LEGO DreamZzz Mrs Castillo’s Turtle Van (71456) Review

The LEGO DreamZzz theme launched in August, has provided quite a few interesting sets. We had a look at the Mateo & Z-Blob The Robot set before, and today we’ll have a closer look at Mrs Castillo’s Turtle Van.

I bought this set for €30, however the Recommended Retail Price is €47.99/£42.99. The set contains 434 pieces.

In the box we find 5 numbered bags, a sticker sheet and booklet. The basic van build is really straight forward. There’s some SNOT building but other than that no compicated techniques. Therefore it’s a suitable set for kids used to LEGO vehicle building, the 7+ age range might be a bit on the cautious side. The extra building variations might just be the most complicated to build for young kids. The set uses a few stickers but isn’t too reliant on them. I really like the graphic design for them as well, especially the ‘taco turtle’.

I love the DreamZzz minifigures. However there are some minor flaws with these. First of all, basic characters don’t get a variety in ‘outfit prints’. There’s some small differences in accesoires like cloth capes, uttility belt, slightly different back packs based on how expensive a set is. The Grimspawn has an unprinted body piece which makes it less interesting than other nightmare creatures. Z-Blob is in almost every DreamZzz set so if you get a couple from this wave you’ll soon have an army. If this is the only DreamZzz set you want to buy, you’re missing Izzie however, one of my favourites and I would have preferred her over Zoey. So no perfect 10 but the figures are still really good!

So first we complete the bassic version of the van. This will suit any (AFOL) LEGO City and can function as a food truck, surfer van or something like that. The inside of the van is rather empty however which is a bit of a shame.

After the basic version of the van we have a choice. We can follow 2 different instructions to modify the van to became the real turtle van. I really like this feature in all DreamZzz sets, stimulating building, creativity and play. Furthermore the sets have a few extra stickers that can be used to further personalize your build.

First we have the option for a ‘walking’ turtle (legs don’t move unfortunately). The turtle is motivateed with a turtle so we can call this the friendliest version.

The second option is a bit more extreme. The cactus cat gets a spike and flies around. The turtle is motivated with a chili pepper so this one is a bit more spicy!

Considering all of the above, I think this is a good set. There’s some room for improvement and the RRP of €47.99 is a bit too steep for what you get in my view. Either way the van should have had more of an interior or a lower price to have a good value for money. It is however not as horrible as some other sets like the recent Peter Pan diorama. So if you find a good deal I’d definitely recommend getting this one for yourself!

So these are my thoughts on this set, what do you think? Have you built this set as well? Are you planning to get it or not? Share your thoughts in the comments.