Ever After High’s new Dragon Games Apple White & Dragonrider playset have arrived on our porch today! Honestly, I think I was more excited than my daughter was, even. This is part of the new Dragon Games line, and there will be a movie called Dragon Games coming out in spring of 2016, and every Ever After High movie has its own associated line of dolls and also a playset.
Like all the dolls in a playset, this Apple White is quite plain – you can tell they were trying to stick within a budget when they made her. This Apple White comes with no earrings (but you can argue that is practical, because who wears earrings while playing Dragon Games?!), no bracelet, no ring, and her legs are painted (versus the leggings that the other Dragon Games dolls are wearing). Her outfit is also rather simple, being a strapless top that flairs out at the bottom (the strapless design does make it a bit difficult to avoid wardrobe malfunctions). Apple White does come with a tiny bit of armor – on one shoulder and at the waist. She does have amazing boots, however, and I love her straight pale-blonde hairstyle.
Apple White’s dragon, Braebyrn, on the other hand, is super detailed and well-made. The dragon’s horns are golden branches, and some of them end in golden leaves. She has a white face and large blue eyes, and seems to be wearing a soft smile in her expression. Braebyrn has facial whiskers (I said “mane” in the video, but I think it’s actually part of her ruff) that end in black tips. Braebyrn’s bridle is apple-red, as is her saddle, and her scales are ivory and gold-colored. Also, her wings flap by depressing the red bow near her tail. Weird that she can fly, as her wings are not very aerodynamic! 😀 Braebyrn also comes with legs that movie, a tail that rotates, a head that swivels, and a place to slot Apple into (like the hook at the top of the doll stand).
Overall, I think the Apple White Dragonrider playset is a well-executed set that little ones will love. Some will complain about Apple’s lack of accessories, but that is how all the playsets are – the doll comes out quite plain in order to support the accessory here, which is the dragon Braebyrn. In this playset, they’ve economized so much that they didn’t even include a doll stand or a comb, or even a book/diary. The latter is fine with me – I have more stands and combs than I can shake a stick at and am relieved not to have a book to lose.
My ONLY complaint is simply this: why does Apple White get to be a dragonrider? Her pet is a snow fox. It’s Raven Queen who’s always had a pet dragon (Nevermore, from the Ever After High books), and yet it’s Apple who gets the full-grown dragon. I know that Mattel made baby dragons for all the Dragon Games dolls, but it seems that Raven should have received the full-grown dragon. Also, I know Raven just got her own playset in Way Too Wonderland, but still…
Let me know what you guys think of this new Apple White Dragonrider playset and whether you’ll be putting her on your Santa list!