Mattel Royal Ball Cinderella Review

My first doll reviewed for this blog will be Disney's Royal Ball Cinderella made by Mattel.

The Ella (her real name in the live action film) doll was released earlier this year just in time for the movie's release. I had a few bumps in the road getting her here as my local Kmart was sold out and all other stores within a 50 mile radius didn't carry her. I eventually ordered her from Kmart online and picked her up a few days later were I was saddened to discover that her face paint was messed up. The eyebrows weren't fully painted on (poor Ella). After two calls to Mattel, my replacement Ella arrived in nearly perfect shape and her she is for this review!

Cinderella comes dressed in a beautiful blue and purple tinted gown that appears to be made from satin and tulle. The dress features yellow, blue and silver fabric butterflies on the bodice and skirt, and she also comes with her "glass" slippers. Each shoe has a gold butterfly on the top and they both easily stay on Ella's feet! Ella has a small braid on the top of her head and "tinsel" in her hair to make it resemble the look featured in the film. The dress is also VERY glittery all over. She does not come with a stand which seems to be a big mistake on Mattel's part. I realize this doll is targeted at little girls who love princesses and may only care about the sparkly dress, but the fact that this doll has a higher price tag ($39.99) than most Disney Barbies and even black/pink label collector Barbies, it certainly would've been nice to get a stand. Luckily, I had a spare one here that Ella took for herself.

Ella is slightly articulated and is able to move her arms and legs but her legs aren't bendable. For play I think she is severely limited but she definitely makes a great display piece for any Disney or general doll collector. My Ella's hair was also very flat when I took her out of the box and slightly loose on the left side. The clear rubber bands that that keep her hair in place seemed to be loose on mine so her style began to fall. Still, I think she is a very lovely doll and I intend to redress this one and keep the other in her box. I think Royal Ball Cinderella is well worth her price tag despite the cons mentioned and now most retailer have her on sale, so I'd get her if I were you before she becomes too hard to find. Many Disney dolls tend to go up in value over the years and I expect the same for this beautiful princess.

      Pros

• Face sculpt is a great likeness of the actress Lily James
• The dress is so beautiful and I love the colors and butterflies
• The glass slippers are very detailed and STAY on! 
• The small hair braid is a nice touch that's movie accurate
• VERY lovely box art design perfect for display

    Cons

• The dress gets glitter everywhere
• Face paint CAN be iffy so check carefully!
• Little articulation that kids may get bored with
• No stand is included
• Hair is flat in the back from the box (I don't really mind this much but wanted to mention it)

There is also a wedding version of Ella made by Mattel that comes dressed in a beautiful cream colored gown as well as a Fairy godmother doll and Lady Tremaine. Disney has produced their own versions of the characters as well. They have Ella in her ball gown, a set of Ella and Price Kit in their wedding attire and dolls of Lady Tremaine and the Fairy godmother. I prefer the Mattel Ella dolls myself but I also like the Disney Fairy Godmother. She looks more like Helena Bonham Carter in my opinion than the Mattel doll.

 I think all these dolls will be a hit with both kids and adults alike, and I hope to see more of the characters in stores in my area. I hope you enjoyed the review and if you decide to get your own Ella or one of the other characters or have even seen the movie please comment below!