Review: 41319 Snow Resort Hot Chocolate Van

Are you in a mood for some hot treats after playing in the snow all afternoon? 
Then let’s go to the Hot Chocolate Van where Mia will serve you a big mug of tasty hot chocolate with some whipped cream on top! 

This set was provided by the Operations & Community Engagement of The LEGO Group for the purpose of sharing set details with fans.
Opinions provided here solely reflect those of our reviewer. 
Photographs are property of Friends Bricks and are not directed by TLG in any fashion.

This set is expected to be released in my area on August 1st, but as you can see from the box design, winter fun has already begun in Heartlake City! 

The familiar box design got the new wintery look for the Snow Resort sub-theme! 


There is frost here, icicles there, and snow everywhere on the front of the box!! 

The five Friends got a fresh new look in their winter outfit! And their background is decorated with pretty snowflakes. 


So, the Friends are at this Snow Resort this year…

Do you think they had to travel far to get there? 

The answer is “No”.

The resort is actually right outside Heartlake City! 


Do you recognize those three familiar buildings in the center of Heartlake City? 



We’ll flip the box to see some play features shown on the back.


Here are the remaining sides of the box in case you are curious.




Hmm... That yellow sticker is new. I wonder what happened...

Anyway, let’s see what’s inside:

2 bags, 1 booklet and 1 sticker sheet.

Here’s the close-up image of the sticker sheet.


Do you see the menu sticker? I don’t know what currency is used in Heartlake City, but a cup of hot chocolate costs 3, a donut and a cookie cost 4 each. 

The prices up in the Snow Resort seem a little higher than in the city; a combo of a muffin and a hot drink costs 3 at Heartlake Cupcake Café!

And here are a few sample pages of the instruction booklet.



Most of the new products are advertised at the end of the booklet. 



I like the seasonal contrast of this wave. Finally, the Friends get to have as much fun in the cold weather as in the warm weather.

By the way, have you noticed the Hot Chocolate Van is not pictured above with the other winter sets? 

Although it is part of the Snow Resort sub-theme, it is a store exclusive, which means only certain retailers will be carrying this product. 

Now let’s see what’s inside Bag 1!


And here’s what’s in the small bag. 


Mia mini-doll’s head as well as her torso was found in the small bag while Amanda’s was not. Two different mini-doll pieces made from the identical mold seem to be bagged separately like that, in order to avoid packaging error, I suppose.

A nice printed map of the resort is included. 

Is that Lake Heart on the map?! It looks frozen!

Introducing the first of the two characters in this set, Mia!

Isn’t she cute in her winter outfit?! What a pretty sweater she has on!

And this is Amanda!


She has Kate’s face design (with brown eyes and an open mouth) and Martina’s black long hair.
Currently, she is not found in any other sets, so you will have to get this Hot Chocolate Van set if you don’t want to miss out on this lovely new character!

Amanda’s torso and Mia’s pants can each be found on one or two other mini-dolls from the Snow Resort sub-theme. Amanda’s legs and Mia’s torso will be included in this year’s advent calendar. Store exclusive sets typically contain no exclusive elements for mini-dolls, but I think those two mini-dolls are very nicely designed. 

Next, we are building two sleds.


And here’s a table for customers. 


This set also comes with a couple of short slides for the sleds.


The back side looks like this, with a short ladder in the middle. 


With remaining parts from Bag 1, the bottom of the van will be put together.

Here’s Step 5: 

The inside/bottom layers that will later get hidden are often built with pieces that are not color-coordinated with the rest of the model. 

And this is the end of Bag 1, Step 18: 


The front and back ends are built the same.

And here’s what the bottom side looks like:


We will now move onto Bag 2!


Two small bags are also getting emptied:


These pieces drew my attention.


The curvy pink one is “Tile 2X2, W/Bow” in Bright Reddish Violet, and apparently, it is a new piece introduced in 2017. This tile in this color is exclusive to this set.

The brown part is not new, but relatively uncommon. I got this piece in white in 41091 Mia’s Roadster from 2015, but that was the only other time when this interesting shape appeared in a LEGO Friends set.

Building with Bag 2 takes you from Step 19 through Step 80, but I would rather not bore you to tears by showing you the building process.

So, here’s the completed van seen from the shop front: 


The lime flag is a nice accent. By the way, the window slides open!

The van looks like this in the front.

To be honest, I could use a little less stickers, but oh well. Kids probably like them.

This side has a hinged wall. 


And this is the back side with the menu.


See the large brick-built sign of the mug on top of the roof! It rotates!


The roof can be removed to have an easy access to the inside of the van. 


Or better yet, you can open the hinged side!


Once the van is built, it’s hard for me to photograph the details inside. So I removed some walls to get better pictures of what’s going on in that limited space.


A hot chocolate machine, a small sink, a cash register, a clear bin with a cookie and a donut, a carton of milk, and a can of whipped cream! So much is packed in there!

I especially love that hot chocolate machine.


As usual, there are some extra pieces left. 


It’s nice to get an extra donut and a vanilla swirl!

Now, let's have fun with the finished product!

Here comes Mia in her Hot Chocolate Van! This is the first day at her new job selling yummy hot cocoa!


Her first customer has arrived. It’s her new friend Amanda!



“Hey Mia! Why don't you come out and have some hot chocolate with me! It’s my treat!”

“Thanks, Amanda! In that case, I’ll buy you a cookie or a donut!”

“I’ll take a cookie, then! Thanks, Mia!”

“Amanda, are you sure you don’t want a donut instead? You know that this is the only place in and around Heartlake City where you can get a donut!”

“No, I prefer a cookie, thank you!”

“Alright, then, I’ll take a donut!”


After enjoying their snack, the two girls started having fun with their sleds. 





Mia had so much fun she completely forgot about her work! 

Let’s hope her first day on the job at the Hot Chocolate Van is not her last!


Thanks for reading!

Maya