Why did I not make this my actual prediction on the last podcast? In our preview for Park 11 I said an easy possible variant would be the different character Fun Wheel cars. Well it turns there is a Donald Duck variant of the Mickey Fun Wheel car.
I found this picture on the Vinylmation Exchange Facebook page. This marks the third variant (Park 6 Wet Pain, Animation 2 Noah) for Donald Duck. Does anyone know of any other Park 11 variants?
By Brian Shapiro
This week’s Vinylmation releases seemed fit for a bridal bash with the So Tasty series and the Park Starz Haunted Mansion “The Bride” Variant. Some nerds even made a surprise appearance as well.
On Monday, June 4, Disney Store and DisneyStore.com released six figures of the So Tasty series. These whimsical 3″ figures each depict and smell like a food or drink. They are open edition and come in windowed boxes. The flavors include the following: Popcorn, Mint Chip Ice Cream, Bacon Cheeseburger, Grape Soda, Lemonade, and Root Beer. The figures retail for $11.95 and were subsequently released on Friday, June 8, at D Streets.
Also released on Friday was the much anticipated Park Stars Haunted Mansion “The Bride” Variant. She materialized at D Streets and at DisneyStore.com (Where she sold out in less than fifteen minutes!). This LE 999 figure, packaged in a special tin, was designed by Casey Jones and Thomas Scott of the Disney Design Group. She looks identical to the version that was included in the Park Starz series, except she’s translucent! Her retail price is $24.95 if you can still summon her.
Although they are not scheduled to release until June 22, the Nerds Rock Figment and Stitch figures made a surprise appearance on the official Vinylmation Facebook store this past Friday. These open edition 3″ figures are two of the best in the series. The Imagination Institute theme of Figment fits the current Epcot attraction perfectly. Both figures each retail for $12.95.
Finally, Saturday, June 9, saw the release of a new Vinylmation mold, called Vinylmation 95, at the grand opening of the WonderGround Gallery in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District. This 9″ mold is shaped like Lightening McQueen (who sports the number 95) from the Cars movies. Renowned artist, Noah, created 25 custom figures with the new canvas for the event.
On June 15, blank, white Create-Your-Own Vinylmation 95 figures will be released at D Streets. It will be interesting to see what custom artists do with the new platform!
The Disney Store decided to attempt a little reboot of the Robots series. They announced back at Mickey’s Circus how Robots 3 will be Disney Characters as robots. Now, we have a release date for the series of November 19 at Disney Stores. On Friday, the Disney Vinylmation Blog reveled 4 never before seen designs.
The artist(s) seemed to have put a lot of though in decided what defining characteristically or themes from each character to put into the designs. Minnie has some pink tones throughout and keeps her bow. She has a Mickey head at her core and has yellow on her feet representing the heels she never leaves behind. It wouldn’t be Winnie the Pooh without a tummy full of honey! I absolutely love that feature. But the coolest (and not just because he’s one of my favorite characters) design feature in any of these is the claw drawn onto the body of the Little Green Man from Toy Story. He also gets an antenna and the Pizza Planet logo. Grumpy, a favorite of the DS Artists, still has his trademark beard drawn on, but it is almost sucked into a hole on his belly and has wires wrapped around and through it. I liked the concept when this was announced, but was skeptical. I really hope they give me a Donald Duck and I’ll call this set a win! Here is a look at the Tigger and White Rabbit we saw previewed at Mickey’s Circus.
Opening on June 18th, the Cars wing of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is already expected to be the most popular wing of the hotel. We took a lot of pictures over the construction fences during our stay, so let’s see how the next phase of the resort is doing (You may also want to check out our photos from a few weeks ago for a look inside the Cars rooms):
Sheriff sits below a billboard from the film
The back of one of the Cars buildings
Doc Hudson
Flo
Yes, the Cozy Cone Sign has neon, and unlike the one in the movie, it spins…
Ramone
Mater
Cozy Cone cabanas around the pool
The back of another building
The Cozy Cone cabanas will be first-come, first-serve
Sarge’s Surplus Hut
The Wheel-Well Motel in the very back
In the windows of the Cozy Cone Motel, we spotted postcards…
And the little alarm clocks from the film
Great signage
Gas pumps at the Wheel-Well
Lightning McQueen and Sally
A peek inside a cabana
The Extreme Wrestlers of Vinylmation will feature a 9″ LE figure to go along with the blind boxes.
The figure will have an edition size of 1,000 and a retail of $59.95. It will be released at Disney Stores on October 29 along with the 3″ Blind Box series that will retail for $9.95.
Artist Katie Kelly, who is up for Favorite Disney Commissioned Artist at this year’s Dee Vees, will have a Vinylmation for sale at this year’s Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney in Orlando.
This one-of-a-kind 9-inch figure will have a retail of $950.00. The 37th Festival of the Masters is an open-air fine arts festival at Downtown Disney. This year it will be held from November 9 through November 11, 2012. Featuring award-winning artists, this world-renowned show is a highly anticipated annual event for Guests, artists, collectors and art lovers.
Katie Kelly has produced a few one-of-a-kind pieces in the past.
She has also produced some other wonderful Disney themed artwork.
Visit Katie Kelly’s website to view more of her portfolio.
Great article on Yesterland.com about the Orange Stinger’s history and then eventual transition into the Silly Symphony Swings.
We’re happy to announce the release of issue 15 of WDWNT: The Magazine. Summer is almost upon us, and we are now in what feels like a holding pattern waiting for all the great additions to the Parks to come to fruition. While we anxiously wait, this issue takes the opportunity to look back at some of our memories from the Parks.
This issue features articles looking back on Big Thunder Mountain, Life as a Cast Member, and Flight to the Moon / Mission to Mars. Of course, we also can’t help but look forward to what will eventually replace Snow White’s Scary Adventures and the future of FASTpass. And if children are our future, then how can we keep them entertained in Epcot’s vision of the future? That topic is discussed in the article Epcot with Kids. We also consider the topic of Thrill Rides and the Teenage Guest. Finally, no discussion about the Disney company would be complete without mention the unmitigated success that is The Avengers, so we offer our unique view of the movie for which blockbuster is simply too small of a word. And of course, this issue follows the continued adventures of Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom with chapters 3 and 4 of the continuing series.
We hope that you will find the articles both entertaining and educational. If you have any suggestions or feedback, we are always happy to hear from our readers. Just send an email to WDWNTthemagazine@wdwnt.com and share your thoughts.
As a reminder, the magazine is available in digital form from our website (http://www.wdwntthemagazine.com) or in printed form from MagCloud (http://www.magcloud.com). If you like what you read here, please share it with your friends.
We all knew it was going to be a long two days for Eric Caszatt when the Classics collection comes out, but today the Vinylmation blog announced that the signing at Disneyland would no longer take place. The one at WDW is still going on though. No word on what exactly happened, but it’s sad to see such a cool idea (back to back signings) not happen. It does still seem like DLR will be getting the set released on Saturday November 10th.
October 1, 2012, marks the 30th anniversary of Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort and D23: The Official Disney Fan Club invites its members and their guests to fete one of Disney’s crowning achievements on this special occasion. The event on Sunday, September 30, will whisk D23 Members back to a time touted as when “the 21st century begins”—those early Epcot years when guests first marveled at “Astuter Computers,” “Smellitzers,” the novelty of “riding on sunshine,” and were awed by a massive geodesic sphere called Spaceship Earth. The celebration will feature rare and never-before-seen artwork; film and video footage and photos; along with a number of pioneers of Epcot, including such Disney Imagineers, Legends and Epcot luminaries as Marty Sklar (exclusive pre-taped presentation), Tony Baxter, Ron Schneider, Charlie Ridgway, Ron Logan, Bill Sullivan, Bob Garner, Jason Surrell, Jason Grandt, Alex Wright, Duncan Dickson and Steve Taylor.
World Passport ($65) general admission includes:
• Access to all presentations
• A commemorative gift
• Access to exclusive D23 merchandise
World Key ($185) level admission includes:
• All features of the World Passport admission
• Reserved seating for all presentations
• A special dessert reception at 8 p.m. inside an exclusive Future World lounge
• Exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity with Disney Legends and Epcot luminaries
• Reception will also include screenings of rare film footage of Epcot’s early days
Check out some of the presentations D23 is has in store for this extraordinary tribute to Epcot:
Hooray for the 21st Century
Disney Legend and former Walt Disney Imagineering Principal Creative Executive Marty Sklar joins D23 guests via a virtual presentation, where we see and hear what it was like to work with Walt Disney on his original vision for an Experiemental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Along the way, learn about Marty’s favorite memories working on the EPCOT Center project with a team of passionate Imagineers.
The Music of EPCOT Center
Some of Epcot’s most passionate fans agree that the park’s soundtrack has created one of its most lasting legacies that continue to help “makin’ memories” around the world. Join Disney historians and songwriters as we explore the incredible world of Epcot music, celebrating the talents of such Epcot songwriters and composers as Bob Moline, Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, George Wilkins, Buddy Baker, X. Atencio, Peter Stougaard, Russell Brower, Edo Guidotti and others who have left a permanent musical mark on the park’s creative legacy. Along the way, hear stories about the recording sessions, learn about some fascinating alternate versions of some of your favorite melodies, and sing along to your favorite Epcot tunes!
We Can Do It!
Disney Legends and EPCOT Center creators review the immense challenge that loomed ahead of them when bringing Epcot to reality in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Guests will hear stories of trips to foreign countries to secure participants in the World Showcase concept, what life was like inside the largest private construction project in the world, and how they readied its highly anticipated opening day.
We’ve Just Begun to Dream
Join Disney Legend Ron Logan and other key Disney entertainment veterans as they reminisce about the official EPCOT Center opening festivities that remain among the most elaborate Disney has ever staged. This presentation will include rare footage from the grand openings of various Future World and World Showcase pavilions, which were held throughout October 1982.
Makin’ Memories: Epcot on Film
Join former Disney Imagineer Bob Garner and Disney author and historian Tim O’Day as they cast a “Magic Eye” on the marvelous world of Epcot on film. Bob was closely involved in the creation of film documentation and production at Epcot, including special video elements of Future World and World Showcase pavilions and such promotional films as EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration.
Looking Back at Tomorrow
Few Epcot visitors, even its most avid fans, realize The Land pavilion was almost called “Harvest Tomorrow” or that Figment was slated to co-host an “Images & Imagination” pavilion with “Professor Marvel.” With recently discovered materials from the Walt Disney Archives, join Disney archivists as they examine how the “dreamers and doers” developed favorite Epcot attractions of the past including Horizons, Journey into Imagination, Kitchen Kabaret, World of Motion, theAstuter Computer Revue, and the original Universe of Energy.
The EPCOT Center That Never Was
Using rare concept artwork, guests will glimpse what it was like to design Epcot with Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Vice President Tony Baxter, designer and producer for several beloved Epcot pavilions, and explore early versions of Epcot attractions that never made it off the drawing board.
Imagineering Epcot: An Extra Perceptive Close-up Of Things
Fans of wall-to-wall carpeting and leapfrog fountains unite! Disney Imagineers Jason Surrell, Jason Grandt, and Alex Wright return with a humorous exploration of the details that make Epcot so unique. From miniature gardens to massive buildings (and every international food and beverage offering in between), they’ll show what makes Future World and World Showcase like no place else on earth.
Tickets go on sale on June 21st at 10 A.M. PST.
