other play sets. The minifigs from the police station can eat hot dogs. So can those from the fire station. Captain America loves them. Kids don’t care. Take a chance and introduce a different colour palette into your Lego life.