One of the late arrivals for review here this season at Rock Father HQ has proven to be one of the post popular among my daughters. The My First Disney Princess Under the Sea Surprise Ariel by JAKKS Pacific/Tollytots has already popped up on a few “Hot Toys” lists that I’ve come across, and after seeing it in use over the past few weeks, it’s easy to see why. But there is something to be cautious about here, too.
When Ariel arrived here on November 19, my four-year-old practically had to be restrained to keep her from ripping into the box. After making her wait for just a little while, Ariel had to get into the water in order to test out the very cool, and much-touted light-up tail. Place Ariel’s tail into the water and she begins to sing, while LEDs illuminate the water itself.
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It’s a fantastic lightshow, but the point of caution comes with the big selling point: as noted in the instructions, the entire doll is not submersible due to the battery compartment (which holds 3 AAA batteries) being located at the top of the tail. This seems contradictory to the toy itself, and honestly, my wife found it to be very irritating, especially when we have girls that want to emulate the commercial:
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So it’s a LITTLE MERMAID doll that can’t be placed entirely in water, and that’s weird. But as a doll itself outside of the water, it’s fantastic and has become a part of the daily rotation here. As this is a hot toy, please beware of third-party sellers popping up through big retailer to gouge prices. Retail should be between $35-$40 MAX when not on-sale.
For more Seasonal fun, check out my Holiday Hub right here on The Rock Father. Want to see some great gift ideas in one spot? Check out the 2013 Master List, being updated daily!
