The Disney Mega Mack Play Town is poised to be one of the biggest selling toys of the holiday season. If you look at it, there is absolutely no question why. Children will love this. Designed after Mack from the Cars movie by Disney Pixar, the Disney Mega Mack Play Town offers a Mack Truck that folds out into three separate race areas. Kids will get to place one of their cars (three come with the set) in the launch pad and shoot it off. This sends the car off to one of the areas. When play is done, Mack folds right up, neat and clean so there is no mess and only a small amount of room taken up.
Let’s start with the basics. Mack is a huge truck that spans about 24 inches. Mack talks so if you hit the bill of his hat you can get him to say things like “FILL THIS IN WHEN I’M IN THERE.” When you unfold the play set you have the choice of playing with three separate areas. Children are greeted with the areas of Radiator Springs, Route 66, and the Dirt Track. With the set, you have three cars that you can send down the launcher into the area of choice. The cars are Lightening McQueen, Doc Hudson, and Bessie.
The Disney Mega Mack Play Town is listed as being suitable for five year olds. It appears that the main reason for this chosen age has to do with the construction issues that are presented with Mack and his raceway. You have to construct the toy and all the various track pieces so that they all fit together. If they do not fit together (and occasionally they will pop free) then the cars cannot launch from the launch port and the toy will not work right. With suitable help, I could see a three or four year old playing with this just fine. However, I do agree with the complex construction issues that a child this young may have and as a result they could become frustrated.
My nephew absolutely loves Cars so it was a natural choice for us to try this out with him. He loved the fact that Mack was able to speak and would repeatedly tip his hat when he felt the need just because it would make him smile. He liked hearing the movie phrases as that seemed to add to the experience. When it came to playing with the race areas, there were a few problems. Mack, when folded out, is incredibly flimsy. While everything does piece together, the slightest movement can jar things and cause the need for some repairs. It can become frustrating to have to continually fix the tracks after each movement, but this is a common problem with many race track toys of this kind, so some repair issues are to be expected while in play.
The cars, while cute, are not diecast. They are made of plastic, which is durable enough to withstand some heavy play from the kids without too much problem. Diecast would have added a little extra something, but the cars are adorable as they are. However, it would be nice to see that addition in future toys like this.
One problem we encountered, beyond the track staying together, was during cleanup time. When putting everything back together again we found Mack somewhat resistant to fit together as he is supposed to fit. He would pop back open or he just wouldn’t stay clipped shut. Of course, this means if the child wants to carry Mack around he (or she) will have a hard time doing so without the truck’s insides falling out.
There are some problems with The Disney Mega Mack Play Town I will not deny that fact. A child playing with this alone has a good chance of ending up mad at their new toy for not doing what it is supposed to do. However, if you are playing with your child the results may not be as disastrous as they could be if they are left alone with Mack.
We recommend using this toy for children a little older (7-8 years old) if they playing with this alone or as young as three with parental assistance. This would also make an incredible collector’s piece. If you decide not to open Mack at all, you still have a great truck for your child’s collection or your own. However, when it comes to play, treat this one gently. Play with it with the kids and you should only have minimal problems. Otherwise you will have some complaints coming your way.
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Technorati Tags: Toy Review, Disney, Pixar, Mega Mack, Play Town, Cars
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
