You know me. I’m kind of vocal about how I feel that American Girl accessories are a little pricey. So, I’m sure it will surprise you that we picked up one of the big ticket American Girl Playsets this weekend. American Girl was holding a sale with prices as low as 60% off. While browsing the site, we noticed that MaryEllen’s 1950’s Seaside Diner was discounted by a fair amount of money. My mom and I split the cost of playset and a day later, it arrived!
To be honest, it is scaled a little smaller than it should be. American Girl doll’s 18″ frames don’t fit very comfortably on the swivel seating near the counter and they fit a bit awkwardly in the booth seating. The counter area is slanted to allow for dolls without articulated knees, but it still doesn’t work wonderfully for 18″ American Girls, in my opinion. The food is also a little small for them, scale wise. However, there’s no denying that this is a large playset that, regardless of scaling issues, should delight any 16″-18″ doll collector.
The booth seating is detached from the wall area, so you can move it wherever you’d like. The booth is made with real vinyl with excellently done piping. The turquoise, coral and white color scheme is very pretty. I would love to have a seating area in these colors in my house one day! The table is a bright coral color that is very similar to what I would think would have been in a 50’s diner. I love the chrome/silver details that are seen in this playset, especially around the walls and counter tops.
As you can see in the pictures, we used a variety of dolls for these photos. Even if you don’t have American Girls, this is a really awesome playset for any doll around that size. It fits A Girl for All Time’s 16″ size really well. Plus, their knee joints allow them to sit more easily at the diner’s counter in the swivel chairs. Sasha dolls also fit nicely with this set. In the pictures, you’ll also see Skippy’s (the smaller dolls, acting like kid brothers) and The Queens Treasures Laura Ingalls doll.
Besides the large backdrop and booth seating, the Seaside Diner comes with a variety of other accessories including: hamburgers, hotdogs and breakfast food props. It also comes with some shakes (that should have had straws), plates and paper products, like place mats and menus. You get a doll sized apron with the logo of the diner on it, as well as a paper hat (which doesn’t seem to fit our dolls well) and a few smaller plastic accessories to ‘flip burgers’ and prep other food items. For added fun, this set comes with order slips and a bell!
There is a stove top located near the order window (on the other side of the wall) that has storage space for small pieces. The stove adds extra play value, since you can pretend to prepare the food for your guests! I am also a fan of the order clips!
To make the space your own, this set also comes with removable stickers to put on the walls. We haven’t found the courage to try those yet!
Now, do I think this set is worth the $275.00 price tag? No. But, is it worth it if you can pick it up at 50% off or better? I think so. It’s a big piece that offers a lot of fun elements for play, photography or display. Do you have this set? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comment area!
Advertisements &b; &b;February 5, 2018. Tags: Review. Uncategorized.
