LEGO Disney's beginnings vs. the brand's 100th anniversary

On the day of Disney's 100th anniversary, the LEGO Group's 24-year history of Disney models seems small but there's been a lot of change.

Today is Disney's 100th anniversary, a milestone that the LEGO Group is still around nine years away from at the time of writing. However, the two old and iconic companies' history only goes back a couple of decades.

In 1999, the first LEGO Disney models were DUPLO Winnie the Pooh builds, featuring the theme's enlarged elements that are easer for smaller hands to handle. Featuring various characters from the Hundred Acre Woods, this range lasted until 2001.

LEGO Disney's DUPLO models today, over 20 years later, have embraced core characters of the brand including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and More and while some models are more complex, the key points of DUPLO are still represented, despite numerous changes.

The more recognisable System sets have changed just as much as DUPLO over the decades. In 2000, the first LEGO System Disney models were a variety of Mickey and Friends builds, similar to the recent range dedicated to the core characters. These would be the last until a massive year for the theme in 2010 featuring Toy Story, Prince of Persia and more.

As much as things have changed, they've also stayed the same. On the one hand, LEGO Disney sets today feature many more characters than Winnie and the Pooh and Mickey Mouse in one year, but on the other, those characters are still represented – including in the retiring 21326 Winnie the Pooh.

One of the biggest ways that LEGO Disney has evolved over 24 years can be seen in 2023's Disney 100th range of models. Both 71038 Disney 100 and 43222 Disney Castle appeal to a significantly older audience that may have grown up playing with the DUPLO Winnie the Pooh models, now with income of their own to spend and an appreciation for more characters and more complex creations.

As the Disney 100th anniversary celebrations culminate today, the evolution of the LEGO theme is less than a quarter of the company's overall history, but still marks a huge part of the journey for both Disney and the LEGO Group. Many themes have changed over the LEGO Group's lengthy history, but LEGO Disney's return in 2010 has lead to sets every year based on the company's IP since, not including Star Wars and Marvel. We shall have to see whether this partnership can last another nine years for the LEGO Group's centennial.

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