Comparing LEGO Ideas Willy Wonka to original fan design

We take a closer look at how much has changed in LEGO Ideas 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory since its original fan design.

While many of the core ideas included in Roberto Ceruti and Jody Padulano's original design remain in the final version of 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, they've been executed very differently. The overall structure of the set has shifted, with some features taken away and new ones introduced. Even the name has changed, shifting from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, reflecting the focus on the 1971 film.

We've broken down some of the biggest changes that the LEGO Ideas set has gone through below, starting with...

One extra minifigure

Roberto and Jody's original design only included eight minifigures, while the final set has nine. That includes the addition of Grandpa Bucket, along with revised versions of the other characters. The minifigure designs that stayed the most similar to the original project are Willy Wonka himself and the Oompa Loompas, with their signature brightly coloured looks.

The concepts remain, but the execution is worlds away

While many of the core ideas have stayed – the chocolate river and waterfall, candy mushrooms, candy bridge, and so on – the execution has been almost completely redone. The chocolate waterfall has moved away from the smooth tiled look that Roberto and Jody designed, with textured slopes included to give a sense of movement (as well as an actual sense of movement thanks to the working mechanism).

It's also less tall, staying more in line with the height of the rest of the set. The bridge has shifted to the side, creating a longer, narrower build than the original fan design, perhaps designed to fit more easily on a shelf. The red and white candy tree has been swapped out for lamp posts and smaller trees built towards the edges.

Some of the smaller details have carried through, such as lollipop bushes, mushrooms, and colourful candied plants dotted throughout the set.

Introducing the Wonkatania boat

There's also the fresh addition of the Wonkatania boat, with enough seats for a leading Oompa Loompa to take six other minifigures for a ride down the chocolate river. The impressively detailed ship adds an extra pop of colour to the site, standing out against the largely brown and tan background of the set as a whole.

A secret door leads to Wonka's office

Where Roberto and Jody's original design focused on the exterior details of the factory, the final build also reveals hidden secrets, with an office for the chocolatier hidden away in the back. That includes various knick-knacks and references, including what looks like plans for future sweet inventions.

All in all, 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory has gone through various changes in its course to become a LEGO Ideas set. This reveal drives home the fact that LEGO Ideas sets can be based on just that: an idea. While some elements of Roberto and Jody's have carried through, many of them have been refined throughout the process – yet both enthused about how excited they were about the set's launch in a roundtable with fan media.

"The final set is the dream – not a dream, but the dream," said Roberto. "It really is a very nice set, very beautiful."

LEGO Ideas 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory will be available to buy from September 15, retailing at £199.99 in the UK, $219.99 in the US, and from €219.99 in Europe.

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