LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House review

Adventure awaits intrepid builders who are looking to take on the challenge of constructing LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House, which tackles the Pixar classic in admirable fashion.

When it comes to LEGO Disney 100 sets released to date this year, 43217 ‘Up’ House might just be the most highly-anticipated model of them all. Based on the critically-acclaimed 2009 animated Disney/Pixar film, Up, one of the latest builds launched to celebrate the House of Mouse’s centenary brings with it a number of eagerly-awaited LEGO firsts, but also a handful of slightly disappointing omissions.

The concept for a set based on the house from Up was first floated as a LEGO Ideas submission back in 2019 by bramant1 and then by Yang Yang in 2020. Both fan designs managed to gain 10,000 supporters each, although neither ultimately became a physical model. Another project based on the Disney/Pixar film did make it into the third LEGO Ideas review for 2022, but unfortunately Vaicko’s Pixar’s Up House with Balloons failed to proceed on to the next stage of the selection process.

The good news for patient fans of the animated movie is that 43217 ‘Up’ House is finally here and offers pretty much everything you might want from such a build, with numerous nods to its source material, plenty of details and exclusive minifigures that should be in everyone’s LEGO Disney collections. However, there are a few downsides to the set, minor points that should really have been addressed early on in the design process and that could have ensured the model truly lived up to its fullest potential.

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— LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House set details —

Theme: Disney Set name: 43217 ‘Up’ House Release: May 1, 2023

Price: £49.99 / $59.99 / €54.99 Pieces: 598

LEGO: Available now

— Where to buy LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House —

LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House is available to buy from LEGO.com, LEGO Stores and third-party retailers. Be sure to check out all of the latest prices and offers below.

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— LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House build —

One thing to address straight off the bat is that what you’re essentially getting with 43217 ‘Up’ House is actually a partial build of the Fredricksens’ home. As with similar LEGO Disney models such as 43196 Belle and the Beast’s Castle and 43202 The Madrigal House, the model represents only the front and sides of the building, with the back exposed to allow access to the interior sections.

Construction on 43217 ‘Up’ House begins with the ground floor area, which sits on a 6×12 baseplate and boasts vibrant external walls. One of the many rewarding aspects of making the model comes in the form of all sorts of delightful mini-builds that add plenty of character to the set. A few simple pieces form a lamp, add a miner’s helmet to a handful of other elements and you have a gramophone, a couple of bricks combined together are used to create a small cuckoo clock and so on.

In fact space is used wisely in 43217 ‘Up’ House, as each room is packed with details and bursting with nods to the original film. A television in the attic plays Movietown News’ ‘Spotlight on Adventure’, a chest holds a copy of young Ellie’s ‘My Adventure Book’ and a printed collection jar in the lounge contains cash for the Fredricksens’ long-planned trip to Paradise Falls.

In addition to two rooms on the ground floor, the first floor includes the aforementioned attic section and Carl’s tiny bedroom. A number of pieces throughout 43217 ‘Up’ House act as simple picture frames, with stickers showing familiar images from the film, although some are quite fiddly to attach. Indeed, we had a few choice words for the stickers that were required for the front door of the house, something that could quite easily just have been a printed piece.

Three sloped roof sections complete the look of the Fredricksens’ home, although despite being hinged, they don’t open. This feels like a bit of a missed opportunity for 43217 ‘Up’ House, as the lack of access to the interior first floor can be a little tricky, often requiring said roof sections to be removed in their entirety and then reattached.

Rounding out the LEGO Disney model are a number of brick-built and colourful balloons sticking out of the chimney. In Up, Carl uses these to float his house up and away from the confines of a city and travels to South America in search of adventure. Unfortunately, the lacklustre number of balloons included with 43217 ‘Up’ House (just 24 in total) fails to have the impact of what should be one of the standout features of the set. Double or triple that amount and we’d have a much more accurate (if repetitive) build to be talking about. However, it should be simple enough to order a selection of the required pieces from Pick & Build or BrickLink, so it’s not worth grumbling too much about.

43217 ‘Up’ House is rounded out with a small section of garden area complete with mailbox (but no Carl and Ellie handprints), a white picket fence, compressed air cannister, more balloons (shouldn’t they be attached to the roof as well?) and a brown squirrel figure… SQUIRREL!

— LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House characters —

Here’s another area where 43217 ‘Up’ House really shines. The LEGO Disney set includes two exclusive minifigures in the shape of Carl Fredricksen and Wilderness Explorer Russell, plus an adorable Dug the dog figure. Carl features two face prints, one grumpy and one, erm… slightly less grumpy, plus jacket print with grape soda badge and brick-built walking cane.

Russell is a great addition to the set, also boasting two face prints, a new hat and hair piece, a torso with multiple printed Wilderness Explorer badges, plus dual-moulded arms and legs. As with some of the set’s interior pieces, Russell’s hilariously oversized backpack is only constructed from a few simple pieces and yet still manages to fit in a pair of binoculars, a fork, cup, frying pan and telescope accessories.

Another very welcome dual-moulded element in 43217 ‘Up’ House is Dug the dog. The talking canine looks exactly like he does in the animated movie, complete with collar and ‘I love you’ look on his furry face.

However, the lack of (or even any hint of) Kevin in the set is a little disappointing. Surely constructing a basic brick-built version of the large flightless bird wouldn’t have been that tricky or bumped the set’s price up too much. It’s a strange omission to say the least and we can only hope that the character pops up in a future LEGO Disney model.

— LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House price —

With so much attention to detail, exclusive minifigures and it being a licensed set, you’d be forgiven for thinking that 43217 ‘Up’ House would be a pretty pricey model. However, it actually seems a bit of a steal at just £49.99 / $59.99 / €54.99 for the 598-piece build. That would certainly go some way to explaining why the Disney/Pixar model quickly sold out in some regions at launch, and is yet another reason to grab the set while you can.

— LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House pictures —

— LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House pros and cons —

Despite some minor gripes, 43217 ‘Up’ House is a delightful build that mostly honours its source material and will definitely have you smiling to yourself as you’re constructing the set. Sure, the lack of many, many more balloons to attach to the model, limited access to the interior of the first floor and the glaring omission of Kevin are irksome issues, but aspiring builders should be able to address all of those points with some minor alterations and creative additions.

The fact is that for its price point, piece count, exclusive minifigures and sheer joy to build, 43217 ‘Up’ House is an outstanding LEGO Disney model and deserves a place in every fan’s collection.

43217 ‘Up’ House pros43217 ‘Up’ House cons
Packed with character and detailsHinged roof sections don’t allow access to the interior
Adorable and exclusive minifiguresNot enough balloons supplied
Unbeatable price for what’s included in the setNo Kevin the bird build!

This set was provided by the LEGO Group.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your copy of LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House by using our affiliate links.

— Alternatives to LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House —

If you’re looking for similar LEGO Disney builds then 43196 Belle and the Beast’s Castle and 43202 The Madrigal House are still available. Alternative building façade models also appear in other themes, such as LEGO Harry Potter 75968 4 Privet Drive and LEGO Friends 41742 Cat Hotel.

— LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House FAQs —

How long does it take to build LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House?

LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House should take you no more than two hours in total to build, unless you’re adding your own extra balloons and large flightless bird, that is.

How many pieces are in LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House?

LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House includes a grand total of 598 pieces and quite a few fiddly stickers to be carefully placed on some of the elements.

How big is LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House?

LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House measures over 27cm in height, 15cm wide and is 11cm deep, with a separate garden section that’s roughly 7cm tall, 7cm wide and 6cm deep.

How much does LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House cost?

LEGO Disney 43217 ‘Up’ House is available to purchase now and is priced at £49.99 in the UK, $59.99 in the US and €54.99 in Europe. Considering what you get for your money, that’s a very fair price.

Author Profile

Matt Yeo
From video game journalism to kids’ publishing, I’ve been there, seen it, done it and worn the T-shirt. I was also the editor of the first-ever official LEGO magazine way back when, LEGO Adventures. I have a passion for movies, comic books, tech and video games, with a wallet that’s struggling to keep up with my LEGO set wish list.

Matt Yeo

From video game journalism to kids’ publishing, I’ve been there, seen it, done it and worn the T-shirt. I was also the editor of the first-ever official LEGO magazine way back when, LEGO Adventures. I have a passion for movies, comic books, tech and video games, with a wallet that’s struggling to keep up with my LEGO set wish list.

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