To enter the "Lala-Pony-Palooza Month" Giveaway, click HERE. :)
So, to kick off our "Lala-Pony-Palooza Month" here at Never Grow Up, I thought I'd review the "Midnight in Canterlot Pony Collection" set I mentioned earlier, currently in Costco stores. Yes, I caved. I had some birthday money leftover, so I decided this would be one of my birthday presents. :)
I thought this would be a good set to start with because the stock at Costco tends to fly off the shelves fairly quickly, especially as the Christmas season approaches. Also, since it's pretty new on the market, I figured there probably aren't too many reviews of the set out yet.
Here it is! I love how the packaging looks like Canterlot Castle. :) The playset retails for $28.99 and (as far as I know) is only available in Costco stores.
The My Little Pony Friendship is Magic logo on the corner of the box.
The set includes Dewdrop Dazzle...
...Princess Celestia...
...Nightmare Moon...
...Rainbow Dash...
...Fluttershy...
...Rarity and Spike...
...and (squeal) Minty!! :)
See, even Hasbro is excited! ;)
Those of you who are not pony enthusiasts may wonder why this "Minty" pony is such a big deal. Basically, she was a popular pony from the G3 (or Generation 3) ponies (the line before the "Friendship is Magic" line) and this is the first time she has been released as a G4 (current pony line) pony, aside from a limited release on a secondary market website from China. I always thought Minty was a cute pony, so I was very excited to add her to my G4 collection.
[Side note here: one of the posts I have planned for this month is a very basic explanation/comparison post of all four generations of My Little Pony...stay tuned!] ;)
A few more pictures of the box front details:
Here's the back of the box (you can click on the picture to make it larger, although I've also taken closer pics which follow.
There's a rather...um...interesting summary of the basic idea behind the playset. Honestly, it sounds like Hasbro decided to come up with a "nice" version of the events of the upcoming season that wouldn't scare the little kiddos that get the set for Christmas. Because according to THIS sneak peak of Season Four from Comic Con (watch 'til the end for the part with Princess Luna), it doesn't seem like Princess Luna is just interested in "celebrating the magic of the stars". What do you think? ;)
Here's a closer look at all of the character artwork on the back of the box:
And other box details:
The box opens easily, and the ponies are all attached to an inner box that slides out nicely.
And here are all of the ponies and accessories, free from the box.
My Minty had a few small smudge marks, one on her hoof...
...and one on her face. Thankfully, they came right off with a Lysol wipe.
Dewdrop Dazzle had a few facial smudges that also came right off. I've run into this issue pretty regularly with my newer sets. It's not a huge deal since the marks are easily removable, but I do find it interesting that it's becoming such a frequent occurrence.
The book accessory that comes with the set.
It opens...
...and closes.
A mirror that looks similar to the one from the Equestria Girls movie.
Spike appears to be the same mold that has been released in most of the other previous sets.
A closer look at the individual deboxed ponies:
Rarity
Fluttershy
Rainbow Dash
Minty
Dewdrop Dazzle
Accessories Galore:
The trunk that came with the set.
It looks like it opens and closes, but I decided to leave it open for now.
Here is Nightmare Moon, the evil alter-ego of Princess Luna. Somehow, I don't really see her as the type that would wear a frilly, sparkly skirt... :}
Her facial paint is very detailed and looks a lot like the cartoon.
Her cutie mark is a sparkly moon.
While I think Nightmare Moon is very well done, she will be finding a new home. I prefer Princess Luna to Nightmare, and Little Gal is really scared of her. Sleeping for the next couple of months is more important than a plastic pony. ;)
MINTY!!! She's just so adorable. :) She was one of the main reasons I really wanted this set. I love her coloring and her sweet little face.
As you can see, the spot came off of her front hoof quite nicely.
Princess Celestia, all sparkly and princessy. Don't let that fool you...there's more to her than sparkles and appearances. ;) She's actually a very wise ruler.
Here she is sans glitter skirt.
I'm absolutely thrilled with this set. It's great for any pony fan or collector. :)
What do you think? Will any of you be adding this set to your collection?
Later this week, I'll be doing a comparison between the two different versions of Princess Celestia that have been released this year (this one and the one that came in a set with Pinkie Pie), so check back soon for more MLP fun! :)
21 comments:
Huh, interesting! They changed the Fluttershy eye decal on me too. *notes this in handy notebook*
My Minty came with a bunch of smudges too, actually. There was one one her ear that I couldn't get off, like it was embedded in the plastic. I thought it was just cause I bought her loose, but now I'm wondering if there's just an issue there, cause one of my ponies from the TRU Favorites Collection (Lyrica IIRC) had a huge smudge on her face too.
Nightmare Moon remains a gorgeous, gorgeous pony. When I first unboxed her last year, I was awed by how stunning she is.
Lol...you're the master of pony eye decal trivia. :) Maybe I need to start a "handy notebook" too. ;)
I'm beginning to wonder if there is some sort of quality control issue going on. A lot of my blind bag-sized sets have come with smudges lately, too. Maybe someone at the factory is forgetting to wash their hands or something. ;)
Nightmare Moon is very well done, yes. I love the detail they put into her. If Little Gal wasn't so freaked out by her, I'd probably keep her. :}
I'm not exactly a MLP fan, but Rarity is a pretty fabulous unicorn.
Actually? All unicorns are pretty fabulous. XD
Also, have you read the "Oh My Disney" blog? Check out the "Things That Would Make Alice Facepalm" post. XDXDXDXDXD
I'm more of a Twilight and Fluttershy fan myself, but Rarity has definitely grown on me through the seasons, especially as her character has been given more depth.
I haven't read all of the Oh My Disney blog, but I've enjoyed the posts I have read. :)
Oh, I love that Nightmare Moon! I wish they'd make her available as a single purchase instead of in a gift set with ponies I already have.
Well, mine will be on eBay on Saturday. ;)
I agree, though. It is frustrating when there are one or two ponies in a ginormous set. I feel that way about Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. :}
Wow, they actually gave Rainbow Dash accurate eyes in this set! =O Lol at Hasbro romanticizing the Nightmare Moon story. It's funny to think of Luna turning into evil-looking NMM and going to a party, then just 'celebrating the magic of the stars'. xD
What was your favorite part of the Season 4 sneak peek? =) I loved the Apples to the Core song. By the way, have you ever listened to Owl City? =)
Oh, and by the way, yay for Lala-Pony-Palooza month! =3
Hi Jasmine! :) I hadn't noticed the difference in Rainbow Dash's eyes...now I'll have to go compare them to my other Rainbow Dash. ;)
Yeah, I can't really see Luna turning into Nightmare Moon just for a star celebration either. ;)
My favorite part of the sneak peak was definitely the "Apples to the Core" song. I love the Apple family characters, and I really like bluegrass music, so it's a perfect combination. I really love ALL of the clever music on the show, though. I'm looking forward to hearing the other new songs, too. :)
I've heard "When Will I See You Again" by Owl City on Wreck-it Ralph, which I enjoyed, but I haven't heard any of their other stuff. :)
Glad you're excited about the theme! I am too! :)
Have a great night!
GO RAINBOW DASH!
Now that I have calmed down, let me just say that this set may have to come home, if only to have most of the major ponys. I'm a mild MLP fan, right now I have one Rainbow Dash and a blind bag twilight sparkle (see how much of a babe in the woods I am? I don't even know if i should capitalize/hypenate Blind Bag or not!). Rainbow Dash Forever!
-Juliet
Oh my goodness! Can you sell your Nightmare Moon to me???? So pretty!!!!!!!!! <3
MINTY! She's back! Have you seen the old pony movie "A Very Minty Christmas"? It's really good, and shows the true meaning of Christmas, which is awesome!
I have a MLP vanity with the same mold as yours! It came in a mini pony set.
Have a great, ponyrific day!
I am a bit disappointed if they really plan to make Luna evil again. I wish they had just let her alone. :( Otherwise, these are very cute!
You could probably tuck Luna away in your closet until the little one is older and she would not be the wiser.
I need to go watch that sneak peak. I watch MLP with the little girls I babysit, and I have to admit, it's pretty fun. :)
Is Princess Celestia missing her tail in the cartoon on the back of the box...?
--Kate :)
Oh Minty! She was my favorite when I was little and I had her G3 version to play with. That's a good price for everything you get in the set too!
I absoluetly adore that Nightmare Moon!
Errr...one the back of the box, what happened to Celestia's majestic mane? OR HER TAIL?
I can't wait for the rest of the ponies posts!
Hi Juliet! Rainbow Dash is super fun. :) She's up there with some of my other favorites. To be honest, I'm not sure if you capitalize "blind bag" or not either. I don't think it's a huge deal either way. ;) This is definitely a great set, especially since you're just starting out and don't have to worry about getting duplicate ponies.
Sunny, I'd love to say I could, but I think it will be best to put her on eBay and give everyone who wants to a chance to bid on her. I don't want to play favorites. I hope you understand. :)
Hi Nina! I know which movie you're talking about, but I never actually watched it. We saw Minty in some of the other pony movies from that era, though (my daughters really enjoyed those movies).
Jessica M., to be honest, I kind of feel the same way. I really like the way they've developed her character and made her "somepony" to look up to. It's helped me to think that even if they mess with her again, I'd imagine they'll resolve the issue. Some pony fans have speculated that it might even be a time travel situation, where Twilight Sparkle is given the opportunity to see Luna's original transformation through Celestia's eyes. I guess we'll just have to wait and see to find out. ;)
While I could pack Nightmare Moon away for a while, I have so many other toys and things that I have packed away. I really don't need to add to the stash. ;) And while she's beautifully done, there are other ponies I want more, so I'm okay. ;)
Hi Kate! When I first watched My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was well-written with unique characters and excellent character development throughout the series. The music is great, too.
Oh my goodness...I didn't even notice Celestia's missing tail!!! How funny!! :}
Heather, I agree. :) Once you calculate what everything would cost separately, you're really getting a good value (which is pretty typical for Costco toys). It just depends on how many duplicate ponies you already have. ;)
Good eye, OurAGAdventures. You're the second person to notice Celestia's tail issue. And yes, somehow the marketing art never seems to get her mane right either. :}
There will be plenty more pony posts to come! :)
Enjoyed the review, as I always do! It's better than window shopping because we get to see all the details :) The ponies look wonderful, especially Minty, she is just so adorable. Hope the Lala in Lala-Pony-Palooza Month means you will be having Lalaloopsy reviews too.
Glad you enjoyed the review, Michele. :) I love giving everyone an ultimate window shopping experience. ;) As I'm taking the pictures, I try to think of all of the little things I would want to see if I were reading the post. :)
Yes, there will definitely be plenty of Lalaloopsy reviews too. :) I thought I'd start with ponies this week and then focus on Lalas next week. I won't necessarily follow that format the entire time. There will be some times that it's a mixture of both. :)
I don't really like MLP. I mean I love the style of the character art, but the show and the characters themselves...not usually something a 12 (almost) looks for. Of course, I may have been spoiled by skeletons and LEGOS and video games and my dad works at Sony... Okay, so I'm not your average almost 12 year old girl... Okay wow, that was WAY off topic! All I was gonna WAY was that i thought thé animatic vidéo was cool! Wow....
Hi Ava, thanks for stopping by. :) I understand that everyone has different tastes. I'm 32 and I love the show, although I'm not much into skeletons myself. ;)
I do prefer the animation on the show to the toy versions of the ponies. Because I enjoy the show so much, the toy ponies have grown on me. ;)
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