September 2012 – Page 2

Mickey’s Circus Full Itinerary

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

The Mickey’s Circus full itinerary surfaced today. We found it in a tweet by Evilos. We plan on doing another Mickey’s Circus tips and preview segment on next weekend’s podcast (so submit your questions now) and we will go over this itinerary in detail. No big surprises, but it looks like this:

The early pick up on Thursday, September 6 will be held once again at the Coronado Springs Resort in the Veracruz A ballroom. Pick up begins at Noon, but be warned, for some reason people line up hours earlier than that. I was taken off guard last year thinking it was a stop by and pick up process… it is not. I had to leave without picking up my merchandise after driving all the way down there because I drove over on a break from work. Expect to wait in line a few hours even if you show up later than Noon.

Then from 7pm-10pm in the same location is a FREE Vinylmation and Pin trading event. NOTE: This IS open to anyone, not just Mickey’s Circus registered guests. For pin fans, they will be selling a Pin Trading Night Figment LE 500 pin.

Thursday is Breakfast (a separate ticket event) and the first pin trading day. Friday is day 2 for pins and the Dessert Reception (a separate ticket event). Listen to the Once Upon a Pin Podcast for all the pin details.

Sunday, September 9 is the Vinylmation day. Arrive early, especially if you hadn’t done early registration and still need to pick up your merchandise. Many people line up about 2 hours prior to the doors opening. At 9:30, guests will be let inside where you will find various trading areas set up with Disney Cast Members, a partitioned section for guest to guest trading and a future Vinylmation preview section.

The big draw is the 1pm Vinylmation talk. If you can not make it, we will be covering it live on the homepage of our website. There will be live photos posted and a real time chat session where you can talk with MC and myself. We will then of course put out a comprehensive podcast just hours after the event closes. Stay with DV all weekend long for updates on the website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They preview vinyls even during the pin days.

Japan Halloween Vinyls

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

Thanks to @Vinylmati0n for the tweet about these new Halloween themed vinyls to be released in Japan.

September 1 is the released date and 1200 Yen ($15) is the price. There is a glow in the dark Mickey Vampire. The cape looks similar to the Vampire Goofy released today at Disney Stores. The face looks great and I like the little bit of shading drawn into the ears and feet. There is also a Mickey Pumpkin with a witch hat. The body of that one has a Minnie Pumpkin floating through it and appears to have clear blue arms. I think I would rather have 2 different ones or the pumpkins stacked on top of each other. The third is a Ghost Mickey with a hat. The body says “Halloween Party” with another ghost floating through it. The bottom looks like the top of a trick or treat bag. Its a fun Halloween design.

Annemarie’s Catbus

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

We have not seen many Monorail mold customs yet, but Annemarie took a shot at one recently. She posted this Catbus Monorail on Instagram this weekend.

Catbus is a character in the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. And I think she nailed it…

Sorcerers of the MK Booster Packs Released Today

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Booster Packs were released today at the Emporium for $11.95. In case you are not up to speed, you can find a ton of SotMK info and a downloadable checklist on our SotMK Explained page. The booster pack offers a take home version of the popular interactive theme park game. The packs contain 7 cards (including 1 Super Rare 61-70 card), 1 Key Card, game tokens, game rules, a checklist and one of four Villains game boards. This was a very low-key release, yet word from numerous sources say they sold out by noon! I have heard they will have more some time next week. Just FYI, you had to ask for them at the register, they were not on a display. The register was the one in the corner closest to the door on the side of the Firehouse.

If you follow us on Twitter (@VinylmationNews) or DestinationVinylmation in Instagram, you were among the first to see pictures of what is inside. Here is a better look:

The checklist is a beautiful full color sheet that features a thumbnail of all 70 cards. Next to the thumbnail, is the symbol for the rarity designation: Star = Rare, Moon = Uncommon, Circle = Common, Lightning Bolt = Super Rare. On the left side is a column that shows all four Villains game boards.

The game board features one of Villains on there front and a map of one of the four lands that have playable portals inside the Magic Kingdom on the back. The artwork for the Villains matches the beautiful style found on all the cards that make these a nice collectible. The game board also has the Villains attributes as well as all the numbered spaces you need to play the game at home.

The pack also has two sheets full of home game rules. The rules seem to play out like your average card game of this type. The basic object of the game is to get the Villain’s power level to “0.” Each player, up to four, needs a minimum of 7 cards for the game to work properly. But before you think you need to buy a bunch of booster packs, remember, you can get your 5 free cards per day at the Firehouse.

Each player takes a turn getting attacked by the Villain then attacking the Villain and can be helped out, or Boosted, by fellow players. If a Villains gets a player down to “0”, the player is out of the game. The tokens are used to mark progress on the game board and are also flipped like coins to determine attack power.

A game like this is a nice option for guests that are just visiting the parks to continue the fun at home. It’s a great way for people who have a bunch of these cards and are not really “collecting” them to get some use out of them when they get home.

A game like this is not really my thing… I’ll stick to defeating Villains on the video screens around the park. I’m still a huge proponent of the game. I think it is fun, with fantastic animation. But more than that, it’s a build upon of what I think Walt was aspiring for his theme parks to be… an interactive experience that immerses the guests like no other. All that being said, the game boards add another collectible piece to the SotMK puzzle and it’s the perfect way to finally complete the Super Rare 10 card series.

DVC Members Get New Keys on 8/24

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

The Disney Vacation Club 3″ Key figure will be released at both D-Streets on August 24. We first saw it previewed at last month’s WDW Trading Night.

The figure will retail for $14.95. And of course, in order to purchase this figure, guests must present a valid Disney Vacation Club ID at time of purchase. Remember, we still have never seen the DVC white picket fence figure Disney released, and shown on Vinylnation.net, the wrap around for years ago.

Are the DVC members out there going to pick up the key vinyl? Just for fun, here are the other two DVC wrap arounds.

Collector’s Corner: MC

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

Name: MC Hometown: Orlando, FL Collection Size: 3″ = 448+ 9″ = 6 Jrs = 15 Park Starz = 0 Customs = 3 Pocket Watch= 1 How long have you been collecting? Since August of 2010.
Chelsey’s Ninja and Celeste’s Samurai lead my army of Green Army Men and Storm Troopers. (In front of my signed Star Wars case).
What is your favorite figure that you own? Chelsey made me a Ninja and gave it to me during D23.
My Evilos Carbonite Mickey is watched over by the Star Wars Boba Fett. Near by Luke and Han dress up at stormtroopers. Also seen is the great Pocket Watch from Steampunck as well as several Passholder specials. Pluto and Goofy represent my Nerds collection (AM just helped be finish them with a Daisy) and Alice in Wonderland shows up without the chaser. Also notice the signed Thomas Scott Bearded Man!
What is your favorite figure that you don’t own? Ghost Obi Wan.
The rest of the Star Wars 1 crew hang out on top of my display case under the Millennium Falcon.
What is the best feeling? Getting a figure you need from a trading box.
Unlike Nick, I only have a few of my collection out at any one time. This is the second shelf of my case. Here Urban 4 and various tins hang out. Also of note for me is the Admiral Donald and Bronze Donald DLC pieces and the Bird and Tree Trade City set. Oh, and a few various Jrs.
On the forth shelve I have the Sea Creatures, a complete Park 4, and a partial Pirates set. Also this is were I display the Park combo toppers.
On the bottom shelf I display the Day of the Dead combo from Trade city. Also, there are two years worth of Marathons and the first two Disney Afternoons (The rest are still in their boxes in storage). I also picked up the whole set of Animal Kingdom and 3″ Sports (with various Sports Jrs.) Florida Project Minnie rounds out the crew.
Some other displays I have include the two incomplete cases you saw at the top of this post where I keep series I am currently working on completing. (Since this picture was taken it now includes 10 of out 12 of Park 7 and 11 or 12 Park 8s.) I also have these two hanging cases, in which I rotate sets. Right now the Park 3 set is in one and Flags is in the other. In the background is the Disneyland Ticketbook set.
And then, finally, most of my sets is in my closet packed up in various cases. (Each one hold two different sets.) This doesn’t include the various sets I have no way of displaying and the hundreds of traders I still have. However, every day I “Keep on Collecting!”

Help me Obi Wan… Star Wars Celebration VI Explained

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

Star Wars Celebration is an official fan convention. It’s four fun-filled days of exhibits, a vibrant, interactive show floor, screenings, exclusive merchandise, celebrity guests, panels, autograph sessions, fan-inspired activities, and other surprises.

Thursday, August 23, 2012 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday, August 24, 2012 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday, August 25, 2012 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday, August 26, 2012 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Update: 08/10/12 The Disney Parks Blog released some updated information and pictures today. The leading news is the first confirmation outright from Disney that Star Wars Series 2 Blind Boxes will in fact be sold at Celebration. They also now are using two phrases I am so very wary of:

“This year, we have created some items that fans will only find at this event.” And, “One of those event exclusive items is a 3-inch Vinylmation figure of Princess Leia as a hologram.” We will see how “exclusive” these items remain. If there are any of the 2500 Leia figures left over, I’m sure they will be at the parks and/or online.

Leia looks a little better here and you can really see the posters in back of the Speedsters. I’m really leaning toward picking those up too.

The Disney Parks Blog also released this photo of some SW Series 1 and 2 figs mixing with hologram Leia.

There will be two event tee-shirts with Disney characters as Star Wars characters. They are also introducing an Aurebesh nametag with a few additional destinations not found during Star Wars Weekends 2012.

“For those guests who missed being “frozen” in carbonite, the Carbon-Freeze Me experience will return for a limited, four-day engagement during the event. Using state-of-the-art imaging technology, this experience casts your likeness as a three-dimensional, eight-inch figurine (as seen in this video by my fellow Disney Parks Blog author Gary Buchanan and Star Wars: The Clone Wars star Ashley Eckstein). Retail is $99.95 (plus shipping), and event guests can participate on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Disney will be introducing “D-Tech On-Demand.” Guests can watch their iPhone 4/4S case designs printed onsite. The four cases in the top row will premiere at this event, while the bottom row features some designs that can be printed.

I’m excited that Series 6 of Disney Characters as Star Wars figures will be released at Celebration (and later at the parks). I have stated this before… I am still confused by this series. They seem to be designs rehashed with pluses. Pluto as R2 is new, but Anakin Mickey, Yoda Stitch, Queen Amidala Minnie and Darth Maul Donald have all been done before. The twist is you get a piece of the Goofy figure in each of the other 5 packages and get to piece him together.

The next installment of Muppets Star Wars will also release at Celebration (and later at the parks). This set features Animal as Boba Fett and Scooter as Lando with a Carbonite Han Solo.

—-end update—-

The rumors were true. The Princess Lea hologram LE variant for Star Wars 2 will be available at Star Wars Celebration VI. Celebration is an annual Star Wars convention, this year held at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center from August 23-26.

The Edition size is 2,500 and it will retail for $18.95. You can find it at the Disney Theme Park Merchandise
Booth #331. The posting on the exhibitor page of the Celebration website also says “Along with the release of Vinylmation Star Wars Series #2, this Celebration VI exclusive variant figure features Princess Leia as a hologram.” Am I reading to much into the “along with” part? Might we see some SW2 blind boxes available at the convention as well? It would make sense. Disneyland has an August 25th release date.

Tickets are still available. Thursday, Friday, and Sunday Adult Passes are $55 each, Saturday Passes are $65, Adult Four-Day Passes are $135, Kids Four-Day Passes are $54, and Kids One-Day Passes are $27. Kids under the age of 6 are free with a ticketed adult. Kids ages 6-12 will receive kid pricing and kids age 13 and up will receive adult pricing. Order your tickets online at www.starwarscelebration.com.

Other goodies at the Disney Theme Park Merchandise booth:

D-Tech On-Demand – iPhone 4/4S Cases
Equip your iPhone 4/4S with new D-Tech on-demand cases debuting at Celebration VI. Select from a variety of Star Wars and Disney designs, and watch as the case is printed onsite. Retail: $36.95 each.

Star Tours – 25th Anniversary – Die-Cast Starspeeder Collection
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Star Tours, Disney is releasing the Starspeeder die-cast collection that features both the Starspeeder 3000 and the Starspeeder 1000. This Celebration VI exclusive will retail for $19.95.

Destination Vinylmation will be there all four days covering the event and will of course let you know what else Disney unveils.

WDW Marathon 20th Anniversary Medal Reveled

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

I finaly get a look at what will be hanging around my neck as I crawl around WDW on January 13.

runDisney has revealed the commemorative 20th anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon finishers medal that runners will get after finishing the 26.2 mile course.

The medal’s design features a circular shape with two spinning elements. The inner medallion features both a classic and a modern image of Mickey Mouse! The spining ring that surounds it has two inspirational quotes from Walt Disney himself.

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” And “I only hope we don’t lose sight of one thing… it was all started with a mouse.”

“For 20 years runDisney medals have set the standard in the running industry,” said Faron Kelley, Director of Marketing and Communication for Disney Sports. “This medal builds on that rich tradition and is an extraordinary keepsake that celebrates the 20 years of marathon experiences for people from around the world who have run in this time-honored event.”

The unveiling of the medal culminates a two-week runDisney social media campaign – “The Great Medal Caper’’ – in which fans unlocked clues about the design of the medal.

The Walt Disney World Marathon anchors the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna at Walt Disney World Resort, Jan. 10 – 13, 2013. In addition to earning the commemorative anniversary marathon medal, runners competing in the 20th anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon will experience several unique features, such as an enhanced course that goes through the Walt Disney World Speedway and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex’s Champion Stadium; special entertainment at Mile Marker 20 to celebrate the 20th anniversary; and a new post-race party at Downtown Disney.

The marathon weekend, which is expected to draw a sellout field of more than 20,000 for the 26.2-mile marathon, will again feature Kids’ Races throughout the weekend, including the Mickey Mile, a Family Fun Run 5K on Friday, the Half Marathon on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday. There is also Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge which involves running the Half Marathon and the full Marathon – 39.3 miles! The Health and Fitness Exporuns throughout the weekend at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and features the latest in running technology and fashion, as well as renowned running experts such as Jeff Galloway, the official training consultant for runDIsney.

For more information and to register for the 20th anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend or other runDisney events, go to www.rundisney.com.

Releases Scheduled for August 17

WDWNT on September 12, 2012

Disney’s Vinylmation Blog announced a few releases for Friday, August 17.

The 9″/3″ Park 9 Walt Disney World Boardwalk Resort Clown Slide and Simmer will be available at both D-Streets for the price of $74.95. It has an edition size of 1000. I know this is becoming a common theme from me, but I think for what this is, the LE is a bit high. Especially when we see they are not afraid to produce 500-600 of the Disneyland 9″ vinyls. As much as I like this one, I don’t expect the Boardwalk figure to have a mass appeal.

This set on the other hand, should appeal to a wider audience. It is the 3″ Park 9 Disneyland Tomorrowland Space Man and Woman. This set has an LE of 1750, a price tag of $26.95 and will be available at both D-Streets as well as Online.