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Monday, June 20, 2016

Disney Deluxe 18 inch Feature Ariel Doll (singing and light up feature)

Phew, that title was a mouthful.
First of all, I just want to say...where in the world did Emily from the The Toy Box Philosopher go?  I really miss her toy and doll reviews.  Hopefully she is just taking a break and will be back at some point!

Anyway..sorry, tangent.

This is a review that has been sitting in my drafts for a while, so I thought I'd polish it up and post it before it turns into a "Throwback Thursday", haha.


Back when I reviewed the 16 inch Deluxe Feature Rapunzel doll, I had also purchased this Ariel as well.  It was a total impulse splurge (buying the two of them together) and I thought these dolls were absolutely gorgeous.  At the time, I resisted buying the Ariel/Ursula Disney Limited Edition set, so this was sort of a substitute for that (to make me feel better!).


Here's a look at Ariel in her packaging.  In retrospect, I should've left her in the box as she doesn't come with a stand and is very difficult to display, but my curiosity got the best of me and out she came!
She comes with her friend Flounder who also acts as the trigger for Ariel's light up feature.


Inside the box, there is a tester button to try out her "deluxe feature", with some cut out holes in the back to hear the music better.  Once pressed, Ariel's tail flaps back and forth at the knee joint and she sings a section of "Part of Your World."

Here she is showing her tail when it is lit up. My camera caught both sides of the fins at once, but I think it alternates from one side to the other. 

Ariel stands 18 inches tall and has 8 points of articulation.  She can move at the neck (ball joint), shoulders (ball joint), elbows (one ball joint and one hinge), one wrist (ball joint), hips (hinge), and "knees"(hinge).  The "feature" arm (her right arm) can only hinge back and forth at the elbow.
I will say that the flexible arm is still pretty stiff and there is not a very large range of motion.
The joints at the elbows are not that durable and shortly after this review, Little Button snapped the feature arm off (so now it's hanging by the wires!), but I was able to cram it back in to at least look like it wasn't broken.
This doll is not recommended for 3 year olds, ha!


Despite the lack of quality articulation, Ariel has a beautiful face.  She has side glancing eyes and her makeup is subtle and soft. I really like her inquisitive expression. It's pretty identical to the 12 inch Classic version of her. In the movie version, however, Ariel is always shown with bright red lips.


Her bikini top is nicely detailed and held up by two clear straps and fastened in the back with Velcro.


As you can see, Ariel's tail is completely molded on.  The tail has two points of articulation, one at her hips, one at her "knees" but the base of her tail is fixed in position.  Both pivot points are pretty limited and only move back and forth slightly. Her knee area only moves when the singing feature is enabled.


Her fins feel like there is hard plastic on the inside and then covered with fabric.  Once the light-up feature is engaged, the tail flaps back and forth and lights up in different tiny dots.


As a size comparison, here is the 12 inch Classic (2014) Ariel on the left.  This new one is so much bigger than I had expected!


18 inch Deluxe facial comparison to 12 inch 2014 Classic Ariel


Although her hair looks a little ratty here, it's actually really gorgeous in person! She has long curls and it's very soft.  There is a small amount of gel product in it to keep the curls in place, but it looks really nice.


I guess I forgot to take a photo of Flounder out of the box!
If you're interested, here is my video review of her that I did right before Christmas.  I posted it a while ago on my YouTube channel, but am just now getting to the written review. :)


I'll leave you with a few more photos of her posing in our 1960s aluminum pom-pom tree.
Now you get to see Christmas decorations on the Summer Solstice! :)






Here is the link to the Disney Store if you are interested in purchasing this doll for yourself!
She normally retails for $49.99, but I have seen her go on sale for $29.99 several times. :)

It also looks like some of the new 2016 Classic dolls are out!  I may eventually pick up Rapunzel and Ariel as I like to collect Ariel and I don't yet have a classic Rapunzel since they switched her face mold.

The newest Disney princess is also out!

I hope you enjoyed my review.  I feel like I've taken so many photos and have so many reviews to do, but it really feels so much better now that I have stepped back a little and posted less often.  I love, love, love blogging, but it was taking up so much of my free time that I was started to feel like it was a job that I had to do (a non-paying job, lol) and it was starting to be not as fun! I also was spending less time in the evenings with my husband and that was taking a toll.
I'm feeling much better in this new relaxed mind frame.  It's a hobby and it's supposed to be fun!
I really need to organize my doll room (aka walk in closet) so I can share my updated collection with you all.
Until then, I hope you enjoyed the Summer (or Winter) Solstice as well as this gorgeous Full Moon where ever you are. :)
xo Farrah


15 comments:

  1. Excellent review and I especially enjoyed the video, complete with Flounder swimming away motion, lol. Why on earth would they not include a stand? That seems so ridiculous. Is she supposed to just lay on her back?

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    1. Haha, thanks! Yeah, really about the stand..I mean for pretty much $50 she should come with a stand. As for only really being able to position her laying down, that is exactly how she is being displayed right now, on her back with her head in Kristoff's lap, lol. Besides propping her up in this Christmas tree, I'm not really sure how many other ways I could photograph her as you can't really even get her in a seated position as she doesn't bend enough to balance out!

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks, Zen Dolls! :) She is really beautiful.

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  3. Love the face and the tail on her - although at that price point you'd really think they'd have included a stand! Does the tail shed glitter much? That's always my big worry with anything that has that look to it...

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    1. Exactly! Luckily, the glitter seems to stay put, I haven't noticed it shedding at all, which is a good thing :)

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  4. Ariel is a gorgeous doll! I love her "swimming" mechanism. That photo of her with the 12" Ariel is a good way to illustrate her size.

    There are several doll bloggers I follow who haven't been around lately. I hope that they're all doing well.

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    1. Yeah, I think it's just good to take a break once in a while. When people publish consistently, like even more than once a week, I would guess it becomes a bit straining. Glad you liked the review! I agree about the scale comparison..it's always a surprise how big or small something is when paired next to a familiar sized one. :)

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  5. Fabulous review Farrah! Isn't she gorgeous! What a bummer that she doesn't come with a stand! For that price too :( I totally agree, I feel that sometimes as bloggers we feel this massive obligation to post frequently and it all gets so over whelming and that causes people to leave the community, but I'm glad you were able to find a solution and bring back the joy in blogging!
    by the way this is Lydia from Dollyfernfriends but I've recently moved blog and it would be so cool if you could check out my new one :) thanks so much
    heres the link Lydia's Dolls

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  6. I'm so sorry I sent you the wrong link to my blog! O_o you can delete this comment but heres the link
    Lydia's Dolls

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  7. I love your review! I don't collect this type of dolls, so it has been great to see what you like about them. She has a beautiful face and her hair looks gorgeous.

    Cheers!

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    1. Thank you, monstercrafts! I am a long time Disney fan, so I just can't resist. :) I also enjoy seeing other people's collections..I guess it's a good thing we don't all collect every single thing! xo

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  8. What a pretty girl and a nice review of her. I've missed you blogging but I completely understand how the internet for example, can really take over your life if you let it. I sometimes look up from my laptop and an hour has gone past and I've done nothing but look at doll photos ....Ooops!
    Anyway, as I say, it's lovely to see you! Going back to the doll, it's a shame that the arm broke but kids will be kids I guess ;)
    Hugs from Spain xxx

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    1. Thank you, Sharon! Yes, the internet is a time sucker for sure. I'm glad you enjoyed the review. :)

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