Fiesta Picnic Set (2010-2013)

[Aaryana]

I got this set as a belated Valentine's Day gift with free shipping! Given that I had a gift card for $40 and didn't have to pay shipping, the $38 price tag wasn't too bad. This set comes with so many pieces! I'll review the pieces separately.

Tacos: These are very realistic! I think they look a lot like the regular crunchy tacos from Taco Bell. The coloring in person is significantly better than the photos on the AG website and in the catalogue. The size is pretty accurate as well. These are well made and will hold up to rough play. My girls absolutely love them! A+







Tortilla chips: I was a little concerned about these, but since there are no children in my home, it didn't hinder me from ordering the set. The chip bags are actually filled with some sort of filler, so I don't think they will pop with normal play. It is not air inside the bags, but more like some sort of foam or something like that. The plastic seems to be really thick and probably won't tear easily with normal play. I would much rather have had little chips instead of empty bags, but these are cute and look good in my displays. A-


This is me squeezing the bag fairly hard.


Sodas: Adorable! I love these little bottles, even though AG is stamped on the label. Oh, well. They are sturdy plastic and will hold up well. The only thing that bugs me about these is the scale seems to be a bit small. I think a regular soda bottle would look larger in a real 10 year old's hand, but it could just be me. A (for size)





Fruit kabobs: These are cute but don't seem all that realistic to me. The colors just seem to be too bright for real food. They are also sturdy plastic. A-




Serving platter: This is made of sturdy plastic and will hold either the fruit or the tacos, but not both. Very cute display piece for setting up photos. A+



Paper plates: The paper plates are very sturdy card board. They feel like the paper plates I use, only smaller. (I usually buy expensive paper plates because I don't like leaking plates.) The design is really pretty. I feel like these would hold up to normal play. A- (would be A+ if plastic)



back side of plate

Paper napkins: Can you say "cheap-o"? These are super thin paper, kind of like the crepe paper that you would use on a school bulletin board. Mine are actually almost transparent. I don't see these lasting very long, as one of mine ripped a tiny bit before I'd gotten it out of the package. This is the only part of the set I'm disappointed with. C



Blanket: This is more like a table cloth than a blanket. It's a decent weight material, but smaller than I expected it to be. I draped it over Kit's Table to make a table cloth instead. The colors are nice together, but I do think it could've been a little larger. If my girls wanted to picnic in the grass, they'd have to sit on the grass because they won't all fit on the blanket. B




Pinata: The pinata is cute and a decent size for 10 year olds. It seems to be made really well, as I fell on it and it didn't bend or break (however, I have a small cut and a bruise from the edge!) I think it will hold up well to play. I would have liked to see it have a string to hold it up (the pictures are misleading) and include a stick to "hit" it with. Though, I can see them not doing this because then kids might break it and upset parents. They'd have to try pretty hard to break it though, I think. A




Overall, this is a really great set. I would've purchased it without the gift card and free shipping. I'm impressed with the quality of most of the items. Overall grade: A

I will add pictures when I get home from class. Pics added for individual items above, and some full set pics below.

[Librarian4]

I have the set and absolutely love it. The tacos feel real. I just adore the juice drink bottles.

[BJK14]

Aary's review was so positive I bought two of these sets and I'm very glad I did. The tacos, fruit kabobs and chip bags are fantastic! The juice bottles are a little small but I'm going to try to fashion a cardboard carrier and use them as a background item. I also wish the plates were plastic but for display they'll be fine. This set rate an A in my book!

[filleamericaine]

could the plates be laminated to make them more sturdy?

[nomad]

Aary's review covers most of it, so I'm just adding a couple of things.

Obligatory do not eat food photo, cause I think it's funny.

I managed to get all the tacos and fruit kabobs on the tray together.

This was the best photo I could get of the "ingredients" in the chips.

My pinata came with a loop for hanging. It's the same rayon chainette as the tassels/fringe stuff.

For some reason, I'm drawn to extremely bright colors. This set has that in spades! I wish the napkins were cloth, other than that, I give the whole thing an A.

[Coco*Calypso]

Sept 7, 2011 15:21:26 GMT -5 filleamericaine said:

could the plates be laminated to make them more sturdy?

I just found this set in great condition on Craigslist. It's adorable and I'm so glad I can add it to my Saige collection! All my dolls love tacos.

I don't think laminating the plates would work. They are styled exactly like the "gourmet" heavy duty designer paper plates are. They curl up on the edges, so if they were laminated, they would be flattened and squished. I would say, instead, perhaps coating them with something, like Modge Podge, would be better.