Disney announced that Project Z will be revealed at the Florida Project in two weeks. Stay tuned for more info, live blogging from the show, and a podcast recorded after the show.
Also worth noting, the Vinylmation talk that was originally scheduled from 11:30-noon on 9/11/11 is now extended to 11-noon. Interesting…
Also, we’re working on the details, but we’re going to have a meet up after the event on Sunday. Look for more information soon!
Graphic designer John Dela Cruz sent us a great take on the mystery chaser with his custom Vinylmation.
Destination Vinylmation: You created a great looking custom, but do you also collect Disney’s vinylmation?
John: I’m a new collector, bitten by the “chase” bug not too long ago. I found myself going back and forth into local Disney Stores saying “Okay, just one more box” or “Last one, this is the one” all in an effort to get the last figure I needed to complete my Have A Laugh set. I never understood the “thrill” of blind boxing that people talked about until I opened my first chaser. It took so many doubles and triples to get Conductor Pete, but the money didn’t matter at that point. It was the “chase” that mattered.
DV: Yep, that’s how we all get hooked. Now tell us about the inspiration of this custom figure that you named “All For The Chase!”.
John: This started out as a joke amongst my cousins who also collect. They said I should create this one because it’s the only one on the vinylmation packaging that nobody seems to ever get. I currently have it up for sale on ebay and can be searched using “ALL FOR THE CHASE – DISNEY VINYLMATION CUSTOM 3″ MICKEY”. The design is a no-brainer with obvious inspiration, but I plan on making more of these if the vinylmation collectors want it as well as a number of other custom pieces that are currently in the works.
DV: Thanks John, we look forward to seeing what comes next.
John: Thank you for your time and I hope to hear some thoughts on my custom.
Update: 9/11/11 The full set was on Display.
The complete set, minus the chaser. The Queen of Hearts looks awesome!
Update: 9/10/11 2 more Alice revealed. Oyster and Caterpillar.
Oyster
Caterpillar. And the return of the neck! This time on a new mold.
9/9/11-
2 new Alice figures including the White Rabbit. Priced at $12.95 and due out November 2011.
He looks pretty good doesn't he!
Here's a look at this set. We saw teases of this in a pic of food vinyl earlier this year.
The set is $74.95.
At The Florida Project today, we were fortunate to get a hands-on with the newly unveiled Park Starz (Project Z) figures that were on display. Park Starz will be a set of 11+ Mystery Chaser blind tin set. They will retail for $18.95 per tin and be sold in cases of 12 (with a guaranteed set in there). Look for these to hit Disney Park stores this October. They are under the Vinylmation brand, but feature individual molds, stylized for each individual character they represent. First up, Big Al from Country Bears Jamboree.
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| Big Al |
Park Starz is like nothing we have seen in Vinylmation. They are stylized characters from the Disney Parks around the world… and Big Al certainly has a lot of character on this vinyl. The big sad face. The huge arms holding the detailed guitar. And of course the tiny hat on top.
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| Big Al |
From the side you see the size of this figure. For the most part, the Park Starz are about the height of a Vinylmation, three inches. They feel rather light for the bulkiness of say Al and Yeti, but they do not feel cheap in any way.
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| Big Al |
You might be comparing these to the Funko’s Pop! Vinyl, but the difference is in the quality of the design. The Pop! Vinyl are licensed out, where Park Starz are handled completely within the Disney Design Group. After talking with these artists a few times, you realize how much they love Disney, the characters and the parks, and that shows in these designs. How about a look at the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Giant Squid…
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| Giant Squid |
These are stylized interpretations, and the Giant Squid has a worried look like he may have just missed a sub full of guests.
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| Giant Squid |
The tentacles have a flexible feel to them. The figure itself feels as sold as a Mickey mold Vinylmation. These figures in particular don’t have a ton of small detail, but some cool little touches like the markings on the tentacle ends.
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| Giant Squid |
The back has a blow hole and the markings of VM for Vinylmation. I didn’t see this logo on the other figures. The great thing, is these Park Starz will be packaged in blind box tins. M.C. had a great point… most likely tins so guests can not judge the shape or size of the figure within.
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| Giant Squid |
See what I mean about detail? They didn’t need to add the markings to the bottom of the tentacles here, but they did. Up next, Figment.
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| Figment |
People guessed bowling pin, but instead we get Figment. He is a hit to guests everywhere, and the crown enjoyed his appearance here.
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| Figment |
The wings and horns look great on this figure. The cool thing is, after talking to Thomas Scott and Casey Jones, is this series of Vinylmation was planned from the beginning. Thomas said he never intended for Vinylmation to be just a Mickey mold. Casey said they had a lot of fun coming up with designs and it shows here.
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| Figment |
No word on variants in Park Starz, but Figment is ripe with possibilities for one.
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| Figment |
A look at the bottom shows the VM logo and “made in China” stamp. No artist as it’s really a collaboration between Casey Jones (character sketches), Thomas Scott (ideas and design) and Lin Shih (sculpting). There will not, at least right now, be figures attributed to individual artists. Finally, the Yeti.
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| Yeti |
Disney revealed a little too much 2 days before The Florida Project when they posted a picture of the Yeti, albeit in shadow.
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| Yeti |
This Expedition Everest mascot differs from his dico Yeti counterpart as this vinyl’s arms move. So he can swipe away at passing ride vehicles to his heart’s content. These do all feel like sturdy, well produced figures that are true collectibles.
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| Yeti |
Look at those exaggerated arms and raised eyebrows.
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| Yeti |
The feet also have a flattened look to them. Obviously helping him to stand, it also gives the impression he is immersed in the snow he would be walking through.
Overall, this series is a welcome addition to the Vinylmation lineup. It is pricey at $19 a blind tin, but gives collectors a special alternative to the Mickey mold. You don’t have to put these next to your Mickey shaped Vinylmation on the shelf. There are plenty of Mickeys, Donalds and Goofys out there… but for park geeks, there isn’t much collectible merchandise that features park specific characters. These fulfill this need in a satisfying way.
The Disney Store has just made it much easier to hand over your paycheck to Disney anytime, anywhere. The new Disney Store app for smart phones and the iPad was made available for download today. It’s a Free pick up at the app store, so I grabbed it and took it for a test run.
To find the app, just search “Disney Store” in the app store or go to m.disneystore.com on your mobile device. The download and install is very quick. Once downloaded, the Home page is very straight forward with three “slider” sections with a menu bar located at the bottom.
The top slider is reserved for a welcome screen, ads with the latest deals (such as the free shipping code) and featured merchandise. The middle slider shows the categories guests are used to from the website including Characters, Girls, Boys, Baby, Adult, Toys & Games, Pins, Art & Collectibles, Theme Park, Home & Decor, DVDs, Music & Books, Sale Items and more. No Vinylmation-by-itself category yet, but they are located under the Collectibles slider. It’s a great interface that is very intuitive for any smart phone user.
While scrolling through the categories, the pictures under it change and give different specific items to choose from.
That area slides too, so you can browse thumbnails of featured items in that category. Just click on the category to get more sortable options and/or a list of items.
The list shows a thumbnail photo and the price of the item. You can also, from the home page or the list view, click on and individual item for more details and/or to purchase the item.
The individual item page is very well done. Scrolling down gives you a look at reviews and product details. The item page has a large picture at the top, and many items have multiple pictures by sliding the image. There is also an enlarging feature that gives you a full screen look at the product.
Clicking “Add to Cart” initiates a cool animation where the item’s picture pops out, the device vibrates and the picture shrinks and slides down into the cart icon at the bottom. I added a ton of stuff to my cart just to watch that a few times.
The cart icon shows the number of items in your cart. Click on the cart icon and it takes you to the checkout page. Your items are listed down the page with the discounts and totals at the bottom. It’s all easily viewed in this clean interface making it very clear what you are purchasing and how much you are spending.
The Checkout button is located in the top right corner of the screen. Clicking that button allows you to login to your account (or checkout as a Guest) then proceed to imputing your credit card info and so forth. (sorry, no screen shots of my numbers).
The menu bar at the bottom of the app has all the navigation you need. Home, Find a Store, Search, Cart and More. Find a Store uses GPS to map your location and find the stores closest to you. You can view this as either a Map or List. You can also search by city or zip. Clicking on a store gives you a snapshot of the store, the phone number, address, store hours and In Store Events (if applicable).
The more tab gives you easy access to Recently Viewed Items, allows you to login to your account, lets you view your account info and of course links you to Guest Services. Guest Services is full of all the help you may need including shipping info, exchange policies and a contact form.
This is really a beautiful app. The full Disney Store Online is at your fingertips in an extremely easy to use, clean format. Any smart phone user will find the entire app fully intuitive. Items are easy to find and the checkout process seems extremely quick. (note: I did not fully check out from the app as of the posting of this article) This is what an app should be… an easy to use interface on a small screen fully loaded with all the features your website offers that visitors need. For free, go grab it today… it will come in handy next release day while your waiting outside the store as other items go up online.
