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That's pretty much what I'm hoping for!

I don't think they'd be "nearly identical" just because they're both Slytherins; Ron-as-Crabbe definitely has a more unkempt look to his robes than Harry-as-Goyle, so there's certainly room for variation there, just like the different variations on Gryffindor robes in the first series.

Are there any images of Pigsy without the chef hat? I'm wondering if a reprint of that head mold might be used for Piglet in the forthcoming Winnie-the-Pooh Ideas set.

You might be on to something there - both City and Friends have Nat Geo tie-ins this year so I could certainly see that extending to Creator Expert as well.

I could definitely see another vehicle coming, perhaps another "double-licensed" one like the Aston Martin. Maybe another out-of-the-vault rerelease too? There's also a listing for 40409, which I'm assuming is the fan-designed car GWP.

I don't think anyone here has mentioned this summer's Harry Potter wave - no new molds, but I believe Vernon and Petunia Dursley, Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown, Molly Weasley, and the centaurs are all sporting brand new recolors.

Very curious about the Gateway Arch, since I know Adam Reed Tucker had been wanting to do a LEGO one but couldn't make it work with legal techniques. I wonder if he actually refined the model, or is just releasing the same design from a company without the same QA standards.

I wasn't aware retailer exclusives ever really went away... I know there was a brief period when they were truly exclusive to certain stores (a Target MDP could only be bought at Target, not even at a LEGO Store, at least in brick & mortar stores), but even after they backpedaled on that, there were still MDPs being released for various themes, both in-house and licensed.

I feel like an "Escape from Gringotts" set could be its own thing (Ukrainian Ironbelly, vault, mine cart tracks), so I'm not necessarily expecting the dragon to be in the Diagon Alley set. And don't forget Fantastic Beasts 3 is (so far) slated for next year, so there's more opportunity for creatures there as well.

Wasn't there some talk a while back about a 4+ Wonder Woman set coming this year? Was that just a rumor or has there been any solid news on that front?

I hope not! The next Friday the 1st isn't until January.

A somewhat clearer back-of-box picture is circulating now - there are lots of Adventurers references, and there might also be some kind of mechanism for opening the front door?

I guess the main thing pointing to it being a drop tower is that it goes a good two or three stories taller than it would need to be for just an elevator. I mean, there are only two levels of actual house in the house, so for an elevator to go that much higher would be wasted space.

I think it looks pretty great so far! I have to agree with @Robert8 on the box art (the Bookshop and Fiat have such gorgeous backgrounds!) but I suppose that's the approach we can expect for the more "premium" branded sets now - similar to the White House and A-Wing, which incidentally also carry an 18+ age recommendation. It seems like it is - the picture of the back of the box isn't terribly clear, but there are up/down arrows and a Powered Up logo on the inset picture.

Somehow, some way, a helicopter.

I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but... what if the plan for this year was an Olympic athletes people pack, and it's getting pushed into next year along with the Olympics themselves?

I'm willing to bet it's not $100 though. Come to think of it, I don't remember ever seeing a $100 threshold for a GWP, only $99.

From what I can remember, the threshold for GWPs tends to be $99 rather than $100 anyway, so you should be fine.

I wouldn't read too much into what sets are on back order right now. Lots of board games and jigsaw puzzles are on back order too.

This is harder than I thought - I keep rearranging my list, so I'll have to give two different versions. Version 1, trying to judge each on its own merits as a standalone set: 1. Attack on The Burrow 2. Hogwarts Astronomy Tower 3. Hedwig 4. 4 Privet Drive 5. Forbidden Forest: Umbridge's Encounter 6. Hogwarts Room of Requirement Version 2, ranking my priorities for buying: 1. Hedwig* 2. Hogwarts Astronomy Tower** 3. Hogwarts Room of Requirement** 4. Attack on The Burrow 5. Forbidden Forest: Umbridge's Encounter 6. 4 Privet Drive*** *Jumps to the top slot because my wife wants this one too. Remember this rule: if your spouse wants a LEGO set, that set is now at the top of your to-buy list. **Next highest priority goes to Hogwarts sections since I already have the other ones, so now I have a compulsive need to get them all as they come out. ***Taken on its own, it's a very nice house set and the play feature looks like a lot of fun, but it is, by design, the single least magical setting in the series, so I'd rather prioritize the more wizardy stuff. Plus I already have an Anglia from the Whomping Willow.

"There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot."

But I'll have to assume there will be even more great stuff coming out in the meantime! Truly, my struggle is unending.

So I'm trying to plan out my purchases, and as much as it pains me, I might have to pass on the Burrow. If there weren't a $400 Diagon Alley set on the way, I might spring for the entire wave, but I think I'll have to limit myself to the Astronomy Tower, Room of Requirement, and Hedwig as my highest priorities. Hopefully Tonks will show up elsewhere.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes confirmed

Diagon Alley for sure - my favorite location in the Wizarding World. As much as I like Hogwarts, I'm really looking forward to a big set with plenty of color and variety.