Gee, I knew my posting schedule would be erratic for a while, but I never expected to skip an entire month!
What has me so occupied? A lot of things. Today, I’m blaming my absence on YouTube.
Moving all our videos seemed like such an undertaking, I started reconsidering my decision to leave YouTube.
But, after learning that creators could get slapped with a big fat fine from the FTC if their toy-related videos aren’t labeled “for kids,” I went ahead and deleted all our videos from YouTube. I don’t feel like waking up in the middle of the night, stressing over whether or not I remembered to tick that “yes, this video is made for kids” box.
I’m still searching for an ideal alternative (apparently, YouTube does have the monopoly for free video hosting?), and have narrowed my choices down to two. Now I just need to make a decision.
Anyhow, this whole thing has been very time-consuming (not to mention exhausting). I really need a break from it. So, instead of spending another day testing out video sharing sites, how about I introduce you to the newest members of our miniverse:
Anna and Elsa from Frozen 2!
Yes, we are opening Disney’s Frozen 2 Anna and Elsa Classic Doll Set.
I ordered these dolls from shopDisney the very hour they were released–at midnight on October 3rd (not joking). I paid $35 (plus shipping) for the set, and it arrived safely on my doorstep about a week later.
Both dolls are so enchanting it’s hard for me to choose which one to look at first! I guess we’ll start with Anna.
Meet Anna:
Anna is stunning in this glittery cream dress!
Because of picture books and a costume website (Rubies) calling this a “prologue” dress, I’m assuming this is what Anna wears at the beginning of the movie.
But, before we start ogling her lovely attire, let’s take a closer look at her face and hair.
Anna’s skin tone is a bit lighter this time around. In fact, it’s almost the same color as Elsa’s. She has blue, side-glancing eyes and plenty of freckles dotting her cheeks. Her makeup is minimal. Just a swipe of pink eyeshadow over each eye, rose-colored lipstick, and a bit of blush on her cheeks and nose.
Even though Anna’s face sculpt is the same, she looks more mature than the 2013 version. I notice this mostly around her eyes and cheeks.
I don’t know if the artists intended to make her look older, but I love that she does. After all, Anna is 21 now, so it makes sense for her to look more grown-up.
Now let’s talk about her lovely hairdo.
Anna’s hair is pulled up into an elegant, braided bun with a wheat sheaf fascinator pinned to one side.
A fascinator is a stylish alternative to a hat. They come in a variety of sizes and attach to the head (or hair) with a comb or clip. Fascinators are often very ornate, containing elements like feathers, flowers, jewels, or, in this case, a stalk of wheat.
Since Anna tends to tie her hair in a bun for special events, I wonder if she wears this outfit because Arendelle is hosting a festival or party?
The Dress:
Anna’s ensemble consists of a short jacket, dress, belt, and shoes. The jacket and dress are all one piece and fasten in the back with Velcro.
The jacket is tan, suede material. It has gold trim around the neckline and purple brads running down the front (I know the brads look gold in the images, but they’re really purple).
Under the jacket, Anna has on a sparkly, cream dress. It’s a high-low dress with a sweetheart neckline, and the whole thing is covered in gold glitter. Thankfully, the glitter is thoroughly fused to the fabric, so there’s no worry about it flaking all over your table or doll room.
Since I can’t get a good feel of the fabric under all the glitter, I’m having a hard time deciphering what kind of material they used here. I believe it’s satin.
All of the raw edges are neatly finished. The neckline is the only area that is not hemmed. Instead of being folded over, the top edge has been hardened (with glue, I’m sure) to keep it from unraveling.
Both the bodice and skirt have gold and purple emblems resembling wheat stalks printed on the front and back, and the skirt is lined with orange satin.
I know how easily doll vinyl stains, so my heart skipped a beat when I saw the skirt lined with such a bright color. Fortunately, my doll’s legs are stain free!
Anna’s belt is a dark purple ribbon that ties around her waist. The belt has yellow crocuses printed in the middle and on the tips.
For shoes, Anna wears a pair of cream heels.
Each shoe has a gold crocus on the front. Since Anna is flat-footed, the heels on these shoes are super tiny and slant forward.
I heard that Disney changed their classic dolls’ feet, making them flat instead of standing on their tip-toes, but it’s been so long since I purchased a Disney Store doll that I haven’t seen their newfangled feet till now.
Hmmm…I think I can live with this. I do miss the dainty, pointed toes previous Disney Store dolls had, but the flat feet aren’t as terrible as some reviews made them sound.
Now that we’ve thoroughly examined Anna let’s bring out her magical sister, Elsa!
Meet Elsa:
Isn’t Elsa GORGEOUS! I love everything about her! In some ways, she’s even better than the original doll.
Don’t get me wrong–I adore my first edition Elsa, but her skin tone is…odd. It’s super pale and seems to have a blue-ish undertone. I’m sure this was done to give her that “Ice Queen” feel. Unfortunately, she ends up looking anemic, especially when standing next to other dolls (even light-skinned ones).
I believe it was around the time Olaf’s Frozen Adventure came out that Disney revamped their Classic Elsa dolls, giving them peachier-colored skin. Will this make it easier to find a suitable Made-To-Move body for her? I intend to find out!
I’m also happy that this doll’s pupils are pointing in the same direction. My older Elsa has crooked eyes, and pictures of her facing the camera don’t turn out great. Frozen 2 Elsa, however, has perfectly symmetrical eyes, so snapping pretty pics of her is a breeze!
Elsa wears soft makeup. She has lavender eyeshadow, a little blush, and magenta lipstick.
Her hair is tied back in her iconic braid. The tip of her braid and her bangs are heavily gelled to ensure they hold their shape.
I hate rock-hard doll hair that crunches when you squeeze it. In this case, though, I don’t mind. I love Elsa’s style and don’t want it falling out any time soon, so I’m willing to put up with the crispy-ness to keep her lovely coiffure intact. I even took things a step further and carefully sewed her bangs to the rest of her hair.
Is this going a little overboard? Maybe. But it’s an easy way to make sure those curls stay right where I want them.
The Outfit:
Elsa comes dressed in a glitter-infused, satin gown. Again, I feel sure this is what she wears when the film opens before the sisters begin their trek into the unknown.
The dress has long-sleeved bodice, a simple skirt, and a train in the back. It is light lavender at the top then fades to deep orchid around the bottom of the skirt and tips of the sleeves.
All the raw edges are neatly hemmed. Even though it’s a small detail, I love the strip of cording that runs around the neckline and down the bodice. It finishes the top nicely and also adds dimension to the front.
Of course, Elsa’s dress has ice crystals printed on the bodice and skirt.
At first, I thought these shard-like symbols represented the four elements of nature (fire, wind, water, earth), but they don’t. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if they stood for the element of snow (after all, Elsa is the Snow Queen).
Attached to the dress’s waistline is a long, dark purple train with lots of sparkly icicles decorating the bottom.
Next, we have Elsa’s necklace and belt.
The necklace looks like a silver chain with three turquoise-colored jewels at the center. I had a hard time keeping this little trinket around Elsa’s neck. It got lost twice before I had the idea to tie a piece of thread to each end to stop it from slipping off.
Besides the necklace, Elsa also has a magenta belt. The belt has pink diamonds molded to the front and sides and snaps around her waist using a peg and hole.
Lastly, we have Elsa’s shoes:
Elsa has traded her icy heels for a pair of translucent purple slippers. The shoes are soft vinyl. They are also badly warped.
I had zero complaints with Elsa’s outfit, but these shoes are unacceptable. They won’t even stay on her feet!
If that wasn’t bad enough, Elsa’s flat feet prevent her from wearing anything besides slippers or sneakers. My plan to loan her my original Elsa’s icy stilettos just went up in smoke!
At this point, I think my best bet is to find a pair of Barbie shoes that fit and paint them purple. They won’t be movie-accurate, but at least she won’t be barefoot.
Usually, this is where I launch into a monologue describing the dolls’ articulation, but I think everyone here is fully aware of how poseable Disney Store dolls are. So, instead of boring you with images showing how far Elsa and Anna can turn their heads, let’s wrap up this review with a few final thoughts and pretty pics!
Final Thoughts:
As always, Disney hit it out of the park with their Frozen 2 dolls. Elsa and Anna are beautiful. I’m especially thrilled with the improvements made to Elsa’s skin tone, and (most importantly) her eyes.
These lovely girls are also fully articulated, which is a big deal. It’s one reason why I favor Disney Store dolls so much–you get a beautiful, poseable doll for less than $20.
And we can’t forget their clothes. I’m don’t want to keep using the same adjectives, but Anna and Elsa’s outfits are gorgeous. I love that the dresses have a few 3D details, like the brads on Anna’s jacket and cord on Elsa’s bodice.
My only gripe is with Elsa’s shoes. Her slippers are a mess.
Still, I wouldn’t pass these dolls up over a pair of shoes. Hey, I’m crafty! I’ll either fix those suckers or make a new pair!
In the end, I give these dolls a hearty thumbs up. I adore them and can’t wait to see what happens to Elsa and Anna later this week when the movie opens. Just think, in a few days we’ll have answers to some of those burning questions, like
- Why was Elsa born with power?
- Who is the mysterious voice Elsa keeps hearing?
- And (the big question) will Kristoff propose to Anna?
Ooo, if that last question turns out to be a “yes,” then I’m gonna need to get a Frozen 2 Kristoff for sure.
Well, friends, that’s it for today.
Now, it’s your turn!
Are you excited for Frozen 2? Which sister is your favorite? (I identify more with Elsa, but Sister favors Anna). Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
YAY! Love these dolls! I really wish to see frozen 2!