Our Verdict
The Lego Disney 100 Walt Disney Tribute Camera commemorates a century of Disney magic. This set contains a vintage camera complete with a reel featuring stills from all your favourite films as well as five minifigures.
- Beautiful Disney display piece
- Lots charming small details
- Five amazing minifigures
- Can be a bit challenging to build
- Small pieces are easy to lose
The Lego Disney 100 Walt Disney Tribute Camera is a beautiful display piece made to celebrate 100 years of Disney. In 1928, Walt Disney ushered in a new era with Steamboat Willie, a cinematic milestone featuring synchronized sound that forever transformed the industry. As Disney aptly noted, “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.” Disney is a legacy that continues to captivate us through both timeless classics and eagerly awaited new releases.
The Disney 100 Walt Disney Tribute Camera beautifully commemorates 100 years of Disney’s incredible creations. It is one of the best Lego Disney sets and one of the best Lego sets for adults too. It takes inspiration from a 1920s-style movie camera, but is infused with a touch of Disney magic!
Specs
Lego Disney 100 Walt Disney Tribute Camera specs:
Design
This set includes a vintage movie camera and a minifigure stand. Despite the box creating the illusion of a larger size, it’s a compact and neat display item. Initially concerned about top-heaviness, the reinforced tripod ensures stability. The camera is mounted on Technic elements to aid structural integrity. Although it does slightly wobble, it does not topple over.
A film strip showcases stills from 20 Disney films in Lego form, capturing the evolution of Disney. Early titles include Snow White and Fantasia, while more modern films include Frozen and Encanto. The instruction booklet organizes these reels chronologically. The Lego artwork is both fun and unique. My personal favorite is the Mulan image, Notably, the reel exhibits high-quality craftsmanship, ensuring durability without tearing or breaking.
This set offers functional features as well. Turning the crank on the camera produces the sound of film recording. The matte box can be slid back and forth, and the lenses are rotatable. Additionally, opening up the camera box unveils a small office space for Walt to sit.
Minifigure-wise, the set comes with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Bambi, Dumbo and Walt Disney. Walt has a reversible head so you can change his expression and he comes with a pen and a tile featuring a drawing of Mickey Mouse… hmm, did Walt ever actually draw Mickey Mouse? Speaking of which, the Mickey and Minnie minifigures are monochrome, perhaps a nod to their debut in Steamboat Willie.
The minifigures are displayed on a clapper board in front of a vault of cells. Door elements, with semi-transparent images, are stacked on one another to create the overlaid cells. When you look at the cells from a birdseye view the three images align to create a still which educates the builder on how Disney went about creating their films with such depth. This aspect of the set is truly fabulous.
Ease of assembly
For a seasoned builder like myself, this set proved to be quite challenging. Why? Well, my cat may have run into the finished set while playing with his ball resulting in a missing piece that we never did locate. Secondly, despite the set having 811 pieces, don’t be deceived by the number. Although it’s not the largest set, it offers a semi-complex build with plenty of intricate steps and fiddly pieces that will keep you on your toes.
This set can be quite unforgiving if you misplace pieces. A few times, I accidentally placed something the wrong way, and removing it was a bit challenging, involving some teeth and prying. I also encountered an issue when I aligned a piece incorrectly, preventing the next set of pieces from clicking together. My fatigued brain struggled to figure it out, so my boyfriend had to step in. Additionally, I found a couple of steps confusing. It asked me to build one of something, then instructed me to build the same thing again, but with a note saying ‘X2’. It would have been simpler if it just asked me to build three of the same piece.
That being said, some parts of this build, like the legs, are more straightforward. Building these was quite simple and somewhat repetitive, as multiples needed to be constructed. Once completed, the hollow legs are effortlessly connected to the top of the tripod using a rod piece. This was very satisfying.
Pricing
Priced at $99.99 (£89.99), this set is easily accessible on the Lego website, offering good value for its cost especially considering you are paying for a fully licensed Disney product.
This isn’t your typical leisurely build! It can be intricate and technical, catering to those in search of a bit of a challenge. Misplacing a piece can be unforgiving. However, the payoff is a captivating display piece that truly encapsulates the Disney spirit. Balancing education and enjoyment seamlessly merges fun with a hint of challenge. With well-crafted moving elements and robust structural design, it stands as a fitting tribute to Disney’s 100th anniversary. For any Disney devotee, this set is an essential addition.
Read our list of the best Lego Christmas sets for more recommendations, and the best new Lego sets to find out what’s just come out.