How Our Designers Rebuilt Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. in LEGO® Bricks

Welcome to the happiest place on Earth!

The new LEGO® ǀ Disney Main Street, U.S.A. is a stunning display set that is packed with detail and character. And what better way for you to get to know this set than with a guided tour?

As our tour guides, we have a trio of talented designers who helped bring this set to life. Say hello to Ryan Baird-Van Woerkom, Senior Model Designer, and Robert Lehmann, Model Designer, as well as Nikki Hartomo, Senior Graphic Designer.

Ready? Then let’s have a look around Main Street.

Meet the minifigures

“Disney has always been a part of our lives,” says Ryan, when asked about their personal experience that fed into the design.

Next, we asked about how the set design came together.

“The design process was a team effort,” says Nikki. “Ryan and Robert divided the model design of the three buildings, the fire engine and the popcorn cart, while I and other graphic designers began developing the minifigures and decorations.

We imagine that meant a lot of research?

“We relied on reference images to ensure the facades and details were as accurate as possible,” says Robert. “During development, we even put out a call to our fellow Disney fans in LEGO® Design to share their favourite Disney memories and experiences that we could include in the model!”

So, this really was a team effort!

And there can be plenty of teamwork involved in the building of this set, too. The Build Together mode in the LEGO® Builder app lets you build jointly with friends or family with everyone following instructions on their own devices.

The set you will build includes three locations, each packed with curated details and mini builds. And when we say packed, we mean packed!

“There is a Fire Station that serves as a performance area for the Dapper Dans, the beloved Main Street singing quartet,” says Ryan.

Robert takes over the role of tour guide here.

“The Emporium is one of the most prominent buildings that you encounter as you go down Main Street and also a frequent stop for fans to shop for their favourite souvenirs,” he says. “We were delighted to include the novelty elements of a Mickey hat, Minnie ears, and balloons to add a touch of magic to the minifigures.”

And Nikki brings us home.

“The Crystal Arcade has such an interesting and intricate façade that we were excited to capture it in brick form,” she says. “While the shops all appear different from the outside, they are connected on the inside. We tried to include natural divisions so that the Crystal Arcade focuses on toy souvenirs represented by plush Disney characters, brick-built Pixar icons, and dolls from Disney Princess and Marvel films. This might be the first time where all these franchises are represented in one set.”

Ah, those sound like Easter eggs! One of our favourite topics. So, are there any more little details hidden in the design?

“The Firehouse apartment contains the famous lamp in the window that is always shining, to represent Walt’s spirit is watching over the park,” says Ryan.

“And the fire pole that he had installed to leave the apartment, which was famously closed after an over-motivated fan climbed up and entered the apartment,” adds Robert.

“The Minifigures of the cast members wear the typical name tags,” says Nikki. “And we asked our colleagues from element design to created three new elements that are iconic Disneyland merchandise: the Mickey ears cap, the Mickey ears headband and the balloon element.”

Which brings us on to the all-important subject of minifigures! There are 16 here, including some very famous characters.

“We have Mickey and Mini Mouse to represent the famous animated characters and the roots of Disney’s success,” says Nikki. “Then, there are seven cast members: the popcorn cart vendor, the Emporium vendor and the fire truck driver. We also included the four famous Dapper Dans in their striped outfit and the newly-designed straw hats.”

Now that the tour is almost complete, we asked the designers why they think Disney fans and everyone else will fall in love with this set.

“Disney fans will love immersing themselves in a brick-built version of the happiest place on earth,” says Robert.

“Plus, all the stories and Easter eggs, like Walt’s lamp, the micro builds of the iconic attractions, and the mix of franchises,” adds Ryan.

Nikki finishes it off, “They’ll enjoy the minifigures which represent inclusivity, family, nostalgia and happy times, and something that they can relate themselves with their love of Disney.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.