Oh boy! Disney Store has finally released their collection of Live Action Beauty And The Beast dolls!
If you’ve recently googled “live-action beauty and the beast dolls”, you’ve probably seen all the controversy about the JC Penney Belle looking too….masculine I guess? In fact, I think the doll has been recalled due to everyone’s negative reaction.
Apparently, though, lots of collectors feel that Disney Store dolls and JC Penney dolls look very similar, and there was talk about the Disney Store Belle being terrible. So, I was pretty anxious Sunday evening (yes, I am one of those crazies who stays up till 2:00 AM waiting for Disney to release their long-anticipated items) and was hoping that my loyalty to Disney wasn’t about to come back to haunt me?
The clock struck 2:00, but the Disney Store site remained the same…no dolls. 2:15 rolled around….still nothing. At 2:30 Sister finally gave up and went to bed, leaving just the cat to wait with me. By 2:45 even the cat had abandoned me.
Finally, at 3:00, the site changed and there was a beautiful banner featuring the live action movie:
I quickly clicked the link and let a page of new enchanting temptations fill my eyes! A couple of pretty shirts caught my attention right away. There was also a cute set of pajamas (another weakness of mine), a journal, an iPhone case, several costumes for kids, and a tote bag. However, none of this mattered (yet) because my mind was focused on dolls, so I kept scrolling until I saw…
Belle!
Eeek! She’s so pretty! I’ve read that people are complaining about her (or rather the JC Penney doll) and saying that she’s an “ugly” doll. Their objections include things like her forehead being big or her dress not looking like the one in the movie. But, I’m sorry, I just don’t think this doll looks bad.
I might be able to see where she has a large forehead, however, I also believe this could be fixed with a little hair styling. Like if her bangs were pulled forward a bit I don’t think anyone would notice. As far as her ball gown goes, while it may not be an exact replica of the one Emma Watson wears, it’s close and still very beautiful.
The Disney Store website describes Belle as being:
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fully articulated
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having a deluxe costume with sparkling organza and detailing
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rooted, styled hair
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being finely sculpted with intricate paint detail
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having scenic packaging
After adding Belle to the cart, I clicked on the link for The Beast:
Again, I was not disappointed. The Beast stands about 13″ tall (according to the description) and is very detailed. He is wearing his ballroom attire and, unlike the Hasbro version, he is not flocked.
His description reads:
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Full articulated
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Deluxe costume–a satin coat with gold foil screen art; lace cravat and cuffs
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Finely molded face, feet, and tail
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Detailed sculpturing and intricate paint detail
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Scenic packaging
I have to say, it looks like he has a lot more detail than the Hasbro doll. I can’t wait to see him up close!
While I was very excited about both Belle and Beast, the dolls I really had my eye on were these two:
Gaston and Belle?
The moment I saw these dolls I knew I had to have them! Gaston and Belle come together in a set. Belle looks amazing wearing her peasant dress (I always prefer her peasant dress over the ball gown, but that’s just me) and Gaston looks awesome too. Again, it seems like a lot of attention to detail was paid to the making these dolls.
The set’s description is:
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Fully articulated
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Belle featured in her peasant costume
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Skirt pieced together from different fabrics
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Cloth bodice
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White undershirt with organza trim
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Long pants with printed design
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Necklace
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Shoes
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Rooted hair
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Gaston features jacket with stud detailing
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Brown shirt with stud buttons
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Belt with holster and musket
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White cravat and cuffs
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Brown trousers
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Faux leather boots
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Molded hair
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Detailed sculpturing with intricate paint detail
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Scenic packaging
I am really looking forward to reviewing these two! According to Disney’s shipping estimate, they should arrive in about 11 days….11 long days.
Personally, I think Disney Store’s version of these dolls are great and that they look perfect. The only issue I’m having right now is…
THERE IS NO PRINCE!
Disney Store has not released a “Prince” version of the Beast! And I was so looking forward to having the whole collection ? Okay fine, I admit it….I was looking forward to having another Downton Abbey character and, sadly, the Beast doll doesn’t have quite the same charm as one who looked a bit more like Matthew Crawley would have had.
Nevertheless, I’m still happy that these dolls are available and hopeful that Disney plans to release a set that includes the Beast in his human form sometime soon.
