Actually, they have had the pull string ones forever. These are the kind that most people use to have at birthday parties when I was growing up, and I am 37.

I think it is funny that most are so freaked out by the strings! I myself find the thought of kids bashing a donkey, dora or other character or animal, with a stick, kind of freaky! But then again, I am pretty anti-pinata...

Funny story, the first time DD1 saw one of the donkey ones at a party, she went up and hugged it and petted it when her turn came up. She must have been around 2, and it was so cute!