Disney Dolls Appreciation Discussion

[Shivatopia]

I totally agree with you about the Snow White Designer Doll. I felt they were spot on with the clothing, (though a gold chain would have been a nice tough for the apple clutch) but I think her face could have been a bit more elegant - maybe even taking from the expressions of the 1950s barbie dolls?

Admittedly I do not know much about doll collecting- I've always thought they were pretty and have enjoyed from afar seeing my aunt collect, but I've never really gotten into it. This designer doll line has my interest peaked in dolls again though, and it made me stumble upon the alice doll that Disney had online:

It looks like it is sold out now, and while I couldn't buy it at the price it was at anyway, I truly was blown away by this one. Definitely a stunning design, and I totally loved it despite not being a die hard alice fan

The curious thing about this Alice doll is that she is a very interesting integration of the 1951 animated Alice and the 2010 Tim Burton-directed film Alice. The rows of ruffles and the lack of an apron, make me think of the 2010 movie, even though I don't recall her really ever wearing a ruffled dress like this, but Mia Wasikowska really got to wear some really beautiful clothes in that movie! I like this doll a lot, but I don't own one. I was online the night when she was posted on ds.com and would have bought her if she were a 11.5" doll and not a 17" doll. All of my dolls are 11.5" dolls, which pleases my aesthetics when I display them together and they are all the same size. I passed on the 17" LE Rapunzel doll, too, for the very same reason.

 

[Shivatopia]

Will you post of picture of the Snow White doll? I would love to see it.

Of which Snow White doll did you want to see more pictures?

 

[Moondance]

I like the red shawl they gave to her. Red always seems to add a good pop of color to an ensemble... With Pocahontas, it says "autumn" to me. :drool:

Yes, this doll!!! I dislike this picture though, her skin tone is very abnormal compared to my other Pocahontas dolls :x

You know, now that I look closer Shiva, she does look very autumn with that shawl!!! Very much so! No wonder I like her so much, Autumn is my season

 

[stybbafirefoot]

It is nice how they have varied the singing Princesses instead of giving us their signature look again. Adds a bit of variety to the display!

 

[Story]

Great thread!

My husband and I are more figure collectors than I am a doll collector, but I do dabble in the occasional Barbie The Designer dolls are really my first journey into Disney Barbie-esque dolls, but I do have these, which I love:

The Tower of Terror one is my favorite...I love that ride.

Oh I love the Tower of Terror doll! So cute! ^_^

The curious thing about this Alice doll is that she is a very interesting integration of the 1951 animated Alice and the 2010 Tim Burton-directed film Alice. The rows of ruffles and the lack of an apron, make me think of the 2010 movie, even though I don't recall her really ever wearing a ruffled dress like this, but Mia Wasikowska really got to wear some really beautiful clothes in that movie! I like this doll a lot, but I don't own one. I was online the night when she was posted on ds.com and would have bought her if she were a 11.5" doll and not a 17" doll. All of my dolls are 11.5" dolls, which pleases my aesthetics when I display them together and they are all the same size. I passed on the 17" LE Rapunzel doll, too, for the very same reason.

I totally agree. I have yet to see the 2010 movie, but I can definitely see how they took from both movies as inspiration for the design. I think that's why it really popped out to me- sort of the same reason why the designer dolls (more specifically the artwork) caught my eye. I love these dolls that are a bit out of the traditional of what I would expect from Disney princess (or simply Disney girls ^_^) merchandise, but still retain what makes them the characters we know and love. Not sure how much of that makes sense :lol:

Oh, I didn't even notice she was 17" tall - I guess it's a good thing I didn't cave and buy her then; I wouldn't know where to put her! :doh:

 

[disneycrazee]

And to round up the dolls I own from the Signature Collection:
Cinderella Signature Collection

I think that of the Disney Princesses, Disney has made some very good Cinderella dolls. Cinderella from the Signature Collection, in my opinion, is certainly one of the better ones produced. Her traditional ballgown has been translated very well into doll form, and like Signature Snow White and Signature Aurora, very nice materials are used to recreate Cinderella's iconic gown. I love the textured fabric of the bodice, which shimmers with a silver diamond-shaped embroidered pattern. Tiny faux diamond gems and sequins have been sewn onto her lovely baby blue satin dress, and they sparkle in the light, reminiscent of the magic that Fairy Godmother used to make Cinderella's dreams come true. Her hair is styled into a very neat updo, and does a great job in recreating the look from the movie, which to me is a real feat, because I always wondered how one could really recreate animated Cinderella's hairdo in real life. I forgot to mention before that Signature Aurora has rooted eyelashes, and Signature Snow White does not. Signature Cinderella also has rooted eyelashes, which work well with the overall look. I've never taken my dolls out of the box, so I would imagine that her shoes were made to look like tiny glass slippers (Can anyone confirm this?). The only two details I can mention that could have been better are her sleeves and that they seem to have used a more generic "Barbie" face for her. Her sleeves are pretty and look great on the dress, but they are a bit too poofy compared to the movie design. Her face is dreamy, but does look more "Barbie" than Cinderella. Having said that, she is still my favorite Cinderella doll.

I do not own the final 2 dolls from the Signature Collection: Belle and Beast. I have never been 100% happy with any of the Belle dolls that were made, mainly for two reasons: 1.) they never know how to capture her elegant hairstyle from that most memorable scene of the movie (Signature Belle's hair is way too long and not even close to being styled right) and 2.) her dress is almost always overdone with too many ruffles, in my opinion. I never got the Signature Beast doll, because he was made as a companion doll to Signature Belle - it would not seem right to get him without also having her.

By the way, I forgot to mention in my previous posts that I do not own any of the photos I have posted so far on this thread. All of these pictures were obtained through google searches and are, to my knowledge, promotional images owned by the Walt Disney Company.

I own the Signature Collection dolls too! They are definitely some of my favorites. Belle was my very first collector doll, so though not my favorite princess, she holds a special place in my heart. The Beast I find absolutely fantastic because you rarely see him and other princes/heroes in doll form (especially collector quality).

Of the more recent Disney dolls, I absolutely LOVE the LE Disney Store 17" dolls - Tiana, Rapunzel, and Mother Gothel (I would add Snow White here, but I do not have her! :cry: and though I do own Belle from this collection, she is my least favorite...and I missed out on the recent Alice and Queen of Hearts).

 

[Melonballer]

I think some of the best Disney dolls are the ones made by Tonner Dolls. If I was going to spend a few hundred on one of these Designer Collection dolls, I would have my money and buy a Tonner doll instead.

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/disneyprincess.htm#2010

 

[disneycrazee]

I think some of the best Disney dolls are the ones made by Tonner Dolls. If I was going to spend a few hundred on one of these Designer Collection dolls, I would have my money and buy a Tonner doll instead.

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/disneyprincess.htm#2010

I do agree some of their dresses are fabulous, but I'm not wild about their faces (although, I do think Tonner dolls generally look far better in person than in pictures...so yeah, if I saw one in front of me, I'd probably fall in love instantly ).



Right now, the dolls I dream of owning most are these gorgeous Ashton Drake Tiana dolls:

 

[Moondance]

I do agree some of their dresses are fabulous, but I'm not wild about their faces (although, I do think Tonner dolls generally look far better in person than in pictures...so yeah, if I saw one in front of me, I'd probably fall in love instantly ).



Right now, the dolls I dream of owning most are these gorgeous Ashton Drake Tiana dolls:

Beautiful! I must have the one in blue!

 

[Shivatopia]

I do agree some of their dresses are fabulous, but I'm not wild about their faces (although, I do think Tonner dolls generally look far better in person than in pictures...so yeah, if I saw one in front of me, I'd probably fall in love instantly ).



Right now, the dolls I dream of owning most are these gorgeous Ashton Drake Tiana dolls:

I totally agree that Tonner makes some of the best reproductions of movie outfits ever, and not just for Disney characters! For example, their Belle doll is the best reproduction of her ballgown and harido ever made to date. Unfortunately, I also agree that the faces of Tonner dolls do not ring "Disney" with me. They look like very pretty 1930s starlets. Then, for me, there is the sizes of the dolls, which range from 15"-22." But you know, if they made their dolls in 11.5" size, I would buy them to replace the dresses onto dolls I think look more "Disney." That would be a dream! A friend of mine loves the Tonner company's dolls in general (she repaints and restyles them, and makes beautiful well-made clothes for them), but I could never get into them. They also retail for minimum $150 ($350 for the 22" dolls), which is totally out of my price range!

The Ashton Drake Tiana dolls are indeed dreamy! I remember seeing the advertisement for the Bayou Wedding Tiana in the insert of my Princess and the Frog Blu-Ray disc! The Blue Ballgown Tiana doll was almost one that I bought, except she also retailed for about $150. As for the Tiana in her Bayou Wedding dress, I absoutely love from the green part of her dress on up. I thought they got a little lazy with the lily petal-inspired portion of her dress, which in the movie, were overlapping separate pieces of fabric. Had they made the dress like that, I would have really considered buying her.

Thanks for posting these! Keep 'em coming!

 

[Abyssinian28]

Right now, the dolls I dream of owning most are these gorgeous Ashton Drake Tiana dolls:

These are the BEST Disney dolls I have ever seen...for once, the anatomy looks both in proportion AND Disney-like! I've seen a few that have come close, like the SW in the OP and the one that sold out on DS.COM, but...wow, these are NICE!

 

[stybbafirefoot]

I don't even dare ask how much she costs, but she is simply amazing!

 

[Shivatopia]

Ok, I'm going to change directions here and not only move into the play-doll category, but also my first male doll post: Flynn Rider! Flynn is my #1 favorite Disney hero character, due to his feisty wit, multi-faceted personality, and let's face it: he's very good-looking! So far, I have bought one of every version of the 3 dolls created for him. :drool:

This is the Flynn Rider doll that was not released by the Disney Store, but is licensed by Disney and made by Mattel for sale at stores like Toys R' Us. I really like this doll, and I think it's primarily due to the detailing of his clothes (see the Disney Store version below). This outfit is definitely Flynn Rider's from head to toe. I like that they used pleather to make his doublet, giving it a nice visual pop that draws the eye. His pants are also nicely done, and his accessories are perfect! They gave him his satchel! Of course, since he is a play doll, he ended up with fixed hard plastic hair, which is a shame, considering that Flynn's hair in the movie has such texture and movement. I read in reviews that this particular doll's legs attachments to the body are prone to break. Since I don't plan on taking mine out of the packaging, I cannot confirm this. So far, this is my favorite Flynn doll.

This second doll is the Disney Store version of Flynn Rider, and he has some nice features, too, but I still like the first Flynn doll better. This version of Flynn is wearing the outfit that you see in the last sceen of the movie, so it is not meant to be the same outfit that we all would first think of for Flynn. That is why his doublet and boots are darker, and also why his sleeves are not rolled up to his elbows. This version has a fabric doublet, which looks very bulky to me. Flynn should be tall and lean (with those lovely broad shoulders), but this outfit makes him look a bit stout. He also does not have his satchel, which is appropriate, and they did give him his belt pouch. I think they tried to give him the smoulder, but it does not quite work for me. Also, as a play doll, he has the fixed hard plastic hair. He is not bad, and I'm glad I have one, but I really like the other doll better.

This third Flynn is a variant of the more commercial, non-Disney Store Flynn. This is called the Tangled Royal Celebration giftset. I won't discuss Rapunzel here, as I want to do a full Rapunzel doll post on this thread after the Designer doll is released (and I hopefully have one of my own). The base doll for Flynn is exactly the same as the one posted above, no difference. His outfit appears to be the one featured on the teaser poster that has been released for the Tangled short "Tangled Ever After" coming next spring. Sadly, his white satin top is rather cheaply made when you look at it in person, but this is a play doll, after all! Again, not bad, but still not as good as the Flynn doll in his normal outfit. Still, I'm glad I bought this set.

***Addition to original post***
I realized that with stybbafirefoot's posts below that the Disney Store Rapunzel & Flynn giftset fashioned another (and better) version of Flynn's outfit from the final scene of the movie. So, there are essentially 4 different Flynn dolls out there, and this last one, I don't yet have! Well, thanks to the magic of eBay, I did find the giftset at a relatively decent price and made the purchase. Leave no stone unturned, right?

 

[Shivatopia]

I don't even dare ask how much she costs, but she is simply amazing!

Both Ashton Drake Tiana dolls are still available from the manufacturer, retailing at $149.99 each, plus $16.99 shipping and handling. Compared to the Disney Designer Collection dolls, this seems very pricey, but the quality of these dolls makes them worth every penny. I may still buy one!

 

[stybbafirefoot]

Wow, actually less than I was expecting but out of my range!

Where was the last Rapunzel and Flynn set available? I have the one with Rapunzel in pink aand Flynn in black, but never seen that one before oooh! The non-disneystore Flynn has a nicer face and more accurate clothing, but the disneystore quality seems much better to me. I hope for many more Flynns! He's already had more than most of the Princes.

 

[Shivatopia]

Wow, actually less than I was expecting but out of my range!

Where was the last Rapunzel and Flynn set available? I have the one with Rapunzel in pink aand Flynn in black, but never seen that one before oooh! The non-disneystore Flynn has a nicer face and more accurate clothing, but the disneystore quality seems much better to me. I hope for many more Flynns! He's already had more than most of the Princes.

I think I got the Royal Celebration giftset online from Toys R' Us or Amazon.com (I can't remember now), but it is no longer readily available at either location now. I just checked and third party sellers on Amazon.com are selling it for $119.98 minimum. I think the set retailed for $30 or $40 when it was released. When I bought it, I really didn't think of it as being a minor investment item. I just wanted to get all things Flynn! What I really want to do is put Flynn's clothes on one of those nicer Model Muse Ken dolls (there is one who has longer brown hair), to make my own "fantasy" Flynn... The Ken doll would need a facial repaint to make him look more like Flynn (although he would never be a dead-ringer), but more importantly, he'll need to get Flynn's goatee!

 

[stybbafirefoot]

Is it one of the barbie basics? I think I have the one you mean, will have to try it!

 

[alice28]

Of which Snow White doll did you want to see more pictures?

Never mind, I see your pictures now. When you first posted, I was browsing on my ipad and the pictures of the dolls weren't appearing.

She is very pretty.

I love those Tiana dolls- beautiful!

 

[Shivatopia]

Is it one of the barbie basics? I think I have the one you mean, will have to try it!

Exactly! It is the Barbie Basics 2.0 Model #15 (Ken). Btw, for those that have not seen the actual doll, he is a lot more tan in real life, and his hair is the type that can be restyled. I have seen some really fabulous things that OOAK doll artists have done with this guy.

 

[stybbafirefoot]

Yes, he's the one I have. What is OOAK?

 

[Moondance]

Yes, he's the one I have. What is OOAK?

I believe OOAK is personally made

 

[stybbafirefoot]

Just a quick change lol

 

[Shivatopia]

Yes, he's the one I have. What is OOAK?

Oh, sorry! OOAK stands for "One Of A Kind." There are some very wonderful doll artists that make their own creations out of dolls like Barbie and Tonner. Many of them fully repaint the dolls' faces, restyle their hair, and make beautiful clothes/costumes for them. One of my friends is an OOAK doll artist, and I have designed some of my own dolls which she then made into beautiful creations for me.

 

[stybbafirefoot]

Wow, sounds very cool!

 

[Shivatopia]

Just a quick change lol

Lol! Their clothes do fit each other! I am incredibly convinced now that I should make my "fantasy" Flynn!