The three pieces tie together, and I highly recommend doing this immediately. The tunnel has three ties on each end, and knotting that to each of the tent parts makes this pretty convenient for quick cleanups. You can just collapse the tents on either end, and smash the whole thing lengthwise into a pancake and store behind a piece of furniture for quick and easy cleanup. This sort of pop-up toy quickly transforms a room into a different play area, and my kids very much enjoy it. As a parent, I also enjoy it for how easy it is to handle. The only negative is that the tied-points are upside down on the tunnel... on mine, the mesh is facing the floor instead of upwards. This has two effects, one, the wear is more on the mesh, which will breaks sooner, and the kiddo cannot look up. In the pictures attached to this review, I hadn't yet tied the tunnel. The tunnel I received measures over 56 inches long - not complaining. Overall, this is a fun and convenient toy once you tie everything together. My kids love it, and it's been pretty durable. The carry bag is hard to pack back into, and for how we use the toy, is a waste. Made in China.