2014 Rapunzel Disney Store Doll Review

Hey everyone!  Here's the 2014 Rapunzel Disney Doll review I've been promising.  I'd really just like to take a couple of minutes to thank all fourteen of my wonderful followers, and even those who don't follow my blog, but still read posts - you guys are AMAZING, and thank you so much for following me and for sticking with me.  I know I've been terrible for posting lately, so thank you so much. 
Onto the post!
This, as afore-posted, is the front of their boxes. 

And this is the back of Rapunzel's box. 

When I got her out of the box (which was fairly easy.  There were two of those pesky plastic tag things in her dress that left holes, though, which I wasn't exactly pleased about.) 
Under her skirt is an INSANE amount of tissue paper, and it's even wrapped around her legs!  Not sure why she was so wrapped up with the tissue paper this year, seeing as her dress, though glittery, does not shed.  (Which is AMAZING.) 

Here's the beauty herself! 

Front of her dress.  This is the most accurate dress they've made since the original 2010 release, which I was excited about. 

This is blurry, which I didn't notice until just now...sorry!  This kinda shows how full her skirt is, and that the pattern goes the whole way around her skirt.

At first, I was pretty hesitant to buy her -- I mean, to me, she looked a lot like the 2013 release, and I didn't want a duplicate, but on the other hand, I didn't want to break my pattern (I have the 2010, 2011, Wedding 2012, 2013, and now 2014...Only missing a few).  I'm glad I got her, though!  When I first saw her in the box, I thought I probably wouldn't like her, because her eyes are HUGE.  Slightly bigger than the 2013 release's.  Her lips are also a vibrant pink, which I wasn't a fan of.  Buuuut she grew on me, and I love those big eyes!  She's similar to 2013 Rapunzel, but different at the same time. 
Her hair is so silky soft, and a beautiful color.  It goes just barely to her ankles, but it's a lot thinner this year than in previous years.  I'm not meaning that the rooting is poor or patchy or anything, that's fine -- she just has less dense hair.  I don't know how to explain it...
Anyway, like my 2014 Ariel, her hips were really stiff.  Luckily, I was able to work them until they were fine.  And there were no knees harmed in the making of this post.  :D

She has freckles, too! They're bolder once more, but I love 'em anyway.  Also:  her eyes look bluish in this picture, but they're deep emerald greenish in real life.

The gel holding her hair up in her trademark "swoop", as Glen Keane calls it, was almost nonexistent, (which was odd - I got one doll that was gelled wayy too much, and one that wasn't gelled enough!)  so I did the same thing I did with Ariel:  I spritzed her with the fabric softener and water solution and got the gel out.  Her hair falls like this now, and if you position it a certain way, she looks like she has a completely different personality - she goes from bubbly and perky to shy and quiet.  I like it, actually!  It gives her a different air.  

Overall, I give her a 5/5.  While she's not 101% movie accurate (eyes are too dark, lips and freckles too bold), she's still beautiful and nicely made. She's fun to photograph as well!  I need to make a comparison post for her and her predecessor, and I feel a photoshoot coming on.  Anyway, I'd definitely recommend her! 
Anyone planning on getting her?  Anyone have her already? 

2014 Ariel Disney Store Doll Review

Hey, guys!
So today, I've got the 2014 Ariel Disney Doll review up, finally.  Yikes...thanks for waiting patiently! 

So this is the front of the Ariel box (and Rapunzel's). 

My Ariel's box was dented in pretty badly, but luckily nothing happened to her nose or face!

Back of the box.

And the beautiful lady herself!  She's relatively easy to get out of the packaging, which was epic. 

The only thing I didn't like was how gelled her hair was.  It was INSANE.  I could hardly even move it, and it was starting to get really messy by the time I got her into a couple of poses.  Luckily, I spritzed her with some fabric softener/water solution and rubbed it gently through the crusty parts of her hair, and she ended up with almost no gel, but her hair still stays in place.  Her hair was incredibly soft once I got all the nasties out :P 

Her beautiful face - she's very accurate to the movie version of Ariel, in my opinion. 

Her tail is glittery, but it's made out of some fabric that doesn't shed glitter.  It's amazing.  The top and the fins are made out of some really thin fabric - almost puts me in the mind of tulle, but it isn't.  Her tail has elastic at the top, so it's okay to get off -- kinda hard, but doable. 

Her top has clear, rubbery elastic straps, and has a bow-like (or should I say shell?) attachment sewn to the center.  Behind that is just a plain bra, basically.  It has Velcro in the back.  I could see how this would be very, very easily broken, just because of those pesky straps.  I remember breaking many, many of those as a child - anyone else have that problem, or was it just me? 

She has the regular, click-knees, which...

Broke.  Her hips were very, very stiff, but I flexed them a coupla times and they were fine.  When I tried to bend her knees, her one leg broke.  See that second bump that shouldn't be there? That's what happens when they break.  Plus, you can bend them wayyy further than you should be able to.  [And no, I'm not an old wrinkly person.  My hands are just in bad shape because I never use lotion...]

This is her other, unbroken knee, just for comparison. 

She's really fun to take pictures of!

Overall, I would give her 4.5/5 stars.  She's beautiful, and her articulation is the same as the other dolls with similar articulation (2010-11, 2013-14 Rapunzels, Belle, etc.)  She's movie accurate and just very fun.  I docked half of a point, however, for the crummy gel, weak knee joint, and her really stiff hips (though they loosened up a bit with some work.)  It might just be my doll, though.  Otherwise, I would definitely recommend her!  She's my first Ariel, so I can't really compare her to other versions, though.  Anyone planning on getting her?  Does anyone have her already? 

I am SO SORRY, guys....

GOOD GRIEF, guys, I'm so sorry!  I just realized I haven't posted anything in nearly a month....I'm so sorry...!  I've been incredibly busy with writing, classes, helping at the local fair last week, and also keeping track of the horse we got in June...who is expectant.  We didn't know she was in foal when we bought her, sooo that was a surprise.  We're thinking/hoping she'll foal soon, she's been really restless and showing some signs that she *may* go this weekend, so hopefully....hopefully things will calm down some.  And we can actually get some sleep instead of being up all night taking turns watching her in case she decides to foal. 
Fun, fun...right?? 
Anyway, I'll hopefully be posting some stuff soon about the 2014 Rapunzel & Ariel dolls (good night, 2014 is almost over and I've not posted that yet...) and also reviews for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, and God's Not Dead.
I'll hopefully see you guys soon, I'm so sorry.  Now I'm probably out to clean horse stalls...it never ends.  I'll maybe get cracking on some of these reviews later today...I hope. 
I'm thinking that after next week, things will calm down a little bit....see, with my class schedule this year, I have all sorts of classes that I HAVE to attend through the first month.  After that, as long as I keep my grades up (with the exception of one class), I will be home free and not have to attend class with the teacher.  The freedoms of cyber schooling, right?  Anyway, so I'll have a lot more time (about 3-4 hours extra per day).  I hope.  Fingers and toes crossed.