Monorail Cars or Cars Monorail

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

Update: 3/16/12 Disney’s Vinylmation Blog has cleared up the Cars Monorail news.

The series will be a blind boxed set of Cars characters as Monorails! I love this idea and really hope more characters are used in the future. They will retail for $11.95. Each figure is 4.5″ with the artwork designed by Maria Clapsis and Thomas Scott. Lin Shih designed the form and Eric Caszatt designed the packaging.

The artwork is truly beautiful. The series will first be released at the DLR Annual Passholder event for Cars Land talked about below… then in select stores at both DLR and WDW on March 30th. Disney Store Online will see a release at a date TBA. Vinylmation forms are expanding way past Mickey and even characters now and I for one very much welcome it! I came around on Park Starz rather quickly, am not a big fan of the look of Popcorns, but these… are great. I may not want to collect all the forms of Vinylmation, but keep ideas like these coming Disney.

Back on March 12th the Vinylmation.com blog posted the above picture of a Blue Monorail figure. Lots of people speculated on what it was (we know there will be a new mold monorail as part of the Contemporary Hotel Park 8 LE) but no one knew for sure. Then there were rumors of a Monorail Cars pack. We originally thought that meant there would be a set of figures that represented the front, middle, and end cars of a monorail. Now it’s looking more like the figures will be Cars characters as monorails. I know confusing. We haven’t seen any pictures yet, but it will be interesting to see them when they are show.

The only way to get them is to go the the Annual Passholders Disney California Adventure Merchandise Showcase from March 27 – 29, 2012 at Stage 17 in Disney California Adventure. Merchandise is limited and there is a limit of 2 trays per customer. (Which brings up the question: Trays? How big is this set going to be? Is it a full 12 figure set?)

For details on this event go to the Art of Disney page.

Anyone going? Will they be picking this up?

Flower & Garden Vinyl Photoshoot

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

Spring has sprung… well, at least at EPCOT it has. The annual Flower & Garden Festival has given us a single commemorative Vinylmation a few year back. I figured it was about time the little guy visited the event it was designed for. I also tossed the single Food & Wine figure into the mix since we were at EPCOT and also edited up some more topiary photos from this years event.

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Monorail Cars Full Lineup

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

From the person on Vinylnation.net who shared the picture of the chaser (Damang6388), comes a picture of what appears to be the box side with the full Monorail Cars lineup.

Lightning, Mater, Chick Hicks, Red, Doc Hudson, Finn Missile, Ramone, Filmore, Flo, Sheriff, Francesco Bernoulli, Holly Shiftwell (Chaser). Thanks to Evilos for the heads up tweet.

Donald and Pluto Mystery Combo

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

Update: 2/22/12 An email today sent out by the Disney Store gave us all a closer look at what a lot of our great comments already pointed to. The design scheme for this “Storybook Collection” of merchandise not on sale at the parks and online. It is a variety of magnets, lanyards, pins, frames, shirts, snowglobes and more all to this theme of the Disney characters like guests enjoying the parks. Here is a look at the autograph book.

Update: 3/21/12 Thank you to Cheryl for showing us a picture of the back of these figures from the Vinylmation Exchange Facebook page.

Donald has a backpack with little Vinylmation painted on peaking out. From a comment from Carol below, it seems we should also be on the look out for”a Mickey, Minnie (with a camera), Goofy (with balloons) and Tinkerbell (above the castle) also shown on the box.” These designs struck me personally as very generic and they do look like designs used on some generic park merchandise at DLR and WDW. A Cast Member, Trevor, mentions this looks to be part of the “storybook collection.” I know Disney has to expand to this market for profit reasons, but in my opinion it is sad to see such a niche piece of Disney related art go in the direction of generic merchandise. Say what you will about the movie tie-in figures or Monorail Cars but these move way over that line. I felt the same way about Theme Park Favorites as well. New molds and Park Starz are still unique and more like art. But figures like the New years, theme park favorites and now these are more like generic merchandise. I always welcome new things in Vinylmation and if Disney feels this is what they need to do, that is fine. I would just rather see the main Disney characters used for a reason besides a tie in the the generic park merchandise theme of the day. There are so many great things you can do with the Fab 5 if you want to have them in different designs.

3/20/12 The following picture was posted on the Vinylmation Exchange Facebook page. Jon Quon was the poster and said he found this at Disneyland. Thanks to Ryan for sending it our way.

No real clue what this set represents without more context from the box, but the person who posted this picture also asked if anyone knew what series this is from. Any ideas? Donald and Pluto appear to be in their normal outfits, except for the hats. Donald wearing a yellow cap and Pluto wearing a sorcerers hat.

D-23 Vinyls Photoshoot

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

D-23 Expo 2011 saw a few exclusive vinyls released for the event. With the dates for the next expo recently announced (August 9-11, 2013), we thought it’d be fun to take a couple of last year’s figures to the parks for a few pictures. I’m talking to you, Davy Crockett and Gladestone Gander.

Location: Magic Kingdom
Davy Crockett takes aim at the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade.
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Gladestone takes a stroll through old Hollywood.
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Gladestone Gander shops for some fine men’s wear.

ZoMG: Review of AP Merchandise Showcase at DCA

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

by Zoe

Today begins the three-day event for Annual Passholders to experience some of the new and exciting things coming to California Adventure in the upcoming months!

The Merchandise Showcase event was centered on Cars Land and the merchandise that will be available when the land opens June 15th, 2012. The event also had information about Mad T Party as well as new California Adventure themed merchandise.

Walking in to Stage 17 (which is located near the back of Hollywood Pictures Backlot) there was a pop-up shop set up in the center of the room. The set up reminded me of the D23 Expo set up.

They had all different kinds of Cars Land merchandise for fans of all ages! Ride posters with “Grand Opening” stamped on them were available, as well as matching Ride Poster T-Shirts. I LOVE the way these turned out. They are each unique to their ride and look awesome.

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I love the details that they put on these T-shirts as well. Not only is the design great but also the little touches are what make it that much more magical.

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Each T-shirt has stamped on the sleeve, “Grand Opening” as well as something about the ride. A Cast Member there told me that once they run out of the “Grand Opening” stamped merchandise, they will reprint everything but without the Grand Opening stamp. Also this extremely informative Cast Member told me that every 6 Months Disney is going to release 4 Attraction Posters (for California Adventure). This makes me so happy because that means my Little Mermaid Ride Poster is coming! (Sorry for derailing about Ariel, it happens.)

Now back to the Merchandise! There are plenty of T-shirts, jackets, mugs, plastic cups, key chains, and pins etc that were made for Cars Land. There is a limited edition 1000 pin set of ride posters, as well as a limited edition coin set.

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Also available early today were the brand new Monorail Cars Vinylmation. They looked awesome in person! The tray comes just like a tray of Vinylmation, you get 24 figures, 2 sets and 1 chaser! I bought one blind box to see how the packaging looked and to see how the quality of the figures would be… and they look great! The box is a bit skinnier compared to our normal Vinylmation blind box, but it works since the design is a Monorail. I love the box design, it reminds me of a ride poster.

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Now personally I wouldn’t go back and buy more of these, they just aren’t my thing. I like the idea of monorails and I absolutely LOVE all the Cars characters, but this set seems to me like it would appeal more to men/boys. Now maybe if the set were on the Vinylmation mickey mold I would re consider. But the monorails honestly didn’t do much for me! I was thinking how cool it would have been if they made a Lightning McQueen mold, and then put each car onto his mold! Who knows what the future will hold! Check out Destination Vinylmation’s Monorail Cars explained page for more on this set.

My favorite thing pertaining to Cars Land (which I bought!) has to be the Piston Cup figurine! I think this is absolutely awesome! It says Grand Opening on the front, and on the back of the Piston Cup it says “Cars Land”.

I love that Disney decided to add Cars Land to DCA, the Land is themed perfectly, the merchandise looks awesome, and I can’t wait to actually step foot into Radiator Springs!

The Showcase also featured some of the new DCA merchandise that will be available soon. I love the idea behind these designs. The theme is, Mickey and Minnie driving through California and all the different stops they make on their journey. Each stop is represented by a different stamp. Each stamp stands for a different attraction at California Adventure. There is a Toy Story Mania Stamp, Little Mermaid Stamp, Cars Land Stamp, and World of Color Stamp etc. I love this idea, the merchandise looks great! This design is available on many different products such as, T-shirts, Jackets, Cups, Shot Glasses, Blankets, Key Chains and more!

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After walking out of the shop, Mater and Lighting were there for a photo op!

Next to Mater and Lightning was a display that showed the new costumes for Cars Land!

Lastly there was a display for the Mad T Party, which will be replacing ElecTRONica in June! The merchandise looks AWESOME! The Mad T Party merchandise wont be available until June as well.

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There are various items like hats, rabbit ears, t-shirts, jackets and ties. Also there will be ‘Mad Treats’ such as, light reflective lollipops, rock candy, bagged candy, and Cheshire cat candy as well as mickey sprinkles!

There was an opportunity to purchase some of the new snacks that would be for sale during the T Party such as, dill popcorn (I didn’t try this but everyone that did said it was delicious) and sour apple/cotton candy slushies!

Over all I thought the AP Preview was awesome. It was organized, in a big area so everyone could see everything, the merchandise looks awesome and now I am even MORE excited for Cars Land and Buena Vista Street to open on June 15th!!

30 Years in the Making

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

We recieved this fun email and picture from a long time reader/listener we thought we would share:

When I was 3, my dad won a photo contest which had a trip to Disney World as the grand prize. Part of the prize was being grand marshals in the 3 o’clock parade. We were also given exclusive tencennial ear hats with silver ears that, from what I understand, were not available to the general public. When I saw the artwork for the tencennial ticket vinylmation, I knew that was one that I had to have. Here is my ear hat combo with a set of our tencennial ears. You can see that the ears have yellowed a little over the past 30 years, but they’re still in great shape.

Thanks,
Scot Moore

Monorails: Under the Hood

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

We have talked a ton about the new Monorails. We have given our first impressions from pictures and seeing them behind a display case, but today, we were able to get our hands on a Monorail figure as they went up for sale at D-Street. I don’t think my impressions have changed, but a few things were revealed today that make my review more complete.

The first thing worth mentioning is the share weight and heft of these once you get them in hand… and that is a very good thing. I was expecting a light piece of flexible vinyl. Instead what we get is a solid piece of vinyl that has great sturdiness and a high quality feel.

I was able to get a feel for the quality from behind the display plastic, but in hand, they are very impressive. Each figure is finished with a gloss coating that gives a sharp and shinny look. It also gives them a high quality feel. It also seems the paint on these will not easily be ruined.

Without the little details, these would not succeed. That is why the designers went the extra mile to give us details like this. The ridges on the rear of the vinyl car.

We have already seen this view, but it is worth repeating, without the space underneath for the track, this design would flop. As it stands, they captured all the curvature of the cabin.

I am also impressed with the detail on the sides where the “wheels” meet the cabin.

Like other Vinylmation, the bottom features the logo and artist signature. After opening the blind box, my overall impression of the Monorails, although already positive, improved because the mold is simply spectacular. They also did an impressive job with the design application. However my overall thoughts on this series have not changed. I am more excited with the mold and the possibilities to come than I am of an entire series of Cars characters. That being said, you will see me pick up or trade for a few of my favorites. If you are worried about these being more like toys than collectible vinyls, put those fears aside. These are beautiful collectibles and I’m excited something this innovative is under the Vinylmation name.

Hot off the set: Director Mickey

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

Writer AnneMarie was able to snag one of the highly sought after Director Mickey that was released earlier this week. Here are a few of the close ups she took with him.

First up, check out the beautiful tin. I’m not sure when this design was made, but this seems to once again point to tins making a come back. Go tins! I also really enjoy the design work, especially all the background pictures of Mickey.
Director Mickey comes with a Megaphone. Took late for Combo Contest #3, but I’m sure #4 is on the way soon!
Artist Jim Valeri did a excellent job with this figure. Thanks Jim for another awesome job!
And to complete the design, on the back Mickey is sitting on his very own director’s chair. Like the podium on the front of Classical Tunes Mickey, this extra piece of art makes it just a little better!

What do you think of Mickey? Were you able to get your hands on one of these exclusive figures?

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Crazy4Vinyls

WDWNT on March 26, 2012

Crazy4Vinyls from Chatham, IL is our newest spotlight subject. He decided to take his first crack at custom Vinylmation, or really artwork of anykind, buy making a delicious set of famous candy.

DV: Destination Vinylmation: Do you collect Disney’s Vinylmation?
Crazy4Vinyls: Yes I do collect, and my wife calls it my obsession.  I started back when Park 2 came out.  When we went to WDW for a trip we started buying them.  I was able to get 8 of them and I remember my wife saying we need to stop because we spent enough on them.  Oh how I wish I would have bought more, maybe I could have got Pongo. I didn’t buy anymore until our last trip in Feb of this year.  I came home with about 40 more and now I am hovering near 200 of them.

DV: What is your favorite Disney Vinylmation figure?
Crazy4Vinyls: My favorite by far was the first blind box that I bought which was the little green man from Toy Story.  I just love that character in the movie.  I don’t know how many times I have quoted him and my son telling me to stop.

DV: What is your personal favorite custom that you have done?
Crazy4Vinyls: Well I have only done the set of 4 M & M guys, but I do have a favorite.  I really like how the orange one turned out.  The look on his face makes me think that someone is going to eat him.  I really like the worried look!

DV: How did you come up with the idea for the M&Ms?
Crazy4Vinyls: I was trying to create customs that I had never seen before and I wanted to include something with pop culture because I think those characters/logos are instantly recognizable.  I also thought they would look great on the mickey mold and not too many details for a first timer.

DV: Are M&Ms your favorite candy?
Crazy4Vinyls: M & M’s are one of my favorites, love the peanut ones!

DV: What have you learned from creating your customs that you can pass onto other custom artists?
Crazy4Vinyls: Well I have only done the 4, so I don’t think I can tell anyone else any secrets that I have found.  I will say that I was worried about creating the “m” on the front of each one.  So what I did was trace an “m” out on painter’s tape, then I cut it out.  I stuck it on the vinyl and painted over it with my coats.  When it was dry, I carefully removed the “m” and then filled it in with white paint.

DV: What’s next?
Crazy4Vinyls: Well I am calling my series of customs pop culture vinylmations. I even created a logo and included on the back of the collector’s cards.   So without giving anything away, let’s just say I grew up in the 80’s and I am inspired by that era.  I also like to create works that I have never seen before.  So as soon as I can get my hands on some white CYO’s (those are hard to find) I will get busy on my next set.

DV: Thank you for sharing your work with our audience.
Crazy4Vinyls: Thanks for doing this spotlight on me.