SPOILER: Last Nursery Rhyme. The Chaser!
The Playwright sent us this pic of the chaser to the Nursery Rhyme Set (click above image to view).
I really like the accessory. What do you think about it?
Celebrating Epcot’s 30th
October 1, 2012 is a big day in Walt Disney World history… Epcot celebrates it’s 30th anniversary. We got hints of a few Vinylmation customs, but today the Disney Parks Blog finally showed us some pictures of these inspired pieces.
Noah will have a few 9″ and 3″ customs with this design scheme. No word on numbers or prices. The 9″ will come on a stand with a print back drop. That Epcot print will also be available for purchase.
Artist Unknown
Artist: Javier Soto
Artist John Henselmeier (who created the greatest pin set known to man, see below) designed the above set of customs for the event as well. All of these items will be released at MouseGear starting at park open on October 1. No Disney production piece Vinylmation announced. Now, if you are also into pins, you may have seen all the Epcot 30th pins that will available on October 1. We covered them extensively on the Once Upon a Pin podcast and have them all in a photo album on our Facebook page, but here is a quick look.
That is the John Henselmeier designed pin set I was talking about. It is Spaceship Earth, it is innovative, it has multiple Donalds… it is the coolest thing I have ever seen.
I also love the above double hinge, triple circle pin. Below are a few more Epcot pins that will be released on September 28. All LE pins come out on October 1, but some open editions come out a few days earlier.
Also from the Disney Parks Blog:
On Monday, October 1, we will release several “day of” items including three shirts that have “October 1, 2012” and the “Epcot 30” logo, as seen in the first image above. For those who can’t attend that weekend, those three dated shirts and the 11 World Showcase shirts will be sold via the Disney Parks online store from September 28 through October 4.
One of the more interesting items is something new called “Cover Your Ears.” This Spaceship Earth-inspired cover will fit over a regular Mickey Mouse ear hat. Additional special ear hat embroidery will be offered at Mouse Gear through October 1.
Now here, again from the Disney Parks Blog, is a schedule of events:
Throughout the day on October 1, guests can attend Epcot history presentations in World Showplace courtesy of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. These presentations are included in park admission and are limited in seating.
1-2 p.m. – Designing the Future – Past and Present: A panel of Disney Imagineers remembers 30 years of building tomorrow!
4:30–6 p.m. – Epcot: How it Changed the World with Marty Sklar
6:30–8 p.m. – Epcot: How it Changed the World with Marty Sklar
Guests can also attend an anniversary moment at the America Gardens Theatre at 3 p.m., which will feature appearances by Disney leaders and include performances by Mariachi Cobre and Voices of Liberty. (Seating for this presentation is also limited.)
That evening, the October 1 presentation of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” will feature a special 30th anniversary tag.
I’ll see everybody there! What time will you be arriving?
Disneyland Scholarship Application Now Available!
For the first time, the Disneyland Resort is awarding ten (10) $7,500 scholarships to high school seniors in Orange County. The Disneyland Resort Scholarship Program underscores the Resort’s dedication to volunteerism and community support, while furthering opportunities for students to attend college or a professional trade school. Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in volunteerism, academics, and overall leadership.
Qualified applicants, who apply through Jan. 31, will receive two Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Tickets. If you know a qualified high school senior in Orange County, direct him or her to the Disneyland Resort Public Affairs website to apply.
Episode 090 Strawberry Field
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Ep. 090 Strawberry Field This week we record live at Disney’s Boardwalk hotel with Zoe. We talk all about Haunted Mansion, Cinderella and the new Japan series. We get Zoe’s take on some of the Mickey’s Circus previews and fight about what is a Dole Whip. We also have an interview with custom artist Aaralyn. |
Haunted Mansion Vinyl Spook the Net
The Haunted Mansion series ended up online when it was released last weekend. That’s pretty cool, since we know a lot of people who wanted to purchase the set, but didn’t live near the parks. But I can only find the individual boxes for sale. $12.95 each.
Did you pick up this set? What do you think of the variants?
Nursery Rhyme Vinylmation Explained
Nursery Rhyme Series
$9.95 Each
Release Date: 9/24/12
This is a set of 12 blind box figures and is a Disney Store product.
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Humpty Dumpty |
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Starlight Star Bright |
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Little Bo Peep |
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Little Miss Moffet
I’m not sure how her curds and way just float there on her stomach? |
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Little Boy Blue
Another great accessory! |
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Hickory Dickory Dock |
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Cat and the Fiddle
Look at that bow! Awesome. I need one of those. |
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Mother Goose |
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Three Little Pigs
Is this better then the individual ones that came with the Big Bad Wolf? I don’t think it is. |
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Old Women Who Lived In A Shoe
I’m not sure why her children are falling. (Unless that’s Jack and Jill) |
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Three Blind Mice
Brilliant change here. Three jrs instead of a 3″ figure in the blind box. Very cool out of the box thinking! |
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Chaser
(Click to reveal) (Thanks to the Playwright for the image) |
Tutto Italia Re-Opens with Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar
Patina Restaurant Group officially opened Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar and re-opened Tutto Italia at Epcot earlier today. Located in a reproduction of the Medici Palace in the Italy pavilion, the new wine cellar is a space that was “discovered” as Tutto Italia was being built. This “unearthed treasure” features 200 Italian wines and a selection of authentic Italian small plates.
“Tutto Gusto offers a refreshing place to relax and sample authentic tastes of Italy during a day at Epcot,” said restaurateur and CEO of Patina Restaurant Group, Nick Valenti. “It is a welcome addition to the popular dining options at the Italy pavilion.”
“We are always looking at ways to keep Epcot fresh and vibrant for our Guests,” said Erin Youngs, vice president of Epcot. “The new Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar and refreshed Tutto Italia are excellent enhancements to World Showcase. Both nicely complement Via Napoli and offer Guests a chance to enjoy the richness of Italian culture as they savor the authentic flavors of Italy.”
Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar offers a variety of delectable small plates, perfect for sharing, to pair with its wines. Menus feature sections devoted to simple, flavorful piccoli piatti such as bruschetta di Capri, pizze fritte, polenta funghi e taleggio. Artisanal Italian cheeses are on offer in the formaggi section, with everything from soft, creamy La Tur to salty-sweet aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Fresh hand-crafted mozzarella will be made in bufala and fior di latte styles. Also featured are cured, sliced meats in the affettati section – including prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, sopressata and more. The corkscrew-shaped cavatappi pasta is highlighted in its own section, with different preparations.
Chef Renzo Barcatta grew up in Cavalese, Italy and honed his skills in restaurants in Venice, Milan and Rome. He will prepare authentic dishes with choices sourced across Italy, offering the best of each region. In addition to pairing well with wine, Chef Baracatta’s creations also match nicely with family-friendly agua frescas and other non-alcoholic beverages.
Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar was unveiled as part of Tutto Italia’s grand re-opening. The architecture of both properties reflect classical antiquity and symmetry emblematic of the Italian Renaissance period. Tutto Italia has been completely refurbished along with a new enclosed patio to offer al fresco dining. Both the restaurant and wine cellar are furnished with authentic design elements directly from Italy: chandeliers, marble and limestone floors, wall hangings and more.
Popcorns, Fresh on the Shelves at WDW
Zoe found Popcorns available for purchase at the Muppets store at DHS today.
Zoe also found a sign outside WDW’s D-Street advertising the release and artist signing for Popcorns.
The release will be on Friday, September 28 and there will be a signing with artists Thomas Scott, Billy Davis and Doug Strayer from 3p-5p.
“The Legend of Jack Sparrow” Opening This Fall at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
As mysterious as Jack Sparrow himself, the latest issue of the Mickey Monitor passholder publication includes details and the first formal announcement of what we assume to be the replacement for the Narnia walkthrough experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The most intriguing part is that some passholders have already been mailed this particular issue, but the page with this story was noticeably missing. Regardless, the story is out there now and the Mickey Monitor had plenty to say on the new addition:
Opening this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow has elicited something of a legend of its own. The word around the Parks is that this mysterious new attractionwill be a first-of-it’s-kind sensory experience in which guests will have a chance to be enveloped by the world of the Pirates of the Caribbeanas seen in the four feature films. Sounds intriguing.
To find out more, we had a chance for a friendly “parley” with Jason Roberts, Walt Disney Imagineering Project Manager and Show Producer for the new attraction. “This is going to be an immersive experience,” Jason told us. “We’ll really delve into the story of Captain Jack Sparrow and put our Guests in the middle of it all in new and exciting ways.
“Story is always the most important thing for us at Walt Disney Imagineering,” Jason continued. “But we’re always looking at new ways to tell the story that our Guests have never seen before. In this attraction, we’ll let you walk in the footsteps of Jack Sparrow. “It’s not ‘the making of’, not ‘behind the scenes’…it is really a firstperson experience.”
Jason wouldn’t divulge any of the state-of-the-art special effect trickery used in the attraction, but he did assure us that the attraction is certain to elicit a “Wow! How’d they do that?” from our Guests. A long-time fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and films, Jason was delighted at his shot to work on the attraction. “We worked with the archives as well as the filmmakers while they were shooting the last movie,” Jason said. “And as a fan, I just loved sitting through those films again and again, going through all the details and leveraging them for this new experience. It’s really been a blast.”
The most interesting part is that it sounds like this is more than just a simple walkthrough attraction and clip show (unlike the two Narnia attractions before it). A Pirates of the Caribbean attraction where guests can see actual movie props and get their fill of the infamous Jack Sparrow sounds like a home-run to me, but what do you think?
UPDATE: Disney has since confirmed this attraction, but it will open this Fall, not during the course of the Summer.
New Japanese Set? eBay rumor
Rust pointed us to this auction on eBay. According to that auction this is a new Japan Disney Store series celebrating 110 years of Disney. No confirmation so far, but it’s an interesting set. Lots of hearts and magic. Lots of figures we’ve scene before, almost like a combination of sets. The Cheshire looks similar to ones we’ve seen before. The three little pigs are all on one vinyl, like they will be for the Nursery Rhymes set.
What are your thoughts?