Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I had Barbie's Dream House when I was a little girl in the 80s-90s. I loved it and still remember it vividly. I was so excited to get my daughter her first doll house. It was fun having her help me assemble it. It took about 30 minutes to make sure everything was there and to put it together. Very simple. The instructions are mostly pictures, so anyone can do it. It is well constructed, brightly colored plastic. It ranges from large molded pieces with lots of details to the tiniest accessories. The elevator really moves using a glided pulley system. The doors of the elevator open, too. And there is a doll stand component to keep Barbie upright while she glided up and down. The garage door opens by lifting the "key." This feature is the weakest: I have a difficult time maneuvering the door and I'm an adult. The pool doubles as the garage window. You just twist the knob and the pool folds down on a hinge! So simple and compact, I love the duality of the pieces. The two best features are the tv that allows users to put in a smart phone! This is so cute. Without the smart phone, there is a sticker so it still looks like a tv. The other favorite feature is the sounds and light vanity. Barbie can brush her teeth, wash her hands, flush the toilet (also a big step for Barbie, my dream house didn't have a toilet!), she can also grill, use a fan or have an aquarium! You need the AAA batteries and a little Phillips head screw driver. The sink lights up blue and sounds like water or tooth brushing. The toliet sounds like it's flushing. The grill glows yellow and sounds like its igniting. The fan blades rotate and make a little noise. The aquarium lights up blue and sounds like water bubbling. My daughter loves this feature, it's her favorite. My absolutely favorite feature is the food. I remember did always falling, rolling and getting lost. Mattel made most of the food with a special bottom that fits snugly in holes in the table! No more rolling away! The silverware and other noon kitchen related accessories do not have this feature. Oh, and the knocker on the door actually moves, too! Every detail is thought of and executed beautifully in this house! The price seemed a bit much, but it comes with almost everything: furniture, food, elevator, garage and pool (but car or doll). I think this is a great toy with many cool features. This will last quite a long time. I recommend this toy for like girls (or boys) who love Barbie! A note: this does take up quite a bit of space, it is 3 feet by 4 feet! Keep that in mind if space is limited, or if your child already has a Barbie house. ***update*** After several weeks of play, the elevator stopped working! My daughter was not doing anything unusual or destructive when the elevator stopped gliding along the track. It looks as the rope from the pulley is loose. We have tried to fix it with no success. The house is still playable, it's sad this special feature no longer works.