Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This was one of my daughter's top present choices for her sixth birthday. Her grandmother bought it for her, and fortunately, she didn't pay the full recommended retail ($69), which was excessive, given the quality. Even the "sale" (clearance?) price of $49 is way too much. But when your little girl is pining for a toy, it's hard to say no.
The cons:
*The kingdom must be assembled, which is no small task. There are dozens of pieces, and the instructions are terrible. In an effort to not offend or exclude anyone, the instructions are pictures only. Pictures are good to have, but they are not always self-explanatory. I thought for a few moments that I was missing several pieces until I finally realized that the illustrations were showing the same pieces more than once. With that figured out, the assembly went more quickly, but it was still a slow process.
*The cloud backdrop, as others have noted, is made of flimsy cardboard. Ours was bent and creased already, straight out of the box. And yes, it falls off if you look at it too hard. You can rig up something to keep it on (I'm thinking of using small pieces of pink erasers as "stoppers"), but a toy that costs this much should have been better designed.
*The tiny accessory pieces are easy to lose (many are translucent, so they are hard to spot on the floor), and the set didn't come with any sort of a storage box.
*The assembled set is quite large (3x2 feet, according to the box), and not sturdy enough to pick up and move. It's such a hassle to put together, you won't want to do that again (and the flimsy pieces likely wouldn't stand up to it, anyway), so you may find that you're stuck with having to relinquish a significant amount of permanent space to the toy.
*One of the flimsy doll stands broke the first night we had it.
*The Aidan and Annika dolls (not included) seem oversized to the playset, making them appear like out-of-place giants.
*The set only comes with two winged horses for the wand of light pillar, but there are hooks for three. I'm sure more are available for purchase, but the empty hook made my little girl feel sad; she was absolutely convinced we were missing one.
The pros:
*The colors of the toy are, as in the movie, exquisite.
*The multiple levels and staircases are fun.
*The set comes with dozens of small accessories, which kids love.
*There are some minor action movements to the set (the dance floor turns to make Aidan and Annika "dance", the "wand of light" pillar lights up and twirls around with two included winged horses, a "magic" mirror flips to reveal Brieta's true identity, a vanity drawer actually opens and can store some of the accessories).
*The scale of the stairs and levels are just right for using with Polly Pocket dolls.
*Despite all grownup reservations, most any young girl will be delighted with this toy.
For my daughter's birthday, we covered the table with a plastic Magic of Pegasus tablecloth, which I washed off and folded up to place under the cloud kingdom set. Not only did this provides a pretty and matching extension to the set (it's like adding a new level), it allows us to easily slide the assembled set around.
Overall I can recommend this toy only on the merit of how much my little girl loves it, but shame on Mattel for not doing a better job of designing it.
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Princess Annika is a cloud painter in "The Magical Cloud Kingdom," the Barbie Adventure movie. Transforming an ordinary day into one of magic is what Barbie does best, and with her friends she's sure to inspire your little princess's imagination. The Magical Cloud Kingdom sets the stage for new stories with a fantastical environment of clouds.
Kelly slides from her bedroom cloud to the puffs below, and there are romantic cloud arbors for Princess Annika and Prince Aidan to dance beneath. The sunrise and sunset can be dialed upon Queen Rayla's command while the lovebirds dine together. The miniature Pegasus Ponies fly around above the clouds on their own carousel! Set includes: Magical Cloud Kingdom stage, vanity and dining room, two magical Mini-Ponies. Dolls sold separately. Requires 2 "AA" batteries (not included).
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