Ideal companion of the set 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall, the LEGO Harry Potter set 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow (753 pieces - 74.99 €) is it just a bit expensive extension or a product that stands on its own?

As you already know, LEGO highlights the complementarity between the elements of this box and the reproduction of Hogwarts sold in the set 75954. On the packaging of the two products, in the instruction booklets and even in the official description (... Can be combined with the Great Hall of Hogwarts ™ Castle 75954 for even more exciting LEGO Harry Potter adventures ...), the manufacturer never fails to remind us that we have to go back to the cash register to take advantage of the possibilities offered by the combination of these sets.

The assembly is still so simplistic and relaxing with this set: We stack bricks until obtaining a construction identical to that seen on the box.

Nothing rocket science (!) In this set, even the youngest will easily reach the goal set by LEGO. After two weeks spent assembling the different sets of the second wave LEGO Technic 2018, I must say that I felt like I was in fashion Speed ​​Build right here...

The downside to this relative simplicity of assembly is that it is still so fragile, difficult to move and complicated to handle without dropping something.

Big batch of stickers in this box, the youngest or the less accustomed will have to appeal to the patience of their parents if they do not want to disfigure the whole with badly positioned stickers or large air bubbles under the bricks of the walls.

The potential of this playset comes down to landing the Ford Anglia in the branches of the Whomping Willow, except to find the fact of "...mix potions ..."or" ...patrolling the ramparts ...".

The Whomping Willow is the real star of the set. The ends of the walls and the few pieces furnished with accessories only form a taste of the box that we sorely miss and are ultimately only there to make us want to buy the set 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall.

The playability quota is here provided by the wheel which allows the shaft to turn on itself. With a little practice, it is even possible to eject the Ford Anglia. It's funny. Two very large stickers dress the trunk of the Whomping Willow, it's a shame but it's better with it.

The reproduction of the Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe seen in the film is correct. It is Chibi, almost cartoonish, but it's not a licensed LEGO Creator Expert set, so the vehicle does the job.

No seats inside, you have to be able to place Harry Potter and Ron Weasley there and the two characters will therefore remain standing, they had only to miss the train.

The two suitcases provided will go in the trunk, what an idea to want to put them in the hands of the characters.

Sorry for the purists, the steering wheel is not on the right, it is placed in the middle of the cockpit and LEGO does not provide cages for Hedwig (supplied) and Crustard (in the other set) ...

On the minifig side, alongside the unpublished versions and for the moment exclusive to this box of Harry, Ron, Seamus Finnigan and Argus Filtch, we obviously find characters common to several sets: Hermione Granger is also delivered in the set 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall and she is also accompanied by Severus Snape in the set 75956 Quidditch Match.

Double faces for everyone and two pretty "civilian" outfits for Harry and Ron, quite faithful to the movie even though Harry's pants are not the right color.

I read a lot about the designers' choice regarding the integration of plants (6135278) on the branches of Whomping Willow. They have an unfortunate tendency to unhook and fall at the slightest movement.

Scoop: It's done on purpose, as if the leaves of a tree were falling when the wind blows hard, for example ... The fundamentalists of the official LEGO assembly nomenclature and slayers of so-called "illegal" connections will only have to find a reason or to modify the construction.

LEGO praises the complementarity between the set presented here and the set 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall. There are two pine Technic which allow to connect the two constructions but it will be necessary to accept some inconveniences. The mobile staircase can no longer be fully deployed after connection because it comes up against a lantern. In any case, it covers part of the adjoining room, de facto limiting the playability within the premises.

Be aware that you don't have to follow LEGO instructions, no one will blame you. You can also connect the building to the other side of Hogwarts and you will get a right angle playset where you can park the Ford Anglia in front of the Great Hall as well.

Finally, I think that this set is indeed only a luxury addon (74.99 € all the same ...) for reference 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall. If the two boxes together offer a playset of a beautiful scale, the set 75953 taken separately does not offer many possibilities with its cramped spaces and the only notable physical functionality which consists in making the Whomping Willow turn on itself.

This is also the fault of these LEGO Harry Potter sets which do not clearly choose their camp: A little too coarse to make high-end exhibition products and a little too low in functionality to make attractive playsets. even if the official descriptions do not fail to remind us that "... Iconic scenes from the Harry Potter ™ movies can be recreated with these sets.."

As I said during the test of the set 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall, you have to spend 184.98 € to afford the total. What will do the vast majority of fans who will not stand for long to own only part of Hogwarts. If you have the patience, I bet LEGO is sure to offer the bundle at a discounted rate in the coming months.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before September 9 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

What if we took a quick look at the set 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall (878 pieces - 109.99 € - VIP X2 points in August)? Why fast? Because this type of set does not call for any particular criticism as it is aimed at a specific audience.

You are Harry Potter fans and you don't want to spend € 419.99 on the large micro scale model of the set 71043 Hogwarts Castle ? This more modest box is made for you, especially if you prefer minifigs to micro-things. Do you have no particular affinity with the Harry Potter universe? You have just saved 109.99 €. End of the story.

The LEGO Harry Potter sets marketed between the early 2000s and 2011 having become inaccessible on the secondary market, many fans who were not necessarily interested in LEGO products at the time are now delighted with this reboot of the range. . It is understandable and whatever the content of the new boxes offered by LEGO, they will probably be unanimous among fans finally rewarded for their patience.

For the rest, this box proposes to assemble a very caricatured representation of Hogwarts focusing on the Great Hall and on a tower grouping together a few more or less identifiable spaces.

Everything here is summed up in its simplest form and sometimes even pours into the purest symbolism. The designers wanted to pile up an incalculable number of references and some are sometimes summarized in their simplest form. Even the Sorting Hat is there with a nicely crafted piece (in front of the mirror in the photo below). The Philosopher's Stone is in the chest placed on the first floor of the tower. The fans are in heaven, the others remain unmoved. It's logic.

It will be necessary to apply the inevitable stickers provided on both sides of the removable elements of the riséd mirror, on the reversible banners of the different houses, on the clock placed above the main door and on the walls of the tower. Don't be surprised if the final result you get after applying the different stickers on the walls of the tower differs from the visual on the packaging of the set. The instructions suggest a different placement.

The fact remains that thanks to this set, the youngest will have in their hands an affordable box whose construction challenge is far from being met. This compact version of Hogwarts also makes a perfectly acceptable playset although it is a bit fragile in places. This is particularly the case of the arrows of the roof which have an annoying tendency to unhook. It's annoying, but since it's LEGO, it can be put together in the blink of an eye.

Minifig collectors will also make the effort to be able to add new versions of their favorite characters to their collection. And LEGO was not stingy with this box.

As with the other pretend-like movie set-style dollhouses usually marketed by LEGO, it takes little fingers to access some of the "playable" spaces. But this box being intended for children (from 8 to 14 years old, it is written on the packaging ...), it is not a problem ...

On a purely architectural level, we recognize Hogwarts at first glance, it's successful. Those who have never been interested in the Harry Potter universe may see it as a medieval church, but fans will not be fooled. It's compact, a bit simplified, but the result is quite correct. Personally, I prefer the gray used here for the roofs to the green of the previous sets. Everyone will have their opinion on the matter.

It's up to you to then create the rocky peak on which Hogwarts is placed to give it a little height. Some MOCeurs have already tried their hand at exercise with success (see the wonderful work of Vortex on the subject).

Too bad that LEGO does not provide enough to completely close the building instead of delivering a half building. An additional roof section would have been welcome.

Exit the flotilla of boats sailing towards Hogwarts, we have to be content here with a single copy, the great room becomes a cramped space with reversible banners with benches on which the students cannot really sit, there are even two chairs placed on the floor in front of the teachers' table ...

The many towers of the building are here modestly represented and the main tower is not even perfectly round which clashes a little with the roof of the thing which displays a rather convincing shape.

Harry will have a little trouble making out his parents in the mirror behind which Fawkes (Fawkes) is hiding by being glued so close and the gigantic moving stairs seen in the cinema boil down to a modest retractable set.

Not to mention the Basilisk whose representation here is far from acceptable unless you consider that the thing is inspired by a new form of modern art.

On the minifig side, LEGO has been pretty generous in this box and there is almost something for everyone. Five students are provided: Harry Potter (with Hedwig), Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley (with Crustard), Susan Bones and Draco Malfoy.

Small sweater with V-neck and tie in the colors of each student's respective house for everyone. Sober, but consistent. Small non-articulated legs for the whole troop, they are still children ... For the teenage versions of the characters, we will have to wait for future sets.

Special mention for the hair of Hermione Granger, it is faithful to the haircut of the actress Emma Watson.

No Students Without Teachers: Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore and Quirinus Quirrell get the job done. Double face for Quirell, you know why ...

Nick Quasi Sans-Tête and Rubeus Hagrid complete the cast offered by this box. We can discuss the appearance of Hagrid, some finding him a look of Playmobil. On the contrary, I find it rather successful, it is a good compromise between fully molded minifig and bigfig.

The creature we could have done without here is the Basilisk (or Basilisk in original version). This giant reptile locked in the Chamber of Secrets has frightened a whole generation of fans. Its interpretation in LEGO version is far from paying homage to this menacing creature.

We know that LEGO bypassed the Chamber of Secrets after testing a first version of the set which included this space with a panel of children who remained more or less indifferent to the presence of the place. These same children, however, had shown some interest in the snake itself, so it was retained.

Beyond its potential as a playset, this product also offers an interesting alternative in terms of exhibition. From a distance, you will recognize the characteristic facades of Hogwarts.

Things will get more complicated with the addition of the few walls provided by the set 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow (753 pieces - 74.99 €) which flesh out the construction a little but increase significantly and in a non-linear way the surface occupied by the whole.

The 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow set, which we will talk about soon, will allow you to obtain some additional minifigs and the total bill therefore climbs to 184.98 €. It's up to everyone to see if the game is worth the candle.

In the end, it's hard not to simply say yes to this box which will find its audience among the many fans of the Harry Potter universe happy to be able to afford a quality derivative product. There is something for everyone, kids wanting to have fun in the halls of Hogwarts and parent collector, all at a price that seems almost reasonable to me.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before September 5 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

If you've just invested in the Hogwarts reproduction from the LEGO Harry Potter set 71043 Hogwarts Castle, here is what to accompany it on your shelves with the reference 40289 Diagon Alley which reproduces Diagon Alley in the same micro format.

No micro-figurines representing characters in this box, apart from the goblin statue, but a minifig of Garrick Ollivander, the maker of magic wands.

In terms of constructions, we therefore find the Gringotts Sorcerer's Bank, Ollivander's shop, the Flourish & Botts bookstore (Fleury and Bott), the Quidditch accessories shop and the Weasley family's joke and joke shop.

Already available in Slovenia in at least one LEGO Certified Store, this box should soon arrive in LEGO Stores and on the official online store.

An important detail, the reference 40289 may suggest that it is in fact a product intended to be offered for the purchase of a particular reference. The references 40288 and 40290 were indeed used for promotional products (the BB-8 polybag and the small set 60 Years of the Brick). To be continued...

(seen on brick set)

If you are a fan of LEGO and the Harry Potter universe, I don't need to remind you that the 71043 Hogwarts Castle set is now available in the LEGO Shop for members of the VIP program (of which you are obviously already part ...).

6020 pieces, a small handful of minifigs, a large ladle of micro-figurines, a retail price of € 419.99 (€ 449.99 in Belgium) and a large shelf needed to display this reproduction of Hogwarts, everything has already been said on the subject.
If you have weighed the pros and cons at length and passion outweighs logistical or financial considerations, you can checkout in the LEGO Shop directly via the links below depending on your country of residence:

In addition to this availability and to mark the occasion, I suggest you try to win one of the four boxes generously offered by LEGO, the sets 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall, 75956 Quidditch Match, 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow et 41621 Ron Weasley & Albus Dumbledore, by participating in the small contest below.

As usual, I'm asking you a question (which I couldn't choose this time), it's up to you to find the answer. Four winners will be drawn from among the correct answers.

The email addresses and other personal data collected during this competition will NOT be used for any purpose other than checking the validity of entries and the drawing of lots, they never are. No participation via comments.

Good luck to everyone.

to Rafflecopter giveaway

Now that the effect of the announcement has faded and you have had time to think about the question, know that you have 4 days to decide whether or not to spend the 420 € requested by LEGO in exchange for the set. Lego harry potter 71043 Hogwarts Castle with its 6020 pieces, four minifigs and 27 micro-figures.

You have probably already had time to find a 69 x 43 cm location in your home to exhibit this imposing reproduction of Hogwarts which will be available as of August 15 in preview for members of the VIP program and from September 1 for anyone who hasn't yet understood that signing up for this program is free and that it's the only benefit offered by the official LEGO store ...

If not, the video presentation of the set by the two designers Justin Ramsden and Crystal Fontan will give you some additional decision-making elements or some welcome negotiating points if you share your living space with a few members of your family who do not welcome the arrival of the thing.

To be completely honest with you, I will skip this box. I like the universe (cinematographic, I have never read the books) of Harry Potter but not to the point of sacrificing the space necessary for the development of this luxury derivative product that I also find very success.