It seems that almost every little girl dreams of being a princess.  My 4 year old is currently obsessed with princesses right now.  Recently, she received Prince Eric for her 4th birthday, along with an Ariel doll (which immediately stole the show).  My daughter took one look at Prince Eric after I handed him to her and then summarily dropped him on her train table and turned her attention back to Ariel.  Poor man!  I'm sure princes aren't used to being dismissed so harshly.

About the Doll
I never had any male dolls as a child, but then again, I can't even remember having a Barbie doll.  Thus, I took a close look at Prince Eric after my daughter abandoned him.  He is heavier and larger than her Barbie dolls, though even Ariel is heavier than Barbie.  It might be a Disney doll versus Mattel doll construction issue.

He has dark black hair and bright blue eyes.  He seems to be a fairly accurate copy of the Prince Eric from the movie.  I will note that his eyes look a little too wide open, as if caught by surprise.

Prince Eric stands 12" tall.  He reminds me of a Ken doll, but seems more rugged and dense (he's heavy!).  His royal white uniform (with a gold sash and blue pants) is quite flattering from afar and fits snugly on his frame.  Up close, the shiny fake satin white uniform looks much cheaper.  The tasseled epaulettes look cheesy up close, too.  The pants and boots actually look the best up close.

I personally think he's the most handsome of the prince dolls, as the white uniform, blue pants, and black boots are more striking than the outfits worn by the Prince Charming, Aladdin, Prince Naveen (from the Princess and the Frog), or Prince Phillip (from Sleeping Beauty) dolls.  Apparently, the Disney Princess line has several male dolls!

I didn't play with him very long as I didn't want to be the one to break him!  However, I did discover that he's quite flexible.  His knees bend (but don't seem to go all the way to 90 degrees!).  His elbows are hinged and can bend 90 degrees.  Plus, his arms can be raised over his head.  In addition, his head (which unlike Barbie, seems to be made of entirely soft squeezable plastic) can turn left and right.  Finally, he bends at the waist and can sit with his legs straight out in front of him.  Just note that all of these movements stretch his outfit, which really is cut very snugly.

Prince Eric also comes with his sheepdog sidekick, Max, who has been lost somewhere in the house already.  Based on my fleeting memory of him, Max was a lightweight plastic figurine of perfect size for a dollhouse.  

I compared Prince Eric to the other 4 female dolls my daughter has.  The female dolls are obviously very slender and much more lightweight.  Prince Eric is ruggedly built and heavy.  He could cause a painful bruise if used as a weapon.  I also immediately notice that sadly, Prince Eric doesn't have hair--just molded waves on his plastic head.  I know short hair is harder to play with, and it's not like Ariel is going to be running her fingers through his hair, but this cost-saving measure is still a disappointment.

Finally, I should note that his clothes are removeable (he has painted on blue underwear, for those wondering).  The clothes feel very thin and are cut a bit tightly, so I didn't bother removing them completely for fear of tearing something.  Like I said earlier, he looks better from afar, as up close, the outfit looks much cheaper.  His rubber/plastic black knee high boots can be removed as well (they're slit in the back for easy removal).

Our Experience
As I said earlier, my daughter hasn't picked him up in the two months since she received him.  I know she will likely eventually start playing house with a mom doll and a dad doll, so it will help that she has a boy doll.  However, for now, she mainly likes to brush their hair.  I'm sure other little girls like playing with dolls more, so our experience probably isn't typical.  If anything, my daughter prefers drawing princesses more than she enjoys playing with her princess dolls.

Final Thoughts
For those parents seeking a boy doll for their children, Prince Eric seems to be an excellent, solidly constructed doll with an appealing uniform.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): gift
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years