Breaking News Alert: Villains on the loose!

WDWNT on January 31, 2011

We were afraid of this. We heard rumors of a country wide bad guy break out today. And it looks like it is true. Facts are still a bit cloudy right now, things are happening very fast. We are getting in pictures from eye witnesses as we speak. Villains are being spotted around the country… up to no good I bet. We will keep you updated as news breaks, but please be careful out there! And if you see any Villains, get a picture for us, but do NOT try to apprehend. They are considered armed and dangerous.

Update: 9:42pm EST
This is an URGENT news bulletin from Destination Vinylmation. We have been very wrong about our misunderstood Villain friends today. They come in peace and will do us no harm…. Is he gone? Good. Needless to say we were frightened when Prince John found our secret DV recording studio just outside of Orlando. He demanded air time, so we let him sit in on our podcast.

Please, whatever you do, do not underestimate these Villains! They are still out there! Find them all… before they find you! Good night everyone… we are signing off for tonight. We will be back with more news soon. If you don’t hear from us tomorrow… well, take care of yourselves.

Update: 9:21pm EST
Breaking News from Key West, Florida. An evil foe has been spotted soaking up some rays on the beach. An unnamed lifeguard on duty says he overheard Ratcliffe discuss plans to overthrow Rick Scott and take over the Governorship of the state. We are your source for updates about the Villains reign of terror today. Stay tunned…

Update: 9:06pm EST
We are still getting reports of Villains on the loose. But I’m beginning to think they are not all bad. Maybe they are just enjoying a day at the theme parks after being locked up for so long?

Update: 7:46pm EST
We got word from a Universal cast member that Miss de Ville was just enjoying the Harry Potter ride. I’ll give her that, it’s a great ride. But what is Stromboli doing down in Ft. Myers, Florida? Checking out the beaches? I don’t think so… thanks for the picture Cliff. Keep your distance, but keep your eye on him.

Update: 6:58pm EST
We have been tracking these bad guys all day and so far they have only caused minimal damage around Florida and the US. But this… this is just blasphemy. Is there no loyalty to Disney for these evil creatures? What evil could they be causing at Florida’s theme parks?

Update: 6:09pm EST
This is the best shot we’ve received of who we believe is the mysterious leader of the Villains. His crew has been wreaking havoc in Orlando today after busting out of jail. We thank this brave tourist for sending in this picture from outside the Arabian Knights dinner theater.

Update: 5:18pm EST
This photo from and anonymous source at NASA shows a Villain, looks like Shan Yu, hanging around Kennedy Space Center. Is he catching a shuttle launch or stealing national defense secrets? Keep on the look out for suspicious activity in your area today.

Update: 3:41pm EST
We received this photo from a camper in the forests of Ocala, Florida. It’s a bit blurry, but it looks as though our fearless contributer was rushed to snap this photo. It looks to be Mickey’s infamous arch-rival Pete walking around looking for trouble. It seems that Pete may have spotted this photographer, we hope he is OK. Stay safe people, hopefully these Villains will be rounded up quickly.

Update: 2:06pm EST
It looks like The Witch, we can only assume, is poisoning Florida’s Orange supply. How does this compare to her poisoning of Snow’s Apple? It is unfair at this time to compare the two crimes, but she needs to be brought to justice. Keep sending in your tips.

Update: 12:43pm EST
The baddies have been spotted slithering up the Florida Highways. Thanks to a brave motorist for risking his life snapping this pic for us. Where are they going? What do they want?

Update: 11:48am EST
What evil is brewing at the Florida Hotel? An anonymous hotel employee sent this photo in and says some shady characters have been checking in this morning.

Update: 10:57am EST
A Villain is spotted lurking around the Florida Mall in Orlando this morning.

What does a Dog, a Hippo, a Whale and a Wizard have in common?

WDWNT on January 29, 2011

If you answered, “they all showed up on a store shelf at the NYC Times Square Disney Store in Vinylmation form”, you have amazing and scary powers… because you’re right.

Dabid’s Blog reports they found some Merlins, Bolts, Willie the Whales, and Hyacinth the Hippos at the NYC Times Square Disney Store back on January 15th! Dabid has a review and some great pics of Bolt that you can see here: Dabid’s Vinylmation Bolt Blog Post. The highlight for me has to be Bolt’s dog tag. It’s an accessory piece that hangs off Bolt’s neck (see left).

A few days later, Dabid posted some pics and a review of the 9″ Merlin. Merlin’s beard takes up much of the front of the vinyl and the back shows his robes and “magical sparkles” (see right). Dabid says these look fantastic up close.

Disney has not officially announced a released date for these figures, but they seemed to pop up around the country and this is our first confirmation with photos that they are (or were on January 15th) on the store shelves at the Times Square Disney Store.

We want to thank Dabid for his posts. You can easily get to his Vinylmation blog posts here: Dabid’s Blog.

If you find any breaking Vinylmation News or have Vinylmation posts on your blog you would like to share, please email us at DestinationVinylmation.com.
All photos from dabidsblog.wordpress.com.

A Tribute to the Pioneers of America

WDWNT on January 28, 2011

“Here we experience the story of our country’s past…
the colorful drama of frontier America in the exciting days of the covered wagon and the stage coach, the advent of the railroad and the romantic riverboat. Frontierland is a tribute to the faith, courage and ingenuity of the pioneers who blazed the trails across America.” – Walt Disney

On Friday, the 4th in a 5 piece 9″ Vinylmation set depicting vintage Disneyland Attraction Posters will be released exclusively at Disneyland. The Frontierland Poster depicts three attractions that are no longer in operation at Disneyland.
First is the Stagecoach ride. Guests were able to sit on top or inside a stagecoach and take a ride through Frontierland in this opening day attraction. The theming was fantastic as guest were truly transported into a time and place long gone. The ride was short-lived, as it closed forever in 1959 to make way for construction of Nature’s Wonderland. (thank you to www.yesterland.com for some great pictures)

In the middle of the poster is the Mine Train Ride. This attraction opened in 1956 as Rainbow Caverns Mine Train. After a change in Frontierland theming in 1959, this attraction became Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. This was a slow paced attraction through the wild frontier full of great scenery, animatronic animals, and puns… think Jungle Cruise on a train. The attraction closed in 1977 to make way for the faster paced Big Thunder Mountain.



On the bottom of the poster is the Mule Pack Ride. Real mules, simulated desert. This attraction stuck around until 1973.

As far as the Vinylmation itself, this design, although minor, shows more changes from poster to Vinylmation than any of the previous releases. These changes are due to the style of the original poster. The top is a straight forward copy of the Stage Coach Ride scene from the poster. On the back, artist Alex Maher had to use up what would be empty space… so he finished off the partial horse with the Indian you see in the poster below and added three extra horses onto the back. A great touch! Finishing off a scene with the extra canvas he had, that the poster’s artist did not. The middle is a perfect depiction of the Mine Train Ride. I can’t wait to see this one up close to check out the detail. (on the poster, one of the children is wearing a Mickey Ear Hat!) On the back, is an empty mine, which is not on the poster. Next, Alex had to move the position of the “Mine Train Ride” label to the bottom left of the scene, or else it would have ended up in the neck of the figure. That decision forced the “Mule Pack Ride” label to be moved to the back of the figure. The only design move I question is wrapping the Mule Pack scene around the side. This hides two of the mules from view and leaves some empty space on the front. Also, “Frontierland” was moved to the back instead of placing it in the feet on the front.

Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland will all be out as of Friday… we await the 5th and final piece to this Disneyland 55th Anniversary 9″ set, The Monorail.

“The Magic, The Memories, and You” Premiers Tonight On Small World

WDWNT on January 27, 2011

From the Disney Parks Blog:

'The Magic, the Memories and You' in 'it's a small world' – Part of Disney Parks' 'Let the Memories Begin'

I’m going to tell you about a new show at Disneyland park that takes the façade of “it’s a small world” and does some amazing things. It turns it into an animated, coloring pad; it coaxes the singing dolls from inside the attraction to appear outside in the show; and it weaves hundreds of guest photos into a giant, surprise mosaic.

Even after I tell you about it, and we share a video sneak-peek of tonight’s first show, I must admit the real thing is so much better.

If you can get here, quit reading now and get here to see “The Magic, The Memories and You!” The nightly, 10-minute spectacular utilizes projection technology and animation to transform the architecture of “it’s a small world” in ways that will make you wonder what happened to the walls.

For those of you who can’t see the show right away, I’ll share a few more details. Also, check out Show Director Alan Bruun’s post about the same type of show he created for Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

The nightly show combines guest photos from that day in Disneyland park with photos and videos taken from Disney’s “Let the Memories Begin” online hub. Classic Disney music is woven into the new “Let the Memories Begin” theme song, creating a musical and visual journey that traces the family vacation experience from surprise announcements through arrival and fun at the Disneyland Resort.

The show finale features a burst of fireworks over “it’s a small world.”

That’s what it looks like. It’s harder to tell you what the show feels like. Watching the photos will remind guests of all ages of their most cherished Disney memories, as a kaleidoscope of images is projected onto the “it’s a small world” attraction.

WHO: As part of the thousands of photographs projected each night, roughly 500 photos will be of guests who made memories in Disneyland park that day – resulting in a different “The Magic, the Memories and You” presentation each night.

WHERE: An ideal place to see the projections will be from the Fantasyland esplanade, which runs from the front of “it’s a small world” to the entrances of the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Mad Tea Party attractions.

WHEN: Tonight’s 6 p.m. “preview” show is a special preview, followed by the official debut at 7:30 p.m. The current show schedule is:

  • 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday
  • 8 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
  • Show times are at www.disneyland.com and are subject to change or cancellation

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Your photo will be considered for that night’s unique show if you have your photo taken by a PhotoPass photographer during the day. You will have the option to decline participation in the show.

Tell us about some of your favorite photo moments at the Disneyland Resort.

And here is the official press release for “The Magic, The Memories, and You:”

ANAHEIM, Calif.,  January 27, 2011 – Starting tonight, the façade of “it’s a small world” in Disneyland park is being transformed each night into a breathtaking display of moving, ever-changing photography, video, animation and music as Disneyland celebrates guests’ memories with an innovative new show – “The Magic, The Memories and You!”
Guests of all ages will be reminded of their Disney memories, and may even see themselves in the nightly show, as a kaleidoscope of larger-than-life images is projected onto the classic Fantasyland “it’s a small world” attraction. Included in the thousands of photographs each night will be approximately 500 photos of guests who made memories in Disneyland that very day – resulting in a different “The Magic, The Memories and You!” presentation every night.
“Disneyland has been making very special memories for families and guests of all ages for more than 55 years,” said Disneyland Resort President George A. Kalogridis. “Now guests recalling and cherishing those memories will become stars of the show as well.”
After the sun goes down, the 10-minute spectacle combines that day’s photos with photos and videos taken from Disney’s “Let the Memories Begin” online hub, and brings them to life with the help of amazing new projection technology that transforms the architecture of “it’s a small world” in never-before-seen ways. Classic Disney music is woven into the new “Let the Memories Begin” theme song and, via some magical effects, even the singing dolls from inside the “it’s a small world” attraction find their way outside to appear in the show. The finale features a burst of fireworks over “it’s a small world.”
“We’re really taking it to the Nth degree and we’re doing it for our guests,” observes show director Alan Bruun, associate creative director, Disney Destinations Entertainment. “Some guests will spot their own photographs in the show, and yet our goal is for everyone watching the show to be able to say, ‘These are my memories. I recognize that moment, that emotion.’ ”
The visual and musical journey that takes place in “The Magic, The Memories and You!” traces the family vacation experience, from planning and travel all the way through arrival and fun in Disneyland. The show closes, appropriately, with a classic Disney memory. A similar show featuring guest images projected onto the soaring spires of Cinderella Castle premiered Jan. 18 in the Magic Kingdom park, Walt Disney World Resort, Florida.
Disney Parks guests also are becoming the stars of television commercials.  For the first time, Disney Parks is featuring the home videos and snapshots of real guests telling their own Disney stories in television ads and other marketing.
At the online memories hub that launched Sept. 23, guests have been celebrating their only-at-Disney memories by sharing their stories and by uploading photos and videos. To access the site, visit www.DisneyParks.com/memories.
Vacation memories hold a special place in the hearts of families, according to a recent survey of Americans and Canadians conducted by Ypartnership, a leading research firm that tracks consumer insights and trends in travel. Nine out of 10 parents polled said they plan their vacations with the express hope of creating a lasting family memory.  And most memories don’t fade with the passage of time.  Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said they think back “often” or “very often” on their most cherished vacation memories.

Paradise Pier Attraction’s Recieve Classic Disney Attraction Posters

WDWNT on January 26, 2011

From the Disney Parks Blog:

When the Blue Sky Cellar reopens on Jan. 28, don’t miss the walls.

Yes, I said the walls of Blue Sky Cellar.

This building in Disney California Adventure park previews the “blue sky” ideas of Imagineers, with models and sketches that reflect the evolving landscape of the theme park. But before you peek at all the Imagineers’ handiwork, take a moment to enjoy the new artwork on the walls of the entryway. (And find out how you can purchase your own copy very soon.)

Paradise Pier Attraction Posters

Nestled among the expansion updates, you will find new attraction posters from the boardwalk of Paradise Pier, including California Screamin’, Silly Symphony Swings and Mickey’s Fun Wheel. These posters will also be available for purchase. Watch for release dates and retail locations at www.ArtofDisneyParks.com.

The posters are part of a rich tradition within Disney Parks worldwide – a tradition that dates back to 1956 and the original park, Disneyland.

In the summer of 1956, Disneyland was about to enter its second summer. Most people had little knowledge of what Disneyland really was, and they knew even less about the attractions inside the park. According to an upcoming book, “The Poster Art of Disney Parks” by Walt Disney Imagineering’s Danny Handke and Vanessa Hunt, the posters were a fast, clear and visually attractive way to convey an image of each attraction.

Over the years, the style of the various attraction posters has come to reflect the time period in which they were created, as well as the tone and visual palette of the attractions and themed land where they were located.

This tonal tradition is carried on in the latest series of posters featuring the Paradise Pier attractions. With a nod to the classic travel poster aesthetic, the new attraction sequence graphically conveys the excitement and character of each Paradise Pier attraction.

This newly released artwork is the first of several scheduled attraction art releases. Additional series releases are scheduled within months of the initial Paradise Pier series. The first California Adventure attraction posters will be available at retail locations throughout the park on Jan. 28.

Are you familiar with the Disney Parks attraction posters? Let us know if you have a favorite among the hundreds that have been created over the years.

My first custom purchase

WDWNT on January 25, 2011

I finally got my Mickey in Carbonite from Evilos!!!!


It felt like forever while I was waiting, but it took less than two weeks to receive after I ordered it from his ebay site. It cost me $59.99 plus shipping and is a great addition to my collection. I got caught up in the fever over the Star Wars release, so I ordered it that day just so I could take this picture. It’s a great piece of handiwork, although the filler between the vinyl and the outside case seems just a little less smooth then I thought it would be. Overall however, I think it’s going to go nice next to my Han as a stormtrooper piece I made myself. (Unlike Evilos, who has talent, the customs I make are just putting other vinylmation’s heads on bodies. lol) Also check out his Carbonite key chain and Tron customs.

Order from his ebay site.
Check out Evilos.com for more information about this great artist.

Also a big Thank You to lego.com for their free database of instructions. I was amazed at how fast and easy it was to find the pdf of the old kit I needed. Thanks!

What customs have you ordered? Would you order any? Discuss….