“Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom” Announced

From Thomas Smith on the Disney Parks Blog:

Today, we’re thrilled to share plans for a new role-playing adventure coming to Walt Disney World called Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. This is going to be fun – and it’s all happening inside the park. Merlin the magician will recruit guests to become apprentice sorcerers and then help them with maps and clues that show where and how to defeat an army of Disney villains.

Looks interesting, right? Work on this new adventure is already underway. You may notice a few giant crates and even some new spaces showing up throughout Adventureland. They’ll provide early clues to the challenge you’ll face while trying to save the Magic Kingdom.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to debut in early 2012. And we’ll be sharing more details in the future so keep checking the Disney Parks Blog for updates.

VIDEO – Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Lost in the shuffle of the incredibly busy month it has been in the world of Disney is the opening of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at the Magic Kingdom. Here is a video of the main show from WDWNT Reporter Coral Rivera:

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Review

I was incredibly scared to go on this ride as a kid. But after I got a few under my belt (rides and years), it became a favorite… then, as fast as I fell in love with this classic, it was gone. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a favorite to many Disney fans and now artist Caley Hicks has masterfully captured the Nautilus in 9″ Vinylmation form.

The first thing I notice is the water line detail around the bottom third of the figure. The colors used to make all the details in this figure are really perfect. Caley had to figure out how best to wrap the giant squid’s arms around the sub. One curls up the front, while another, larger one, winds it’s way up the side and ends up in the ear.

There is no noticeable texture feel between the water and sub, but there is between the squid and sub. The squid has a glossy feel to it, so it stands out against the matte finish of the sub.

Every nail, porthole and the ridge up top all capture the feel of this beloved attraction.

This is a 9″/3″ combo that comes with a 3″ diver. I could very much do without the diver. Not that it is poorly executed by artist Jason Zucker, just not needed in my opinion and doesn’t add greatly to anything more than the price tag.

He is actually designed very well. The gloves and boots look great. The body suit is painted in gloss that gives they shiny effect you would expect.

The gem of this figure is the helmet. It is painted with a sparkle that gives it the metallic effect a helmet should have. And the gold paint around the mask has a brilliant color to it.

I always give Park Vinyls high grades, but I couldn’t think of how the sub could be done any better. Great job guys. And on a side note, I just got back from Disneyland where I was able to once again take a sub trip at a Disney park. This one Nemo themed. I had a smile on my face the whole time. The Nemo ride at Disneyland is extremely fun and enjoyable and helped bring back, if only a little, those Under the Sea memories at Walt Disney World.

Puerto Rico Rising 9/16/11

Update: 9/16/11 Puerto Rico flag released today at D-Streets… It will also be released at the Disney Store in Puerto Rico on October 4. The store is located at the Plaza Las Americas, 525 Ave Franklin Delano Roosevelt, San Juan.

Update: 9/2/11 Pictures released:

Copyright Disney
Copyright Disney

Attention Puerto Ricans! Your flag will be added to the Flag set starting on September 16th. Like the other flags this release will be open window and will be priced at $9.95.

What other flags would you like to see?

Spotlight On: Custom Artist Gabriell

Look what we found on the internets a few weeks ago.
This is Wolverine. He’s an X-Men, and sometimes part of Alpha Flight. He’s pretty bad-ass. He’s also a custom vinylmation made by Gabriell Lucchese. It took a while to track her down, but we found her and wanted to know more about her and her piece of artwork…

MC: Tell us a little about yourself…
GL: My name is Gabriell Lucchese. I am 20 years old and I am currently attending the College of Staten Island, where I was born and raised.

MC: What got you into art?
GL: I’ve always been known to have a good sense of creativity.

MC: What’s your artistic background, training/education?
GL: Not much of a background at all. I haven’t had any training, yet. I am hoping to get accepted into SUNY Purchase College and transfer for Spring 2012, where I can put my creativity to good use while strengthening my skills.

MC: How long have you been creating custom Vinylmation?
GL: Wolverine is my one and only so far. I recently vacationed at Walt Disney World with family and friends in June 2011. There, I found these adorable vinyls. When I spotted the custom “do it yourself” figure, I had to have it. Seeing all of the characters at Disney definitely inspired me to produce my own style of artwork. I am most certainly interested in making more. I just adore Disney!

MC: Do you collect the Vinylmation created by Disney artists?
GL: Yes, I absolutely love Vinylmations. My boyfriend and I go crazy for them. We consider it an addiction!

MC: Most of us do too! What is your favorite Disney Vinylmation design?
GL: I really love Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Although, I haven’t been able to get my hands on her, I am keeping my eyes peeled for the Villain Series every chance I get. My favorite Vinylmation (that I actually own) is Pinocchio from the Animation Series. What really makes him my favorite is that he is Pinocchio from Pleasure Island, transforming into a donkey.

MC: How did you come up with the idea of the Wolverine piece?
GL: My brother, Damien Lucchese, works for Marvel Entertainment. Knowing that Disney has recently acquired Marvel, I figured it was the perfect collaboration of the two. With that being said, Wolverine has always been my favorite Marvel character.

MC: We’re all waiting for the Marvel series also! Can you describe this figure? What detail went into it?
GL: Wolverine is equipped with three blades on each hand and his X-men suit, ready to defeat anyone that gets in his way.

MC: What is your favorite aspect of it?
GL: The Mickey ears, of course!

MC: What was the hardest part in creating this figure?
GL: The hardest part was deciding which costume/uniform Wolverine should wear.

MC: Will you create more comic book vinylmation?
GL: I would be glad to! It was a very fun activity to work on.

MC: Is there a place where people can go to find out more about your pieces and see your work?
GL: Maybe in the near future, when I create more pieces. I would absolutely love to work for Disney one day. It has always been my dream job and luckily for me, Disney is a company where dreams come true!

MC: Thanks for much for your time, and we look forward to anything new you make it the future! Maybe you can get a Marvel set out before Disney actually does.

D23 Exclusive Vinylmation Review

Some figures exclusive to the D23 Expo in Anaheim were released last weekend. Here is an up close look and our take on the group.

3″ D23 Logo
Maria Clapsis
LE 4800
$13.95

With the design and very high quantity available, this one hung around all weekend long and was still available late Sunday at the Dream Store. A very simple design, this one actually grew on me. I like the color and the stars outlining Mickey’s features. I’m also a sucker for Sorcerer Mickey and he is part of the logo on the back of the Vinylmation. This one gets a low grade for me because it isn’t exciting, but it’s a nice souvenir of the event.

3″ Davy Crocket 
Casey Jones
LE 1200
$13.95

Casey created a Masterpiece with his 9″ Park 5 Davy Crocket, this 3″ version doesn’t hold the same wow factor. It did however sell off the shelves just a few hours into day 1 of the expo.

I will say the attention to detail is phenomenal, and without the 9″ to compare it to, this one would be even more incredible. I don’t really understand the muted tone on this 3″. The 9″ is brown, but it’s a lively coloring scheme that yells old west.

The hat is wonderful. Again, comparing it to the 9″, it doesn’t have the layered tail the bigger figure has. But the fact that we now have this coon skin cap for combo contests can not be understated. Overall, a brilliantly detailed 3″ that is a must own for any Disney fan.

3″ Gladstone Gander
Thomas Scott
LE 1200
$13.95

If there is anywhere that a character this obscure can work it’s a large gathering of Disney geeks. So D23 was the perfect place, as Gander sold out first within hours of the expo opening on Friday morning.

Gander, among other places, is from the Disney Comics and Thomas Scott did a fantastic job at pulling Gander out of the comic and slapping him on a vinyl collectable.

Care about the character or not, this figure has a perfect colorful, comical look with clean lines and big duck bill perfectly placed. It really does look like a cool drawing on a Vinylmation instead of a design printed on it.

9″ Butch
Eric Caszatt
LE 750 
$44.95

Sorry Eric, but a great design couldn’t overcome a larger than needed LE and a high price tag on an obscure character. There were plenty of Butch’s on the shelves late into Sunday. The design works. I’ll say it every time, putting the chin on the nose just looks great on many figures. Nothing fancy, it’s just a straightforward design. In my opinion, 750 was WAY too high an LE. Put it at 500 or even 450 and sell it out at the event. Neither M.C. nor I purchased this one, but we probably would have purchased a 3″ version.

3″ Disney Store 25th with Pin
Enrique Pita
LE 2500
$26.95

Another high LE, but this one appealed to a much wider audience. I saw these fly off the shelf at the Disney Store inside D23, although I couldn’t verify if they sold out and if not, where the quantities would go.

To me, nothing fancy about the design. In fact I don’t like the outlines on Mickey’s face. Also, in general, the Disney Store logo doesn’t do anything for me. It holds no special meaning. But to many it does. Many current and ex Disney Store Cast Members are excited about this figure.

The pin I do like. It’s large and has a nice high quality feel and design to it. This set was a pick up for me. Not necessarily a long term keep, this one might be up for trade.

Cars Land Ready to Become a “Radiator Springs Reality”

Time to hit the road for the D23 Expo and an exciting, high-octane look at one of the largest projects ever created for the Disney Parks!

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

In this presentation, John Lasseter and Roger Gould from Pixar and Kathy Mangum, Kevin Rafferty, & Jennifer Mok from Walt Disney Imagineering take us on a in-depth exploration of the upcoming Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. It is a fascinating look at the project and a rare opportunity to hear the creative forces behind the project talk for over an hour about every last detail of next Summer’s blockbuster addition to the Disneyland Resort. Enjoy!