Friends

Magical Ferris Wheel and Slide

A funfair with an actual magic trick built into it.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 41689 · 2021

Pieces545

Minifigs3

Year2021

Set number41689

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The verdict

The thing that got me about this set is that the magic is real, or at least real enough to fool a kid completely.

A mini-doll goes down the slide and vanishes, and the secret is a mirror creating a fake exit while she slips out the back. That kind of genuine playroom sorcery is rare in a LEGO box, and it makes up for a build that is honestly on the simple side. If you want a set that keeps getting played with rather than parked on a shelf, this one earns its keep.

Best for: kids who love a set they can actually play tricks with, not just display

The full review

What it is

This is the big set from the 2021 Magical Funfair wave, a fairground built around one genuinely clever idea. There is a Ferris wheel that turns and gives the mini-dolls a view over the fair, and there is a spiral slide with a secret. The bottom of the slide has mirrored panels that create a fake exit ramp. What you are actually looking at is a reflection, and the mini-doll travels out a hidden opening at the back instead. To a child watching from the front, their friend simply disappears. I love that LEGO committed to an optical illusion in a set aimed at seven year olds, because it is the kind of thing that turns a build into a performance.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the value, though. At 59.99 dollars for 545 pieces, this sits at a price where you start comparing it to other Friends sets, and it does not always win. The much-cited comparison is Andrea's Family House, which for a little more money gives you a far more detailed build, more mini-dolls, and a microdoll on top. Once you have assembled the slide mechanism and the wheel, the rest goes together fast, and an experienced builder can finish it inside an hour. This is not a set you buy for a meaty construction challenge. The engineering is all concentrated in the trick, and everything around it is fairly plain.

Who it's for

So who should get this. Anyone chasing play value over display value, without a doubt. Kids will run the disappearing trick over and over, spin the wheel, and send the dolls down the slide super fast, and that is exactly the point. The glow in the dark bricks add a little extra magic when the lights go down. If you are a collector who wants an intricate build or a shelf showpiece, this is not the one to reach for, and the price will nag at you. But as a toy that actually does something surprising, it delivers more than most sets twice its size. River in his ringmaster tuxedo is a genuinely nice bonus figure, too.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this is a fast and friendly affair rather than a marathon. Most of the interest lives in two spots: the slide, where you assemble the mirror panels and the hidden rear exit that make the whole trick tick, and the Ferris wheel frame, which comes together with the usual Friends mix of bright plates and clip pieces. It took some builders around an hour, partly because they kept stopping to figure out how the magic worked. Age seven and up is about right. There is nothing here that will stump an adult, but a younger builder gets a satisfying payoff at the end.

The standout parts are the functional ones. The mirrored panels at the base of the slide are the real trick pieces, and the strategically placed glow in the dark elements on the wheel are a lovely touch that pays off in a dark room. River is dressed in a purple, gold and black ringmaster's tuxedo with gold chain epaulets, a gold bow tie, ornamental chains with turquoise stones, and gold boots, which is a lot of flair for one figure. The accessory pile is fun as well: juggling clubs, a lollipop, a top hat, and a printed fairground map. It is not a set stuffed with rare recolors, but the pieces that matter are the ones doing the heavy lifting on the illusion.

Fun facts

01The disappearing slide is a genuine optical illusion: a mirror shows you a reflection of a fake exit ramp while the mini-doll slips out a hidden opening at the rear.
02River, the ringmaster, was a new character introduced with this set, alongside regular crew members Mia and Stephanie.
03The set was designed by Bas Brederode and released in May 2021 as the largest set in the Magical Funfair subtheme.
04It retired in December 2022 after a run of about a year and a half.