Our Experiences:

My boy is a huge Rolie Polie Olie fan! He's been that way practically since birth. When he was about 3 months old my husband and I were taking a gander at the children's programming fare, just to see what was out there. When we turned to the Disney Channel we caught our first glimpse of Rolie Polie Olie -- and my son, who had never shown any interest in the television before, was enthralled by the computer-generated images (we're guessing it was the vibrant, bright colors and the crisp, fast-moving images).

Now, I was not trying to encourage my child to watch television, but occasionally we would turn on the TV when we knew Rolie Polie Olie was coming on because my boy loved the opening music so much. When he got older he would run for the television as soon as he heard the intro, and would dance his little heart out for the entire duration of the theme song.

To this day (he just turned 14 months old) he does not sit down and watch an entire episode (something we're rather happy about), but he simply loves the opening song, and will point and yell "ooooohhhhh" whenever he sees a commercial with Olie on it. So we felt safe in encouraging his Rolie Polie Olie fixation, since it seemed relatively minor.

We got him some Rolie Polie Olie books, and they quickly became his very favorites. He would wake up first thing in the morning, point to his bookcase, and say "Oooohhhh" for "Olie". Because he loves everything Olie, and because he just recently started liking stuffed animals, I decided to go to our local Disney Store to get him the large plush Olie doll.

After scouring the store I could find no plush Olie dolls anywhere (the clerk said that Olie is so popular right now they can't keep him in stock), but I did find the Rolie Polie Olie Lights 'n Sounds Pull 'n Wobble. My son has also only recently discovered the joys of pull toys -- he will run through the house pulling one in each hand -- and when I heard the Olie pull-toy play a little rendition of the show's theme music I knew that my boy would just love it. Not wanting to go home empty-handed, I purchased the pull toy instead.

Of course my boy went crazy for it as soon as he saw it -- but initially I was a bit disappointed because the sounds were quite limited. Fortunately I took a closer look (after I wrestled it away from my little guy for a few moments) and found the switch on the bottom. There is a "TRY ME" setting for when it is on display in the stores, as well as an "ON" setting that enables the full array of sounds. After I turned the switch the theme music played for much longer, and the characters could talk when moved.

On the down side, most of my son's other pull-toys have some educational or multi-purpose value (his V-Tech shape-sorter car, his V-Tech pull-telephone, his Fisher-Price Smartronics Porcupine). The Rolie Polie Olie pull toy doesn't teach anything -- it is just cute. I'm fine with this though -- sometimes a toy should just be a toy.

Also, the Rolie Polie Olie Lights 'n Sounds Pull 'n Wobble is a little less stable than his other pull toys. The wheel-base is not as wide and the center-of-gravity is higher -- meaning that when my boy corners a turn a bit too sharply the Olie pull-toy falls over onto its side. Often times we follow him around, setting the toy back up onto its wheels for him.

Still, with all its faults my boy absolutely adores this toy. Because it has an off-switch and does not take up much room it frequently goes with us when we travel, and my boy enjoys pulling it as well as just sitting with it, happily babbling to it. It may not be perfect, but I'm definitely glad we have our Rolie Polie Olie Lights 'n Sounds Pull 'n Wobble. I would recommend it for any Rolie Polie Olie-loving child.

Product Description:
For those unfamiliar with the show, William Joyce's Emmy Award winning "Rolie Polie Olie" is a 30-minute, computer animated cartoon about a robotic boy and his family (his Mother, Father, sister Zowie, and dog Spot). Olie lives on a round and robotic planet. His best friend, Billy, is square and his family is from planet Cubie. The show is fairly educational, teaching about different families and various social situations (sharing, being teased, dealing with siblings, caring for pets, etc).

The Rolie Polie Olie Lights 'n Sounds Pull 'n Wobble is a pull-toy made by Fisher Price. It is approximately 11 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 7 inches tall. Olie, Zowie, and Spot sit atop a cute, caterpillar-like creature with a Rolie-Polie-ish face. Olie's and Zowie's heads and bodies are jointed so they can be moved a bit (their arms, however, are frozen in an open position). The pull-toy's wheels are offset, causing the toy to bounce and wobble as it is pulled.

The entire toy is made of a hard plastic. The wheels have a layer of rubber on their outer edges to help provide traction. Blue, yellow, and amber lights shine in an alternating pattern as the music plays.

The music that accompanies the Rolie Polie Olie Lights 'n Sounds Pull 'n Wobble is a cute, synthesizer version (with no singing) of the show's opening theme song. There are two parts to the music -- a base-line and the melody itself.

A switch on the bottom of the toy has the settings "OFF", "TRY ME", and "ON".

"TRY ME" Mode:
In the "TRY ME" mode moving the caterpillar's head or pulling the toy activates the sounds and lights. The toy will play one of 3 phrases/sounds:
~ Olie: "Come on Zowie, time to go!"
~ Zowie: "Up and at 'em!"
~ Zowie's laugh
... followed by a short bit of the show's theme song ("He's Rolie Polie Olie, he's small and squirt and round, and in the land of curves and curls he's the swellest kid around").

"ON" Mode:
In the normal mode, pulling the toy activates the theme music and lights. In this mode, the entire theme plays (minus the "Way up high in the Rolie Polie sky" intro part) -- this includes all the Howdy's and Hurray's, so the music lasts for over 30 seconds.

In the normal mode, moving Olie's and Zowie's heads triggers their voices. Olie says one of three phrases("Come on Zowie.", "Time to go", and "Come on Zowie, time to go"), and Zowie either laughs or says "Up and at 'em." The characters can speak over the music and can speak when the music is not playing (unlike in "TRY ME" mode).

Many screws that hold the toy together run down the right-side of the toy, making it a bit less attractive from one side.

Two "AA" batteries (included) are required, and can be accessed with a Phillips head screwdriver. We've had the toy for over a month now and have not had to change them yet.

The toy should not be immersed in water -- it can be cleaned with a damp cloth.

The manufacturer recommends this toy for children ages 18-months and up.

Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) Extremely cute!
+) Plays music-only rendition of the entire Rolie Polie Olie theme song
+) Flashing lights accompany music
+) Olie and Zowie each say a couple of phrases
+) On/Off Switch
+) Adorable, familiar characters
Cons:
-) No volume control
-) Not as stable as other pull-toys - tips over easily
-) Not at all educational
-) At around $20.00 it is very expensive for a simple pull-toy

Final Thoughts:
Even though this toy has faults, my boy absolutely loves his Rolie Polie Olie Lights 'n Sounds Pull 'n Wobble, so I simply must recommend it. I would recommend it to anyone who lives with a Rolie Polie Olie-fanatic.

Rolie Polie Olie sites of interest:
Playhouse Disney's Olie Site: http://disney.go.com/disneychannel/playhouse/rpo/index.html
Playhouse Disney's Olie Parent's Guide:
http://disney.go.com/disneychannel/playhouse/grown-ups/rpo_index.html



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 20.00
Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months