Central Park Sleigh & Accessories (RETIRED)

[balletmom]

This set was released in 2005 and retired in 2007.

This festive sleigh lets Samantha and Nellie glide swiftly over the snow as they huddle under a warm flannel and faux-fur blanket. Sleigh has plush fabric seat, wooden body with metal runners and rails, and a pretty holiday garland. Faux-leather bridle and reins with plastic sleigh poles attach the sleigh to the horse. Jingle bell accents announce their arrival.


We have it, and while it's nice I wouldn't cry in my soup if we didn't have it. It's large and difficult to keep out so it's stored most of the year, we've had a problem with jingle bells falling off, and it really doesn't have anything to do with the book story lines. If you find one for a good price, it might be worth it to get. But it's not something I would pay inflated eBay prices for. Spend your money on essential historical items before they retire. (Does this make you feel ANY better?)

[gracie]

I agree. I wouldn't be too upset not having it. We didn't even take ours out of the box the last two years. We did have it out the first year and never had a problem with anything breaking or falling off. Still, to me it isn't worth the $150. There isn't a lot of play value like you have with Molly's stage and I think Felicity's carriage is prettier.

[C.I.Fairfield]

I recieved this as a gift from my mother, who got iton Ebay. It's not quite 'complete' - I need a replacement hitching rail and jingle bells to go around the horse's middle. (Anyone got a replacement code?)

Overall, I am delighted. I know the horses aren't popular, but I REALLY like this one in person! (I think it's Penny.) The harness and rails LOOK authentic.

The sleigh is plenty big enough for two dolls, and they look charming surrounded by the misletoe and holly garlands. The runners are very graceful, with their scrolls!

A few things that are "Eh?" category. The lap robe is simply too small - not only for two, but for one! Getting the harness on is very difficult. Also, the horse's reins (for when it's used for riding) don't come off. There is no easy way to secure the garlands. And the reins don't reach for the girls to hold.

BUT it's beautiful on display and for acting out various scenes! Great for imagination play.

[bab*]

I only have the blanket, having got it as part of a lot on eBay, but I thought I'd review it since there's so little info on the Sleigh.
The blanket has two sides: a plaid flannel side and a black faux-fur side. The faux-fur is so soft and plush. The flannel is green and orangey-red. I wish it were more of a true red.


I agree that two dolls really have to cuddle up to both fit under this. They should have made it a bit bigger if they wanted them to share easily.


It fits fine over one doll.


B-. It gets marked down because of the size and the orangey-ness. Overall, I think it's a high-quality piece that a little girl would enjoy playing with or a collector would enjoy with the Sleigh set.


Mod edit to remove broken image links

[lovedolls]

OK, we have Sam's sleigh. The only reason I bought it is because I think it makes a lovely display piece and it was part of my daughter's Samantha collection. Honestly the sleighs are lovely display pieces but have very little play value. It is way to large with attached horse to play with. Although my baby seemed to love to sit in it. I would take a pass at it.

On the flip side, I think it makes a wonderful winter display that is nice to put away during the warmer months.

[ksami]

The Central Park Sleigh is big, sturdy, and very heavy! Although it's not very practical because of its size and its specifically Christmas colors, I'm glad I picked this set up. I got mine direct from AG in either 2004 or 2005.

The red body is wood and the green runners are metal. The seat is not very squishy-soft, but it is nicely upholstered in a quilted green velvet. There is a tag sticking out, but that's usually hidden by the dolls' legs and the blanket. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the silver accents are plastic or some kind of resin.

I purchased Penny (aka American Girl Horse) to "pull" the sleigh, since she was the one advertised to go with the set, and there weren't that many other options at the time. Penny looks very nice with the sleigh.

The poles that attach the horse to the sleigh are plastic with small metal bells that really ring. I've heard some people have had trouble with bells or clappers falling off, but that has not happened with mine yet. The black harness straps are some kind of thick synthetic material; they are definitely not real leather. The straps are a quite complicated, so a younger child may need help with this. The straps in my set are VERY tight on Penny, so it takes some manhandling to get everything secure.

The bridle and reins are of the same material as the harness. It fits Penny's head well, but she unfortunately has other reins permanently bolted into her mouth. It doesn't look very nice with the sleigh bridle and reins, but I don't want to remove them so I try to ignore them as best I can. Something to keep in mind when you're choosing your horse. The sleigh with all the trimmings is just a little bit longer than a yard.

Lastly, the set comes with two long garlands (one has a big red bow) and a small blanket. The garlands are rather awkward to work with, and the fake red berries like to fall off, but once you get them on it does make the whole ensemble look much more festive. The blanket is a plaid flannel on one side and a nobby black faux fur on the other. It's great except I wish it were just a little bit wider. The seat can fit two dolls snugly.

I give the sleigh by itself an A+ because it is such nice quality. The accessories get a B; the harness is so super tight on Penny, the fake leather feels very fake-y, and the blanket isn't quite wide enough.

One final note--once you get your horse all attached, I would NOT recommend trying to pull this across the floor during playtime. Something might break. I would recommend this as a display set only.

[keeperofthepast]

A friend has this and uses it for her Civil War era dolls to ride in. It makes a gorgeous display piece at Christmastime and looks quite elegant sitting on a bed of polyfill.