Disney Lorcana’s Winterspell: 4 Things We Love (And 3 We Don’t)

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Disney Lorcana has exciting plans for 2026, including adding characters from Pixar movies like Toy Story, The Incredibles, Turning Red, and Coco. They’re also making it easier for players to get started with new sets, offering options like a Two Player Starter Set and pre-release packs for Wilds Unknown. Lorcana is beginning this year with the Winterspell set, and after previewing it, we’ve highlighted four things we really enjoyed and three areas where it could improve.

7. Winterspell’s Whimsical Designs Are Some Of The Series’ Best





Visually, Winterspell is one of the most beautiful sets in Lorcana. The winter and holiday theme is a perfect match for Disney characters, and Ravensburger really excelled at creating cards that feel joyful and festive.

The Winterspell card game is simply delightful, and Ravensburger did a fantastic job choosing characters that perfectly capture the cozy, festive spirit of winter. Stitch is a clear standout, with cards that really shine, but other characters like Rapunzel, Belle, Winnie the Pooh, Moana, Elsa, and many more also get beautiful and thematically appropriate cards.

This card set is stunning, filled with bright blues, purples, greens, and golds. The artwork is so beautiful, each card looks like a piece of art you’d want to hang up. The rarer cards, like the Epic and Enchanted ones, are even more spectacular.

6. No Starter Decks

Now, let’s talk about the first downside, but it’s not about the cards’ quality. This set doesn’t include the two Starter Decks that most Lorcana sets usually offer. If you want to build a Winterspell deck, you’ll need to purchase a Lumineers Trove – which is a great value, by the way – or buy Booster Packs and Boxes.

The starter decks in Disney Lorcana are great introductions to different ways to play, and they usually show off the set’s key features and new characters. They also make it easier for new players to learn the game. Winterspell is particularly well-suited for beginners. However, currently players need to build their own decks by opening booster packs, which could be a barrier for more casual fans and might prevent them from enjoying this excellent set.

5. Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Frozen, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, and The Fox & the Hound Shine





I’m really loving the characters in Winterspell – they’re a huge part of what makes it so good! And while there’s one big new face we’ll get to later, I also have to say the set does a fantastic job bringing in characters from other series too. It’s a clever way to expand the world and it’s really working for me.

Okay, so Lilo and Stitch sets can sometimes feel a little repetitive, right? I was worried this one would be more of the same, just filler. But honestly, it’s not! Whether you’re building a brand new deck around Stitch, or adding to one you’ve already started, there are some seriously good cards here. I’m especially excited about Lilo Snow Artist, Stitch Carefree Snowboarder, and Jumba Jookiba Prolific Inventor. But the real MVP is Ohana Means Family – it’s amazing because it lets you wipe away damage and draw extra cards. Definitely a must-have!




Characters like Frozen‘s Elsa and Winnie the Pooh‘s Tigger, who’ve appeared in LEGO sets before, are back and just as desirable as Stitch. These new versions range from nice additions to essential collectibles, with highlights including Kanga Peaceful Gatherer, Tigger Bouncing All the Way, Elsa Ice Artisan, The Cold Never Bothered Me, and Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

The game has received some great new cards with the addition of content inspired by The Fox and the Hound and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. These cards not only match the game’s theme, but they’re also useful in many different types of decks. Cards like Education or Elimination, Copper Hound Pup, Tod Knows All the Tricks, Goofy Ghost of Jacob Marley, and Donald Duck Fred Honeywell are all valuable additions and look really good too!

4. Items Are Underwhelming and Lack Impact

We recently talked about the many actions and songs in the game, but we didn’t focus much on items. There’s a reason for that – most items in Winterspell, except for those unique to Darkwing Duck, aren’t very interesting and don’t really affect gameplay in a significant way.

While there are always exceptions, most Item cards won’t significantly change the game. This is usually because they only work with specific cards in this set, or because they don’t quite fit with how your deck is built. Take John Smith’s Compass, for instance. It sounds good – you get to look at the top card of your deck and grab a cost 3 or a Pocahontas card. However, it only works if none of your characters challenged that turn, and I’ve found that rarely happens in my games.

Honestly, a lot of the items in this game feel a little weak. Like, Mother’s Necklace doesn’t really do much, and just lets you avoid damage. Pot of Honey is good because it’s cheap to use, and the Retro Evolution Device at 3 cost is okay too. But most of the other items just don’t feel worth the effort – either they don’t do enough, or what they do do isn’t worth the cost of playing them. It’s frustrating!

3. Unique and Powerful Locations

Okay, so while the items were kinda meh, the locations in Winterspell? Seriously awesome. Every single location feels like it actually does something useful during gameplay, and a lot of them have these cool, ongoing effects that really encourage you to build your whole strategy around them. It’s a huge improvement and I’m actually excited to explore them all!

I’m really loving how the “Graveyard of Christmas Future” location works! Basically, whenever I move a character there, I can secretly put a card from my deck underneath it. Then, at the start of my turn, I can grab all those hidden cards! It does mean I have to banish the location afterward, but honestly, being able to cycle through cards and get a bunch of new options when I’m desperate later in the game is a total game-changer. It’s a really strong strategy.

Scrooge’s Counting House is a strong choice, allowing you to strengthen it and place your best card underneath. The more cards you have under the Counting House, the more defense and lore it gains – it even provides 1 lore each turn automatically! Game Preserve and Darkwing Tower are also excellent locations, making Winterspell a great option if you’re looking to boost your game with powerful locations.

2. Zootopia, Mulan, And Moana Leave A Little To Be Desired




Although several returning characters and franchises offered fresh and exciting experiences, others didn’t quite live up to expectations. The card artwork for Zootopia, Mulan, and Moana is excellent, but their gameplay mechanics and effects aren’t as strong.

Okay, so none of these cards are terrible, and there are definitely two standouts I’ll mention shortly. But honestly, most of them just feel a little unnecessary or like they won’t really improve my Winterspell deck. Fangmeyer Icy Officer is okay, but I’d really only use him if I was building a deck all about Zootopia, and there isn’t enough support for that in Winterspell. Mchorn Ice-Cold Officer is a decent bodyguard, but nothing special, and even though Judy Hops Snowball Patrol has really cute art, that card’s ability – Resist +1 2 for 2 cards – just isn’t exciting enough for me to use it much.


Cards like Mulan’s Marching Off To Battle, Fa Zhou Honorable Warrior, and Mulan Ready for Battle don’t really stand out among Winterspell’s other cards, and the new Moana and Maui cards feel similar. However, Gramma Tala Connected to Nature and Tamatoa Seeker of Shrine are exceptions – they can be very powerful and helpful once played.

1. Darkwing Duck Makes A Grand Debut




The biggest highlight of the Winterspell set is definitely Darkwing Duck, and Ravensburger did an amazing job bringing him to life. It truly feels like it was created by dedicated fans of the show, with lots of great versions of Darkwing, his friends, his gadgets, and all his classic villains.

No matter which Darkwing Duck figure you choose – whether it’s the Crime Fighter, Cool Under Pressure, or Dashing Gadgeteer – you’ll find one you’ll enjoy playing. You can also team up with his sidekick, Launchpad, and fly around in The Thunderquack. Plus, there are plenty of villains to battle, like Morgana Macawber, Isis Vanderchill, and his biggest enemy, Negaduck, who has several strong versions available to add to your gameplay.




His Action cards are also really good. “Let’s Get Dangerous” can potentially let you play a character without paying, and “The Terror That Flaps In The Night” deals 3 damage if you have Darkwing Duck in play, but still deals 2 damage even without him. The cards look great and clearly come from a place of genuine love for Darkwing Duck, so we’ll likely see a lot of players building decks around him now.

Winterspell prerelease starts on February 13th, and the full set is available on February 20th.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-15 18:17