I too rushed out to buy this toy for my 2 1/2 year old based on the commercials. I also bought an extra "Dora" cartridge. My daughter played with this toy in the store and I was surprised at how LOUD they had it set. I figured I'd be able to lower the volume when we got home, but I was wrong! There IS NO volume! For the price of this toy it should definitely be able to be turned down to a more comfortable level. My daughter can't play with it long because she doesn't like anything loud. After a while, it's very annoying. If it had a volume control, I would recommend it highly.