Surprised 6-year-old granddaughter for Christmas with new bed and dresser (partial assembly at my house, final assembly at her house while she was at movies Xmas Eve day).  She was literally speechless, love at first sight (also curtains, rugs and bedding) and has had a sleepover under the bed with her best friend.  The shelf immediately became home for her little dogs, cats and horses, all lined up in groups.  Except for a couple tiny flaws in the fit or predrilled holes and a little confusion over some of the instructions (pictures), most of the assembly was pretty easy, just a little time consuming.  My son checked out the bed with my granddaughter and he found it to be stable and solid.  Just a warning:  the ladder rungs are quite slippery with socks on, so I put some felt strips on them for traction.  Overall, very, very pleased, granddaughter is over the moon for her new bed and loves her new play area under the bed.