Disney Dolls Appreciation Discussion

[Shivatopia]

Random and off-topic- are we now using TDS for The Disney Store? 'Cause every time I see it, I automatically think Tokyo DisneySEA. Since Tokyo DisneySEA has traditionally been TDS, I always just used DS for Disney Store (plus, the whole not using articles thing). It keeps throwing me for a loop...I was like, wait, how did you get Designer Dolls in Tokyo? LOL!

It's like the HM Haunted Mansion/Hidden Mickey thing all over again...

Whoops! I had no idea I was using a traditional acronym for a Disney park! That is my error. Moving forward, I will use DS for the Disney Store. Btw, I hate acronyms in general! They can be so confusing! Thanks for bringing this up, Abyssinian!

 

[Shivatopia]

Love Megara, have never been able to get her sadly. Still, I have Esmeralda and Giselle so mustn't grumble!

Shiva -- that Meg doll is simply gorgeous!!!! They so don't offer up enough Meg merchandise if any at all.

Thanks! I absolutely had to share my Megara doll, because I love her so much and also because Disney merchandising has neglected her quite a bit since the theatrical release of Hercules. Slowly, I am obtaining the few Megara pins that are out there, but (luckily for my wallet) there really are not that many out there. The only Disney Park that I know of where Megara even appears is in WDW, and she is super rare at that. When I went to WDW for the first time earlier this month, I saw her in the Fantasmic! finale at DHS, but the Fantasmic! characters seldom ever come out for meet-and-greets, from what I have heard. The only other place where she has been seen is at the International Gateway at Epcot, but when I was there I asked guest services about that and they were very upfront that if you ever do see her there (or any other rare characters that are not normally in Epcot) she's basically in training. I assume that the "friends of Megara" that people have met were training for Fantasmic!

 

[Abyssinian28]

Whoops! I had no idea I was using a traditional acronym for a Disney park! That is my error. Moving forward, I will use DS for the Disney Store. Btw, I hate acronyms in general! They can be so confusing! Thanks for bringing this up, Abyssinian!

It's not a big deal...it was just yanking me out of all the posts I was reading...LOL! I would have coped.

Keep calm and carry on!

 

[karkura]

I was trying to fall asleep last night and of course thinking about these darn dolls!

Anyway, I was wondering what a Giselle doll would have looked like. I think she would have been really pretty. Especially in her red hair and any of her gowns modernized.

 

[Shivatopia]

I was trying to fall asleep last night and of course thinking about these darn dolls!

Anyway, I was wondering what a Giselle doll would have looked like. I think she would have been really pretty. Especially in her red hair and any of her gowns modernized.

There were a handfull of Giselle dolls that were produced, ranging from the animated version to Amy Adams. Unfortunately, these dolls are somewhat hard to find, even on eBay and amazon.com (commanding prices of $50+). I remember seeing these at a local Toys 'R Us store a few years back, but I passed on them, because I was less than enchanted with Enchanted as a film (no offense to the Giselle fans out there!). But I agree that the animated version doll would have made a great addition to the Designer line, and I also wonder what they would have dressed her in, since Giselle is essentially a mash-up of many of the Disney princesses released up to that point. Given her strawberry blonde hair, I would want to dress her in an emerald green, but Giselle never wore that color. In the film, she wore: pink, white, aqua, and purple.

So, for all of you seasoned or budding OOAK doll artists out there, are you up for the challenge? Any takers?

 

[Shivatopia]

"For the first time in [two and a half months], I shall sleep well." Maleficent's paraphrased quote is totally how I feel now that I have all ten of the Disney Princess Designer Dolls in hand, and through much determination, frustration with the Disney Store, restless nights of worrying, and a lot of luck, I was able to get them all direct from DS.com. So now, I present my final two reviews (again, I apologize for the "sold out" graphic - these images are taken directly from the Disney Store's website):

Disney Princess Designer Aurora

As many of you know, I have been rather vocal about my disappointment with what they did (or in some cases, did not do) for Aurora in this collection. However, now that I finally have her in hand, I do indeed like her a lot more than I did when I only had pictures to look at. Her gown is still very uninspired, and also fails to look as good as the design sketch, but she is very pretty, befitting the lovely Aurora. I really wish Disney had stuck to the original design and kept the original detail of the sparkly geometric pattern where the skirt meets the bodice of the gown, instead of using the more sloppy-looking lace belt that the doll ended up with. I also wish they paid more attention to the folds of the skirt of the dress, as shown in the design (which are in-line with Aurora's traditional gown), instead of the flat-looking skirt. The white satin shoulder straps were also oddly changed into a triangular shape, unlike the clean square shape of the design sketch. If Disney were to drop the ball and not give her a really new design for her gown, they could have at least executed the final product a lot better. Her hair is very neatly coiffed, but it does not resemble the sketch at all, grouping her in what I call the "failed hair-do group" with Designer Belle and Designer Mulan. In fact, Designer Aurora's hair ended up looking a lot more like the sketch for Designer Belle's hair, proving that it could have been done for Belle. Hands-down, Aurora needed to have at least some of her hair down to show off her lovely sunshine-gold curls. Designer Aurora's face is perhaps her best feature, with her violet eyes and elegant makeup, and I like that she is not doing the side-glance thing that almost all of the other Designer dolls are doing (Designer Pocahontas is the only other doll who is looking straight forward). Does she look like Barbie? Yes, she does. Will I learn to like her more? Probably, and a lot of it will have to do with the fact that she is Aurora and also that I had to wait the longest for her, thanks to shipping delays on DS.com's end. And do I still want to make my own version of Designer Aurora? You bet!

Disney Princess Designer Tiana

In my opinion, Designer Tiana is probably a doll that would really shine if she were taken out of the box to allow her gown to flow out properly and also to fix the composition of her hair. However, in the box, she still looks good. She is the only princess dressed in green, and that makes her stand out in a good way. The inspiration of her gown very obviously comes from her bayou wedding gown, but I like it. Disney did not hold back on bejeweling the bodice of her gown, and the beaded belt is also a nice touch. The two white fabric flowers are nice, but they would have been better if the petals actually resembled water lilies and did not lay out so flat. Her hair is very neatly styled, but in the box, her hair is so lateral that it does look a bit odd. I think of Diana Ross and the Supremes. Her gloves have tiny green gem details, but the staggering of them down the arm is kind of reminiscent of frog warts, which is a bit disturbing. One of my favorite things is the tiny jeweled Frog Naveen, all puckered up for a kiss. Her makeup is nicely done, and they used a new doll head sculpt for Tiana that I hope Disney will use again in the future. Overall, they did a good job on Tiana.


So that wraps it up for my reviews of the Disney Princess Designer Dolls. They are all very lovely and worth the constant headaches that were generated in trying to get them. If I were to rank the dolls in order of my preference, they would be (in descending order from most favorite on down): Snow White, Rapunzel, Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora, Tiana, Pocahontas, Mulan, Belle, and Jasmine.

 

[disneycrazee]

I was trying to fall asleep last night and of course thinking about these darn dolls!

Anyway, I was wondering what a Giselle doll would have looked like. I think she would have been really pretty. Especially in her red hair and any of her gowns modernized.

I was thinking the same thing! (Which is why I added a last "Other" option in the poll for my OOAK dolls )

There were a handfull of Giselle dolls that were produced, ranging from the animated version to Amy Adams. Unfortunately, these dolls are somewhat hard to find, even on eBay and amazon.com (commanding prices of $50+). I remember seeing these at a local Toys 'R Us store a few years back, but I passed on them, because I was less than enchanted with Enchanted as a film (no offense to the Giselle fans out there!). But I agree that the animated version doll would have made a great addition to the Designer line, and I also wonder what they would have dressed her in, since Giselle is essentially a mash-up of many of the Disney princesses released up to that point. Given her strawberry blonde hair, I would want to dress her in an emerald green, but Giselle never wore that color. In the film, she wore: pink, white, aqua, and purple.


So, for all of you seasoned or budding OOAK doll artists out there, are you up for the challenge? Any takers?

The only Enchanted doll I didn't get was the wedding gown one...which I regret, but that's okay since I prefer animated Giselle.

"For the first time in [two and a half months], I shall sleep well." Maleficent's paraphrased quote is totally how I feel now that I have all ten of the Disney Princess Designer Dolls in hand, and through much determination, frustration with the Disney Store, restless nights of worrying, and a lot of luck, I was able to get them all direct from DS.com. So now, I present my final two reviews (again, I apologize for the "sold out" graphic - these images are taken directly from the Disney Store's website):

Disney Princess Designer Aurora

As many of you know, I have been rather vocal about my disappointment with what they did (or in some cases, did not do) for Aurora in this collection. However, now that I finally have her in hand, I do indeed like her a lot more than I did when I only had pictures to look at. Her gown is still very uninspired, and also fails to look as good as the design sketch, but she is very pretty, befitting the lovely Aurora. I really wish Disney had stuck to the original design and kept the original detail of the sparkly geometric pattern where the skirt meets the bodice of the gown, instead of using the more sloppy-looking lace belt that the doll ended up with. I also wish they paid more attention to the folds of the skirt of the dress, as shown in the design (which are in-line with Aurora's traditional gown), instead of the flat-looking skirt. The white satin shoulder straps were also oddly changed into a triangular shape, unlike the clean square shape of the design sketch. If Disney were to drop the ball and not give her a really new design for her gown, they could have at least executed the final product a lot better. Her hair is very neatly coiffed, but it does not resemble the sketch at all, grouping her in what I call the "failed hair-do group" with Designer Belle and Designer Mulan. In fact, Designer Aurora's hair ended up looking a lot more like the sketch for Designer Belle's hair, proving that it could have been done for Belle. Hands-down, Aurora needed to have at least some of her hair down to show off her lovely sunshine-gold curls. Designer Aurora's face is perhaps her best feature, with her violet eyes and elegant makeup, and I like that she is not doing the side-glance thing that almost all of the other Designer dolls are doing (Designer Pocahontas is the only other doll who is looking straight forward). Does she look like Barbie? Yes, she does. Will I learn to like her more? Probably, and a lot of it will have to do with the fact that she is Aurora and also that I had to wait the longest for her, thanks to shipping delays on DS.com's end. And do I still want to make my own version of Designer Aurora? You bet!

Disney Princess Designer Tiana

In my opinion, Designer Tiana is probably a doll that would really shine if she were taken out of the box to allow her gown to flow out properly and also to fix the composition of her hair. However, in the box, she still looks good. She is the only princess dressed in green, and that makes her stand out in a good way. The inspiration of her gown very obviously comes from her bayou wedding gown, but I like it. Disney did not hold back on bejeweling the bodice of her gown, and the beaded belt is also a nice touch. The two white fabric flowers are nice, but they would have been better if the petals actually resembled water lilies and did not lay out so flat. Her hair is very neatly styled, but in the box, her hair is so lateral that it does look a bit odd. I think of Diana Ross and the Supremes. Her gloves have tiny green gem details, but the staggering of them down the arm is kind of reminiscent of frog warts, which is a bit disturbing. One of my favorite things is the tiny jeweled Frog Naveen, all puckered up for a kiss. Her makeup is nicely done, and they used a new doll head sculpt for Tiana that I hope Disney will use again in the future. Overall, they did a good job on Tiana.


So that wraps it up for my reviews of the Disney Princess Designer Dolls. They are all very lovely and worth the constant headaches that were generated in trying to get them. If I were to rank the dolls in order of my preference, they would be (in descending order from most favorite on down): Snow White, Rapunzel, Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora, Tiana, Pocahontas, Mulan, Belle, and Jasmine.

I love reading all of your reviews! You do such a wonderful job going over the pros and cons of each one.

 

[Shivatopia]

The boards have become so very quiet since the aftershocks of Dollmageddon started settling down...

Well, I was snooping around a bit, and I have come to the firm conclusion that Designer Rapunzel's mirror is indeed based on her very own hairbrush from the film. I was watching Tangled at home and then started looking through my copy of The Art of Tangled by Jeff Kurtti. On page 70 there is a digital image of Rapunzel's brush rendered by Vicky Lin. I compared it to Designer Rapunzel's hand mirror and the designs match. I went back to the start of the film and saw the brush in 3 scenes: 1.) In the prologue when Mother Gothel is brushing little Rapunzel's hair by the fireplace, 2.) During "When Will My Life Begin" when Rapunzel is brushing her hair near the end of the song, and 3.) When Rapunzel rejuvenates Mother Gothel while very rapidly singing the "Healing Incantation" right before Rapunzel reveals that she wants to see the floating lights. And then, of course, the Limited Edition 1500 17" Mother Gothel doll is holding the brush in her hand... I suppose that the people responsible for the Princess Designer Collection turned the brush into a hand mirror not only to make it look more fashionable, but also to reinforce the idea of the dolls being collector items (a functional doll brush would make children want to open the box and brush Rapunzel's long, soft hair).

Now if only I could unlock the mystery of whatever Designer Pocahontas' clutch purse is really supposed to be. I may just have to find my copy of The Art of Pocahontas to see if there are any leads there. Until then, I guess I'll just accept that it's a chestnut...

 

[mybabykelly]

There are a few dolls listed on ebay right now starting at $25.00. I won't post the ebay link since its not permitted, but if anyone is interested just search the doll names below. I don't know who it is, but I came across them while browsing pins and remember I saw one from this thread. Not sure if they are rare or even a bargain, but thought I'd let you guys know

The dolls are:

1) KB Toys Special Edition "Winter Dreams" Disney Cinderella by Matel *1997* Starting bid $25 ($16 shipping)
2) Disney's 60th Anniversary Snow White - *2nd in The Signature Series!* by Matel $28 starting bid ($16 shipping)
3) "The Beast" from Disney's Beauty and The Beast, **The Signature Collection ** Starting Bid $25 ($25 shipping)

 

[Shivatopia]

My Rapunzel doll reviews are long overdue, as I mentioned wanting to write one up when I reviewed my Flynn Rider dolls, so even though it's over a month past when I wanted to make it: here's my Rapunzel doll collection and thoughts! Now, bear in mind that I do not own all of the Rapunzel dolls made by TDS. I am notably missing the Limited Edition doll that was released to coincide with the DVD release of Tangled as well as the Singing Rapunzel doll from TDS, due to the 17" height of the dolls, which I do not collect. I also have not bought the newer TDS play doll and most of the Mattel Tangled Rapunzel dolls. I will provide pics of them at the end, just for reference to what is out there.

2010 Classic Rapunzel Doll (TDS):

This is the first Rapunzel doll that was released by TDS when Tangled was released in the theaters. In my opinion, of all the 11.5" Rapunzel dolls produced, this doll's gown comes the closest to replicating the design from the film. A lot of good detailing was put into this dress, from the painted designs along the borders of the skirt, to the pink and lavender stripes of her puffed sleeves, to the fact that she has the proper pink 3/4-length sleeves. The colors of her dress are replicated perfectly (lots of purple). Her hair is 17" long, making her exceptional among other (non-Disney) Rapunzel dolls that have been made by Mattel over the years that had hair that only flowed down to the doll's feet (so 11.5" long at most). This Rapunzel doll was given shimmery green strands of "hair" to resemble the glowing effect of Rapunzel's hair when she sings and activates the magic of her healing sun powers. Unfortunately, I have read in reviews that her hair has a tendency to tangle very easily (yes, ironic, isn't it?). I don't intend to take this doll out of the box, so I can't say anything about that from personal experience. Her face is a very good translation from the 3-dimensional qualities of the CGI graphic design of the film into doll form, though consequently her eyes look enormous. Still, she looks very sweet and properly innocent. I do not like the fact that they did not paint any eyelashes on her at all. For accessories, they gave her a paintbrush, a tiny Pascal, and her hairbrush from the film (which was turned into a hand mirror for the Designer Rapunzel) -- all of which are fabulous. Like all of the Princess dolls from TDS, this doll has jointed elbows and wrists to allow for a variety of poses. Along with Designer Rapunzel, this is my favorite Rapunzel doll.


Rapunzel & Flynn Rider Celebration Doll Gift Set (TDS):

First, the base doll used for this Rapunzel doll is the exact same one as the 2010 Classic Rapunzel Doll described above (same facial paint, same hair length, same included shimmery strands). This Rapunzel's gown is inspired by the gown that she wears at the end of the film, but modified. In the movie (based on the design sketch found in The Art of Tangled), the skirt came all the way down to the floor, but for the doll, it's the same shorter length of her regular outfit. So, it's not a perfect replica of the movie dress, which is a bit disappointing, but then again, she should also have short brown hair with this particular outfit... They used a lot of sheer fabric on this outfit (the outer skirt and the upper part of her dress above the pink satin corset), which I am not crazy about (it makes the doll look less luxe). In the doll packaging, the doll's skirt looks full-length, so that helps the overall look. The gold trim also helps. Her only accessory is her crown, which in the factory packaging is on her head (and not in Eugene's hand).
As for Flynn Rider, I love that TDS stepped up on the detailing on his doublet from the regular TDS Flynn doll. Also patterned from the last scene of the film, Flynn is dressed in mostly black, but they used a nice patterned fabric and actually put in the grommets at the shoulders. I bought the Celebration Gift Set more for Flynn more than for Rapunzel, but I'm glad I did (a big thank you to stybbafirefoot for posting the pics of his outfit on page 2 of this thread!).


Disney Princess Designer Rapunzel (TDS):

I already discussed Designer Rapunzel in a previous post, so I will not repeat that here. By the way, this is not my pic or my doll (mine is still in her factory packaging), but I liked how this person arranged her hair and gown. Here, you can see the true fullness of the skirt and the full length of her hair. Looking at my 3 TDS Rapunzel dolls together, it occurred to me that Designer Rapunzel's dress could have been inspired by elements of both her original dress and her dress in the last scene of the movie. Designer Rapunzel's gown is very pink (like in the final scene), but the purple laced-up corset is definitely inspired by her original dress. Also, the sleeveless feature of the gown is closer to the final scene pink dress (which has short poofy sleeves on her shoulders) than her original dress, which almost covers her arm. Just some random musings... By the way, this picture really almost makes me want to remove the factory restraints from my Designer Rapunzel, since her hair looks stunning like this!


Mattel Royal Celebration Rapunzel:

This doll also seems inspired by the dress from the final scene of the movie, and the skirt is full-length. It is made of white fabric material with a lilac inner skirt. The fabric is embellished with gold and multicolored glittery design patterns. Overall, it's not bad, and it could pass as a wedding dress, but this really comes across as a play doll. As for the base doll, she really does not bear a good resemblance to Rapunzel at all. She does not look like a typical Barbie, but she's not Rapunzel either. She's a cute doll, and kind of reminds me of when you meet a "friend" of Rapunzel at the Disney Parks that has the spirit of Rapunzel, but not a good facial resemblance. Her crown is the right design, at least. She also suffers from the Mattel hair-only-to-the-doll's-feet syndrome of all the other Rapunzel dolls that Mattel has ever made over the past decades. I'll be honest that I bought this set more for Flynn, and his outfit seems to be the one that he will wear in Tangled Ever After.


Other TDS Rapunzel dolls that I do not own:
(17" Singing Rapunzel Doll, Limited Edition Rapunzel doll, Disney Tangled Boutique Set)

As mentioned, I do not own any of these dolls for various reasons. The Singing Rapunzel doll is very pretty, and her dress is every bit as lovely and detailed as the original 2010 Classic Rapunzel doll, and I like that she sings "When Will My Life Begin." Unfortunately, she is a 17" doll, and I just do not collect dolls of that height. All of my dolls are in 1/6 scale, so for female dolls, that's pretty much the 11.5" dolls only (male dolls in the same scale can be as tall as 13" and still be in proportion to my other dolls). I was super-tempted to buy the Limited Edition Rapunzel doll when I saw her online on TDS last spring, but again, she's too tall to match my other dolls. I'm kind of stubborn about this point. Limited Edition Rapunzel is very pretty, but my one complaint (other than her height) is that I do not like her sleeves. They look very wrong to me on her. Tangled Boutique Rapunzel is essentially the newer TDS play doll, and I hate that they used the tutu tulle for her skirt, like with so many of their other princess play dolls. The tulle just looks bad to me, but I suppose it's more durable for play.


***At some point I'll do my long-overdue Aladdin doll review!***

 

[tinkerbelle1956]

Yes, I admit , I got pretty vocal over these dolls too . I know I said I was going to buy them and put them on ebay, but I was just blowing steam . I would not have been able to afford to buy them all to sell on ebay . My bills and mortgage comes first and then yes, I was angry at listening to the men that got them only to sell . But only because it was taking the dolls away from those that really wanted to collect them not because I was mad I didn't get there first to buy them . I only wanted Jasmine and Rapunzel which I got . Jaz from the store and Rapunzel for a super great deal from my dear friend Ashley . I was disappointed I couldn't get Aurora for swim2sea and I'm still trying/looking for a good deal for her .
I got my fab four . Cindi, Belle, Jasmine & Rapunzel .
Yours dolls are beautiful Shiv . I want the 12 inch Beast doll to go with my Belle designer doll .

 

[Shivatopia]

Yes, I admit , I got pretty vocal over these dolls too . I know I said I was going to buy them and put them on ebay, but I was just blowing steam . I would not have been able to afford to buy them all to sell on ebay . My bills and mortgage comes first and then yes, I was angry at listening to the men that got them only to sell . But only because it was taking the dolls away from those that really wanted to collect them not because I was mad I didn't get there first to buy them . I only wanted Jasmine and Rapunzel which I got . Jaz from the store and Rapunzel for a super great deal from my dear friend Ashley . I was disappointed I couldn't get Aurora for swim2sea and I'm still trying/looking for a good deal for her .
I got my fab four . Cindi, Belle, Jasmine & Rapunzel .
Yours dolls are beautiful Shiv . I want the 12 inch Beast doll to go with my Belle designer doll .

Thanks, Tinker! I've become such a doll freak that I am running out of space for all the dolls I own (and already many are in storage, mostly Barbies still in the boxes). That said, my Disney Designer Princess Dolls are not going anywhere. We've all struggled so hard to get these dolls, that in addition to them being so pretty, they also make good conversation pieces about our memories of Dollmageddon. I've finally squeezed all 10 into display areas around my house.

I know what you mean about being there at the store on Designer Doll release day, knowing that more than half the people there were there to buy only with the intention of reselling on eBay for profit (and whom you knew did not have even a smidgeon of a desire to collect any of the dolls or in some cases did not even know the princesses by name). When I was at my local mall on October 17th, I waited in my car from around 1am to 5am only to see a horde of people (mostly resellers from the look of things) disobey mall security and line up by the mall door (line up was to start at 6:30). And I knew that these people were not going to move no matter what mall security would say to them. That's when I went home to regroup and prepare for the online mess the next day. It still makes me feel queasy when I see the sellers on eBay or people who have been offering to sell through Facebook threads since Oct 17th who live in my area (and always for $120 or more per doll), because I probably saw those very same people that morning. I know that much has been said about people doing what they can to boost their finances in this bad economy, and I can understand the motivation behind that, but as a collector, when I compare how easy it was to buy Designer Cinderella and Designer Ariel as opposed to what things became like once the dolls' profitability factor became known, it blows my mind away. I really hope Margaret does finally get a Designer Aurora soon! Prices on the secondary market are dropping week by week.

On a lighter note, the Signature Beast doll is currently available on eBay from anywhere from $30-$100+. The lower-end priced Beast dolls are a particular good buy, because I am sure that the Disney Signature Doll Collection retailed for way more than $30 (maybe more like $50-$75?) when they were released.

 

[DRJ1828]

Disney Store LE 17'' Snow White Doll

So I splurged big time on myself and got three of the Disney Store Limited Edition 17'' Dolls, all new in their original boxes. They are the Disney Princesses Snow White, Belle and Rapunzel. I still haven't taken them out of their boxes yet, but here are some photos of them in their boxes, along with my description of them.

First is Snow White, the first Disney Princess and also the first released in this line.

The Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll by the Disney Store. She was released in 2009 exclusively by the Disney Store, and limited to 5000 dolls. She came in a collector's display box with a doll stand, a 3 disc Blu-Ray/DVD of ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', a lithograph of an original poster of the movie, and a certificate of authenticity.

Her costume is a spectacular gown and cape that is her iconic outfit redesigned in an Elizabethan style. She is wearing a long necklace with a large heart pendant. She is holding a blue bird in one hand and the poison apple in the other. She has pale white skin, as befits her name, and jet black hair, with a glittering red ribbon and bow around her head. She has large brown eyes, rooted eyelashes, and deep red very full lips. She is fully articulated, including movable hands. She is truly regal in her costume and overall look.


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Full Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Closeup Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Box Notes by drj1828, on Flickr


Lithograph of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Movie Poster by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed with Movie and Lithograph by drj1828, on Flickr

 

[DRJ1828]

Disney Store LE 17'' Belle Doll

The Disney Store Limited Edition 17'' Belle Doll, new in box. She was the second doll in this LE 17'' doll series. She is a stunningly beautiful rendition of the character from the animated movie "Beauty and the Beast". She comes in a collector's display box, dressed in her bejeweled golden ballroom gown. Also included is a doll stand and a certificate of authenticity. She is wearing long golden gloves that look like they are made of chain mail, and is holding a long stemmed red rose. She has great masses of long curly brown hair. She has rooted eyelashes that look like the antennae eyelashes of the Designer Belle. She has lovely hazel eyes and deep pink lips that form a charming smile.


Belle Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Full Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Belle Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Midrange Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Belle Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Box Notes by drj1828, on Flickr

 

[DRJ1828]

Disney Store LE 17'' Rapunzel Doll

The Disney Store Limited Edition 17'' Rapunzel Doll, new in box. She is a beautifully detailed rendition of the character from the animated movie "Tangled". She comes in a collector's display box, with an included doll stand and certificate of authenticity. She is dressed in her purple and pink gown, redesigned in a Renaissance fashion. She is holding a golden hued hair brush, which can be used to brush her 17 inches of silky blonde hair, which has golden strands throughout. She has very long rooted eyelashes. She has lovely green eyes, light pink lips in a subtle smile, and freckles across her cheeks. She was sold exclusively by the Disney Store in a limited edition of 5000 dolls.


Rapunzel Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Full Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Rapunzel Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Midrange Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Rapunzel Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Closeup of Box Notes by drj1828, on Flickr


Rapunzel Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Closeup Lying Down by drj1828, on Flickr


Rapunzel Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Boxed - Closeup of Her Feet and the Doll Stand by drj1828, on Flickr

 

[tinkerbelle1956]

Absolutely Gorgeous DRJ828 !
Shivatopia, what is The Beast Signature Doll . I got Prince Adam/ Beast at the Disney Store on sale for $8.50 . :lol: I'm sure he is not the one you are speaking about . I saw the new Beauty & The Beast dancing dolls that you make dance with a wand in NYC this past week .
Wouldn't it be awesome, if they came out with Designer Prince Dolls to match, but DS probably learned from the nightmare over the Princesses . My four are going no where either . I have the Jaz & Belle Designer pins . Also, not going anywhere . :lol:
I do have one question , what did you do in regards to storing the boxes that went over the dolls ?
I hope Margaret got her Aurora . I'm still watching ebay for her for a good deal . I'm thinking after Christmas and I may just buy Snow White and have the Fab Five !

 

[Shivatopia]

Absolutely Gorgeous DRJ828 !
Shivatopia, what is The Beast Signature Doll . I got Prince Adam/ Beast at the Disney Store on sale for $8.50 . :lol: I'm sure he is not the one you are speaking about . I saw the new Beauty & The Beast dancing dolls that you make dance with a wand in NYC this past week .
Wouldn't it be awesome, if they came out with Designer Prince Dolls to match, but DS probably learned from the nightmare over the Princesses . My four are going no where either . I have the Jaz & Belle Designer pins . Also, not going anywhere . :lol:
I do have one question , what did you do in regards to storing the boxes that went over the dolls ?
I hope Margaret got her Aurora . I'm still watching ebay for her for a good deal . I'm thinking after Christmas and I may just buy Snow White and have the Fab Five !

Oh, the Beast doll from the Disney Signature Doll Collection from the late 1990s looks like this:

Unlike the other Prince Adam/Beast dolls, his entire doll head and body are made only to be the Beast, as opposed to there being a Beast mask to put over Prince Adam's head. I do not personally own this doll, but he appears to have a rather impresively-made outfit (as with almost all of the other dolls from this series), and the fact that his actual body is proportioned like the Beast's is unmatched by any other doll for this character. My single complaint about the doll is that he has a rather funny expression on his face, but I suppose that was to highlight his softer side. I do recommend that fans of Beauty & the Beast who collect dolls strongly consider buying this Beast doll, because he is very well made. That said, he is only Beast and you will need a supplementary Prince Adam doll for his human form, but luckily TDS sells him as a play doll, and he also looks good (as a human - I don't care much for the included Beast mask).

I would love to see a Designer Prince doll line as well, but I agree that TDS should keep away from that for a while until the bad feelings over the Designer Princess dolls fade away. I am also not sure if the Disney Store would put forth any effort into it, either, due to the fact that to them, the princes are only accessories to the princesses (from a marketing standpoint), and the corporate executives probably think that it would not be worth the money to design, produce, and market them. So for now, I think we will have to content ourselves with pairing our princesses with the prince play dolls, the way stybbafirefoot did. Also, I would be afraid that the princes would not get different enough clothes. High fashion for men in the 50's and 60's were essentially suits, with not too much variance. Of course, they wouldn't have to necessarily stick with that era...

The slip covers for my Designer Princess dolls are being stored in the shipper boxes that each of my dolls came in from TDS.com. Since I ended up buying my whole collection online, I have the brown shipper boxes (but no giftbags). So, I currently have a tower of 10 brown boxes in a corner with the doll slip covers stored safely away within. The art and designs of the slip covers are way too pretty for me to either collapse them or (heaven forbid) put into the recycle bin. I think I will eventually look for one big cardboard box that they will all fit into and move that to storage, since my dolls will be on permanent display.

 

[tinkerbelle1956]

That is a cool looking Beast doll . Will have to check ebay for him after the holidays as well .
Never thought of how they would accessorize a Designer Prince doll since the Princesses were made to look 50's or 60's . I guess I was thinking suited in their attire from the movies . And then there is Beast, would they do him as Beast or Prince Adam !
I know I would buy them to match my Princesses, but probably not as big of a deal for the ebay sellers and that alone would keep the marketing profit down . I have my four on my dresser and one box leaning on top of each other and they keep falling over .:lol: I only have two bags and no boxes . If you'd like a bag, I will send you one .

 

[DRJ1828]

Absolutely Gorgeous DRJ828 !

Thanks, Tinker! They are breathtakingly beautiful!

 

[DRJ1828]

Deboxing the Disney Store LE 17'' Snow White Doll

The packaging of the 17'' LE Snow White and the other Disney Princess dolls is amazing, like a Disney Princess version of King Tut's multiple sarcophaguses. She is inside of box, inside of a box, but is still visible through large plastic windows in the front, sides and top. She is also on a Disney designed display stand, which is similar to the one for the Designer Princess dolls, but with the added bonus of being usable outside of the box. She takes a LONG time to completely debox. Not only is she and her outfit and accessories securely fastened to the box itself and plastic separators, but she is also tied to the stand, and her outfit and accessories are tied to her and each other to have her displayed in a certain way in the box. There were dozens of mostly tiny plastic ties to remove. Some of them caused a little damage to her outfit, her body and her hair, both when they were originally attached, and in the process of removing them, no matter how carefully I snipped them off her. Fortunately, she didn't have a large plastic tie attaching her head to the backboard, as the Designer Princess doll did.

Here are some images of the deboxing process.


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Front Lid Removed by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Second Inner Box Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Back Lid Removed by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Plastic Window Inner Lid Removed by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Certificate of Authenticity and the Doll by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Open Diorama - Full Front View #2 by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Open Diorama - Midrange Front View #2 by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Open Diorama - Closeup Front View #2 by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll - Unboxing - Open Diorama - Lying Down - Closeup View by drj1828, on Flickr

 

[Shivatopia]

Wow! I applaud you for deboxing this rare beauty of a doll. Will you be removing her completely from the factory ties and restraints? If so, I really look forward to seeing her full outfit freed from the box. The detailed embellishments on her dress are amazing (like the gold beads on her lace collar)! It's one thing to look at the promotional pictures released by Disney, but it's completely another (and better) experience to see real pictures of the actual doll. Your photo essays of the dolls you have deboxed so far really show off how beautiful the dolls really are. By the way, do you plan on deboxing any more of the Designer Princess dolls?

 

[Shivatopia]

That is a cool looking Beast doll . Will have to check ebay for him after the holidays as well .
Never thought of how they would accessorize a Designer Prince doll since the Princesses were made to look 50's or 60's . I guess I was thinking suited in their attire from the movies . And then there is Beast, would they do him as Beast or Prince Adam !
I know I would buy them to match my Princesses, but probably not as big of a deal for the ebay sellers and that alone would keep the marketing profit down . I have my four on my dresser and one box leaning on top of each other and they keep falling over .:lol: I only have two bags and no boxes . If you'd like a bag, I will send you one .

I am sure that the Beast doll will still be available on eBay for variable, but decent, prices after the holidays. Luckily, since he's about 14 years old, his resale value does not pack the same punch like when the Designer Princess dolls hit the secondary market back in August-November. I've seen him posted as low as $30 on eBay, so it's just a matter of keeping an eye out for a good deal.

Hmmm... I would think that if Disney were to make a Designer Prince doll line, they would make Prince Adam and not Beast. The Beast doll was made when Disney had their dolls made by Mattel, so the doll body and head sculpt are owned by Mattel, so Disney would need to either buy that off of Mattel or make their own (both of which cost money), so I think they would just stick with what they already have. Also, if a Designer Prince line were made, I can imagine that they would probably make them in 1/2 the LE sizes of the Princesses (4000,2000,1000) or maybe less, which would be a disaster for collectors due to reseller interference. That said, I think if we want Princes for our Designer Princesses, I would recommend making our own through customization/OOAK dolls or just pairing the princesses with the prince dolls that are already out there. It would be a lot less heartache, and you would be able to get what you really want. I'm already working on my own Designer Aurora and I think I may also make my own versions of Belle, Jasmine, and Pocahontas, too.

I have my 4 favorite Designer Princesses on my dresser, too (though mine are Snow White, Rapunzel, Aurora, and Cinderella). When my OOAK Designer Aurora is complete, she'll probably replace the TDS version in my room, and I'll put the TDS one on display in my living room with the remaining 6 Designer dolls. Thank you also for the offer of the Designer Princess gift bag, but no need. My bf would "kill" me if I bring any more Disney stuff into the house in the next few months!

 

[DRJ1828]

Wow! I applaud you for deboxing this rare beauty of a doll. Will you be removing her completely from the factory ties and restraints? If so, I really look forward to seeing her full outfit freed from the box. The detailed embellishments on her dress are amazing (like the gold beads on her lace collar)! It's one thing to look at the promotional pictures released by Disney, but it's completely another (and better) experience to see real pictures of the actual doll. Your photo essays of the dolls you have deboxed so far really show off how beautiful the dolls really are. By the way, do you plan on deboxing any more of the Designer Princess dolls?

Thanks, Shivatopia! Yes, I've already completely removed her from the box. I will post the photos shortly. The Animators' dolls and other acquisitions have distracted me from continuing to debox the Designer Princess dolls, but I will get back to them as soon as I debox the rest of the 17'' LE dolls. Probably I would do Designer Cinderella next, as I already have opened her case to untie her carriage purse so it would hang freely from her wrist.

 

[DRJ1828]

Disney Store LE 17'' Snow White Doll Deboxed

Here are some images of my newly acquired Disney Store Limited Edition 17'' Snow White Doll. She has been completely freed from the factory packaging, and is shown both with and without her robe. She is a truly amazing doll! All of the photos except the last one has her on the doll stand. She is very unstable free standing, as her shoes are don't evenly touch the ground. She needs the help of her gown and the robe to stabilize her, and even then she is pretty wobbly. She has no petticoats to help her stand, as does the Designer Snow White.


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Full Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Midrange Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Right Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Right Side View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Rear View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Left Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Outside View Of Robe by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Full Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Portrait View #1 by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Right Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Closeup Right Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Back View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Left Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Closeup Left Front View by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Lifting Her Skirt - Showing Her Shoes by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Derobed - Lifting Her Skirt - Closeup Of Her Shoes by drj1828, on Flickr


Snow White Limited Edition 17'' Doll (Disney Store) Deboxed - Free Standing Next To Her Doll Stand #2 by drj1828, on Flickr

 

[Shivatopia]

Absolutely gorgeous! *Sigh* If only I did collect 17" dolls (and I had the money to buy one of these)! Thanks for sharing this rare treasure!