sebastian666

No unfortunately they couldn’t find the CMF item number and neither could I. Same situation at Target #2. All of the new sets except Privet Drive, and no Burrows this time. They also had seven Hogwarts Great Hall sets which had clearly been shipped in from Europe because they had the giant white stickers on them. I have one more Target to hit up and then I’m calling it quits. My fellow Americans are doing a terrible job of wearing their masks indoors and I’m afraid I’m going to get into a fist fight with the next fat megablocks I see walking around without a mask and putting people at risk. I need a calming potion.

Does anyone have the item # for the CMF Series 2 at Target in the US? I’m hunting for them at my local Targets today. Thanks! UPDATE: the first Target I visited had ALL the new sets except Privet Drive and ONE Burrow (the only set I didn’t order from Europe). Snagged the Burrow but no CMF Series 2. The employee helping me said they could do a search if they had the item number. On to Target #2.

Here’s my updated prediction list for the D2C Diagon Alley minifigs: - Harry (years 1/2) - Hagrid - Ollivander - Ron (year 2) - Hermione (year 2) - Ginny (year 2) - Draco - Lucius - Lockhart - Daily Prophet photographer - Rita Skeeter - Florian Fortescue - Fred - George - Harry (year 6) - Ron (year 6) - Hermione (year 6) - Ginny (year 6 w/ Pygmy Puff) - Dean Thomas - Cormac McLaggen (maybe in Quidditch gear? - Lavender Brown - Romilda Vane - Doris Crockford - Daedalus Diggle Thats a whopping 24 minifigs. Do folks think this is realistic? I’m not familiar with many of the other LEGO themes, but for a $400 set, I don’t think this sounds too crazy.

@Modal @Roebuck I agree with you both 100 percent. I really hope we don’t get doubles. But I just don’t see LEGO making WWW as the main focus of this set and not giving us the golden trio as they appear in that scene. Especially given the major HBP focus this year. I also think it’s pretty telling that the version of Ron and Hermione we got in the CMF is not from this scene. Ron wears that long sleeve green striped tee for much of the movie, but it seems like an intentional choice to put him in a different outfit. Maybe it’s because the designers knew we’d be getting him in this outfit as part of the WWW build in the D2C Diagon Allley? No, but as it sounds like we will only be getting the entrance to the Daily Prophet, I can see us getting Rita in her acid green robes shopping for Quick Quills pens in Scribulus.

Now that we have a detailed set description, what minifigs do folks think we will be getting? The new description turned my previous prediction on its head. I’m now almost positive we will be getting two sets of Harry, Ron, and Hermione - one set from Year 2 and one set from Year 6: We may even be getting two Ginnys (hopefully one comes with Arnold the Pygmy Puff!) I also think the mention of “love potions” in the WWW description means we might be getting some of the “love interests” that are featured in the HBP WWW scene - Romilda Vane, Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Cormac Mclaggen. This would be a bummer for me if it meant we wouldn’t be getting more interesting wizards and witches like Daedalus Diggle and Doris Crockford. What does everyone else think?

@dvt - thank you for taking the time to weigh in here. I read and re-read your analysis and could not possibly agree with you more. It’s clear that the LEGO Harry Potter series is here to stay. There is no need for folks to worry that we won’t eventually be getting a Gringott’s set. Ultimately, it was a smart business move not to include Gringott’s in the D2C that we will all ultimately benefit from. I also really appreciated your comments on one of LEGO’s key target demographics for these sets - girls. It’s a point I made for us to keep in mind when we were making 2021 set predictions - just look at the focus of the last two big Hogwarts sets (a fancy dress ball and a dance party - not major action and adventure scenes) or the beautifully designed Beauxbatons Carriage. It’s great to finally have some facts and data backing this theory up. Thanks again - really good to have you and your insight and expertise as part of this community! I wouldn’t underestimate the impact that the theme parks have on design and marketing decisions here. Even though the Wizarding World parks are based in the US, the US is LEGO’s biggest market and people travel from all over to visit them. The Diagon Alley that we are getting sounds closer to the version that is in the Orlando theme park than the one in the London studio tour. This is another reason why I think we are guaranteed to get both Gringott’s - the massive centerpiece of Universal’s Diagon Alley park - and a D2C Hogsmeade - the setting of Universal’s original Wizarding World Park. I imagine a D2C Hogsmeade will include all of our favorite shops - save one (maybe the Shrieking Shack) which will be sold separately at a lower price point and wider release.

There was no condescension intended but I apologize if anyone took it that way - @Modal @YetiZombie @GoldenNinja3000 My point was that we have had at least two dozen pages of debate with folks explaining why not including one of the iconic buildings in the D2C Diagon Alley was a “dumb business decision” - When in fact it was a very smart business decision that takes more of LEGO’s target audience (kids) into account. Most kids can’t afford a $400 set. This strategy allows a wider audience of kids to have a piece of the magic. It also increases the value of the D2C for those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to afford both the $400 set and a $100 set. It’s not going to be included. Sorry, mate.

This was so refreshing to read. Finally, we have someone with actual business experience weighing in on things! @dvt - I’d really like to hear your thoughts on LEGO’s decision not to include Gringott’s in the D2C Diagon Alley set. For months now, I’ve been trying to explain that LEGO stands to make more money by selling Gringott’s or WWW as a separate set with a lower price point and wider distribution. What’s your take on the missing Gringott’s?

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what he called himself (“a big leaker”) and what he implied (i.e. that he’s known this info about Diagon Alley for months and even seen some initial designs and other insiders info that has been sent to him). This is why I have so much trouble trusting all these so-called LEGO leakers. I don’t think falconfan even calls himself a “big leaker.” He complies leaks from other sites and runs a blog. In my mind, the only “big leaker” we’ve ever had for the Harry Potter series was @TheRandomBlocker who was a direct source of insider info and paid the ultimate price for sharing that info with us.

For reference, the Astronomy Tower is just under 17” high and around 6” deep from the front of the viaduct entrance to the back of the greenhouse. The turret in the Whomping Willow set is exactly 11”. I am really glad that they aren’t making this set ridiculously tall so that it looks out of scale compared to Hogwarts. I imagine if / when they make the Gringott’s set, it will be closer to 17”.

Thanks! That was my original plan, too, (screen accuracy and all) but I think it looks much more appealing this way. The Clocktower set really is the perfect centerpiece between the other two big sets.

Thanks! I had to split up the Whomping Willow set to achieve a clean, linear look. So the little potions store room from that set is connected to the right of the Great Hall and the rest of the set is connected between the Clocktower and the Astronomy Tower. And, displayed this way, the Room of Requirement connects perfectly behind the Astronomy Tower. (The bookshelf is ~14 inches deep.)

Just to give everyone a sense of scale - my Hogwarts display takes up the entire length of a horizontal 54 inch bookcase top. The 40 inch mark falls exactly where the Astronomy Tower begins. If my business sense continues to prove right (I always knew Gringott’s or WWW would be released as a separate set with a more accessible price point and wider distribution), we should plan for the new Gringott’s set to take up that last 14 inches of display length. All together, it’s going to be a very impressive presentation. Now I just need to order another one of these bookshelves! Can’t wait for this reveal!

Maybe it’s the extra surprise set with an underground scene that noknow mentioned! Haha. I wonder what “magical creatures” they are referring to... Owls and rats are the obvious answer. Could we maybe be getting a new Crookshanks too? Or some Cornish pixies? I can’t think of any other magical creatures in Diagon Alley...

Thanks for this @Falconfan1414! I think this is the most interesting sentence in the whole description. As many of us have already said, we are almost certainly guaranteed to get Gringott’s (and maybe even Borgin and Burke’s and the Leaky Cauldron) as separate sets that can be connected to Diagon Alley. I for one am thrilled.

Haha I have always been on the Gringott’s train! It’s my favorite building on Diagon Alley. But I’m still not 100% convinced it will be included... This definitely makes me more hopeful though!

Instagram

as of 15 mins ago @Brotherfromanotherbrick is reporting that the new Diagon Alley set has 5,544 pieces!

Something about the way you phrased this makes me so happy. I’m imagining LEGO elves baking hundreds of the trays of gingerbread bricks and candy colored elements that will make up the first batch of Diagon Alley sets - soon to be packaged up and delivered to our doorsteps!

Thanks @Micmac for getting all these photos and sharing them with us! This is some exclusive content right here! My fellow Americans, the time has come for us to go forth and find these minifigs! Happy hunting!

I skipped it too just because my Jurassic display is focused on the labs and the dino enclosures - not the rides. I’m also not a huge fan of how cartoony the eyes on the new Indominous Rex look. It’s almost like it was originally designed for a Camp Cretaceous set... If I do end up getting the set, which knowing me I probably will, it will be for the Ankylosaurus and for Claire in her white Jurassic World outfit. Hands down one of my favorite scenes in that movie is when Claire lures the T-Rex out of its enclosure by running through the park - in high heels - with a lit flare held above her head. I only wish Claire’s minifig had dual molded legs to show off her skirt and high heels instead of being solid white with no details.

I will speak for myself here, but I never for a minute thought we would get BOTH Weasley Wizarding Wheezes AND Gringott’s in one set. The $400 price point and the limited availability of the D2C “Shoppes of Diagon Alley” set excludes a large segment of LEGO’s target audience (kids), and a $100 - $150 set of either WWW or Gringott’s would sell like hot cakes for kids. LEGO stands to make a lot more money this way, but this point has already been made by others. Like I said, I am hoping and praying that we are wrong and that Gringott’s is included. But if it isn’t, we are guaranteed to get it as a separate set next year. If you are at all worried that it won’t be up to par, just look at the recent wave of sets and take comfort. None of them cut corners or just focus on one action sequence - we are getting highly detailed full facades of iconic buildings with some subtle play features. It’s safe to say that we can expect the same of a stand-alone Gringott’s set.

Did I miss something? When did LEGO ever say they were releasing “the definitive DA set”??? The set hasn’t even been officially confirmed yet, and we still have no idea what it will be called - let alone if it will be “definitive.” In all likelihood, this will be “The Shoppes of Diagon Alley” which, in my mind, is wonderful. But no matter what LEGO produces, some people are going to inevitably be unhappy that their favorite shop isn’t included. Would I have loved an Eylop’s Owl Emporium instead of Scribulus? Absolutely. But it seems that LEGO is really trying to give the fans a highly detailed, screen accurate portrayal of the most recognizable side of the Alley, with shops most fans know and love - like Ollivander’s, Flourish & Blott’s, WWW, and a few other bonuses. There are obviously still loads of shops that are going to be missing. Think about it... Wouldn’t you rather pay $400 this year for an amazing “Shoppes of Diagon Alley”, and then $120 or so next year for a big “Escape from Gringott’s” set that you can display with your shops? Gringott’s is just SOO much bigger than the other shops in the alley, I really don’t think they would be able to do it justice in a set that already includes at least six other shops. At the end of the day, a separate Gringott’s or Borgin & Burke’s or Leaky Cauldron will only add value to what is guaranteed to be an incredible set. While I still hope I’m wrong and that somehow Gringott’s will magically be included - I am now 100% fine waiting until next year for it and getting a big badass dragon with it too.

Wow. Page 500! I know we joked about it, but I never actually thought we would have this many pages of conversation before Diagon Alley was revealed. Absolutely incredible. This may sound corny, but I just want to take a minute to say that I appreciate each and every one of you on this forum. For me, the fellowship that we share over LEGO and Harry Potter has been a shining light through one of the darkest periods I can remember. Just as the Harry Potter books were a welcome escape for me from the real world as a little kid - the excitement around the LEGO Harry Potter sets and the fans here that fuel that feeling has given me something positive to look forward to every day. Things are still pretty bad for us here in the US, six months after the virus first hit. And I just got word that my university is staying closed and sticking to online learning for fall semester. But I am grateful to have this forum and all of you with your (sometimes crazy, sometimes brilliant) theories and opinions to distract myself. Here’s to the next 500 pages. Thanks guys. Always.

Apologies if I missed this, but did we ever decide what the two rows of sand green stickers on sheet C are? They look like arches or some kind of building design.