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