Editorial Review

Barbie fans will delight in getting this popular fashion doll ready for the ball in the final scenes of Barbie of Swan Lake. Barbie comes dressed for the role of Odette, the movie's beautiful heroine, in a glittery dress with a fitted bodice and an overlay of feathery leaves over a gauzy net skirt. Sparkling wings, a bejeweled necklace, and a crown marked by a swan complete her ensemble. A doll-sized skirted vanity table and chair provide a special place for Barbie-as-Odette to prepare for the ball. Her numerous beautifying implements include a comb, a brush, a hand mirror, barrettes, a purse, bottles of lotion and perfume, tiaras, and other jewelry. Other accessories include a framed picture of Prince Daniel (played by Ken, of course), a clock, a book, and several storage boxes. A kid-sized tiara and hand mirror are included with this gift set for girls who would like to play the Odette role themselves. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Editorial Review

For slumber parties, naptime, or travel, this indoor sleeping bag makes cozy dreaming for fans of Dora the Explorer. A large image of Dora appears on the purple upink polyester outer shell, and a soft tricot lining encases a sleeping child in soft, lightweight warmth. A self-repairing zipper along the side and bottom allows use as a comforter. This machine-washable bag is perfect for travel or sleepovers, but is also sturdy enough for everyday use. --Ava Natov ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great gift for a Dora fan.
This is a very durable sleeping bag with years of fun. It will be a great addition to any little Dora fan. My daughter recieved for Christmas when she was 3 years old and has gotten a lot of use out of it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Girls just wanna have fun! This tiny pink bicycle is both fashionable and functional, equipped with everything a beginner would want or anticipate for the journey ahead. Besides being pink and tattooed with flowers from bumper to bumper, it comes with a list of great features. The 33-inch bike (20 inches high from ground to banana seat) includes: 12-inch diameter, inflatable, studded wheels; confidence-inspiring training wheels and foot brakes; easy-grip handle bars with wind-lovin' tassels; a modern backpack "stuff" carrier, instead of a wicker basket; a kitschy steel finger bell instead of a horn; and a portable radio inside the backpack as the "cool" feature. New riders will take pride in every wobble with a bike so well-equipped.--Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Awesome
I think that it's great that they design a new Hello Kitty CD player every year or so. The design on this one is great because it is bright and the plastic house itself is just more solid than the previous two.

However, it has some of the same flaws as the previous models. This boombox works well in a small room or when working in a small area. Due to the popularity of CDs, I didn't miss the cassette deck. I did think that this boombox was a little expensive considering the sound output and lack of cassette deck.

This boombox also presents a new problem. The CD is placed in the player vertically, instead of horizontally. If you don't snap it onto the wheel inside, it could damage the CD, so you need to be careful.

To increase the educational value of this toy, someone suggested getting karaoke CDs with lyrics books. It is a great way to introduce reading or to improve on reading skills. ... Read more

Editorial Review

With selections from popular contemporary artists like Britney Spearsand the Backstreet Boys, as well as classic rock & rollers like the Beatles,the Barbie Karaoke Machine offers something for all the music lovers in yourhouse. The machine is compact (8.5 inches tall), operates on four C batteries,and comes with four different cassette tapes featuring songs from femaleartists, male artists, and party hits. The machine also comes with a blankcassette tape for recording your own songs. Choose from a total of 24prerecorded songs, and after plugging in the handheld microphone or themicrophone headset, play any of them back with vocals included or as aninstrumental so you can provide all the singing. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Somewhat disappointed
We bought this for our 4 year old daughter for christmas. It says it is for 3 years and up. Our 4 year old is quite advanced for her age so I though she would have no problem using it. The songs on tape that come with it are for much older kids. Some of the songs I have never even heard of. She isn't old enough to read so she can't read the words off the printed pages so she can't learn the words to the songs. It is very difficult to hear the music even with the volume all of the way up. She mostly just uses the blank tape to tape herself singing "twinkle twinkle" and "Itsy bitsy spider". The head set microphone that comes with it is difficult to use as it doesn't fit the four year olds head nor does it fit my head. Not worth the money in my opinion.

Piece of crap
The headset does not fit right. i had 2 put it on upsidedown then i got it. then it makes your voice sound way different then it really does. this toy is not made 4 a 3 yr old! like a 3 year old can really read the words?

Barbie not worth it's price
This machine lasted less than a day with our 5 year old twins. The head set wouldn't fit either them or me, the songs weren't anything that they knew, and the sound was horrible. It was a gift that has allready been returned to the store. The concept of a Barbie Karaoke machine is wonderful, just this product leaves alot to be desired.

Great fun even after 1 1/2 years of play!
I bought this for my daughter in the summer of 2002(she was 5)and she still plays with it often. It has travelled everywhere with us and she even takes it to her babysitter's house. All her friends still play with it whenever they come over,too. The other night, she made up a cute song about her friend that was playing over at the house. Her friend was the background singer and she pretended to be talking on the phone. This toy is great for them. I will admit, for the little ones, they probably won't be able to read the lyric sheets but, the music was mostly top 40 hits from the year this toy came out so, my daughter already knew them well. Also, I don't like having to replace the batteries but, if you remind them to turn it off and unplug the microphone when not in use, the batteries will last longer. If you have a little one that loves to perform, this is perfect. It is durable(my daughter can break just about anything but, this has survived).

Just "okay"
My 3 year old daughter received it for her Birthday. She really liked it at first. However, it really needs an AC adapter. It is ridiculous that a Radio would come without a power cord. I refuse to replace the batteries every week, so it has not been touched in months. ... Read more

Editorial Review

There’s a party goin’ on at the Party Pad, and everyone’s invited! In an effort to raise money for a local animal shelter, Barbie, Madison, Chelsea, and the rest of the My Scene gang decide to throw a masquerade party in the DVD movie, Masquerade Madness. And what a party it is! My Scene followers will be thrilled to see this 23-minute DVD, and even happier to find Chelsea all dolled up as a very sexy Mermaid Diva, complete with sparkly see-through faux-fur-trimmed jacket (at least we hope it’s faux; it is an animal shelter fund raiser, after all), belly-revealing see-through lace top with strategically placed seashell appliqués, sleek hip-hugging aquamarine mermaid skirt, and high heels. Plus she has a mer-puppy, lots of accessories, and a whole other outfit, presumably for the after-party party. Chelsea makes a splash! Warning: Girls, don’t try these outfits at home--you’ll be grounded for a month! --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This toy is GREAT!!!
I love Chelsea's real eyelashes! She is very pretty!!! I love her costume and her second outfit, too. Chelsea's dog Churro is very cute. I love this toy and if you like my scene you should consider buying it. Chelsea is my favorite my scene and is the prettiest out of all the other dolls.

hot and poplar
its a great doll for girls ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pretty and educational!
To tell you the truth, this is one of the most beautiful, but educational Barbies i have ever seen! I am 13 years old, and i love to collect Barbie dolls. This is a very educational toy, with all the pets, and the accessories are up-to-date and cool!
I have been a Barbie fann all of my life, and i absolutly love this Barbie! My 'guy' friends cannot beleive how hot this doll is! all 'n' all, what a cool doll! Gotta love the awsome runners, too! nice uniforn!!!

7 yr old LOVE it
My 7 yr old daughter wants to be a vet when she grows up :0) So this was a perfect toy for her. She loves it. The barbie is great, but my daughter mostly loves to play with the cat and dog on the x-ray machine.

the barbie pets.
well:first of all it is pretty educational because it teaches kids that they should NOT feed people food.second.it is a very fun toy.thanks for making it.bye! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Monopoly-Star Wars Style
It had been a while since I've taken a look at both Star Wars and Monopoly...Due to the hype for the new movie (EPS 3), I got back into Star Wars...This caused a mass compulsive buying of alot of SW merchandise. One of those items happened to be Star Wars Monopoly.
The paper money is cheap as always...it feels like it'll rip any second...it couldve been a little more durable.
The cities and settlements are sculpted great, and the game board has beautiful art on it.
The game pieces
Darth Vader
Darth Maul
Darth Sidious
Luke Skywalker
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Princess Leia
Yoda
General Grievous
are all extremely well made, bringing characters from all 6 movies.
My only gripe is that they included Grevious over someone like Han Solo or Boba Fett...I don't care for Leia or Yoda much, so I wouldnt have minded those two replaced with some old favorites.
All in all, a great buy and tons of fun to play.
GET THIS! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Okay, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense that SpongeBob SquarePants and his starfish friend Patrick are racing around in cars. They live under the sea, after all. Wouldn’t the cars, you know, float away? But "sense" is something best dispensed of when exploring SpongeBob’s world. We are, after all, talking about a necktie-wearing kitchen sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. This cool little racetrack is sure to please the SpongeBob faithful with thoughtfully detailed set pieces such as the Krusty Krab restaurant, and the homes of both SpongeBob and Patrick. The set features many pieces and takes a while to set up. As for the actual racing part of the set, it works fairly well, even if the cars are on the pokey side. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Just not worth it
My son recieved this for Christmas. Most of the time the cars simply will not move now because of the poorly built cars. I remember as a child instead of these quickly degrading bits of metal twisted together there were actual metal bands which would make the cars move. The track does go together well, and stayed together for me. But when you first try the cars out they move much to quickly and fly off the track(until the braids wear out and they refuse to move-which takes only a few days). I have yet to find any race tracks these days which are made properly.

Is playtesting before marketing a lost art?
Doesn't anybody playtest toys anymore before they toss them onto the market? Or is it enough that they look great and have a sure-fire cartoon character tie-in?

I ask, because as great and seemingly durable as this little SpongeBob race set is, had anybody in the Mattel boardroom actually tried to play it they would have quickly realized what a Festival of Frustration it is.

When you open the box, you're bound to be delighted by the brightly colored cardboard punch-out set decorations and the really super SpongeBob and Patrick "boats" (slot cars), which feel nice and hefty and solid. Once you've figured out how to put the track together (was it too difficult to actually label the tracks with the same letters by which the instructions refer to them?), and hooked up the power pack and the controllers (kudos for being battery powered, rather than requiring a wall socket, though the option for both would have been nice -- four "D" batteries ain't cheap), the next thing you're going to do, logically, is place the cars on the track and give a controller a squeeze.

And then the NEXT thing you're going to do is get up off your knees and go get the car and put it back on the track. Another squeeze, another track departure, another retrieval. Repeat ad nauseum. Or at least until your kid decides it's more fun to throw the controller at the little cardboard set decorations -- something which you may find yourself in agreement with.

Put simply, these sturdy plastic boat cars are ponderously heavy and too fast for their own good, which means they are highly susceptible to inertia: squeeze lightly and they do not move, just buzz plaintively. Squeeze just ever-so-slightly too hard and they go from standstill to Mario Andretti to Evel Kneivel in under a second, forcing you to spend 80 to 90 percent of your time crawling over to them and putting them back on the track.

And if YOU think that sounds annoying, wait until you see your preteen's reaction.

I did not personally experience any problem with the track coming apart, as some reviewers have mentioned. But that may be because Patrick and Bob spent the lion's share of their time extratrackular.

Don't bother
Honestly...this is one of those toys that is a big waste of money. The cars fall off the track too easily, the cardboard scenes are a major pain and just fall off and don't stand up properly and the overall track isn't very durable. It was a huge disappointment.

My son likes to play with the cars without the track because it just doesn't work well enough with them on the track.

I should have returned this.

Try Something Else
My son got this for Christmas and he was very excited. The assembly was easy enough, but the cardboard cut-outs would not stay up. It was also difficult to keep the braids under the cars in the right position so the cars would even go. I'd try another track before I wasted money on this one!

Too Much Fun !!!!!
I bought this for my 6 year old. I put it together myself (not very hard)and we just love it. You have to learn to slow down around the curves so the cars don't fly off. After a few times around the track it's alot of fun. I would buy this for any spongebob fan.... ... Read more

Reviews (34)

I HATE IT!!!
This doll is a waist of money. If I would go back in time and know about this doll, I would think about flushing MY money down the toylet before buying this HUNK OF JUNK!

A Beautiful Character Study
I saw her in the store today. I just had to get her. She is very good education, the clothes are realistic to the time period as well. I thought she looked so gorgeous. I love herface, whicht he photo makes look European. But my doll is very Asian looking. She is the only WORLD doll i have. I only am getting the Asian ones, they are the mos beautiful.

Anyway you wont be very dissapointed in her. She is beautiful.

One flaw is that her hands are in a 90 degree angle for good.
Her legs can bend. The suit is one piece.

i give it on a scale from 1 to 10
9/10

fantastic doll.

A bit dissappointed at first, but then....
When I first saw the picture on amazon I thought this doll was a *must have* for any Barbie collector. When she arrived, though, I admit I was dissapointed that I didn't get that same "Wow" effect. However, after a few minutes of checking her out I determined I was indeed thrilled with my purchase! Being that I collect the Princess Dolls of the World collection, (and would have bought her anyway) I must say she is definitely one of the nicer dolls in the collection (and I am even considering buying a second to remove from the box!) Her hair, though not braided like in the pic Amazon shows, is indeed long (maybe somewhat braided or wavy, it's hard to tell) but gorgeous!. The dress (if you open the box) is not as nice,all one piece as opposed to the way it looks in the pic, but sadly, these DOTW dolls are simply a cheaper end doll and for the price, the dress is fine... overall I would give her 5 out of 5 stars for her appearance. The face looks more unique than many of the other Princess dolls and I personally think she does have a foreign look to her. Her eyes are hazel and her lips a nice dark color, her skin is also not so pale as typical barbie and definitely next to the Russian Princess, you can see her skin is certainly darker (perhaps not truly olive, like most Italians I know, but definitely not white). The box is a dissappointment on these as well. The new design makes them easier to open, however, most collectors will not even do that! I think it allows for dust to creep in easier..and when I did (I couldn't resist) open this one up I noticed the inner 'box' with the Italy backdrop on it was starting to warp already!? Brand new, huh...what will it look like in, say, 5 years!? Hmm... All in all, a must have for the DOTW Princess collector and a even a nice doll for any little girl (or big girl) to remove and play with!

What's with Barbie?
Admittedly, the idea of POTW is great. However, it is disappointing that all the Barbies look the same. The undeniably European characteristics used simply further promote the idea that European traits are beautiful and should be held as a standard. The Ancient Mexico doll looks nothing like a real Princess would look like. Would it be so hard to focus a little more on the physical traits of the doll instead of merely dressing the same old Barbie with different clothes?

Honestly what is Mattel thinking?
When I first heard of the Princess of Imperial Russia I was thinking along the lines of Anastasia... maybe they weren't exactly in the same time period, but so what. The point is that this doll is suppose to be a princess and she looks like an over glamourized peasant or an assassian playing dress up - Le Femme Nikita anyone? What's really good?! She doesn't even look all that friendly. I also agree that Mattel needs to stop playing the blonde hair card... not all Europeans/ Euroasians have blonde hair. I think that if they just change her hair color to a brown or raven color she would look SO much better - like mysterious or sexy. And get rid of the peasant duds also... it's cramping her style. She is a princess after all. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not That Wonderful but interestingly pretty
I have already purchased the original first version of WW available back in 2000 at $50 a pop. Needless to say that this version is now here but with better boots and somewhat easier to fix hair. The outfit is still a little flimsy but what can you expect. Overall, i like this doll except for her weird face and arms. Thos arms are like two crazy worms! The original had only a few better things like a cape with stars, curly black mountainous hair, and nicer arms that did not look like two worms. The packaging on this is much simple since it is not an exclusively over priced Wonder Woman figure. What I do like is that this womderwoman figure you can open and play with or just display while saving the 2000 edition in the closet. I also do not like her star underwear thingy. It's not that flattering but it soes have better and more stars on both front and back. You can go ahead and remove the emblem on her chest and (if you are craetive and picky like me) make aother one by using embroidery! I just don't understand that little lunchbox or purse thing?

What a Wonderful Doll!!
As a doll collector and WW collector for many years, I regret never having had the chance to purchase Ideal's Super Queens line, but thank you Mattel for this wonderful series! This Wonder Woman is BEAUTIFUL and much more reflective of the comic book character in looks and costume than Mattel's 1999 Wondy. I wish she had more of an action figure body with more points of articulation than are available with the current "bendy body". (...)

A Beautiful Rendition of A Great DC Character
I was surprised to hear that mattel was producing another wonder woman doll when they had opened their pop culture series with a beautiful wonder woman doll in 1999. I thought "there is no way that this doll will compare",but I was dead wrong! This doll is simply stunning!! I love almost everything about her. The outfit,bracelets, tiara , belt and boots all look amazing and unlike the 1999 doll the stars on her shorts go all the way around as opposed to just the front. Her hair is shorter but looks very natural and i love her darker skin complextion, which makes her look more greek. The only issue(which is minor) is her bendy arms. i realize that this is a childs toy and they will love to bend her arms in many ways. My concern, being an adult collector is the affect time will have on the bendy arms, Whether
or not they will crack or split over time or if any wires will poke through(etc). But please don't let this concern keep you from buying this wonderful doll either as a gift or for your collection. And you cannot beat the 15.99 price for this great barbie collectable.

Fun super-doll!
The Wonder Woman doll is definitely the least beautiful of the "Super Friends" Barbie dolls, but kids will still love playing with her. Her arms are "bendy," which kids will love, but that features may make adult collectors frown--due to how weird the shoulder connections look. But this doll is definitely aimed towards children, unlike the previous WW Barbie from 1999), and I am certain the child(ren) in your life will take this doll on many imaginative adventures!

Wonder Woman Returns!
This is the second [] version of Barbie as Wonder Woman. The costume is nicely done (with shorts in place of Wondy's more revealing panties) and some glitter has been added to her belt and chest emblem. The face on this dolls looks gorgeous too! She looks beautiful like Wonder Woman should! Meant for kids but collector's won't be able to keep their hands off this one! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

JUST WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR
I was looking for a action figure set of the whole Simpsons Family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Now, here are the pros and cons.

Pros:
Contain of whole Simpsons Family
Cheap Price(Bought here)
Fun

Cons:
Living Room NOT compatible with other characters.

What's up you toy nerds?
The concept of collecting toys when you can afford a credit card is absurd, that is why I am a toy NERD. This particular flashback set has been out for a while,I'm glad it's cheaper in price cause it's getting ridiculous especially with the independent toy stores. So my review is this: it's good. I saw the picture and I know what I was getting. The delivery was quite efficient and speedy Gonzales. Last I'd like to add that I DO OPEN my toys, cause you only become obsessed with mint condition and never enjoy the essence of the collectables. Get a life me.

Most creative environment yet!
Unlike the 3 negative reviews above for this set I am totally HAPPY with mine. It arrived in absolutely MINT condition. there is not a crack/tear/rip/dent or messed up paint job anywhere on the set.
I still can't believe Playmates made this set. ...If you collect Simpsons WOS figures, then you need to get this NOW! before it's gone! ...

DISAPPOINTMENT...
Because this set was intended for collectors I thought no detail would be spared. Boy was I wrong. The box shows a picture on the front that shows what the Simpsons looked like back on the Tracy Ullman Show. The figures in this box look nothing like that picture. They look cheesy and cheap. Why oh why couldn't they have cleaned up the detail on these figures. Would it have been that hard to make the figures with the correct outfits? This set could have been such a gem, instead were left with a set destined for the bargain basement. Speaking of such, notice that the price of the set has been cut in half and still has not sold out. Even though it was this cheap price during Christmas. Hmmmmmmm....

OK For The Price
This Simpsons Flashback Playset would be better if the little figurines looked more like the actual Simpson family. They aren't really to play with, more for collectors or big fans of the show (like me). The paint job wasn't exactly perfect, but I didn't really mind. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

No Regrets, Great Value
I just bought this item 10 days ago. My daughters are 2 & 3yrs old and love this jeep. My 3yr old drives with her sister right beside her and they have a great time. Changing gears to reverse and forward are easy for my 3 yr old, now getting her to steer clear from my flower bed is the only challenge. Perfect speed,on or off grass, durable and one of the best gifts I have given them. Assembly was easy and the battery lasts for quite a while. I have nieces that range from 1-6 and they love coming over to ride the jeep. I highly recommend this item for any little girl.

Jordyns Jeep
We bought this for our daughter who just turned 4 and she absolutely loves it! She has learned how to go back and forth changing gears and going around objects. GREAT DEAL! WORTH THE MONEY!

Great Fun for Hours!
Santa brought this great jeep to my 3 almost four year old daughter for Christmas. She loves it and has traveled all over the neighborhood. The jeep is durable and keeps its battery charge for several hours. She has learned to really watch what she is doing and can drive pretty well (Boy is it fast). The wheels would spin some when she tried to ride, so we bought 12 inch bike tire tubes and cut them to put over her wheels...that thing will now climb a mountain. She has truly enjoyed her jeep and I feel like it was a great purchase! Thanks Santa!

My 5 yr. old LOVES it!!!!
I would just like to say that my daughter loves riding her Barbie Jeep that her Dad I bought for her 5th Birthday. We were VERY HAPPY to see that the jeep doesn't spin going up the small hills in the back yard and that the battery seems to hold out for a GOOD 3+ hours even on high. It also taught her to look behind her so that she doesn't run over her sister that rides a bike. I hope this helps some of you out on this info. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Of course it's not educational!
But that's why we play with dolls - to get away from school life and tension.Now, this doll CANNOT be a role model, because Mattel hasn't given her a plastic 'life' in the form of media or books.I like her! She doesn't have that gaudy grin on her face nor a snobby look like Bratz and My Scene.Know why she's great?She's got cool stuff that comes with her.She looks like a real person, NOT A MONKEY!These dolls are NOT - I repeat - NOT a rip-off to Bratz like My scene was, because Hilary duff designed them, and Hilary Duff DID NOT rip-off of anyone (and when you think about it, Bratz themselves are a rip-off to real stars like Hilary Duff, because she was here long before any of them).

This styling head is so cool
This styling head is so cool. It has all these bunch of things you can try on her and she DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A MONKEY

Fatima's Review For Fashion Fever Head:)
Fatima's review for fashion fever head was an easy thing. First it all started when my parents gave me my allounce. I've earned overall over about maybe $85.50, but then I saw the thing I wanted on the T.V I told my mom and she said "fatima is this a good part of educaution?" I went "sure" then she gave me untill the following saturday to find what I want on the computer. Now if I buy what I want I wont bug her about my next coming feild trip!

I love it!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i
Dont listen to people calling her a monkey! She is pretty and very stylish i love her i wish she came with a human size body! it would be so cool!

I like it!
I like it because the acesscoreys are cool, and the styling head looks really cool. i think this is educational because it you get like other make up you could use the styling head and teach your daughter how to do make up, thats what my mommy did ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Puurfect Rocker
This toy is excellent i brought this for my 1 year old daugther for her first birthday and she loves it. She plays on it everyday when she comes in from daycare. She drags it all around the house with her rocking all around. I recommend this toy to all the mothers who really love Winnie the Pooh. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Watch out for falling rock! Railroad construction ahead!Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Big Loader will bring out the train conductor in any child. When the big loader is running, use the control buttons on the track to make the train change direction. Itsy-bitsy engineers control whatever it does next. The track includes hoppers, loading docks, and transfer ramps. The motorized chassis fits under Thomas, Percy, and Terrance, the toys' included companions. After parents take a few minutes to read the simple instructions, make sure a 2-by-2-foot space is available for construction. Requires one AA battery for operation. --Andrea Linsky ... Read more

Features

• Thomas, Percy, and Terrence cars included
• Requires at least a 2-by-2-foot space

Reviews (85)

Not very happy
We got this train for our daughters 4th Birthday and when we took it out of the box the main train that pulls the rest was broken. We tried to figure out how it goes together and never did so she has not got a chance to play with it! The box was in great condition so I really do not know how it was in so many pieces when we got it! I am not happy about that, but as far as fun...can't say due to it never working!! I hope others that purchase this toy have better luck that we have had.

GREAT GIFT!!!!
My son received this toy for his 3rd birthday- and it is, by far, his favorite gift. He loves watching the trains do their jobs loading and unloading the "rocks." And, after it goes around the correct way a few times, he likes to switch things up and see what happens if he puts the trains in the wrong places. The parents who are complaining that this is not an interactive toy need to realize that it is interactive if you let your kids try different things with it. It doesn't always have to work in the right order for the toy to be fun. As a matter of fact, by putting things in the wrong order to see what happens, my son gets a great lesson in cause and effect.

Took a while to assemble but IT WORKS!
My son is 2 and a half. I'm a 34-year-old Network Engineer. I had not heard of the original "Big Loader" toy or how it worked, but my son saw the box in the store with Thomas, Percy, and Terence the Bulldozer - and that was it. He was sold. He didn't care what the toy actually did, as long as it had these three characters. So I figured "What the heck" and purchased it.

First off, I will also agree with many of the opinions - the included instruction page (note: singular) needs some more detail. I also had to resort to the box illustrations for help.

However, I *DID* manage with the instructions. I didn't have any problems with the battery compartment, the tracks fit nicely, and the whole track stayed assembled.

The next challenge was to figure out the motorized routine. After about 10 tries, I finally was able to coordinate the motor's direction, orientation, and the train-cover layout to get it all working.

And me and my son just stared at that toy for ten minutes straight. Whenever the train changed from Thomas to Percy, he would giggle. Same for when the bulldozer activates. He does appreciate the "fragility" of the system by telling everyone to "stand-back" while it runs. I also think a lot of it had to do with me having fun with the toy as well. Since I didn't get (too) frustrated with putting it together, he wasn't afraid or put-off by it either.

Tomy also has an even larger kit that adds-on to this one. I might have to save that for another day....

BOTTOM LINE: Not a typical train-set. Takes some effort to construct *AND* operate. Features 3 popular Thomas characters.

He played with it once & all the pieces are everywhere
My mom bought this for my son. It never really ran right, wouldn't stay on the track, & the pellets go everywhere. He would get frustrated & so did I. We put it away the first day & no one ever asked for it again, thank goodness.

Happy with thomas
Our 3 year old son got this track a year ago and hardly played with it because we only let him watch and touch the levers. However, once we stopped worrying about what happened to the toy and let him be hands on, he has played with it nonstop for two weeks. He doesn't even need the train to be turned on, and will push it around manually. It is incredibly durable to deal with his handling, and after the first couple times to figure it out, very easy to put together-he even knows how it works. Great toy! ... Read more