Updated Calendar Info

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

Disney has updated a ton of their information on releases and some contradict previous posts from last week. We collected all the updates in this one post and also made the updates to our calendar.

April 13th
On this day, at both DLR and WDW, the Robots 2, 9″ Crying Alice LE (LE 2500, $74.95) and Haunted Mansion Pocket Watch (LE 750, $175) will all still come out. The update is a wristband distribution at Disneyland only. From the Disney website: “Wristbands for the limited edition Vinylmation will be distributed at D-Street in the Downtown Disney District at 7:00 a.m. Wristbands will be available at the location until 1:00 p.m. or while supplies last. We kindly ask that Guests do not line up for wristband distribution prior to 6:00 a.m. The queue for wristbands will begin behind the Rainforest Cafe in the Downtown Disney. Also of note, is Snow White Jr will NOT release this week as previously planned.

April 20th
The Alice Flowers LE set will now NOT be released this week. However, Thomas Scott will still be at an artist signing at D-Street Orlando from 5p-7p. According to the blog, he signing is for “LE Alice figures.” At this point however, only the 12 figure set, Cheshire Cat combo, and the previous week’s Crying Alice 9/Jr will be available.

Also on the 20th, at both DLR and WDW, the Snow White Jr Series 6 ($9.95 each) will be released and the Disneyland Paris 20th anniversary four figures will finally be available stateside. This French set includes the 3″ Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy all sold separately for $14.95.

April 27th
This week will then see the release of both the Alice LE Flowers 4 figure set (LE 2000, $44.95) and Alice LE Walrus and Carpenter 9″/3″combo (LE 1500, $74.95)

Park Starz Variants & Signing: June 29th

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

Thomas Scott and Casey Jones will be signing on Friday, June 29 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at D-Street Orlando. As of right now, the only variant we know of is a bronze Abe Lincoln.

New San Fran Vinylmation May 11

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

Update: 4/6/12 Disney has posted the correct Lombard St. Vinylmation today.

It’s a very colorful, cartoonish look at this famous winding hillside street. This is actually a very appealing figure to me because it really stands out among anything we have ever seen. The Golden Gate Bridge in the head with the sun rays and the birds in the ears make this one a real treat.

The details of the Enrique Pita signing are still the same.

And like with many of these city specific figures, it comes in a beautifully designed tin.


Update: The original picture was a picture of a previously released vinyl. We’re not sure, but it looks like the vinylmation.com blog might have just pictured the wrong figure. (We thought the name was a little weird.) So we’ve replaced it with this one. The rest of the info is probably correct, just with a different figure. (Thanks to those who pointed this out)

The Vinylmation blog has announced a new Vinylmation coming to the San Francisco Disney Store on May 11.
This 9″, called Lombard Street, was designed by Enrique Pita and will be available at the Stockton St. Disney Store. Enrique will be on hand the following day for a signing on May 12 from 8a-11a at the store.

Since we don’t have the right image of the figure, here’s a picture of Lombardo St. You probably recognize it from TV and films. If done right, this would look really cool on a vinyl.

Urban 9 Release Date & Signing: May 11

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

We are inferring a lot of release dates off the Vinylmation Blog today based on other announcements. It appears May 11 should be the date we see the 9th installment of the Urban series in stores.

You can see the full lineup on our Urban 9 explained page. May 11 is also a Trading Night for Pins and Vinylmation at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort Fantasia Ballroom G from 6p-9p where there will also be an artist signing of Urban 9 Series and Urban 9 Combo pack with Disney Design Group Artists, Thomas Scott, Caley Hicks, Maria Clapsis, Casey Jones, and Billy Davis. See you there!

Brave Vinylmation Announced

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

Disney has announced a set of Vinylmation based on the upcoming Pixar film Brave. We are not sure the nature of this set (LE, Blind Box, Open Window…) but it does appear it will be released on May 25th along side an artist signing with Ron Cohee on Friday, May 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at D-Street Orlando. (all pictures copyright Disney)

We also do not know the set size or the character selection at this point. We can assume it includes the lead heroine Merida (seen above), but little is even known about the rest of the characters to speculate. I visited the Pixar Brave website where there are a ton of screen shots, videos and downloads… as well as character descriptions. A couple options would be Merida’s horse, Angus:

A human and animal 2-pack is a likely option. Or possibly King Fergus:

After seeing the mold modifications to allow for better John Carter figures, that peg leg would be an incredible addition to the Vinylmation universe. This vinyl news comes on the heals of the announcement that the US movie release date has been changed to July 15. If you have not seen it already, here is the trailer for Brave. It seems to keep in the Pixar tradition of a truly beautiful looking film.

Everything is Better with a Platypus

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

Disney has officially announced a Perry the Playpus set! First question, what has taken so long? No great details other than what looks like a May 25th release and it is called an Open Edition series. Meaning it points to an open window series that will be around for a while instead of a limited release which is what they call the blind boxes. The announcement on the Vinylmation Blog is not for the set release, but for an artist signing with Ron Cohee on Friday, May 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at D-Street Orlando. We are so excited to be bringing this news to you and hope there is more in the near future. But for now, speculate away on the characters and mark May 25 on your calendars. Some of the givens should be: (all pictures copyright Disney)

Phineas
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Ferb
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Perry
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Agent P
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Candice
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Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
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A great choice would be Major Monogram

Get Rewarded with Muppets 2

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

A big thanks to Nick for pointing out the new Disney Movie Rewards item.

You can now grab a Muppets Series 2 blind box for 575 points. So if you rack up these points like I do and need a place to drop a few… why not pick up a Muppet. On another note, this is a great time to add some points to your account at Target.

Target is running a nice sale right now online and in stores with select Disney Blu-Ray/DVD combos at $17.99. I happened upon this sale yesterday and purchased Cars 2, Muppets, Dumbo and Lady and the Tramp. I know Tangled was also in on the deal as were a few others. It seemed many of the Disney DVDs where also on sale.

Disney’s Facebook Vinylmation Shop: Like it?

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

Update: 4/7/12 The shop now has a working checkout button and it significantly changes my opinion.

The button links to a Checkout page at DisneyStore.com. This means that you can add whatever you want from Facebook, including the Facebook exclusive figure, and then check out at DisneyStore.com receiving all the benefits there in. Meaning you can then add other items, Vinylmation or not, from the Disney Store into your cart. You can also apply all discount codes including free shipping. You can also of course log into your DisneyStore.com account. I still will not purposefully shop through Facebook unless I really desire the exclusive being offered, but it makes me feel better about the process.

4/5/12 Disney has introduced a Shop section on the official Vinylmation Facebook page. I’ll be honest, I did not know such an application existed to shop on Facebook. On the surface it is remarkably brilliant for a company as a way to increase impulse purchases. I mean how many people go to Facebook for the purpose of purchasing an item? The interface however seems a bit clunky and I could not actually find a way to pay for the items in my checkout cart. (and by some comments, I wasn’t the only one) The later is an issue I’d assume will be fixed ASAP. So why would you want to purchase through Facebook you ask? For Facebook exclusive figures. The Theme Park Favorites Blue Ringer Tee figure made it’s debut yesterday. Here is a rundown of how to shop, the interface and a look at the exclusive figure. First, you have to “like” the official Disney Vinylmation Facebook page. Then you can click on the Shop icon. Next you have to accept some application notices before you can access the shop.

Right now, the shop only features a few select departments with a limited amount of Vinylmation. Teams, Theme Park Favorites, 2012s, Light Ups and Park 7 LE Fife and Drum are among the initial offerings.

You can then select a department and look at individual items that you can then add to your cart, wish list, share listing with FB friends or let FB friends know you want it.

That is the Facebook exclusive Blue Ringer Tee figure for $12.95. It is a variation on the Red and Yellow versions we have already seen.

You can then add figures to your cart, but there is no checkout button to actually pay for you items yet. So we will continue to check on that (unless someone out there has found the way and can share?)

There are a few other interesting items around the shop. Such as the “Meet the Artist” windows that pop up. Right now, Eric Caszatt is the only one I saw, but this is a brilliant idea. We asked Disney to do this at least a year ago and they told us they didn’t have the man-power to put it together. We did offer to talk to the artists and put it on DV, but they kindly declined. I really hope they put more of these up, they are an invaluable tool to get to know the artists. There are also some tabs that do not seem to have a function yet, but point to added features down the road. These include “Rewards” and “Badges”. I don’t care much for Badges, but if we can rack up Reward points for buying Vinylmation, I’m all for it. How about a Nintendo style point system where we can register our Vinylmation purchases online and rack up points to get rewards or exclusive figures at the end of the year? To me, seeing the “Rewards” tab could make Facebook shopping worth it. I am passing on Blue Ringer, but will certainly use Facebook for exclusive figures that I desire to add to my collection. It will also be interesting to see if Facebook carries vinyls found in the Parks but not Online (right now, that is not the case.) So other than exclusives, and with Free Shipping and Discount codes at DisneyStore.com, there is not an incentive to buy through Facebook for me at this time. Will you be shopping for vinyl at Facebook? Have you ever shopped through Facebook? And what do you think about Rewards and where that can go down the road?

Smoke and Mirrors Hinder the Car Chase

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

There are many signs now that point to the fact that although Holly Shiftwell is the mystery figure on the side of the Monorail Series 1 box, she may not in fact be the most rare figure and therefor not the chaser.

We didn’t think too much of it when Zoe sent us this picture of the Monorails display at the DCA Merchandise Event last week.
After all, how often have we seen minor screw ups like putting the chaser out for display. In the above photo, Holly Shiftwell is in the case, but Chick Hicks is not. 
Couple that with the fact that I have seen many people, even in store pull Holly and get excited AND my friend Austin opened up his case yesterday to find 2 Holly’s and only 1 Chick Hicks (Matter is the triple by the way)… and it is easy to see the possibility that Chick Hicks is in fact the chaser and Holly is the mystery common.
This is reminiscent of the Jr. 5 This or That chaser mix up where Wing and a Prayer and Up and Down became the chasers instead of the PBJ and Smoke and Mirrors even though the box portrayed the opposite scenario. 
If you picked up a case, let us know your findings. I believe the Vinylmation Blog will be announcing a chaser change up sometime this week.

I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff and I’ll Review these Vinylmation

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

The Big Bad Wolf and Three Little Pigs set came out today at D-Streets. This LE 1500 set sell for $44.95 and was designed by Monty Maldovan for the Animation 2 Limited Edition series. On the surface, the set is spectacular. It’s a perfect use of the 3″ and Jr combos. The amount of detail and character packed onto the Jr figures these days is remarkable.

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Each of the pigs has their own facial detail, ear design and clothing design. Some of the best designed Jrs ever and makes me even more excited for Snow White. There is one slight problem however. But it is in the production. Maybe I have never looked close enough upon Jrs, but there seems to be some glue protruding from where the arms meet the body.

I noticed it on all three in this combo pack. It is not enough to pass on this set, but it does knock the grade down a bit if that is the issue on all the combos.

The backs are what you’d expect… the clothing, hats and tails. Next up is the 3″ Big Bad Wolf.

It is a wonderful design all on it’s own. The colors and proportions do capture the movie character. But when I put this up against Enrique Pita’s Villains 2 design, I’d have to give Enrique a slight edge.

Villains 2 Enrique Pita
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I like Monty’s feet and body on the Animation 2 combo figure, but Enrique gives us a much more detailed and villainous face. I also like Enrique’s over sized hat design and ears. Both artists offer a completely different look at the same character. Monty gives a more smooth animated feel where as Enrique delivers a more gritty depiction of this villain. Overall, this LE combo shouldn’t be missed if you are a fan of classic Disney animation. It’s a great nod to the film. Ideally I would have liked to see an LE of 1000 and a price tag $10 cheaper, but that didn’t keep these guys from my display cabinet.