Thursday, October 16, 2014

Target 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014

Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection is in stores now.  Guess who is in the set? This year's Princess Anna and Princess Elsa - the royal sisters from Disney's Frozen - join Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Merida and Rapunzel. Now Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel tend to be "regulars" for this series; the other four dolls are the most recent of the princesses. Any comments on the line-up?

Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014
Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014

Box back Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014
Box back Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014
 

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Too bad they didn't include at least one of the more 'exotic' princesses, like Tiana, Jasmin or Mulan (not to speak of Pocahontas). And wait, there's no Snowwhite, either! Do Target executives believe that the black haired dolls would not sell?! What's up with these guys?

Smaller Places said...

The presence of the Frozen princesses confirms hints that Frozen has been cannibalizing regular princess sales. It's also a differentiating feature versus the off-brand princess packs, which are everywhere this year.

Per Anonymous' comment, putting Target and Mattel execs in the same room, these days, is an excellent way to come out with a whiter shade of pale. I think the unspoken strategy is that Monster High is supposed to absorb the shoppers who want ethnic diversity.

The grandmommy said...

Last year I got my grandgirls a package like this. I don't remember the makers but there brown and black dolls in there too. It was a great assortment. I wish I could remember the brand or where I got it from. I think Wal-Mart

Smaller that is pretty sad if they think monsters are a sigh or diversity.

Buffy said...

Am I missing something here? I don’t know anything about princess dolls, but I have to wonder, is there a second set with a line-up that would appeal to a broader ethnic base of consumers?

Smaller Places said...

@Roville -- If you're missing it, so is Target's web site. There's no sign of any other, more diverse variety pack.

There are past Target-exclusive Disney princess packs that included Tiana. They seem to do one pack a year.

The Harbour Trade princess 6-pack that's everywhere this year is all white gals, though they (or another near-identical off-brand) make a black princess that I've seen in a two-pack at Tuesday Morning.

I'm 90% sure that this year's Sparkle Girlz princess pack at Walmart has darker princesses, but the photo's not on my camera any more, and I never blogged that trip.

billa's dolls and fashions said...

Well I don't know really about merchandise politics, but judging by my niece latest craze about Elsa and Frozen I believe they're aiming at maximizing sales. Usually little girls are just interested in the latest thing....

D7ana said...

Hi Anonymous, Smaller Places, The grandmommy, Roville, and Billa's dolls and fashions. Thanks for your comments.

First, I don't fault Mattel or Target. The Ultimate Princess line is a mix of "classic" and current Disney Princesses. None of the "classic" dolls were racially diverse; none of the current princesses have been ethnically-diverse.

Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Tiana have been in previous Ultimate Princesses sets.

I think Disney could provide a more diverse princess line. I have nothing against the current stories and/or the princesses in them. But if they never produced Mulan, Tiana and the other ethnic princesses, that would have been a loss to the DP canon.

Muff said...

Wow, based on the packaging, they could have just called that the "Frozen and Friends Collection."

The lack of the ethnic princes/ladies is extremely glaring BUT, like Billa said, I think this is about maximizing sales and brown dolls just don't sale the way lighter dolls do. Sad, but true, and Mattel needs an influx of cash post haste.

An aside, but can anyone who has both an Anna and an Ella doll tell me if Ella is taller? In the Target out of box photo she is much taller than everyone else.

Muff said...

OMG, I called Elsa, Ella... please don't hurt me, Frozen people.

D7ana said...

Hi Muff! Yes, there being 2 Frozen princesses does reduce the chance for much variety. But the story is about the 2 princesses, so I wouldn't expect only one.

Understandable that the companies would want the most bang - funds, money - for their efforts. I wonder if there is a chart or site anywhere online showing the comparative popularity of the Disney Princesses?

Yes, Mattel is in trouble. Maybe they'll start listening to the requests for articulated dolls? I hope so.

In some of the photos, Ella er Elsa does look taller than Anna. That could be because her hair is higher? But it would be neat to have a taller princess. Ariel, Rapunzel, and Merida are shorter ....

The Little Mermaid people will have your back if the Frozen people thaw out enough to go after you, lol. Wait, I distracted them with bad punnery ;-)

Cindi Mortensen said...

I've never been crazy about any of the Disney dolls. To me, their eyes are too big. Makes them look like they're stoned. LOL And there's no articulation. None are a good fit for Moreville life. :-)

cyano said...

yuck, ana and elsa still have plastic tops?!

D7ana said...

Hi Cyano! For this set, the Frozen sisters have cloth clothing. But several of the individual packaged have molded on plastic sleeves. Yuck, indeed ;-(

D7ana said...

Yikes, Cindi Mortensen - almost missed this comment. The often over-sized eyes and heads usually stop me from buying Disney dolls.

Yes, Moreville is not the place for any "stiffs" LOL

Unknown said...

OMFG, what the hell did you do, Target?! You used to be my favorite place to get dolls from, until Frozen came along, and you made the very stupid decision to plunk in Anna AND Elsa (A QUEEN!) and consequently, push out Tiana and all the other ethnic Princesses (plus Snow White).
I could just write a 300-page memoir about how effing mad I am at the screwy decision Target has made, and publish it!
I'd rather have the Disney Store collection or just bundle any of the excluded Princesses with the highway-robbery one.

D7ana said...

Hi My Crush Is Steve Martin! I don't blame Target or Mattel for this line-up. Doesn't Disney decide which dolls are chosen for the box sets? And even if they do not and Target chose the dolls, Target did so based on the last dolls in the Disney collection.

Whoever chose the dolls probably didn't want to separate the sisters (double the ka-ching) so they added Queen Elsa to the lot. Plus, some kids might prefer Elsa over Anna. And the marketing stresses the sisters, plural.

The Disney store does offer a cool package that includes all the ethnic dolls. But this new set having NO ethnic dolls, that emphasizes how long it has been since Disney produced a movie featuring ethnic characters.