It's time for my yearly Rapunzel and Belle Disney Store doll reviews. :) These gals have been stuck in their boxes for the past month while I've been busy with typical summer craziness. It's nice to finally debox them and add them to my collections. :)
I thought this year, I'd start with Rapunzel.
Since I've done so many of these reviews in the past, I'm not going to go into quite as much detail as I do for my normal reviews. I'm also not going to rate this Rapunzel doll. Instead, I'll share some of the differences between 2016 Rapunzel and her predecessors and discuss them.
For starters, here's lovely Rapunzel in her beautiful box:
Closer details:
Sides and back of the box:
It was super easy this year to carefully remove the front of the box from the back without damaging it.
So for those of you who love the backdrop of the box but want to at least partially debox your doll, here's an option for display. ;)
Rapunzel was held in place by the typical Disney Store twist ties and thread...
...and (grrr) plastic ties in the head. Sigh. Still holding out hope that someday toy companies will stop doing this to their dolls.
And here she is with her buddy Pascal! :)
Rapunzel from the front...
...and the back.
Her dress this year is very similar to 2015 Rapunzel's. This year, the bodice is glittery instead of satiny.
Sleeve detail. The sleeves appear to be identical to last year's.
The jewel embellishments from last year are gone, but other than that the skirt appears to be identical to last year's. Also, for those of you who are interested, she has rubbery legs with click knees, not the fully articulated legs of some of the Disney Store dolls.
The bodice has Velcro closure in the back.
It always makes me happy when clothing details are continued all the way around the clothing, even in the back where it's not visible from the packaging. Good job, Disney Store! :)
Her hair is the same golden-blonde of the more recent Rapunzel dolls, and is thinner than the earliest Rapunzels (also like the recent dolls). However, it may have been just my imagination, but it seemed like her hair was perhaps slightly thicker than the 2014 and 2015 dolls.
My Rapunzel had a few shine marks, most likely from glue or hair product that can probably be removed.
Her face has a pinker tint to it than 2015 Rapunzel's, and her freckles are lighter. Her eyebrows are also slightly more arched, and her eye shadow coloring has a slightly pinker tone than 2015 Rapunzel's. She has the same basic face paint, though.
She's a lovely addition to my collection. :)
Pascal is the included sidekick/pet for this year. His eyes are a bit...um...intense. ;) He kind of looks like he's under hypnosis or something. :D
Pascal from his other angles:
I was curious to see how 2016 Pascal compared to the Pascal that came with the original 2010 Rapunzel doll. Before I put them next to each other, I assumed they were exactly the same size and mold.
But when they're side by side, there's a noticeable size difference.
You can see it better here. 2016 Pascal (on the top) is slightly larger than 2010 Pascal. (Hee hee, the specs on the white backdrop are glitter from all of the glittery Rapunzel dresses!) ;)
You'll also notice that 2010 Pascal has this funny little plastic loop attached to one foot. It was put there to help him perch on Rapunzel's hand.
2016 Pascal does not have the loop, and his slightly larger feet help him balance without needing any help.
I have to admit, I much prefer the "loopless" feet of 2016 Pascal because he can stand on his own. 2010 Pascal, as you can see from this photo, can't.
But overall, 2010 Pascal is still my favorite. I love the soft look of his eyes and the subtle paint detail of the yellow highlights on his face.
When you compare the two faces side by side, the winner is obvious, at least to me. ;)
***
Since we're in comparison mode, I suppose we might as well move on to the big Rapunzel comparison. ;)
Here are the Disney Store Rapunzel dolls from 2010 through 2016, side by side (feel free to click on the picture to make it bigger).
And here's a look at the differences in their hair. Yes, I actually unbraided all five of my previous Rapunzels' hair for this photo. Guess what I'll be doing over the next few days? ;)
And here, for your viewing pleasure, are closer looks at the individual dolls from each year. I've included pictures of the dolls, their faces, and their outfits. I've also added my own personal nicknames for each doll. ;)
2010 Rapunzel
aka "Best.Hair.Ever Rapunzel"
2011 Rapunzel
aka "Ballerina Rapunzel"
2012 Rapunzel
aka "Barbiefied Rapunzel"
2013 Rapunzel
aka "Sweet Rapunzel"
2014 Rapunzel
aka "Shy Rapunzel"
2015 Rapunzel
aka "Gorgeous Rapunzel"
2016 Rapunzel
aka "Twinsies with 2015 Rapunzel"
There are things I love about each of my Rapunzel dolls, but I do definitely have my favorites.
Favorite Faces:
2013 Rapunzel (on the left) had my favorite Rapunzel face until the 2015 doll (pictured in the middle) made her debut. Now they're tied. ;) But I also included 2016 Rapunzel in this category. Even thought the subtle differences between her and 2015 Rapunzel make me slightly prefer 2015 to 2016, I still love both faces. These three gals capture Rapunzel the most, in my opinion.
Favorite Outfit:
Anyone who has collected the Disney Store Princess dolls in the past several years will know that the best outfits are always the ones that come with the original releases of the dolls. Once the dolls hit the "Classic" line, their outfits tend to become less detailed. 2010 Rapunzel was the first Rapunzel doll ever released, and her dress has lovely added embellishments like lace and embroidered ribbon that put it far above the others in quality and movie accuracy.
Favorite Hair:
Once again, 2010 Rapunzel takes this category. She had the thickest, longest hair and was the only doll with iridescent strands of tinsel included in her hair to give the impression of Rapunzel's magic glowing hair. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, I can understand why the Disney Store stopped making Rapunzel's hair this way, between expense and playability. But I love the look and feel of 2010 Rapunzel's hair more than any of the other versions. This particular 2010 doll was a thrift store rescue, so her hair is not quite as nice on the ends, but it's still lovely overall.
Tangled will always hold a special place in my heart, and collecting Rapunzel dolls has been a fun way to enjoy this adorable, loving, quirky Princess. Which version of Rapunzel from the Disney Store is your favorite? :)
More fun is coming, guys! I can't guarantee I'll get my other two review posts up before I leave (especially with my Blogoversary on Sunday), but I'll see what I can do.
Belle and Kristoff can't wait for their reviews. :)
Here's a preview of 2016 Rapunzel with her new kindred spirit. ;)
Have a wonderful rest of the week, everyone! :)
You can get your own 2016 Rapunzel on the Disney Store website HERE.
To see my past Rapunzel reviews, check out my Doll and Toy Reviews page and look under the "Disney Dolls" category. :)
I am not affiliated with the Disney company. All thoughts and opinions expressed our my own.
