What is the product about?
The product comes in a package that displays what you get- a well-known horse from the animated movie –Tangled. There is an opening for the head of the
horse and sign that says “Try me” because the horse’s head can bob, so kids even before opening the box can try this feature. The box displays Disney’s logo and a warning that the packaging contains tiny accessories so the recommended age is 3+. Rapunzel’s horse comes with five accessories that can be used for
beautifying the hair of the horse since it’s all about the hair when we talk about Tangled and Rapunzel. There is a golden hairbrush and four golden hair clips that can be used both by Maximus and the kids for styling their hair. The toy comes in 12.8 x 3.8 x 12.8 inches size and weighs 1.35 pounds, which makes it a light weighted product and convenient for the kids to grab, hold and play with it. The product does not require any assembly or batteries and can be pretty easily removed from the toy box. Before you unbox the toy Maximus’s hair is tightened but this plastic bands should be also removed before kids start playing.
Who is the product for?
Since the product contains some small accessories which may pose a choking hazard for younger kids, the manufacturer recommends this toy for kids who are older than 3 years. It is a
gender-neutral toy that will be much appreciated especially by kids who love watching Rapunzel and Tangled. Maximum as Rapunzel’s friend is much loved character by the kids who had watched the movie so they will also be eager to act out different scenes from it and role-play dialogues. This toy is also purchased by kids and families who have other sets from Rapunzel’s Tangled line and it serves as a nice addition and complementary for the set especially if you have the figure of Rapunzel or maybe other toys from the Tangled collection. Kids who love animals especially
horses will also appreciate this toy as a gift because it gives them opportunity to learn something more about horses by discussing things and facts about horses as well as to take care of them.
Design
Maximus is made of high-quality plastic featuring sturdy design so this makes the horse stable and can stand very well by its own even though it stands on three legs. One of the legs is positioned high in the air so the figure simulates
galloping horse. It is not flimsy compared to many similar products that can sometimes be wobbly and keep tipping over although few customers claim that if you put Rapunzel or some other rider like different other dolls, on the horse it will tip over. The color is white –opalescent for the body of the horse and the horse has painted hooves. The product is very well made and it really resembles the
character from the movie especially there is similarity in the colors. The legs are not movable but it can move the head up and down like nodding. In order to achieve this you have to press down Maximus’s head with your hands and then the head of the horse will start going upwards and downwards. There is a nice violet bridle and violet saddle that are made of rubber which is not hard and they are decorated with some golden details. The saddle is a really nice feature that adds to the beauty of the toy and both the saddle and the bridle are movable and can be taken out from the horse. However, their putting on again will require some effort. The horse has beautiful long hair, just like Rapunzel’s hair – silky golden mane and a golden tale made of synthetic hair. The hair clips are also in the same golden color and the
hair brush features nice details that give designer touch to it. On the handle there is Rapunzel’s head and her long hair spins around or better said it is tangled around the handle of the brush. The hair clips are usable clips and are the same size as the ones that are designed and sold especially for kids’ hair.
Versatility of play
One of the strengths of Maximus is its long hair. Kids love grooming the horse’s hair, so they can brush the long mane and the tail with the hairbrush that is part of the set. The hair is really high-quality and the good side is that it does not fall off when kids brush it, so you do not have to clean hair all around. Kids can play hair salon and use the
hair clips for making different hairstyles to Maximus or if they play with their friends then they can use the clips to style their hair. One of the features that kids like besides the hair is that Maximus is able to nod the head and they use this for role-playing parts of the
movie. If you have other figures from Rapunzel you can recreate the whole Tangled story or maybe think of totally new ones. Even if you do not possess these figures kids can use any corresponding size of dolls to ride Maximus and go together with it to many adventures. Although the toy is simple these kinds of toys really motivate kids to develop their fantasies and imagination where there are no limits of the play.
Although this toy can offer the child an independent play it is also a
playset that invites other kids to play with it also, because of the included hair accessories. So kids can use the hair clips to accessorize each other hair and make braids or other hair styles. They can also apply these abilities of beautifying and grooming to Maximus. Although few accessories they are sufficient enough for kids to be actively involved into play and develop their storylines.
Educational features
Kids love horses and very often you can see kids holding and carrying them everywhere they go together with them. The
imaginary play is only one side of the benefits of play with these types of toys that also can be used for educational purposes especially teaching responsibilities of how to take care of
animals and why this is important as well as nurturing kids’ love towards animals. Now the child can have his or her own horse so parents can teach them some vocabulary connected to horses or generally some
information about these animals –what do they eat, where do they live, how do people take care of them and how do horses help people and many more, of course. While brushing the hair of the horse, kids can talk about horses but also about Maximus in the movie and retell the story so in this way practice some vocabulary and the skills of retelling.
Durability
Majority of the users confirm the quality of the horse and its design based on many hours of “abusive” play by kids. Sometimes kids want to play with Maximus during bath time and take the horse in the
bathtub, that although not recommendable still it does not affect the durability of the product. The paint does not peel off and of course it takes some time for the horse’s hair to dry. It is a durable product because of the sturdy plastic that it is made of. Although the product is recommended for 3+ most of the users have purchased the product for their 5-6 year olds and it is a product that can keep the attention of kids but again not for a very long time. Still because of the durable character it can be kept longer time and offers repeated play for years. The toy can be maintained with a wet damp cloth and submerging it in water is not recommendable by the manufacturer.
Price
The set that comprises of good size horse –Maximus and total of four accessories that are used for styling the horse’s mane can be purchased at Amazon for not very low price. The quality of the toy cannot be doubted since it is a product made by
Mattel, which is reputable company, well-known for producing quality products that last. Yet many users feel that having in mind that the set is basically only Maximus accompanied with tiny accessories, the product is overpriced. However, all of the customers confirm that kids were in love with the toy the minute they saw it and that it is a really beautiful one with a great size of almost 13 inches. Having said this, the price, even though a bit higher than the other toys on the market, reflects all the possibilities that this toy has to offer. This includes the quality of the product and its uniqueness.
Bottom line
Who in their lifetime has not pretended to be a cowboy
riding a horse? Kids love horses and horse figures and they are considered to be all time favorites so this toy will make a great gift for kids who love horses and they surely are many. This horse figure is not an ordinary one because it has special features because it is Rapunzel’s horse, featuring tangled hair and nice decorative elements so if your kids are Rapunzel’s or Tangled fans they will certainly like this toy. The great size horse comes equipped with saddle and bridle in nice violet color and carefully added decorations in golden color. The kids love this toy because it shows great resemblance to the Maximus from the movie Tangled and they especially like the fact that the horse can move its head upwards and downwards that can be caused by manual pressure on the head so the good thing is that the toy does not require batteries for this kind of simple activity. The set comes with accessories that are also great feature since can be used by kids for their hair as well as for Maximus’s silky and long hair. Kids can style its hair, groom Maximus but also
role play and re-create the well-known story of Rapunzel or immerse in the world of imagination in
the magical world of Rapunzel’s Kingdom.