It has been a little over a year since just2good first revealed that LEGO would be producing a series of Disney-themed Collectable Minifigures (spanning the classics, to the renaissance, to Pixar) in 2016. Of course not many believed him, as this information was posted on April 1, 2015... yet here we are now reviewing them after their official release on May the 1st.

After the leaked photo in March, and the official joint reveal by The LEGO Group and The Walt Disney Company last month, this collection of 18 (!) minifigures has been somewhat criticized since:

"Why 18 figs and not 16?"

"So many/not enough molded heads!"

"Why the lack of accessories?"

However, on the whole, reaction has been fairly positive. But what do we here at Brickset think? My opinion can be found after the break...

Packaging

The box and blind-bag color scheme of The Disney Series is a special metallic blue, reminiscent of The LEGO Movie Series' color. It is the color most commonly associated with The Walt Disney Company. Buzz, Donald/Hook (depending on region, most likely due to the more immense popularity of Donald in Europe), Cheshire Cat, Maleficent, Peter Pan, Stitch, Minnie, Mickey, the Alien, and Mr. Incredible adorn the front of the bag artwork. The Disney logo appears in the top right corner to remind us that yes, this is a Disney series. The bottom left corner displays '18 to collect' to show the special two figure increase in this series. The background of the bag has Disney-themed symbols (like mouse ears) mixed in with the standard CMF question mark fare. Totally eye-catching on store racks!

On the box, the design is essentially similar, but all eighteen minifigures are shown instead of the select ten on the bag. 60 packs are included in every box if you plan on purchasing one! Here is the distribution of figures in each.

Now onto the minifigures themselves! I have divided them up by film/franchise and used the order seen on the checklist, for your reading pleasure.

Lilo and Stitch

1. Stitch

We start off with one of my favorite minifigures of this series. Stitch, or Experiment 626, is a great start to an overall amazing collection. He captures the character who debuted in the 2002 film Lilo and Stitch absolutely perfectly. I would have nothing be changed. Stitch is an alien who was originally created to cause galactic chaos, but later gets adopted by a young, orphaned Hawaiian girl named Lilo as her "dog". Though he befriends Lilo, Stitch still remains a mischievous little creature. Lilo tries her best to teach him the concept of ohana, meaning family.

Stitch's head mold is absolutely adorable and full of accuracy, and the printing all over his body is top notch; especially the tiny tuft of fur on his chest and the dark blue on his back.

My ONLY criticism is the lack of an accessory. Stitch could have easily been given a The Ugly Duckling book or ray gun; both of which are objects he uses in the film.

I can see Stitch being one of the most popular characters in this entire series. Therefore it helps that he is very common to find, at four per box. He definitely ranks high up in The Disney Series for me, and I have seen similar opinions from other fans as well.

Bag-feeling tip: Stitch is one of only three minifigs in this series with short legs. Narrow that piece down and then search for the head mold; you can't miss those large ears!

Toy Story

2. Alien

The Little Green Men of Pizza Planet debuted in 1995's inaugural Pixar Animation Studios hit Toy Story. They first appeared in LEGO form for the original Toy Story theme made to promote the third film six years ago, in 2010. People may be yawning after seeing this minifigure available again, but its appearance here is justified in order to give the new Buzz Lightyear in this series a companion. Also, the Alien works as the typical "army-builder" minifig for this specific series, so it is welcomed. I wouldn't mind getting a bunch of them cheaply through this way, for a 'claaaaaaaw' MOC!

Contrary to popular belief, this is not the same exact Alien minifigure as the 2010 version. The pupils here have been printed more central on the eyes rather than lower like the original had. The printing on the torso has also been improved in general, with a more accurate purple color on the neck collar and belt. And the best part: short legs with boots!

I wouldn't say that the Alien was very necessary for the very first LEGO Disney Series, but I'm not disappointed in its inclusion.

Bag-feeling tip: The Alien is the second of three minifigs in this series with short legs. Again, narrow those down first and then find the head mold with a "sharp" antenna. You will know what to look for even more if you have handled the original 2010 Alien.

3. Buzz Lightyear

To infinity and beyond; it's Buzz Lightyear of Star Command! Buzz is an action figure space ranger toy and one of Andy's favorites.

This character appeared in the 2010 Toy Story theme as well. His appearance is much more justified than the Alien's, given that Buzz is not only one of the most popular Pixar characters, but of Disney as a whole! The major difference between the 2010 and 2016 variants is that this time around, Buzz gets a regular minifigure head instead of the specially molded one that was present in sets back then.

Honestly, even though the old head mold is much more accurate, I enjoy this "regular" head. It gives a reason for people (like completists, for example) to purchase this new version. It also helps the uniformity (its internal stylization, if you will) of this series, where all of the human characters get regular heads. So in the end, it works!

And if you don't like the new head, you can easily switch it out with the old one for a perfect Buzz Lightyear with updated printing! I just don't want to see Woody with a head like this in a Disney Series 2...

Overall, The Disney Series' Buzz Lightyear is even more detailed and deluxe than his original minifigure and I greatly appreciate him. The printing is fantastic, especially around the legs, and he seems improved in just about every area. A definite favorite of mine... but I may be a bit biased because I am a huge Toy Story fan!

Bag-feeling tip: The large armor, rectangular wings and half-helmet should be the giveaways.

Aladdin

4. Aladdin

The "street rat" from Agrabah himself, Aladdin, first appeared in the 1992 film of the same name. As one of the most highly anticipated (in my opinion) characters included in this series, he does not disappoint!

A darker skin tone is used which is perfect for completing the look of the character. And that plus the mischievous-looking head printing would indeed help to create an entirely accurate Ezra Bridger minifig from Star Wars Rebels. A rubbery hair piece with attached fez hat is also included which looks fantastic, as does the printing on Aladdin's torso and legs.

As for his accessory, the magic lamp that houses the Genie is iconic and proves sufficient enough for Aladdin. However, his loyal monkey Abu would have been a logical inclusion as well. However, I can imagine Abu would have taken part of the budget away from the grand minifig, so I can live with his absence.

Bag-feeling tip: Genie has a magic lamp too, so you must also find the regular minifigure legs as well in order to confirm that you have got Aladdin.

5. Genie

Aladdin's Genie will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Disney characters, no doubt partly due to to fact that he was voiced by the late and great Robin Williams. However, his minifig portrayal could have been improved a little more, in my opinion.

The ear piece that attaches to the stud on his head is very nice, but the eyebrows could have been printed on it rather than the head itself to replicate Genie's appearance better. Otherwise, the rest of the printing on the minifig, while minimal, is nice and accurate.

I do have to criticize the fact that both Aladdin and Genie include magic lamps. It should have been in one or the other. Genie could have kept his lamp while Aladdin could have been given Abu.

Although Genie is a solid addition to the series, I can't help but feel a bit let down by him in general. Maybe a molded head would have been better.

Bag-feeling tip: Search for the magic lamp, and make sure the genie tail is there instead of regular legs. Confirming with the "ears" piece may also be helpful.

Sleeping Beauty

6. Maleficent

The "Mistress of All Evil", Maleficent from the 1959 film Sleeping Beauty, has now become a minifigure! And she is absolutely magnificent - pun intended! After not being invited to a christening, she curses the infant Princess Aurora to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die before the sun sets on Aurora's sixteenth birthday.

The highlight of the minifig is her famous horned helmet/headdress, which is rubbery and fantastic. Her crystal staff is simple, but perfectly resembles the yellow-tipped sceptre seen in the film. While also simplistic, Maleficent's body printing is awesome.

She also uses a cool new cape and collar, which is just the icing on the cake to a minifig that is, as a whole, a brilliant likeness of the character.

Bag-feeling tip: Find the rod piece used for the staff and then confirm with the horned headdress. She is also the only minifigure in the series with a sloped brick.

[Note: her cape should be the other way around, purple inside, but I built her incorrectly -- Huw]

Alice in Wonderland

7. Alice

1951's Alice in Wonderland is a general favorite amongst Disney fans, so it was a pleasant surprise to see two characters from the film included in The Disney Series. The titular character, Alice, is often seen daydreaming and gives herself advice instead of listening to the advice of others. Alice is well mannered, polite, courteous, mature and has an elegance and gentleness of a young woman, although once she falls into Wonderland she finds it harder and harder to maintain her composure.

Alice contains a brand new skirt piece that is inserted in-between the minifig legs and torso. This forms part of her dress. A brand new blonde hair piece with a headband is included which looks splendid; as does the printed, iconic "eat me" cookie and "drink me" bottle accessories! Completing Alice is a rather cute little expression on her face.

Although Alice is a nicely done minifigure in general, she is sort of bland and the character herself doesn't do much for me. Your thoughts may vary, though.

Bag-feeling tip: Alice shares a dress skirt piece with Minnie Mouse. Narrow that down, then find her hair piece. Confirm with the cookie and bottle.

8. Cheshire Cat

Out of all the strange creatures Alice encountered on her visit to Wonderland, none were more bizarre than the Cheshire Cat. A common occurrence is that long after his body disappears, one can still see his glowing smile. He likes to get others into trouble, particularly Alice.

The Cheshire Cat is a great minifigure. The two shades of pink on his body, layered in stripes, are very true to his animated form, and the tail also could prove to be a useful piece.

The best part, however, is the molded head; which is subtly creepy with its big, toothy grin and yellow eyes. Still very cool!

Bag-feeling tip: The Cheshire Cat is the third and final minifig in this series with short legs. Once you have found that piece, make sure that the tail is also there. Confirm with the irregular molded head.

Mickey & Friends

9. Daisy Duck

Now it's time for the classic Disney characters that have been around for as long as people can remember! Created in 1940 by Walt Disney and introduced in Mr. Duck Steps Out, Daisy Duck is one of them. She is also the girlfriend of Donald Duck (who I will get to next).

Donald and Daisy share an all-new duck tail piece which is exclusive to them, and it looks marvelous; attaching in-between the legs and torso - of which Daisy's is a nice lavender! She also has a new hair-bow piece that attaches to peg-sized holes like the one on her head. This piece is included in Minnie too and is very useful. It could easily work with hair pieces like Friends mini-doll ones.

Daisy isn't close to one of my favorite minifigs from this series, but if you want the whole Mickey Gang you will need her! I wouldn't call her bad, just not particularly exciting.

Bag-feeling tip: Daisy and Donald are nearly identical in parts; with the same head, torso, legs and tail. You will need to make sure that the bag has a bow piece instead of a sailor hat.

10. Donald Duck

Did you know... Donald Duck has appeared in more films than any other Disney character! That made him a pretty surefire pick to be included in this series. Introduced in 1934's The Wise Little Hen, Donald is also one of the most popular Disney characters... he is even the most published non-superhero comic book character! Often accompanying Donald is his uncle Scrooge McDuck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie.

As for his minifigure, every detail from his sailor suit to his hat to his tail is included, and thus he is one of the most accurate minifigs in The Disney Series. I wholeheartedly recommend him!

Bag-feeling tip: Same as his significant other Daisy, but vice-versa; find the sailor hat instead of the bow.

11. Minnie Mouse

Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is the famous girlfriend of Mickey Mouse (next!). The outfit depicted in her Collectable Minifigures version here is based on her appearance in the 2006-present preschool television series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The red and white variant of her dress is rumored to be appearing in 71049 Cinderella Castle, so this will have to suffice until September.

Minnie makes use of the dress skirt piece that I talked about with Alice; this time, it is pink with white dots to match Minnie's aforementioned dress. Her head mold is the same as her boyfriend Mickey's albeit with eyelashes printed on to show femininity. The bow is an identical mold to her best friend Daisy's, though it is a different color.

Minnie or Mickey on their own are great... but if you only have one, you will definitely want the other! I enjoy Minnie's "minniefigure" a lot... see what I did there?

Bag-feeling tip: Again, Minnie and Alice share a dress skirt piece. The difference between the two figures is that Minnie has no accessories, and a large molded head and bow instead of a normal minifig head with hair. Find the head and bow after the skirt. Don't get confused with Daisy, who also has a bow.

12. Mickey Mouse

Admit it, you are so surprised that this guy showed up here! ...I kid.

No contest, he is the face of the entire Walt Disney Company and a cultural icon. Mickey Mouse (debut: Steamboat Willie, 1928) was a shoe-in for this series from the start, and I couldn't be happier with how he came out! Well, sort of.

I do wish his red shorts were printed up to his armpits, rather than them being only on the legs. The buttons should have been on the lower part of the torso instead, too. However, this little detail doesn't ruin an otherwise fantastic minifigure who I would recommend solely because he's Mickey Mouse!

The little guy just looks so charming as he stares back at you from your CMF display. Buy him!

Bag-feeling tip: Although Mickey and Minnie share the same head mold, Minnie has those extra pieces. If you don't feel the bow or skirt, you've got Mickey.

And no Goofy or Pluto in sight... :'(

The Incredibles

13. Mr. Incredible

2004's The Incredibles is the most recent film to get a spot in this series. This marks the fifth Pixar franchise (after Toy Story, Cars, Brave and WALL·E) to be made into LEGO form.

Bob Parr, also known by his superhero alias Mr. Incredible, retires with his wife Elastigirl to have three kids Dash, Violet and Jack-Jack. However, the appearance of Syndrome (next in the review) causes him to come back into the action.

Although his main power is superstrength, I don't think the minifig shows this off very well. In the film, Mr. Incredible is very top-heavy, so the character would be better suited to a bigfig in my opinion. The printed muscles, while better than nothing, really don't do this element of the character justice. Hopefully we get sets to go with the release of The Incredibles 2 in 2019, so that a potential fully-accurate Mr. Incredible variant could be made!

Other than that, Mr. Incredible is a decent attempt at trying to recreate the character in the confines of a standard minifig. To an extent it succeeds in that. The red, black and orange supersuit has been done well, with its icon 'i' symbol, and the "balding" blonde hair piece is impressive. Good ol' Robert is equipped with one of his retro superhero propaganda posters; a printed 2x2 tile.

Being paired with one of the coolest minifigures in The Disney Series means that you will probably end up getting him no matter what. I would say he is worth a purchase!

Bag-feeling tip: Both Mr. Incredible and Syndrome each include a 2x2 tile. Feel for that first to narrow your search down to the two, then confirm with the smaller hairpiece. Also, if it helps, Mr. Incredible lacks a cape.

14. Syndrome

While Mr. Incredible might not be the best representation of the character, evil mastermind Syndrome (formerly Buddy Pine or the self-proclaimed Incrediboy) is the total opposite. Syndrome may be my favorite minifigure of the series and I am going to flat-out say that you NEED to get him, whether you are an Incredibles fan or not.

The detail is astounding, especially the dual-molded legs for boots and printing on the arms. While the head may not be very minifig-like, it is incredibly (ha ha) accurate. The supervillain includes a blueprint tile of his robotic Omnidroid creation, which is perfect for him. He is complete with a spiky, tall hair piece. The only inaccuracy seems to be that the inside of the minifig's cape isn't blue.

I love Syndrome... that's all I have to say!

Bag-feeling tip: Same as Mr. Incredible, but feel for the very large hairpiece instead.

Peter Pan

15. Peter Pan

A young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan from the 1953 film of the same name has adventures on the island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys. His best friend is fairy Tinker Bell.

I really like Peter Pan's minifigure. There is a lot of detail in his signature green outfit, and the chipper expression on his face matches the character well. Like many have pointed out, his hat/hair piece would be good to use for a Link minifigure from The Legend of Zelda video game series.

Pan's accessories are two golden daggers that he is seen using to frequently fight his arch nemesis Captain Hook, who is next in this review!

Bag-feeling tip: Pan has a small hair-and-hat-combination piece to feel for, as well as the two golden knives which come attached to each other at first.

16. Captain Hook

Captain James Hook is the pirate captain of the Jolly Roger. He frequently travels the waters around Neverland and lost his hand due to a crocodile, which Peter Pan caused to happen; thus he swears vengeance on him. Hook is typically seen with fellow crew member Mr. Smee.

Hook's minifig is amazingly detailed. He has full leg and torso printing for his jacket, and contains an extremely elaborate combined hair, hat and plume piece that is worth the money alone. I honestly would not want to change anything about Hook. Even his rapier sword has been included, which isn't a new mold but is nonetheless a great inclusion.

Some people have said that Captain Hook's facial features haven't been captured to the best of ability by LEGO, but I think the location of the moustache shows Hook's crooked nose rather well. Unlike Genie, I do not think Hook would have benefitted from a molded head; he is fine as is.

Bag-feeling tip: Hook has a huge (not a joke) hair piece with a hat and plume molded onto it. That will be the easy giveaway. Finding the "sharp" sword is also an option.

The Little Mermaid

17. Ursula

Ursula is the sea witch antagonist of the 1989 classic The Little Mermaid. She tricks a mermaid princess named Ariel (up next!) into trading her voice for a pair of human legs, at first appearing to be providing the character with an opportunity to become human by temporarily transforming her into one so that she may earn the love of Prince Eric within three days. However, Ursula is in fact determined to sabotage Ariel's chances at any expense so that she can ultimately replace the mermaid's father King Triton as ruler over Atlantica.

One of the most detailed minifigs in The Disney Series, Ursula is mostly comprised of one large tentacle body piece with a molded-in stomach and breasts. The torso slides right into it, perfectly capturing her overweight stature seen in the film. As well, she uses a brand new, accurate white hair piece with grey printing on the sides. She also has King Triton's trident which is a worthy accessory.

The only negative aspect of Ursula is that she has some ugly holes on her tentacle piece, but at certain angles they cannot be seen too well, so it is forgivable. Overall, Ursula is a very great minifigure who I see has already become a fan-favorite in the community.

Bag-feeling tip: You really cannot miss the huge (not a joke either) tentacle body piece that creates a large bulge in the bag.

18. Ariel

Time to round out this review!

One of the minifigs in this series that I was looking forward to most is Ariel, the main protagonist and daughter of King Triton in The Little Mermaid. While she is the only one from the Disney Princess franchise to be included in this collection of eighteen, this does allow her to be the only character so far depicted in all three different LEGO forms: Duplo figure, mini-doll, and now minifigure!

At first glance Ariel seems rather generic, but there is more to her than meets the eye. She resembles her animated counterpart very well, from the color of her tail, to her purple clamshell bra (of which its strap goes around as back printing on the torso), to even her large red bangs! And speaking of the hair piece, it is stellar and I can see it being used in many different custom creations. I am surprised but pleased that LEGO didn't reuse Ariel's rubbery mini-doll hair introduced in 2014.

Perhaps the only disappointing part of Ariel is not anything to do with herself, but with her accessories. A pop-open, folding clam is included, which houses a pink jewel. These don't seem to go with Ariel's personality in the film at all, where she is more interested in human objects. A 'dinglehopper' (fork), Flounder and/or Sebastian would have been much more appropriate. I'm especially questioning the non-inclusion of the latter two considering they already have existing molds; both of which are included in 41063 Ariel's Undersea Palace.

Ariel is an amazing minifigure you wouldn't want to miss out on, and ranks among my favorites!

Bag-feeling tip: Find the mermaid tail piece, then the folding clam. If possible, feel for the hair piece too.

Verdict

I will just say it: this is an extraordinary series. It might be the best Collectable Minifigures series of all time. For a Disney geek like me, this is a literal dream come true! No minifigure is truly awful, but some are definitely better than others and there are true standouts.

My favorites, in no particular order, are Buzz Lightyear, Syndrome, Stitch, Ariel, Maleficent and Captain Hook. My least favorites are Genie, Alice, Daisy Duck and Mr. Incredible. But like I said, I don't necessarily HATE any of them.

That said, there are some minor, general issues. There are some obvious accessory ideas that could have been used for minifigures who either A.) have a lack of any or B.) received inappropriate ones. Also, the two additional minifigures added to this series is definitely an interesting point and may mess up the display plans that collectors already have set up for all of their CMF series. It is highly possible that two of the minifigures were tacked on at the last minute; which two they were, I do not know. I'm going to hazard a guess that it was one of the pairs, or the two minifigs who aren't partnered up (Stitch and Maleficent).

I know that this series is already selling like hotcakes, so get the whole set of eighteen or the specific ones you want while you can. And let LEGO know with your wallet that you want a second series! Remember, money speaks!

71012 LEGO Minifigures - The Disney Series is available now from LEGO brand stores, Disney Parks, retail stores and online. I strongly advise every single one of you to hunt them down! If you can find them, that is...

JANGBRiCKS' Video Review

Read through this whole thing and still want more LEGO Disney? Check out my evaluation of the two companies' relationship leading up to this series. And share all of your opinions in the comments below!

Thanks to Huw for the photos.

[Apologies for the delay in publishing this review: LEGO sent me a box of figures a couple of weeks ago but they have not arrived yet so I had to wait until my local stores had them. #ThrowbackThursday will return next week; it's taken me most of the day to prepare photos for this review! -- Huw]