pippadaisy's Full Review: Polly Pocket Shimmer N Splash Adventure Playset
We have a lot of Polly Pocket sets. When I say a lot, please understand that my oldest is ten, and still likes them, while my youngest recently turned four, and has been asking for Polly for well over a year to keep up with her big sister. We've had mall sets, race sets, cruise ships, and just about any major set you can imagine over the past six years or so. When my youngest asked for the Polly Pocket Shimmer 'n Splash Adventure Set for her birthday, I caved, thinking it was only a small set and couldn't create that much of an issue with our already-overrun with Polly household. Obviously, I was asleep at the wheel.
::: Where's the Rest of It? :::
It's a good thing that I thought to get one of the extra associated sets when I purchased the Polly Pocket Shimmer 'n Splash Adventure Set, because Butter would have been sorely disappointed at what's included with this set. There's a small "water park" that has a two-dolphin "ride," a water slide, and a bucket that dumps water using the included water scoop. Aso included are two small "drinks," a boogie-board-type object for dolls to ride down the slide, a sparkling not-to-scale turtle, a beach chair, and a Polly Pocket doll in the usual blonde. Polly's hair will change color when you dip it in cold water, or streak using a foam applicator (not included, naturally).
Like all these infernal Polly Pocket toys, the Polly Pocket Shimmer 'n Splash Adventure Set requires major assembly, from the various pieces of the ride (bright pink palm tree trunk, clear pieces to make the waves, top of palm tree, dolphins, and two tiny pieces that allow Polly and her turtle friend to actually sit on the dolphins for the ride, plus the water slide). In all, it probably took around 20 minutes to assemble, including the distraction of four children hovering.
The Polly Pocket Shimmer 'n Splash Adventure Set is recommended for ages four and up. ::: Ah, the Familiar Mattel Quality :::
One of these days, I'll stop in a store aisle, realize that a toy is made by Mattel, and put it back on the shelf, knowing that, unless they are paying me to take it home, I'm wasting my money. Unfortunately, that day did not happen before I bought the Polly Pocket Shimmer 'n Splash Adventure Set. Instead, I shelled out $20 for a few pieces of plastic and a small doll.
Obviously, I need my mental faculties examined.
For starters, seriously? They couldn't include an applicator for Polly's hair streaking? I have to part with one of mine, assuming I even have one? No, I do not. I use make-up brushes. This means I have a trip to the dollar store in my future to purchase an accessory for a doll that should have been included in the original package.
Look, Mattel! I've barely gotten the thing open and I'm already irate.
Even if I was able to get over the applicator debacle, I have to contend with the little boogie board design issue. Short story? It's a piece of garbage. Because the sparkly pink plastic slide runs through a relatively large wave-shaped piece of plastic, to get maximum Polly velocity on the slide, you have to lay her down on it, not have her sitting up and cutesy. In addition, to strap the old girl down, you have to fasten an impossibly tiny strap onto an even smaller piece of plastic. Imagine tiny little four-year-old fingers doing that, determined to "do myself!!"
If you quickly deduced that the tiny knob the strap fastened to was broken within the first five minutes of play, you'd be correct. Mattel succeeds again! I now have a trip to the dollar store as well as hours of monkeying around trying to fasten the stupid strap in my future. Don't even suggest sending Polly and friends down the slide without the contraption, either, because the dolls get caught on the slide joint. Only the small plastic animals can make it unencumbered.
Oh, and did I mention the amount of water that spills out using the dolphin ride, even when you fill the toy to less than the suggested fill line? I recommend one towel under the toy itself and one on the floor to get whatever the first one misses.
The one (and only one) cool thing about this set is that the included Polly has knee joints. Maybe we've been getting the wrong sets up until now, but this Polly is easier to get into and out of all the far-too-small-for-straight-legged-dolls toys that we've been contending with all these years. The rest of this set will hopefully hit the donation pile soon, but we're keeping the doll. Even if we can't color her hair properly.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 19.99 Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years
Playset lets Polly ride on shimmery dolphins Fun slide for Polly to ride down In cold water Polly's hair changes from blonde to pink Includes an ocean...More at Amazon
Shimmer and splash with Polly Pocket! More Polly fun… endless Polly adventures. Playset includes a turtle friend, slide, and other fun accesso...More at EntertainmentEarth.com
With the Polly Pocket Shimmer N Splash Adventure Playset you can ride on the dolphins, cruise on the cool slide, and make a splash with the dunk bucke...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Playset lets Polly ride on shimmery dolphins Fun slide for Polly to ride down In cold water Polly's hair changes from blonde to pink Includes an ocean...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.