Customer Reviews

Mattel Barbie Island Princess Magical Castle Vanity

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'll update the review once my daughter gets to play with this after Christmas, but for now I thought I would warn everyone that this arrives in the retail packaging with the shipping label on it. Therefore, if the UPS guy comes while you are picking your kids up from school, guess what will be on your front porch when you get home?

Screams of joy were coming from my daughter as we got out of the car, so I guess it's a big hit, but it did kind of ruin the surprise. The seat on the stool comes off so she can hide her treasures in there. The whole set took

Update: My daughter has yet to really play with this much, but she does put her Barbies to bed all over the castle vanity, and uses the stool all over the house. We prefer the Mattel Barbie 3-Story Dream House Playset because it is so much bigger, but this was a wonderful addition to her Barbie playsets, and nothing has broken on it yet. It took about 45 minutes to set up, and I liked the fact there were no stickers to put on. We are huge fans of Barbie and the Island Princess, so this makes a great home for her Rosella Barbie doll.

I got this for my daughter for her birthday in Feb.08. However after unpacking it to make sure nothing was broken, I've decided to give it to her for christmas! It's way better then I thought it would be, the table and chair is made from high quality molded plastic (I think it would hold ME). The castle has lots of adorable details, and the mirror is real, (thought I don't think regular glass), it's not like that film on the dora one. I love the ideal that this can serve as a vanity or doll house, but only time will tell if my daughter loves it too. That's why I gave this toy an educational value, as it can encourage role playing. Oh and there is a volume control for the sound which can go very loud. I thinks it's well worth the $[...] I paid and maybe even a little more.

I just finished putting this together and it was really easy. Mostly snapped together parts aside from a total of 8 screws. Everything arrived in good condition and it is adorable. I can't wait to give it to my 4 year old.

I just happened to stop home for lunch and followed the UPS guy into the driveway! He opened his window and asked "if the little one" was with me. I said no, and then he pulled out the box. He said they try to be really careful about it, but it's tough if it comes with no packaging. I put it in the trunk of my car... it's a little large to try and hide! It looks awesome though and I'm sure my 5 year old will love it. The price CANNOT be beat! I'm so glad I found it on Amazon as you will NOT find it cheaper anywhere else!

I purchased this product for my 3 year old and after a week of her having it she has used it none stop. My wife wanted to purchase her a vanity because of our daughters constant touching and playing with the real one. I wanted to give her a place to play with her princess dolls besides the floor. This was the perfect compromise and has worked tremendously well. The real life vanity touching has almost stopped and she loves using it for her dolls.

When I opened the box I have to admit I was pretty intimidated. There were so many little pieces that I thought it would take me half the day just to put it together. Upon further investigation (and opening everything up) I found that the majority of the small pieces were additional toys that came with the set (dishes, furniture, fake makeup, brushes, a freaky looking white monkey, ect). It took me about 30 minuets to complete construction.

So far the toy seems to be holding up to my daughter's rough housing. The small toys have disappeared slowly but that is just her and I am sure I will find them buried in a toy box one day. The only thing I don't like is the seat that comes with it. But if you have carpet it will do fine. We have hardwood floors and it will not stay in one spot when she attempts to set on it.

I totally recommend this for your girl or effeminate little boy.

I purchased this for my 4-year-old for Christmas. She absolutely loves it and plays with it all the time. It is a dual-purpose toy because not only can she sit at it and use her play makeup, she can also use it as a dollhouse for her Barbies. It definitely holds her attention, which is something I look for and it is well made. Overall, I believe it was a great purchase.

I was so pleased to be able to find this vanity/playset. The newer ones are very dissapointing. This is much nicer than I had expected, I wish all toys were made with such attention to detail and mulitple function. The toy is as sturdy as it is lovely. It has so many accesories and hidden treasures that my 4 year old was thrilled. She discovered something new every time she played with it.... for days. For example, the roof tops lift and your little one will find hidden rings and a necklace to wear while she plays. It has plenty of storage in both the bench and a side hidden closet, and the china cabinet will really hold the dishes and tea cups. I don't know what team designed this toy, but THANK YOU! Please make more toys like this one, it is magnificent:o)

I think this has to be the best vanity for a four year old. Its two toys in one! When I see my four year old playing with the vanity I know I made a great purchase. She plays castle or she plays vanity and the special compartments make it extra fun! I love it.

My daughter absolutely loves this vanity. She is 5. It did take a while to put together and there are a lot of pieces...but it was worth the effort. I recommend getting the Island Princess and Prince Antonio to complete the package. The vanity has a lot to do and probably is more complicated than a 5 year should have, but it will grow with her. I know she'll have it for a few years which is nice for any toy. It is plastic and not too durable so if your child isn't ruff, I think it will last.

In addition to the quality issues listed in other reviews - all of which are valid for the vanity we have - I'd like to add that in ours the sound quality of the music is horrible. This is more a problem for me than it is for my daughter (age 3.75) who really does enjoy playing with this. Other problems include difficulty spinning the chair/side-board and opening the drawers, which stick. Perhaps older girls wouldn't have this problem.

This is a nice sit-down play set, but not a very good vanity. On her own, she has decided to keep all her make-up, brushes, etc. in a cosmetic case in the bathroom because there simply isn't room in the drawers and she can't see herself clearly in the mirror. She would use it more if the surface of the table top were larger so she could use it as a coloring table as well.

I don't feel that it is worth the $80 I paid.