From Fran Grauman,
Your Guide to Children's Music.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Yes, kids may be more techno-savvy than parents, but they aren't always as responsible with their belongings. Disney is offering an MP3 player for kids that is cute, simple, and reasonably priced. It's called Disney Mix Sticks and retails for $49.99. The Disney Mix Sticks are about the size of a small cell phone and start with 128 MB memory which is upgradeable to 1 GB via an SD/MMC slot.

Versatile and Portable

The Disney Mix Sticks can play MP3 and WMA files and can store both data and music files. They work with some downloading services or can use a small Mix Clip cartridge. They have rechargeable batteries that will last up to 8 hours. Included accessories are earbuds, rechargeable battery, lanyard with safety release, and software to connect to a Windows PC. The available styles include Disney Chrome, Forever Princess, Sassy Pixie, and That's So Raven.

The optional Jam Stand allows the unit to charge while being used to play over the speakers, and retails for $39.99. Disney Mix Clips are $14.99. Their product support is provided by Memorex.

Note to Parents

Before you worry that your child may soon be too old for the Disney look of the product, consider that the technology moves so quickly that the unit will probably be technologically obsolete in a few years. The product itself is not outdated at all. It seems to be a good value for the capabilities. The pricing is in line, if not a little cheaper than a regular MP3 player. It has buttons that are easy to use for even young kids and the ability to plug in whole cartridges is a plus. Another selling factor is that it can give the parent more control over the listening options.

This would make a perfect gift for young kids through teens and many adults would love it, too.

Personal Experience

The Disney Mix Clip is really tinier than I expected. I had to get out my reading glasses for the instruction manual. The design is very nice, it comes with a neck cord and the bottom opens up to expose the usb plug. It looks pretty sturdy.

When I plugged it in to my XP computer it immediately found it as two extra drives. I later realized that one drive is the machine itself and the other is the card slot. I transferred 3 CDs worth of MP3s to the 120 meg of available memory and started listening without much trouble.

You can not listen to it while it's charging because the USB ports cover up the headphone jack. This isn't a big deal however. I believe some of the optional accessories offer this functionality.

It's very nice to be able to use the pre-recorded memory cards. I can also use my camera memory cards as extra memory. The memory slot is upgradeable to 1 GB.

The buttons are easy to figure out and a child should not have trouble with them. Adults may have a bit of a learning curve putting music on the unit, depending on how familiar they already are with MP3s and file transfer basics.

Pros and Cons

• Pro - perfect for ages 6-12
• Pro - easy to use
• Pro - Small and child-friendly
• Pro - good price balance with functionality
• Pro - easily upgradeable
• Pro - cute designs

• Con - can't listen while charging
• Con - without screen it's harder to find a specific song
• Con - tiny cartridges might be easily lost
• Con - more 'boy' designs are needed

*Note: WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, or birth defects or other reproductive harm.