LEGO Creator Expert Carousel 10257

I love the fun and whimsy of this - didn't even mind the stickers! The only thing I don't care for is the lack of a solid base plate. I'm not sure of my build time on it because I forgot what time I started, but I did do it in one extended session. I agree with one of the other reviewers about the moving bits like the frog legs! Sadly, I wasn't happy with the optional motor I bought. It's so loud I can't stand it. I'll stick to hand-cranking.

Really enjoyed putting this together. Found some parts challenging\frustrating due to the detail and number of pieces such as the carousel floor. When adding items together struggled with the model collapsing in, however it added to the sense of achievement once it was complete. Found the thought of this design amazing, particularly th detail such as the movement of the frog legs. 10\10 for the design crew on this set! Great piece to put together.

My wife and I had a great time building the Carousel. It was challenging at times, which is always welcome, and the design of the animals was fantastic. No matter which model you're putting together, it's always fascinating watching it all come together but especially so this one with the multiple moving parts. I recommend getting the battery pack and motor as well. While it's fun and satisfying to turn it manually, the speed of the motor lets you really sit back and appreciate the movement.

Great product counted all the parts. BAG (1) 532 parts BAG (2) 517 parts BAG (3) 510 parts BAG (4) 424 parts BAG (5) 687 parts TOTAL 2,670.

It was fun to motorize this model with Ferris wheel.

This is a very nice build, it is in 5 stages - roughly: * The base/ground * The deck of the carousel * The centre of the carousel * The animals for the ride * The roof and it's edging The build like the carousel was interesting - I iiked all the attention to detail; the clever use of slopes and hinges to make the base, the use of hinges to get the slopes in the centre.... But most of all the animals are so well made and have lots of interesting features about them... Now for the bits I'm not so keen on - bag 5 (and to a lesser extent) bag 2 can be quite repetitive - although both have interesting techniques in them - but this is similar to the ferris wheel - and is due to the symmetries in the design. The only other issue I have is the base - I think it would have benefited from a bit more rigidity and perhaps having tiles below every bit of it rather than just the visible edges - as picking it up can be tricky - as the base is the only obvious place to do it. .. and I would have liked a slightly different gear ratio so I could make it spin slightly faster <g>!

This is a fabulous set. Love the detail, love the animals. But. My issue with it is sturdiness. Because of the size and complexity of the underpinning, I would really really like it to have a far more stable base. I have had to rebuild twice, once an easy fix, but the second time I had to pretty much start over after moving the set off the shelf so that all the grandkids could admire it and watch it turn. For now I have put it on a large gray baseplate, although that does still allow more flex than I would like. Additions? It would really have been nice to have lights under the canopy. I am still thinking on that as an addition, but it would likely mean another rebuild! (Note: music would also be wonderful!) Because of the fragility, I don't really think of it as a playable set.

I built this for my two sons who, like me, are huge Lego fans. They have all the Amusement Park theme items, including the new rollercoaster. We have two large tables step up as a Lego Amusement Park -- this is great addition to other sets. Like others, my annoyance is the base comes apart too easily. And when it does, you have to take half of it apart to fix internally. After fixing it 3 times (about 20 to 30 minutes each time), I figured out the cause and a found a solution. I've included pictures, basically on page 163 you want to use larger plates, in more locations to keep the base together. Where it says 4x 2X2 plate, you want to replace the lower red 2x2 place with a single plate that is 4 knobs high. With extra pieces I had, I used both a 4x4 for one section, and an 8x2 + 1x4 (for side support). If you have them I would recommend using 6 or 8 4x4 plates spaced out. You might be able to use it on all 12 points, but I was concerned it could cause a jam. After my fix, it has been used dozens of times over the last 4 months (with power functions) and it is still together!

I really liked building the Carousel last night. The instructions are easily followed and as the model took shape I really enjoyed building the ride elements. The animals are cleverly designed and are surprisingly realistic, considering the scale we are working at. There was one part of the build I needed to deviate from the instructions when joining the lower to the upper level of the main deck. The instructions show four red 2x2 plates being used for this task, but I found this was insufficient and in the end used a 2x2 plate for each of the 12 segments. This aside, the whole build was enjoyable, some really neat techniques were used and the finished model is well worth the money. Thank you Lego and can't wait for the next new expert model.

This is a nice project that goes well with your fairground collection. It is best viewed at eye level as the cover tarps make it difficult to appreciate otherwise. Main complaint. (Similar to what others have expressed) in reference to part 6195546. The blue "tusk-like" finishing pieces around the outer edge of carousel. Comes in 2 molds (for left and right side). Instead of shipping 24 or each mold, you get any combination totally the required 48. This can be a little unsightly as they have a "hole side out" view on some that gives an unfinished look. The main base is a little fragile and great care is needed when moving the unit. The battery packs for running them motor unit take 6 AAA batteries, which is hefty, and these batteries don't last long. Wish they came with a rechargeable USB plug in battery or something. The extra cost for this would most likely be less than constantly swapping out 6 Duracells. Each animal piece is connected to a bar. The top bar connection is a single click. This is fine but if kids are using at all removing or touching these pieces, they all pop off very easily. Would have preferred a slightly more secure connection. Also wish there was space made on the base for the ticket booth. Be nice if it could all be affixed together instead of a free floating unit. Not a bad unit overall, but the ferris wheel is a bit more fun to play with if you are on the fence over which one to choose. :)