Disney Store 2014 Belle Doll Review

At last, the long-awaited 2014 Disney Store Belle doll review is here! :)  As many of you know, I ordered the 2014 versions of both Belle and Rapunzel back in June (you can see Rapunzel's review post HERE), but my Belle doll came with a very squished nose.  The Disney Store very graciously sent me a replacement with a nicely-shaped nose, so she'll be featured in the review today. :)  

Here she is, fresh out of the UPS box! :)

A closer look at her nice, non-flat nose. ;)

Some pics of the box:

Box details: 

Belle was attached to the packaging by a twist tie around her waist.

Her hair was really flat in the back from being pressed up against the packaging.

Like Rapunzel, she was attached at the hands with rubber bands as well.

She had tissue in her skirt to make it look more poofy.

Also like Rapunzel, her legs are the "click knee" legs (just like a Barbie's).

All free from rubber bands and twist ties! :)

A look at her pretty face. :)

Her bodice is simple satin with a see-through, sparkly gold material at the top.

A look at her full skirt.

The top of the skirt is gathered, much like it was in the movie.

The middle has a sparkly design in gold glitter.

I love the beautiful, glittery rose pattern at the base of the skirt. 

A view from the back.  Her dress has Velcro closure.

A closer look at the back of the skirt. 

Her shoes are yellow flats, held in place by rubber bands.

A few more shots of her pretty face: 

Her hair has a thick bun at the top.

It's about the same length as the more recent Belle dolls, but shorter than the 2010 and 2011 versions (as we'll see in later pictures).

The hair is basically in two sections of curls.  The curls are pretty crunchy with product towards the bottom, which is a little disappointing for playtime.  

A view from the other side.

Putting the curls over the shoulders doesn't help the separation in the back, and looks a little too wild.

It looks very nice when pulled back behind her head, though.  Fairly movie accurate, too. :)

As always, I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison of the different versions.  From left to right, we have 2010 Belle, 2011 Belle, 2012 Belle, 2013 Belle, and 2014 Belle.

Here's a closer look at each of their faces:

2010

This face mold will always be one of favorites.  I like her pretty coloring and serene expression.  Sadly, this particular 2010 Belle has a rather asymmetrical face, which makes her not quite as appealing as my original Belle, pictured here:

Always my favorite! ;)

2011

Belle has a pinker-tinted makeup and greener, wider eyes in a sideways glance this time around.  This face mold is my second favorite.  I like the innocence of her expression  She's also a great choice for younger Belle enthusiasts because of her straight hair (it holds up better to play than any of the other curlier-haired Belle dolls).

2012

This Belle has rather severe eyebrows compared to the earlier versions.  Her eyes are smaller in relation to her face.  This face took me a while to get used to, but it still has it's merits.

2013 

I think this is probably my least favorite Belle face out of all of the versions.  Her eyebrows are even more slanted, and her eye makeup is extremely heavy.

2014

This year's Belle has a slightly softer look to her face and lighter eye makeup.

And here's a better look at their dresses.  All of the dolls are wearing their original dresses:

2010

This one, while not strictly accurate, is still appealing. :)

2011

This is the dress that is probably the farthest from the movie.  This was the year of the glittery, tulle skirts for almost all of the princess dolls. ;)

2012

Here's the dress that is probably the most movie accurate out of all of them. :)  I love that she has her gloves, even though they're a complete pain to get on and off.   

2013

 A fun variation on Belle's original dress design.  I really love the pretty, glittery roses all over the skirt.  The horribly uneven "sleeves" on this particular 2013 doll are a major distraction, though.

2014

I love the beautiful, glittery design of the skirt and the fact that the dress is an interesting interpretation of Belle's original dress while giving it a slightly new feel.

Here's a view from the backs of the dolls, which also gives a great look at the differences in their hair.

2010 Belle and 2011 Belle 

Not movie accurate hair at all, but very pretty. ;)

2012 Belle

Now we're getting closer to movie accuracy. ;)

2013 Belle and 2014 Belle 

I'd like to work on 2014 Belle's hair a little more to make the curls a little less separated.  I think these two have hair closest to the movie out of all of them, though.

Time to talk about my overall thoughts on this newest version of beautiful Belle. :)

Pleasing Qualities: 4 out of 5

   I think I'll probably always prefer the 2010 Belle doll to any other version, but when it comes to the ratings, I feel I need to try to judge the doll on her own merit as much as possible.  She has a lovely face, more subtle, pleasing makeup than last year's Belle, and is incredibly photogenic.  Her hair and dress, while not exactly like the movie, are close enough that they are nice interpretations of the original.  I think any Beauty and the Beast fan would enjoy adding this doll to their collection.  I'm knocking off a point because I still prefer softer, slightly raised eyebrows on any Belle doll, and feel they capture her character a little more.  I also don't care for the crunchiness of her curls, even though it keeps them in place.

Posability: 5 out of 5

   Like I mentioned in my Rapunzel review, Belle works well for the design she has.  My girls have found these dolls fun to pose and easy to play with.  I'd still love to see a better design brought about by the Disney Store in the future (similar to the LIV doll articulation, perhaps?).

Playability: 4 out of 5

   We've had great success with these dolls in the past and have found them very compatible with normal play.  The hair is usually the first thing to get a little crazy, and the clothing usually wears out after a while, but I think that's pretty typical of most of the play line Barbies these days, too. ;)  I'm knocking off a point because the product in her hair will make it difficult for little ones to play with her hair without frustration.

Price:  5 out of 5

   These are a good price for what they are, especially when you wait for the "2 for $10" promotion they commonly have at the Disney Store. :)

I didn't get a chance to get the girls' views on Belle this time around, but they'll be sharing their opinions on some of my future reviews soon. :)

 

Which of the Belle dolls is your favorite so far?  What do you hope to see in future releases?