NOW CLOSED My Little Pony Review thread

[KatieBMumsnet]

This thread is for the 100 MNers and their child(ren) who are reviewing one of four new My Little Pony toys.

They are reviewing:
Friendship Express Train set - "Children will love this cute motorised playset to take all of their pony friends to their favourite Ponyville locations. Train set comes with an engine, caboose, Pinkie Pie pony and 6 train track pieces" SRP: £23.00.

My Little Pony Princess Celestia is "the most beautiful, magical unicorn a child has ever seen! Princess Celestia has pretty light-up wings that move and she "really" talks! Pony figure comes with a crown, necklace, 4 barrettes, and comb" SRP: £20.00

Vehicle Asst "These sweet My Little Pony vehicles allow children to transport their ponies around Equestria. Each "vehicle" will come with one pony, a train cart and accessories. Children can play with this vehicle on its own or can attach it to the train set - allowing more ponies to join her friends on the magical journey" SRP: £13

And Fashion Ponies "These stylish ponies come with everything you needs to dress her up and make her look as fabulous as can be. Pack comes with brush, saddle, 4 shoes, 5 hair barrettes, necklace and bracelet!" SRP: £12.99

If you are a reviewer please respond to the questions below.
We'd also love you to add a review on the MN toy review pages .

Everyone who adds feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will get a £100 Argos voucher

So please say:
The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
What did your child think about it? What was good?
Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Any other comments

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is

We had the train set arrive. DD1 is 4, DD2 is 2 and DNephew 4 also tested for the boys opinion.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?

I was disappointed that the box showed extras not included as this was misleading for the target age group. Although having it in our home I would now be happy to spend £23 on it (especially for DD2) I think if I saw it in the shop, as its over £20 I wouldn't take a chance on it. Over £20 has to be something DD's have specifically asked for but under I may buy it as a special reward (hospital/dentist appointment or first day at school). I think a more appropriate price would be £19.99. Play value is really dependent on the child, its an all or nothing toy.

How did your child play with it? see below

What did your child think about it? What was good?

DD1 was initially impressed but the repetitiveness of the track, lack of noise and lights meant it was a use once, put away and never think about again toy. she also didn't realise MLP was a pony and I can see where she's coming from.

DD2 loved the repetition of the track, the fact the ponds could become a platform for passengers and the muted train. She struggles with noise and flashy lights so this was perfect for her. The track was predicable so she enjoyed watching the train go round. The fact the train always goes the same way around the loops was great. This toy really helped trigger her imagination, we had special guests on our train carriage including Noah, postman pat, Jess, Penny and Fireman sam. She suffers from co-ordination issues so the sensitive funnel on/off was manageable for her. She has played with if for a large part of every day since receiving it. I also liked the fact it was fairly portable, we took it to a hospital visit in the change bag. She was able to focus on this and not stress with people/noise/waiting. Overall one of the best toys she has had, by far the most suited to her needs.

DNephew's initial "euuugh its pink" gave way to his need to test to the limits quickly. He liked to load up the train and carriage completely and watch it all fall off. He refused the track as it was "too boring" and enjoyed sending the train around the living room and under the chairs.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
No I've never noticed them to buy her any. I had the original better MLP and If they were still around I would be more inclined to buy her them. I don't like the new anorexic look with the weird eyes. If it was life sized it would fall over with those long legs and huge eyes.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?

Nope, didn't realise MLP had a programme but we don't get that channel anyways. I wouldn't be encouraging DDs to watch at nanny's (who has the channel) based on the new MLP 'look'.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?

I would recommend the train set to others with children like DD2 as a muted, simple, repetitive toy. But for your average parent/child I wouldn't want to endorse the new 'look', the train set would maybe be the exception, but the rest of the range, probably not.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?

For a child like DD2, yes definitely. But I cant get over the 'look' of MLP so probably not for other children unless it was on offer.

We have brought DD2 an extra carriage for her upcoming birthday argos 2 for £15

Any other comments

Extra track pieces - to adapt the track. I think this would then make it more appealable to DD1 and DN. Also with the additional carriages the track is limited to how many you can add.

Batteries - I think batteries should be included even display ones, its difficult if a new toy enters the house and you have to run round finding batteries and a screw-driver.

Size of the carriage - the second carriage that comes with the train falls of the track easily, and the small size mean Penny and Sam can't travel together. A larger second carriage would make it more useable and make me spend more initially.

Change Back to the old MLP that people loved, any MLP range is limited by the resistance to the new image. If the old MLP was available I'm sure we would be over-run by them now, but I'm reluctant to purchase the newer version.

Sorry for the length of this review I tend to get on my soap box

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is

The Friendship Express Trainset.
My daughters are 4 and 6

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
After playing with this for a while I have realised that the trainset on its own is not enough. The track is too small and restrictive, and the train needs other carriages. My daughters combined this toy with their Peppa Pig figures and a Brio station in order to get an interesting game. They enjoyed Peppa getting on the train and taking it in turns to stop the train at the station. Got annoyed when the train kept coming off the tracks round corners though!

What did your child think about it? What was good?
They liked being able to turn the train off and on via the funnel.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
They didn't know who My Little Pony was.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No,

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
Probably not as i think its not great value for money and I don't think the track is big enough, and also it doesn't join together very well. I can imagine a piece could get bent quite easily and then the track will always be wonky. The train comes off the track too easily.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Maybe an individual pony

Any other comments
I strongly believe that childrens toys that need batteries should come with batteries already in them!!!!!

Thanks for the chance to try out this toy, DD was just delighted when it arrived!!

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is6

Pinkie Pie Fashion Pony. DD is 5 (6 in July)

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
As a new toy it was favourite for a few days, she was so pleased she took it to school for Show and Tell. She played with it for about two days then left it until I asked her about it! Then played with it again briefly. She initally stripped the pony and then proceed to brush its hair for ages and put the clips on. Then she dug out all her other ponies!

What did your child think about it? What was good?

She said it was 'good'. Also 'nice' 'pretty'. She asked me to say 'she wants to keep it'!! She liked the hair and the tail!

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?

Yes, she has a few of the little ones and a pink house.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?

No, I never knew about it. She probably would though!

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why

Yes, I think it's a nice girlie toy and 5 is about the right age for it - if the girl was a girlie girl. Very pink though - but she liked that.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?

Yes for a good friend, but over-budget for a school friend, or someone not that close.

Any other comments

'Please can I keep it'?

Thank you for letting us test this toy.

We tested Sweetie Belle, one of the vehicle assortment that can go with the express train. Our main tester ended up being DD, 7 as it was meant to be for the twins (3) but DD claimed it as her own.

On it's own, the play value wore off very quickly, although I imagine that with the train set or a few more ponies, it would be a lot more played with.

She loved it- it totally appealed, cute, pretty and girly with little bits like tickets and toy sweets for the pony.

I thought, at 7, that she had outgrown them and car-booted the lot not long ago (oops).

She is still at school/after-school club so has never seen it. I'm sure she'd love it though. Will look online.

I would probably buy it as a gift for a child a little younger than DD, and would recommend it to other parents, although the slight tartiness of the ponies would make me hesitant.

DD loves her pony, she keeps it next to her bed and has shown it off proudly to visiting friends. I'm sure the twins wouldn't have got as much pleasure from it as on it's own, it isn't really an easy toy to share.

I am considering getting the express train for DD's birthday.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is

Friendship Express Train Set.
Ds2 is 3 and the official tester. Ds1 is 7 but has also had a turn (or two) and ds3 is 1 and kept stealing the pony!

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?

I was surprised at the quality, the track is sturdy, unlike some flimsy plastic toys. It was easy for them to assemble the track and get it all going. Only thing to mention is it is quite noisy, but most battery powered toys are!

What did your child think about it? What was good?

Ds2 adores it and has kept it built in the playroom alongside the boys beloved Thomas train set.
Ds1 asked if there were track expansion packs available so they could make a pony town.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?

Yes, we're a horsey family and my parents had kept all my original My Little Ponies in their attic so when I had my boys they were brought out and are always played with.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?

Yes sometimes, it depends if we are home and who has the choice of what to watch that day. We do have a few episodes on our sky+ as ds2 likes to watch what he is playing with.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?

Yes, as they're a classic, and I was pleased with the quality of the product and the amount of time it has held the boys attention.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?

Yes I think they'd make an ideal gift, especially for pre-school children. I'd also buy them for children in infant school if I knew they had a keen interest in horses/ponies.

Any other comments

Like a previous poster has mentioned it was very easy to get out of the box unlike some toys where you spend ages messing around with screwdrivers and twisty/cable ties.
As I said above the boys were keen on there being more track and maybe buildings to create a town.

Just want to add DD2 has managed to loose a bit of the track, the massive loop bit.

Massive meltdown today, absolutely inconsolable. Maybe it's not as well suited to her needs as I thought. I had thought we had the answer to keeping her calm at her hospital appointments, so I'm gutted now aswell. No chance of finding it, anyone with a child with additional needs will know their ability to squirrel things away knows no bounds.

Definitely need to look at selling additional track, as one piece breaks/disappears the whole track is unusable.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
The Friendship Express Train Set. DD is just 3.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
Putting the stickers on was a bit fiddly and DD wanted to 'help' but otherwise it went together fine. It's sturdy and looks like it won't break easily. The packaging does over-promise with pictures of items that are not included. DD got bored of playing with just the train quite quickly but has combined it with her Fisher Price Little People Farm and we now have a small town in the front room. All of the different characters get to ride on the train but it must always be driven by the pony. I think it will be a favourite for a few more days then become just another one of the toys in the box.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
She got very frustrated when it came off the track and she struggled to put it back on again but otherwise she has really enjoyed playing with it. She enjoyed being able to send her toys for a ride and changing the track around.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
She has a few both real and fake. I have to say I prefer the shape/style of the original. The new style pony just doesn't look like a pony!

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
I think I would recommend this particular toy but not sure about the brand as a whole. It is incredibly 'pink' and could do with toning down a bit for me.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Yes, but at the RRP it would only be for someone close - for DD's friends I would be spending less money.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
Fashion Style Rainbow Dash. DS3 is 3, DS2 6 & DS 9 have all had a play with it :O)

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
They all enjoyed playing with it for a couple of days and ds3 has continued to play with it. They loved the sun glasses but get annoyed with the shoes as they just drop off every time you pick it up (I'm sure they used to be a tighter fit in the 80's). The packaging was very good, none of the annoying tied in thing that take an age to get out so was out of the box straight away.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
The accessories were good and all the hair clips.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
Yes, the first one they've owned but would buy one again and definitely for a gift.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
Yes they have been known to

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
I think I would recommend it. They have all played with it and even I've been known to plait her hair Well made

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Yes, I would

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is?
My Little Pony Princess Celestia, DD 4.8

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
The box was greeted with squeals of delight and the packaging soon destroyed as she was frantic to get at the 'pretty pony'. The light up wings were a big hit as was the talking feature. I think this has helped to bring on the role play aspect of the toy especially child like mine who has a a dx of Autism. The pony is swirled and whirled around the room.
The Hair clips were quickly dismissed as she found them a little tricky to attached.
The pony has become a firm friend who has been played with every day.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
The Light up wings and talk feature

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
She has not played with MLP before, although we have had own brand cheaper alternatives that came with jewellery accesories, these did not last as the play value was gone when the small pieces quickly became lost.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No, I wasn't aware it was on,she does like an older version of MLP on dvd that was my eldest daughters from 6 years ago so I will see if she likes the new version.
It will be interseting to see if she is able to link the toy with the programme and if this enhances the play element.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
The toy is well made and certainly gives the initial wow factor, I think it with hold it's own for lots of play without looking worn.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Yes, I would

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
Princess Celestia, children a re 2 and 5.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
The pony is well made, and seems durable. The hair clips and comb were nice.

I would not have bought this particular model. When you press the button to light up the wings, the pony utters phrases that are truely vacuous. I think the phrases limited the play value of the toy. The boys were keen that the princess should be the 'Mummy' pony, but the phrases didn't fit in with that, and you can't light up the wings without activating the talking feature.
This particular model seems a bit less 'wholesome' that some of the others, it is relatively thin-limbed, and seems somewhat 'American High School' ish.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
The children liked the wings, both the material (irridescent), and the fact that they light up.

They have used the hairclips on their own hair as well as the pony. The little catalogue that came in the box shows some smaller, chubbier ponies, and a little dragon which the boys liked the look of.
They have also discovered a few My Little Pony apps on my iPad.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
Yes. It isn't their favourite toy, but my older son had a colour changing pony that they all play with.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
i would recomend the brand in general. The toys are sturdy, and well made.
I wouldn't recommend the apps or this particular talking model. They seem to be aimed at children rather older than pre-schoolers, and the story lines/plots seem somewhat shallow and overly concerned with appearences.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
I might buy one as a gift if I knew that the child in question liked them.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
Friendship Express Train Set

DD1 is 6 and DD2 is 3

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
Very good, very well made chunky enough for the 3 year old to put the tracks together, once we put batteries in, it has been used every day since we received it. There have been arguments as to whose turn it is and they have made up stories to go with it. They enjoyed using it with their other my little ponies but the ponies had to take turns as there only 2 places for the ponies to go. They loved the fact that the train made noises and could go round the track without them pushing it. They have also used the train on the floor without the track and have enjoyed following it around the floor. Excellent toy very robust and well made.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
They loved it have no faults except the fact that on the box there were other products which could be bought to go with the track that they didnt have ( which we ended up going to buy them a couple of Vehicle assists to go with it)

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
loves my little pony both of them, they also like the fact that mummy knows who they are and have even dug out some of my old my little ponies to join theirs.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
We don't watch it every day but it is sky+ ed and watched over the weekends as it clashes with school but they enjoy watching it.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
Yes for any parents of girls I would recommend it a great deal, it is well made, enduring and fun to play with.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Yes when new products come out I would buy them from friends of my DDs, they are reasonable in price and would be suitable for a birthday present.

Any other comments
Thank you to Mumsnet for the opportunity to review this, this is the first time I have applied to review anything and have been pleasantly suprised to have been chosen and thank you to the makers of my little pony who really brightened up a rainy day when the toy arrived they have been well loved and even slept in their beds.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is

Princess Celestia. My daughter is 5 and a half.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?

She started to think of games before the toy was even out of the box and quickly invented a back-story about it being the daughter of a queen pony who was kidnapped, and spent hours flying the toy around the house having a great time with it. I feel it is a pity that so many of the phrases the toy is given are quite passive and image-focussed, as the two really good ones "I will light the way" and "let's fly to the castle" were really good for engaging her and suggested great play themes immediately. Interestingly, however, she projected a rather reserved personality onto the toy and looked to other toys to do active rescues etc. My daughter is not overly interested in image, thank goodness, so although she appreciated "you're beautiful" well enough, she skipped past "my barrettes look so pretty", "my wings are so pretty" and "my hair looks beautiful" each time she cycled through the phrases. The light-up flapping wings work very well and my daughter loves that they flash in different patterns. She has been using this feature a lot at night when she is settling to sleep. She doesn't play with the hair clips but loves the crown and necklace and brushes the toy's hair often. There is plenty to stimulate imagination and hold interest here and the toy seems well made and robust enough for normal play, although I would worry about the durability of the wings for a very young child.

What did your child think about it? What was good?

She adores it, has played with it all week and says it is one of her favourite toys at the moment. She loves the action and light display within the wings. She also really likes the crown and necklace. She likes the colours that have been chosen for the wings and hair, and is very taken with the detailing coming up from the hooves. There are plenty of phrases and some of the phrases were very good for engaging her with the toy, and that stimulated creative play ideas quickly and maintained her interest. It is a good size and feels solid and durable, even the armatures within the wings. She is torn between wanting to bring it into school to show it off and wanting to keep it home because it is too precious to let other children near, which says a lot about how much she likes it!

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?

She had previously inherited my own My Little Pony toys and discovered and loved the old feature film from the 1980's whilst in hospital for a long time. She does own a few of the miniature modern MLP toys but in general prefers the older toys to the highly stylised new versions. (Although she wants me to point out she really loves this one!)

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?

We do not have Boomerang

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?

I would for a young girl, age 3-6, as long as she was not very tomboy-ish. We find it is trying a little too hard to be very girly and think that it might turn a lot of girls off with its huge emphasis on things being pretty and its extremely soft, passive voice. If it was to be re-released with more active phrases and a stronger female voice, I would not hesitate to recommend it to the parent of any young girl.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?

I would, however I would have to know the parent well before considering this particular toy as the voice and some of the phrases annoy me and I could certainly see other feminist parents also being annoyed by the tone (particularly when it says Celestia) and the content of some of the phrases.

Any other comments

In general we are really pleased with the toy and feel it represents good value for money. Whilst the very minimalist nose is decidedly odd and not very equine, it is a very visually appealing toy with many lovely details. My daughter would have preferred it to have an extra button to be able to turn the lights in the wings on without the voice if you chose so that she could fly around for long periods with the wings glowing without continually pressing the button. It is very unusual for my daughter as it is not the kind of toy that she would tend to choose - whilst she has a long-standing love for unicorns, she would choose Monster High and Lilydolls over Barbie and loves dinosaurs, Ben 10 and Scooby Doo rather than more stereotypically 'girly' choices. I am a little surprised she loves this toy as much as she does. I do think however that with a re-voicing it would be a truly amazing toy which many more little girls would fall in love with.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
My dd (age 3.5) received the My Little Pony Princess Celestia

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
DD was absolutely over-the-moon when she saw the box, which was really nicely decorated (the pony was very easy to take out, not hundreds of wires to unwind etc). She couldn't really see that the wings lit up in daylight, but loved it at night-time. I heard her talking to the pony during the night too when she woke up.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
She had trouble saying the name "Celestia" which is a very unusual name and kept forgetting what it was called. In the end she re-named her "Cessy". My dd loved brushing the hair but could not close the clips herself as they were quite tricky to shut. The brush was lost numerous times over the course of the first day, so an extra brush would have been good and also somewhere to actually store the brush on the pony would have been a good idea.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
She hasn't really seen the programme on the t.v., she usually wants to play with toys that she has watched on the t.v.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No, but I will show it to her, it might encourage her to play with the pony again.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
Maybe not for a 3.5 year old, maybe a little older as my dd interest was lost quite quickly.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Yes, but not this one as it was quite expensive.

Any other comments
My dd really loves her soft toys, I think she would play with the pony an awful lot more if the actual body of the toy was soft and not hard plastic.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
The Friendship Express train set. My son has just turned 4.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
I'm used to playing with largely 'boys' toys, which tend to have all manner of buttons, flaps, lights, secret compartments, foldy-out bits, noises etc., so found this toy a little dull to be honest. An led light would have been a good start. My son enjoys playing with my old Applejack MLP, which looks like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=applejack&hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ACAW_enGB407&biw=1311&bih=615&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=knxl-HVtrIUvbM:&imgrefurl=collectibles.about.com/od/toycollecting/ss/SDmylittlepony.htm&docid=1y8d9vZCR0R63M&imgurl=0.tqn.com/d/collectibles/1/0/-/j/3/Applejack.jpg&w=400&h=319&ei=whabT46lOMW68gOOqYmcDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1005&vpy=61&dur=3019&hovh=200&hovw=251&tx=139&ty=104&sig=114603131358055413365&page=1&tbnh=121&tbnw=145&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:79" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this. I was a bit dismayed to see that you seem to have succumbed to the pinkification of toys today, and the ever-widening chasm between toys marketed at girls, and those aimed at boys. In other words, the horse was very pink and very skinny.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
His initial reaction was 'Is that for my baby sister?' as the box was very pink and quite obviously aimed at a female market. However he persevered, and quite enjoyed putting the horse in the carriage and driving it around the track. Other toys enjoyed rides in the trailer - Lightning McQueen, Buttons the monkey, a plastic cucumber....although the trailer wasn't particularly secure, relying on the peg through the foot to secure pony passengers, anybody else tumbled out onto the track. The engine frequently derailed too.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
Yes, he likes 1980s retro ponies. Not so keen on the sickly new brood.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No, but it sounds a bit cheesy from the title. I bet it's animated in the style of the newer Strawberry Shortcake cartoons.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
No, I think it has quite limited play value and the brand is veering towards being vapid and shallow. The quality seems good but the toys are neither realistic nor aspirational.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Maybe, but I'd rather buy retro ponies than the new ones.

Any other comments
Please have a look through your archives and try to recapture what was great and special about the first My Little Ponies, because from what I've seen you seem to be teetering towards the abyss of sickly pink princessy ambitionless nonsense, when with a few tweaks you could have something really great. Thanks for the opportunity to try this playset, my son did enjoy it for a little while.

Marking my place to add a review soon

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
My DD (4) received the Friendship Train.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
It was awfully PINK! I don't think I have ever bought plastic or gender specific toys before, and I felt this was just too girly from the box. Shame it only comes with one pony as the opportunities for imaginative play are more limited.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
She LOVED it at first. Adored helping put it together. Her elder sister did the track and the stickers with her and they spent a happy half hour with it then. Having to supply batteries is always a bit of a pain, but I was so impressed with my older child being able to correctly bring me a philips head screwdriver when I asked for one out the tool drawer, it was a good feeling!
Since then, the train set has been out in the playroom all week, but DD has yet to return to it after the first day. But she says she really likes it very much.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
It's never featured. We have real ponies and play a lot with horse models (such as breyer) but My Little Pony has never caught either of their imaginations.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
Maybe once? It's not something we'd set the sky plus box to record.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
I probably wouldn't, sorry. I'd recommend either more realistic pony or horse toys and a gender neutral train set such as brio. The pink is just too much for me.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
If I thought it would appeal to the child in question, possibly. I'd buy more carriages and another pony I think as it's not enough on it's own.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
Vehicle assorted

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
DD(5) was very excited when the parcel arrived and unpacked the toy herself and played with it all afternoon. And bedtime. And past bedtime! She loved it. She doesn't normally get plasticky toys so this helped with the novelty value.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
She liked that it was a unicorn and that it came with little accessories that fitted onto the vehicle. I liked that the packaging was fairly easy to get into and not full of plastic bits to wrestle with, the twisted paper ties were genius. The toy has gone with her to Daddy's for the weekend, its a real favourite at the moment. She has played with it a lot and enjoys all the little pieces although we do have to try and keep it all together as the small parts are very small and easily lost.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
Yes, if we go to a car boot fair she hunts for them every time and gets very excited to unearth a new one. However these are the old style ones, which we both prefer.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No TV

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
Yes I would. It is a good toy which allows for other bits to be added but also this is not essential, my DD actually hasn't asked why it has a connector, but I know would be thrilled to have the engine part. I do wonder if this would reduce the imaginative play though.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Maybe, it is quite expensive and just buying the vehicle seems like half a present. I know DDs friends are into all things pink and ponies/unicorns so it would make a good present idea.

Any other comments
Again the packaging was an improvement of normal endless plastic ties. The small bits are a bit annoying, maybe a tiny bag or box that fits in the train would keep them together as they easily fall off when it is put in the toy box (when dd is it at school! Otherwise its out.) Generally I prefer the old style ponies, they are more pony like rather than 'barbiefied ponies', these ones seem smaller and skinnier with longer legs and are a bit odd looking. Thanks for letting dd test it, she does really enjoy it.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is

We were sent the Princess Celestia toy and I have two little girls aged 4 and 5 and a half

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?

When the toy arrived - there was a huge wave of excitement and we couldn't get it out of the box fast enough! My daughters took it in turns holding the toy towards the other and pressing the button for her to light up, flap her wings and say something to the other child. Their eyes lit up at certain phrases, like "You're my best friend" and "I'm a princess, are you a princess too?" I thought that they would tire of it, but they have each played with it every day since it arrived.

What did your child think about it? What was good?

They both loved it - they loved that it lit up, that she talked and they loved her long curling mane and tail. They have played with it using their own imagination - having her as princess to the other ponies and unicorns in their toy box and flying her around the room.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?

Yes, they both do, but my younger daughter in particular.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?

No - there are so many programmes and so many channels, I hadn't even realised that there was such a programme on tv. I will try and remember to try it to see what they think.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?

I would recommend it - it's just the sort of thing that any child who likes My Little Pony would love - the crowning glory to their collection. They are well made and last a long time.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?

Certainly - but I'd want to be sure that they didn't already have the item that I was buying....

Any other comments - I'm still not entirely sure what barettes are - an English voice would be nice (with British-English words - although barettes is the only stranger in our household!)
Also something to enable the wings to flap for 10-20 seconds, not just when you press the button manually.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
Princess Celestia - DD is 4 nearly 5

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
She loved it, she has other MLPs and this one became the mummy of all the MLPs. She hardly put it down for a couple of days.

What did your child think about it? What was good?
She loved it from the moment she saw it in the box. She loved the musical sound it made every x time you hit the button, she loved that the wings light up and move. She also loved that it was a unicorn and had glitter on it. In fact she loved it so much we drew a picture of the pony to send into the magazine.

I think that the voice was too loud and annoying, I also didn't like what the voice said as I don't agree with making girls think that the most important thing in their life is to look good.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
She does, she has many as well as 4 original ones that I adored when I was little.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?

No and nor will she

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
MLP maybe, though I will say they are not as good as the originals as I feel they have been barbied up IYSWIM, overly sexualised for a pony.

Plus I don't think the quality of the hair is as good as the originals, you can't brush them very easily.

I would not recommend this particular toy as I think it is overly expensive for what it is.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
I have done

Any other comments
As mentioned up thread I was impressed with the way in which the toy was held within the packaging.
Again, I don't think that the voice should mention being pretty/beautiful etc

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is

Friendship Express train set. DD1 is 4.10 DD2 is 22 months.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?

I liked it even though I do prefer wooden toys, I liked the bright colours and it was really easy to get out of the box and put together. DD1 enjoyed putting it on the track and watching it go around and loves putting the track together in different ways.

What did your child think about it? What was good?

DD1 was really happy when she saw it, she was happy to watch it going around the track for ages. DD2's instinct was to keep knocking it off of the track and try to push it along the floor.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?

She had a MLP toy for her birthday last year which consisted of a smaller pony with lots of plastic accessories inc hair. I has been played with quite a bit but she has never asked for additional MLP items to go with it. DD2 isn't aware of it but I hope that she will play more when she's a bit older.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?

No, I'm not sure we have that channel.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?

Yes. I did like the toy and it seems to build up to a nice little collection.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?

Yes, one of the smaller sets if the child already had some MLP toys. If DD1 is still playing with it nearer to her birthday I may get her some more bits for it.

Any other comments

It was a good quality toy, I liked the colours and the fact that a train set was aimed at girls. DD liked the train and the pony. She liked putting the track in different positions. She has played with it but I'm not sure that she will play with it for much longer without adding to it. Once its gone around the track theres not a lot to do without other ponies etc. A brush at the least would have been a good thing to be included as this is what I remember doing with my ponies as a child. It does need more track but as a started kit it was fine. I also thing it's a good price for what you get. Thank you for the freebee! The last thing I got for free was a tin of biscuits from a raffle when I was about 9

We received the train set.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
DS (1) loved it. He finds putting the track together and taking it apart really easy. DD (4) likes the pony and has been using it to learn how to plait hair. I would have liked another sound on the train.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
DD likes My Little Pony. We have several from charity shops and bootsales. She also has a couple of my 'Original' ponies from my childhood. I was shocked by the smaller scale of the pony included with this set. DD has decided it is simply a younger pony!

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No, we are generally out at these times. I will record a couple of them to see if DD likes it.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
Yes. They are a lovely little toy that has been played with by both mine. I like the brand but perhaps you could introduce a more unisex looking product?

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Yes. DD likes them and I like that they can be added to. DD's friends have all enjoyed playing with the pony when visiting us.

I like that the kit takes up such little space when folded down and is very quick to reassemble.

Thanks for letting me try this product.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is
Vechicle assortment. DS is 4

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it?
He didn't take to it - a carriage rather than an actual vehicle

What did your child think about it? What was good?
He liked the pony but took it off to play with the dinosaurs.

Does your child like My Little Pony generally?
He likes them.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm?
No don't watch Boomerage.

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why?
No I think it is a little bit young for a 4 year old and the accessories were instantly lost.

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift?
Maybe for a younger child, but expensive for what it is. A friend's child who is 2 was very taken with it.

I would like to add that my niece has commandeered the train set now, and has played with it every day. in fact, she loves it so much that I have abandoned my plan to buy her a castle for her birthday, and have, instead bought another MLP set.

The name of the toy you were sent and how old your child is - Friendship Express train set. dd 6, ds 3.

Your overall opinion of the play value of the toy - how did your child play with it? Thanks for the opportunity to try it
ds just wants the train off the tracks all the time as it can go further! dd has played a bit, not for long but liked the pony. ds also liked putting all hs other toys in the carriage - thought it was very funny that Ben 10 could drive the pony, the pony could drive an astronaut etc.

What did your child think about it? What was good? dd liked putting all the stickers on. ds sends the train all over the hall/kitchen/dining room. Tracks not really long enough. The colours made it very 'girlie'

Does your child like My Little Pony generally? dd - yes, has a number of ponies but no other stuff to go with them.

Does your child watch the TV series "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" on Boomerang weekdays at 3pm and Boomerang+1 at 4pm? No

Do you think you'd recommend this toy/the My Little Pony Brand to another parent/child? Why? Yes if aged 2-5. dd at 6 got bored of it quite quickly although is still playing with the pony! She wanted more carriages and a longer track and got a bit frustrated she couldn't easily fix it together herself. ds at 3 liked the train but wantd to know why it didn't make a noise as "but all trains do Mummy!"

Would you consider buying a My Little Pony product as a gift? Yes, especially the ponies themselves.

Any other comments. They did play together nicely for a while. The box could have been better designed. A couple of extra cm would have meant we didn't have to totally dismantle every time. Include batteries!