Department 56 Animated Skating Pond & Accessories for Villages Bag-O-Frosted Topiaries Tree

I really wanted a skating rink that looked more rustic and natural. The people are cute and the trees look pretty realistic. However, the overall quality is not the best. I had to return and reorder bc the first time the item was used, the packaging was a mess, the bottom was cracked and it was missing a couple figurines. The second time, it was a new package with everything included. But after a couple uses, one of the figurines would not stay on their skating path. It seemed like the magnet underneath the rink became dislodged. I could hear the magnet clicking and the figurine would randomly move off the track trying to find its way back. The other 3 skaters are doing fine so I'm going to live with it. It still looks good with my decorations but I'm not sure how long this set will last. Considering the price it's a little disappointing.

I was looking for something that resembled the one my mother placed out each Christmas when I was a child. This definitely fit the bill. Very happy with the purchase. Love how the figures skate around. Packaging is flimsy but arrived intact.

For the price, this "new item" wasn't worth it. I suspect someone opened it and sent it back packaged hastily. There were 2 pieces of cardboard taped together that should have sandwiched the soft foam packaging so the cover had no support. Also the way the trees were all crammed in the little space provided to them rendered them all but the smallest ones damaged. We tried the unit and it seems to work ok and I am trying to decide on keeping it or not. There are other skating pond out there for less money and I though sticking to Department 56 was a safe bet because of their quality so we paid up, however, I am not sure why or when Department 56 has cheaped-out so badly? This packaging won't last one year. If your heart is set on this piece, expect the worst and hope for the best or else buy it in-store where you can check the contents.

The skating rink quit after seven years of just Christmas service. We had to literally cut the base apart to find the insides were a black greasy mess and there was no chance of a fix. I guess for seven years, that is okay performance, but I have American Flyer electric devices that are nearly 70 years old and still run like they are new. Maybe I am off base, but it seems like something like this should last much longer.

This piece, like most Department 56 products, is beautiful and makes a great addition to our village display. But - and this is a big but - the packaging is terrible. There really isn’t much packaging - the piece is wrapped in paper, flimsy styrofoam at each end, with a lightweight cardboard sleeve. Gor something sp expensive, the packaging should be more substantial.

The media could not be loaded.  This is a beautiful animated skating display that would be great for home or business use. A storefront window would be the perfect place for this to be displayed during the Christmas season, but it is also great for family events during the holidays or anytime. Here is a video of what it looks like once it is set up. Everything seems to be working well so far and this company is known for creating cute figurines with graceful movements. My mother used to set up beautiful villages during the holidays so I can't wait to show her this when we get closer to Christmas.

Worked with my village by making it a center piece and need to lift the houses to help with the scale. The people are just a bit smaller than mine, but as you may be looking down on a lake, it works. It's a tiny bit noisy, but from a distance, not a problem. If you are keeping it on a table right next to you, it will bother you. I di wish they had installed some type of lite under it. We pulled off the plastic bottom and will put in some fairly light under the pond. It would also be nice to have an off/on switch. You can stop it with a connector cord that is supplied. Just could be more convenient with a switch.

Just beautiful. For what it is. Resin figures can only look so nice. I usually repaint them. But they are fine as is. Nice smooth skating motion, minimal sound,I love the birch tree. Set up very nicely. Make sure to keep the surface clean. I use a wood spray type cleaner and a soft cloth once in a while. It keeps the surface smooth and slick so they glide easily. My only "thing" and this is NOT the sellers fault. Is that I found that the only "skaters" you can put on that one U shaped kind of track is the 2 skater one. It seems none of the others work on that one. They get hung up on the top of the "U'. That one goes slower, but gets all the way around. Not really a biggie. Just, if you had that issue, so did I. Came super fast, great condition. Im going to hate putting it away next month.

Very cute. Figurines stand even when not plugged in. Don't have to worry about setting them up when not in use. Magnet is strong enough to hold them up.

The media could not be loaded.  Stopped working within a week. Plug it in, and it just makes a loud clicking noise, and no movement from the skaters. Would not recommend.

Exactly what we were hoping for.

The item came the morning of Dec. 29 rather than the evening of Dec. 28th. I'm forgiving of this because I really wanted it set up for the evening of the 29th and I juggled my todo list to do that. The unit is pure adorableness. As it was a replacement for a 30 yr unit that failed because we neglected to remove the batteries last year and we killed the contacts. So being able to plug it in is a major plus. All the figurines are same sizes and similar poses and different colours. The trees and accessories are as pictured. The unit is slightly larger than my old one and takes up more space in my Christmas Village. One weird thing: after plugging it in for the first time, it took a few seconds to begin and then it stuttered for another half minute or so before smoothing out and it was not a matter of the magnets. It ran not stop for about a week until we dismantled the decorations until next year.

We bought this product last year for our Christmas Village display. We stored it away in the original box for this year - however when we plugged it in this year, the pond only worked for 2 days. We have had our village for years and the skating pond we found last year on Amazon was identical to the pond we have had for over 10 years but this new pond only lasted one Christmas season ! What a sad statement about today’s workmanship !!