Review of Disney Merida and Belle Dolls and Toddler Dress Sets
Brave's Merida Doll and Dress Set
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Doll Height: 15 inches
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Blue
Recommended Age: 3+
Toddler Dress Size: 2-4 T
Made in China
UPC: 678352753235
Produced by: Jakks Pacific
Box Contents: 1 fifteen inch doll dressed in a teal green dress with plaid and gold trim, plastic brown belt, painted teal underwear, plastic teal shoes for doll, and a toddler size Merida dress.
Doll Movement: Typical baby doll--head twists side to side, arms go back and forth, legs go back and forth, does not bend at elbows or hands, does not bend at knees or ankles. Doll can stand on its own, and what is nice in addition is that she can sit up without being propped.
Dress Fabric: 100% Polyester
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Despite my mother's prejudice that red-heads are evil, when it comes to dolls I love red-heads. Though I had gotten the Belle set to sell, I had intended to keep Merida for myself. An extra appeal was that she resembled me when I had been a kid. Of course, I couldn't fit the dress...which was a shame, because it was a nice dress. ;)
Merida's lovely red hair in banana curls, though, was not something that I could comb without destroying the hair style. I didn't think the hair could be washed either and last long. Sadly, the number of used Merida's on ebay that you see with awful hair shows that beautiful as curly red hair may be, it just isn't meant to be combed.
These dolls were at Target originally, and the normal price was $29.99. Target often had sales, and I was able to get Merida for $17.00. One thing I like about Target's dolls is that while they may not be as well made as dolls you can get from the Disney Store, they often look more pleasant and like they have good mental health issues. Disney Store dolls--like the Animator series, for instance--can be better made but look abused or like little criminals.
I don't know if many people were able to identify with Merida's story. I, myself, have never seen it...mainly because from the trailer I could barely understand her accent. It is a shame, because at least compared to the Belle doll's set, Merida was more impressive as far as quality and appearance. She had painted blue eyes, and though she had freckles...they were small and well placed. She looked nothing like the movie character, but let's face it...the movie character was ugly, so that was just as well.
Compared to the Belle dress set, the Merida set allows a little girl and her doll to be almost twins. The toddler dress and the doll dress are nearly identical. There are only slight differences. The toddler dress, for one, doesn't have the brown plastic belt like the doll's dress...but it does have broach with the movie character's face on it. The doll wears plastic teal shoes with no tights or socks...which seems typical of someone like Merida, though probably the company was cutting costs. What is really nice about these dolls is that though they have limited movement compared to most dolls, they can sit up on their own without being propped up. They can also stand on their own.
If anyone is allergic to polyester, be warned that the dresses on both the doll and for the toddler are 100% polyester. They both have VELCRO closures. Unfortunately, they don't recommend washing--even hand washing--or drying the toddler dress...which seemed to me rather impractical. They suggested wiping it off with a damp rag. However, you have to think about what a child is likely to do in such a costume, particularly Merida...who seemed to be a tomboy. Even if a tea party might invite spills and crumbs, but my guess is that most little girls might act they are in the Hunger Games and not be so sedentary.
The toddler dress is not floor-length. Many parents complained about this, but personally I thought it was practical. A floor length dress on an uncoordinated toddler may make them accident prone, not to mention acquire a lot of filth.
Alas, when I had to downsize my collection, I got rid of Merida. However, she recently sold to a woman who was going to give it to her granddaughter, so it seemed she was going to a loving home.
Disney's Beauty and the Beast Belle and Toddler Dress Set
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Doll Height: 15 inches
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Greenish-Brown
Recommended Age: 3+
Toddler Dress Size: 2-4 T
Made in China
UPC: 678352770126
Produced by: Jakks Pacific
Box Contents: 1 fifteen inch doll dressed in a yellow dress with flowers, a silver tiara, painted yellow underwear, yellow shoes, and a toddler dress.
Doll Movement: Typical baby doll--head twists side to side, arms go back and forth, legs go back and forth, does not bend at elbows or hands, does not bend at knees or ankles. Doll can stand on its own, and what is nice in addition is that she can sit up without being propped.
Dress Fabric: 100% Polyester
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As for the toddler dress not looking like Belle's dress in the movie...people don't realize how expensive that would make this package if they did that. I sew, and sewing your own clothes is not the cheap way to go. You sew if you enjoy it, if you have a particular style in mind that is not widely available, or if you have a weird body whose dimensions are not off the rack. You never sew because it is cheaper. It is much cheaper to buy your clothes, particularly if you shop at places like Walmart. When it comes to specialty fabric used to make evening wear or special occasion gowns in particular, the price can really sky rocket. I once spent forty dollars making a wedding dress for a Barbie doll...a Barbie! The cheapest fabric usually runs $7.99 a yard. Specialty fabric can go from $12.99 to $15.99...or even more...a yard. Then there are the notions you would have to buy, which can also get expensive.
Is it cheaply made? Yes. Will it hold up? Probably not, particularly if your little princess is a ruffian or one of those kids whose food winds up more on her than in her mouth. Like the Merida dress, it can't be washed--only wiped off with a damp rag. One thing all parents did agree on is that despite their misgivings, their children loved these dolls and dresses. It often was their favorite toy.
I was very disappointed in the doll. She was cute, and in the bling department she had it made. She is sporting a really cute tiara. The yellow dress is pretty, but it was very strange as far as the material. It was almost papery in texture, reminding me a lot of patio furniture. The dress also was different in appearance to the toddler dress, so your little girl and her doll can't be twins.
The worst thing, though, was not something I noticed until she had been in storage for a while. Now mind you, I am not one of those people who stores my inventory in the attic or a hot garage. I have it either in my bedroom or living room, both of which are air conditioned. Imagine my horror, then, when I took Belle out of storage and she smelled.
Many doll companies are not making their dolls out of a material that is more environmentally friendly to make, though it isn't biodegradable. Air mattresses are made from the same material. It depends on how sensitive a person is to smells. One thing I have learned from buying on ebay is that people don't have the same sensitive sniffer as I do. They claim the item doesn't have an odor, and often it does--it smells of water damage, old paper, or smoke. Smokers in particular do not realize that nicotine clings to everything, often staining it as well as producing an offensive odor to those not accustomed to cigarette smoke.
The problem with the new material is that if it is cheaply made, it can actually produce a toxic gas that is bad for people with a sensitive respiratory system. I once bought a Madame Alexander doll that was really cute but smelled so bad that I had to return it. It actually made me ill. That was why I was really dismayed with Belle.
The smell did go away after two days of airing Belle. When I put her back in storage, I wrapped her in tissue paper rather than bubble wrap, hoping this will keep the smell from developing. I find that some things do react to bubble wrap. It seems, though, that Belle may prove to be a bad investment. However, that is always a risk as a seller. Normally, I make good choices...and I've had enough success that it makes up for my few times of bad judgment.
I was also not happy with the shoes, which looked even more cheap compared to Merida's shoes, which were also plastic. It seemed that all around with Belle, they went cheap with everything with the exception of the tiara.
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