9″ Park 6 Vinylmation: The Complete List

WDWNT on June 7, 2011

Update: 7/18/11 Disney has officially announced a July 29 release date for both Davy Crockett and Animal Kingdom. Here is a first look at Animal Kingdom (that is not concept art)

This figure, designed by Maria Clapsis will be LE 800 and $44.95. I wonder what animal lurks in the darkness? Davy was designed by Casey Jones. It is LE 1000 and retails for $44.95. More details below.


Update: 6/20/11 The D-Street stores will still released Up and Alien Encounter on June 24… however the Online store will NOT be releasing them on that day. Disney wants to hold back and see how many they have to give to online sales first. We will post the new date when it is announced.


Update: 6/7/11 Disney announced release dates for Alien Encounter ($74.95) and Up! ($44.95) June 24th will be a fun day. Both designed by Maria Clapsis and LE 1000, they will be released at both D-Streets and Online. Check the figures out below. Disney also released this cool flat concept art of the Alien Encounter figure.

Here is a complete list of the 7 upcoming 9″ Park 6 figures. What are your thoughts?
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
9″ + 3″ Combo LE 1000
It’s the Nautilus and a Diver modeled after the ride at the Magic Kingdom from 1971 – 1994. Take a close look, half the sub is “underwater” and you can see the giant squid’s tentacles reaching out!

Up

Release Date: June 24
Artist: Maria Clapsis
LE: 1000

Designed after my favorite movie of all time, until Toy Story 3 came along, this figure represents Carl’s floating house. I wonder what surprises await us on the back? Kevin? Just posted the back.

Matterhorn

This iconic Disneyland ride opened in 1959. Guest ride down a Switz themed mountain sized in bobsled like ride vehicles.

Alien Encounter
9″ + 3″ Combo
Release Date: June 24
Artist: Maria Clapsis
LE: 1000

ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was a Magic Kingdom attraction from 1995 – 2003. The ride was in the same location Stitch’s Great Escape is in now. The show was a dark sci-fi like experience that was deemed very frightening to small children. Skippy is the 3″ figure on the right. He was an animatronic alien in the pre-show area.

Davy Crockett
Casey Jones
LE 1000
$44.95
Release Date: July 29

Davy Crockett, The King of the Wild Frontier, was a 19th century frontiersman that Disney celebrated with numerousness films. He also has a Disney theme park attraction named for him, Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. This figure comes with an awesome removable hat!

Animal Kingdom Crate
Maria Clapsis
LE 800
$44.95
Release Date: July 29

Animal Kingdom is one of the four parks at the WDW resort in Orlando, FL.

China Pavilion

The China Pavilion is one of the 11 World Showcase Countries at EPCOT.

No Chance for Sunburn in O-Town

WDWNT on June 7, 2011

According to Disney’s Vinylmation Blog today, Orlando’s D-Street will NOT be receiving any of the 9″ Independence Day (Sunburn Man) figures on the planned D-Street release day of June 17.

Looks like the May 27th online release of this LE 500 figure was a mistake. Now, the figures allocated for Orlando have been sold out. Only California’s D-Street will be receiving this figure. “We apologize for the mix up.” – Disney Vinylmation Blog.

That is unfortunate. This is a great figure! One of my favorite 9″ Holidays to date. I did order mine with my phone while in line for Rescue Rangers that day. We were all surprised by his appearance on the Disney Online Store, and now we know why. If you do have the chance, grab this one. We will start at the top. The fireworks in the ears are done very well. Painted on nicely with vibrant colors. His eyes are a deep shade of blue that really standout on the pinkish red figure. Obviously, too much fun in the sun for this guy, as you can see the tan lines where his glasses, tee shirt and even watch were! I didn’t even notice the patch on his left wrist until I got him in the mail. The swimming trunks are also well done. They have a matte finish to them and have little stitches painted on. It is painted well enough to give the appearance of fabric. Again, the colors here are great. Not too bold, but just the right color for that fabric look. And the drawstring is in a silver paint that ties it all together. Add in the over-sized feet in sandals and you have a cartoonish looking figure that reminds me of my Dad on those hot 4th of July nights.

Disney Offers A Closer Look at “Enchanted Tales with Belle”

WDWNT on June 6, 2011

From Jennifer Fickley-Baker on the Disney Parks Blog:

“Beauty and the Beast” was released in theaters in 1991, and to say that I was obsessed with this movie is putting it mildly. I was 12 years old when it debuted and I must’ve seen the film at least 10 times that summer. In my mind, nothing was better than spending an afternoon wrapped up in this tale of “far-off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!” I remember sitting in the theater, dreaming of visiting Belle’s quiet French village, exploring the halls of the Beast’s mysterious castle and whirling across the golden ballroom in a gown of the same color.

Soon fans of all ages will have the opportunity to do just that and take a trip through the world of “Beauty and the Beast” at the Enchanted Tales with Belle storybook adventure, which is currently under construction as part of the Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom Park.

Walt Disney Imagineering is currently building Maurice’s workshop, which will serve as scene one of the experience. The workshop, which is modeled after a French cottage, will be surrounded by a wishing well, footbridges and lush landscaping. Once inside, guests will step through a magic mirror and find themselves inside Beast’s expansive library, which he created as a gift for Belle in the film. This room will serve as the setting for a memorable character interaction experience with Belle – which will require a little help from Lumiere, the enchanted candlestick.

Another “Beauty and the Beast” experience planned for this area is the Be Our Guest Restaurant, which will allow up to 550 guests to dine in the ballroom, gallery and “West Wing” area of Beast’s castle.

These and other Fantasyland enhancements will open in phases starting in late 2012.

Episode 024 Aquaramouse

WDWNT on June 6, 2011

Ep. 024 Aquaramouse
In this special episode, we talk with Kristina Pino from Tomopop.com about the history of the vinyl toy, the state of Vinylmation, the future of Vinylmation and the new Disney Pop! Vinyl. This week we review the new Bakery Series and get an unexpected surprise. We also provide the latest Vinylmation news and release dates. And we answer your questions in the Mystery Mail Bag.
Listen Now:
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Star Wars Artist Mike Sullivan at Disneyland Today

WDWNT on June 4, 2011

Star Wars Vinylmation was re-released at Disneyland today and series artist Mike Sullivan was on hand to sign figures for guests. One of our readers David sent us some pictures and a recap from the event.

The queue started right at park opening. There was an initial line to buy the Vinylmation.
There were enough cases to go around.
Once our purchase was complete, we were sent into a second line for the signing with Mike Sullivan.
Autographed Vinylmation
Haunted Mansion? Nope, just some Obi Wan Ghost super chasers.

 I saw quite a few ghost Obi Wans being opened. Very jealous. Overall a fun experience for me especially since this was my very first case purchase. – David

Thanks for the pics and recap David. Did anyone else stop by to buy some Star Wars and meet Mike Sullivan? Tell us all about it. Also, what’s more fun, Vinylmation Collecting or the new Star Tours ride?

Spotlight On: Vinylmation Custom Artist Heather

WDWNT on June 4, 2011

We were browsing some of our friend’s Facebook pages and came across an amazing new set of customs from Heather at Vinylmation Customations. Take a look:

Fig #1 – Ursula Business Card Holder

This is the design that started it all for me! I needed a business card holder but wanted something “Vinalymation” – it snowballed from there! I’ve always loved Ursula, but felt she really needed some awesome tentacles that sculpting allows for. This is one of the anchors for the Desk Set and may be purchase individually for $99.

Fig #2 – Old Hag Paper Clip Holder

Probably the most surprising piece for me; I love this one! In her cauldron, there is a magnet for the paper clip holder. To purchase this individually, the price is $89.

Fig #3 – Cruella – Note Paper Holder


Capturing Pongo in the 101 Dalmatians scene was fantastic! Easily one of my favorite movies, this piece was so fun to create! I especially love the living room with the rug & TV. One of my last-minute decisions was to add the paw prints around the bottom. In this piece I really change Cruella by re-painting her coat & dress and of course by adding dalmatian print wrap. This item is available for $89.

Fig #4 – Prince John Pencil Cup & Clock


Certainly the largest piece in the desk set and wow, what a lot of sculpting went into this one! Everyone love coins & jewels, especially Prince John and he just didn’t seem complete without his throne 🙂 This piece is also available an individual purchase for $119.

Fig #5 – Kaa Stapler


Bringing together the art concept while keeping “functionality” in mind was challenged on this one. I really wanted the stapler to be able to be used without taking away any of a traditional stapler’s capability as some many other desk set staplers have. You can easily add staples and release & open to staple flat against a surface. Kaa can be ordered for $69 as an individual piece.

Complete Desk Set (5pcs) $389

I’ve been asked about creating these as individual dioramas with out the desk set function; I happy to create these as well for the “Villains-Lover” that doesn’t need a Desk Set. Prices are similar to those of the office set, but contact me directly for specific details.

My custom creations may be found at Vinylmation Customations as well as order information. We do LOTS of fun things here! I just gave-away a free 3″ Custom to one of my lucky “Fans” and we have a few more surprises coming very soon!

I can also be contacted directly via email at HKattelman@gmail.com

Disney Goes Pop!

WDWNT on June 4, 2011

On Thursday, we posted an article talking about Disney’s new line of Pop! Vinyl figures and our thoughts on a few of them. Today we give you the POV of an expert in the vinyl collectible world. Kristina Pino is a writer for the collectible toy website Tomopop.com. On our next podcast, she will be our guest and will take us through the history of vinyl toys leading up to Vinylmation. A lot of collectors, including us, were not aware that much of what we see in Vinylmation is standard in the vinyl toy world. Kristina will tell us what else is out there you might be interested in collecting and how to find them. She will also discuss her thoughts on the state of Vinylmation and what we can expect in the future. Please join us for this great upcoming episode. But today, she wrote us an exclusive article about Disney’s Pop! Vinyl:

Disney Goes Pop!
by Kristina Pino

The same way that a lot of folks who collect Vinylmation are new to the world of Designer Vinyl, I’m sure many who are now seeing the new Disney Pop! figures are also new to Funko’s simplistic toy design! I’ve been asked to shed a little light on Funko and where they came from, along with a bit of my take on Disney Pop! Series One.

Chances are, you’ve got a local comic book shop somewhere in your town or nearby. Chances also are, if you go to your local comic book shop, they probably sell some toys/figures. If they do, you might catch the Funko Pop! Heroes or Marvel vinyl figures there, which include a lot of your might-be favorite comic heroes such as Spider-Man, Batman, Green Lantern or Captain America. Now that there are more super hero movies coming out, I’m sure there’ll be an even bigger presence of these figures.

Of more interest to Disney enthusiasts, aside from the Pop! Disney set, there’s also Pop! Movies sets which includes a few characters from the Wizard of Oz. On top of vinyl figures, you can find plush toys of the same characters and even Star Wars bobble-heads in the Funko Pop! style, if that’s your thing.

For images and information on any and all things Funko, you can visit their site right here. They’re fun and for the most part are at a lower price point than the Disney Pop! line, so they make a great addition to any growing vinyl collection. They’re only a little bit larger than Vinylmation, so you could even share shelves with these. This is a really fun way to go if you’re looking to expand your vinyl horizons.

In terms of whether they are anything like Vinylmation, they are only alike in vinyl/format (what they’re made of, being plastic). Vinylmation are more poseable but are a set three inches in height. Whereas Funko Pop! vinyl is a bit larger, but generally only their heads are poseable. Their designs are very clear-cut and easy to spot because of the clear lines, big heads, small bodies and “button eyes”.

I have a full review of Tinkerbell and Mickey Mouse on Tomopop.com, a toy and collectibles news blog where I freelance. We’ll also have a review up soon for Maleficent, the big bad lady herself. I plan to purchase more, because while the figures have a few paint/splotching issues that should have been avoided and a bit of a price increase, they’re still very charming and I can’t really say no. I can only say, “not yet”, and buy them over a longer period of time! I love the designs for the entire set, so it’s only a matter of time.

There are many different types of toy collectibles out there, and in terms of vinyl only there are still more toy lines to look into and enjoy, even if you just want to collect Disney-related things. Be sure to tune in and listen to my interview on the next Destination Vinylmation. Especially if you’re curious about learning more about Vinylmation and where it came from!

“What’s Next” Presentation Video

WDWNT on June 4, 2011

As usual, Disney held a “What’s Next” presentation yesterday as part of the Soundsational Summer press event in the Pacific Wharf entrance to Cars Land. While not a lot of new stuff was announced, it is still a interesting watch.

 

 

NOTE: My camera decided to run out of memory half way through the Aulani speech with Joe Rhode, so that unfortunately has been cut.

Video of Soundsational “Opening Ceremony”

WDWNT on June 4, 2011

Yesterday, a opening ceremony was held for Soundsational in Town Square for media as part of the Soundsational Summer press event. We have a full video of the “ceremony” that took place before the parade came down Main Street USA. If you would like to see a video of the parade, you can view that HERE.