My 5-year old daughter had earned a special prize, and she had put together a short list of her top choices. Out of them all, she chose this Ariel Boat. We unpacked it, loaded up the batteries, and put it in the tub with her. In retrospect, that was probably even less safe than it sounds. Her exact quote after 5 minutes: "This isn't as good as I thought it would be." Thank-you Disney/Mattel, for that little punch in the parenthood.
The boat bits could not be flimsier. That includes Ariel, who separates from her tail very easily. My daughter didn't seem to mind that too much, but I found the fillet of mermaid floating around the tub somewhat disturbing. The only bit with any rigidity is the switch that turns on the sprinkler, and that is so tight that is hard to use. The only impressive thing about this toy is the amount of disappointment it can generate using only 3 AA batteries.
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I got this and what a waste. The boat barely floats, it leans to one side no matter what I do to it. The knob to switch the toy on/bubbles/fountain is very difficult to turn and is poorly placed and difficult to reach. My daughter cannot play with it by itself, I have to turn it on, and empty the water every minute or so, so it will stay afloat. Also I tried to fill up the bubbles and it just runs out. It will make bubbles but you have to add about a tablespoon of solution at a time while it is in the water and on for it to make bubbles. The fountain works well, but as the boat itself is not level and tilts to one sideit is going back to the store. wal**** sold it for twenty, but maybe if you can find it for the bargain price around five bucks, otherwise pass!
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I was kind of surprised to read the bad reviews after our experience with the toy. We bought it at Wal-Mart before having a chance to read the reviews. I just wanted a cheap Valentines Day gift for my four and a half year old who is of course right in the middle of the "princess" stage. But she has very few bath toys she likes, only things related to mermaids. This toy looked like a home run.
I put it together for her and a couple of things about the other reviews. One, alomost all childrens' boat toys lean to one side or another if not balanced right. This toy is actually made well because it stays bouyant despite the lean. It even is made with an easy pull piece of seawood on the back to get rid of the water, when most boat toys don't have anything of the sort, you should have to shake them to get the water out.
Beyond that though, the boat will float even keeled when it is set up the right way. The slide on one side and the other counter-balancing parts on the other. Of course it is going to lean to one side if you are missing parts and it is unbalanced, it is a boat after all! But if it does lean, it still stays afloat.
Another reviewer compained about Ariel pulling apart easy, and that again is how the toy was designed due to the swing she sits in. She clips under the arms to the swing, so if a child would pull on her too hard without getting her arms over the clips, you would risk breaking the swing. But it's not like she just falls apart. You have actively pull the top in the opposite direction of her bottom to get her to break apart. But if she does, again she snaps right back together.
What impressed me most about this toy are the fountains and motor. The fountains work GREAT, exactly as pictured. We don't really use the bubble mode with a solution, but in bubble mode the boat propels itself forward so we still use it. The swing also works exactly as pictured.
Bottom line, since giving this to my daughter she has been playing with it thoroughy and loves it. I would not buy it for a 2-3 year old girl, but for any girl 4 and older I think she would enjoy just as my daughter has.
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The boat doesnt float,fountain doesnt work well and pieces fall off all the time. I bought this for my niece she likes it because shes 4 and doesnt care how well it works. If you do care how well it works dont buy it. This is a very poor product and the manufacturer should be ashamed to sell this "PIECE OF JUNK".
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just purchased this fountain boat. it's fountain does not spray regardless of what we do. it tilts to one side followed by being completely submerged a minute later. the pieces keep falling off too. i am returning this pronto. i am dissapointed in its quality and function. my child is frustrated and sad. thank you for yet another quality disney toy :(
