Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Ashley

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

Today we feature a new artist to our spotlight section. Ashley from Greeley, CO has sent us some pictures of her Up, Finding Nemo and Ratatouille themed customs.

Destination Vinylmation: How long have you been creating custom Vinylmation? 
Ashley: I’ve been a huge fan on Vinylmations since 2008, but only started doing my own customs about 4 months ago.

DV: Have you done other artistic projects before Vinylmation? 
Ashley: I’ve always painted, but mostly on canvas before Vinylmations.

DV: Do you collect the Disney Vinylmation?
Ashley: Yes! I am a huge collector! They’ve taken over most spare surfaces in my place.

DV: If so, what are some of your favorites? 
Ashley: I love the Matryoshka doll from cutesters I and am a huge fan of the entire toy story set! Even though I have them all, I always trade for them when I see them in trader boxes.

DV: Why did you choose Up and Finding Nemo as the subjects of these customs? 
Ashley: Up might be my very favorite Disney movie, so I have had this design in my mind for awhile. As for Peach, she is the highlight of the Nemo ride at WDW for me and I knew she’d look great on Mickey!

DV: You also sent over pictures of your Ratatouille custom… I see a theme here. Big Pixar fan? 
Ashley: Huge! I’m currently on a mission to do one from every Pixar film. Next will be bugs life and Wall-E.

DV: How long does it take to choose just the right scene for the vinyl? And does it take a lot of pre-planning on paper? 
It’s more about finding inspiration in the right place. Like a ride, seeing the movie again or a great poster. I usually do one pre-design on paper to see if it suits Mickey and then go to town!



DV: What was the most challenging part about creating these customs?
Ashley: Finding a way to take a flat design and apply it to Mickey! Once I do a few sketches and outlines things go smoothly from there!

DV: Do you have a website where people can see more of your work?
Ashley: I don’t have one yet, but people are welcome to contact me at twisted.coincidence@gmail.com.

Zach Larson’s 5/7/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Zach Larson visited the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Monday and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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Construction has gone vertical on the Disney Vacation Club wing of the Grand Floridian

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom

There are two of these posters in the tunnel now… not only is it not an attraction… but it has more posters than any others…

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom sign near Town Square Theater

Work continues on the Confectionary and Chapeau facades

Work still going on near the Main Street bridge

This new railing was installed during the work

Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to touch trash-cans?

Still not a whole lot of theme to this walkway between Tomorrowland and Storybook Circus

Work on the water tower at Fantasyland Station is complete

A look from the Barnstormer reveals that the second Dumbo spinner is nearing completion. We can also see the true height of the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train

The mountain of the Mine Train will be pretty tall

The second Dumbo is fully decorated

Workers on top of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

The covered part is the lift hill as the train will roll out of the mountain

Work continues on turning Tigger’s Bouncy Place into something else

Some tarps now up in front of the Castle Wall construction

A second set of walls now makes for a tight passage

They are working on the back end of the Village Haus facade now

It’s still quite a mess back here

Now “it’s a small world” has tarps up

Work continues on the former Skyway site

Next-gen FASTPASS testing at the Haunted Mansion

It will be interesting to see what this looks like when they are done

They were forcing guests down the graveyard side if you weren’t using FASTPASS, but you could still bypass the interactive queue

Work continues on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Everything looks fantastic!

GOAT!

Package Pick-Up still behind tarps

Awesome shot of the Avengerail in action… I hope you’ve seen the movie by now…

A look at the Grand Floridian DVC construction from across the water

They’ve installed a rocky shoreline

Moving over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it looks like the Sorcerer Mickey topiary is on the move again as walls are up

Stage for Star Wars Weekends is going up

Citizens of Hollywood recently had a character shuffle. This is the “new” Mimi Kaboom

Things got heated…

ACTING! BRILLIANT!

I don’t think the security booths are coming back…

Three Kings Day Celebration Returns to Disneyland Park

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

By Erin Glover on The Disney Parks Blog:

Mickey and Minnie Join In The Celebration of Three Kings Day at Disneyland Park

For the second year, we will be celebrating Three Kings Day here at Disneyland park! You may remember our first-ever Día de los Reyes Magos celebration last year which featured special décor, entertainment, food and activities showcasing Western and Mexican heritage. This year, the same celebration will move to a new space –Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree in Frontierland – and will run January 4-6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Three Kings Day at Disneyland Park
Three Kings Day entertainment will include folklorico dancing and Mariachi musical performers, Disney characters in festive, colorful costumes and holiday photo opportunities. Younger guests can participate in crafts like face painting, crown making and coloring.

Here’s a look at the performers scheduled to appear at our Three Kings Day celebration:

January 4
10 a.m. – Baile Folklorico Teyacapan (Ballet Folklorico)
12:30 p.m. – Mariachi Tesoro de San Fernando (Youth Mariachi)
2 p.m. – Paramount Dance Company (Ballet Folklorico)
5:30 p.m. – Resurrreccion Mexican Folk (Ballet Folklorico)

January 5
10 a.m. – Garey High School Latin Jazz Ensemble (Latin Jazz Musicians)
12:30 p.m. – Sabor de Mexico (Ballet Folklorico)
2 p.m. – Ballet Folklorico Jalisciense (Ballet Folklorico)
5:30 p.m. – Ballet Folklorico Orgullo Mestizo (Ballet Folklorico)

January 6
10 a.m. – Grupo Folklorico Tierra del Sol (Ballet Folklorico)
12:30 p.m. – Ballet Folklorico Mixteco Juvenil (Ballet Folklorico)
2 p.m. – Ballet Folklorico Mixteco East Los Angeles (Ballet Folklorico)
5:30 p.m. – Ballet Folklorico de Riverside (Ballet Folklorico)

New 10K Race Added to Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

By Faron Kelley on The Disney Parks Blog:

I am excited to let you know the Happiest Race on Earth just got happier! Today runDisney announced the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend is expanding with the addition of the Disneyland 10K at Disneyland Resortin Anaheim, Cal.

The new 10K will be a timed event and take runners through Disneyland park, Disney California Adventure park and on the streets of Anaheim. As with all runDisney races, participants will receive a newly designed finishers medal.

Runners looking for a bigger challenge can register for the Dumbo Double Dare. A limited number of runners will have the opportunity to take the dare and run the Disneyland 10K on Saturday and the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday – 19.3 miles total. Finishers will receive a special finisher medal to help celebrate their accomplishments, in addition to the half marathon and 10K medals.

The 10K is one of the most popular race distances for runners, next to the 5K and half marathon. With race weekends featuring kids races, 5K, 10K, 10-Miler, half marathons and a marathon, runDisney offers runners at every level a chance to experience a runDisney event, run through Disney theme parks and earn coveted Disney medals.

Registration for all Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend races opens on January 22, 2013. Last year, the popular half marathon sold out in little more than a month, so I encourage interested runners to act quickly. For more information about the race weekend and other runDisney events, go to www.rundisney.com.

On behalf of myself and some special friends in the video below, I invite you to join us August 30 – September 1, 2013, at Disneyland Resort.

 

 

WDWNT: The Magazine Issue 14 Released

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

As we rapidly approach the 5th anniversary of the WDWNT Network this Summer, it’s hard not to get lost in the excitement happening at the Disney Parks right now. The Summer is theme park season, and there is that excitement in the air as out favorite special events return and some incredible new adventures prepare to unfold before us. WDWNT: The Magazine will be there for all the excitement starting next issue, so think of this issue as the “pre-show” to what will undoubtedly be a Summer to Remember.

For some, nothing means Summer more than just hanging out by the pool at your favorite Disney resort hotel, and Art of animation may very quickly be yours. We have a fantastic preview of the Finding Nemo wing of that resort for you to enjoy this month, just to wet your appetite. While we say hello to a new resort, we say goodbye to two beloved attractions as well this month: Test Track and Snow White’s Scary Adventures. In between, many of your favorite reoccurring articles and some other pieces for you to meander through abound.

We hope that this latest issue will get you ready for the blistering excitement of Summer 2012. 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.maglcoud.com). If you like what you’re reading, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. No one likes someone who doesn’t share.

 

Now Accepting Nomination for 2012 Dee Vee Awards!

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

The 2nd year anniversary of Destination Vinylmation is on November 8th and to celebrate, we will once again be hosting the annual Dee Vee Awards! (listen to 2011 Dee Vee Award Show) This is a show of celebration for the collectible we all know and love. It is also your chance to choose your favorites over the past year. Before we get to the voting, we are asking for your help to nominate the entries into each of our categories. All you have to do is copy and paste the category list below into an email, list your nominations and send it to:

You have until Midnight on Friday, October 12 to submit your nominations. You may submit nominations for as many or as few categories as you like and can you can nominate as many figures or people for each category as you like. You may only nominate figures that were released between October 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012. (Click here for a PDF of all the figures released during that time span. * Disclaimer: Not all possible figures may be listed. This is just a guide.) Nominees will be announced on October 14th on our podcast and online. Then Listeners can vote for their favorites in each category. Winners will be announced in November at the Dee Vee Awards.

2012 Dee Vee Award Categories
Favorite Disney Artist (Disney Store or Disney Design Group)
Favorite Disney Commissioned Artist
Favorite Custom Artist (Artist who has not been sold a piece through Disney)
Best 3″ Figure
Best 9″ Figure
Best Jr. Figure
Best 12 Figure Set
Best non-12 Figure Set
Best LE Combo Set
Best Chaser
Best Variant
Best Non-Mickey Platform Figure
Best Use of Ears
Best Trading Location
Most Likely To Be Found in a Trading Box
Best Accessory
Best Mickey
Best Use of Clear
Best Location Specific
Best Packaging
Best Vinylmation Event
Most Anticipated Upcoming Series
Best DV Episode
Favorite DV Cast Member


Red Balloon Awards: (1 time and done categories  nominations in these categories NOT limited to past year time span)
Best Furry Friend
Best Park Series (Out of Series 1-10)

2012 Halloween and Christmas Party Tickets Now On Sale!

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

Tickets are now available for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom! The dates for the Halloween parties are:

September 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 and 30
October 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30 and 31
November 2

The dates for the Christmas parties are:

November 9, 12, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29 and 30
December 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 21

Tickets are available for purchase at DisneyWorld.com

Disney Parks After Dark: ‘its a small world’ Holiday

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

By Paul Hiffmeyer from the Disney Parks Blog:

During the Holidays at Disneyland Resort, there are so many beautiful decorations to see and photograph, but I seem to spend a little more time at “it’s a small world“ Holiday. Below are a few photos I would like to share with you. For this first one, I exposed for the lights, turning the guests that were taking photos or just enjoying the view into silhouettes.

‘it’s a small world’ Holiday at Disneyland Resort

For the next photo, I used a 25-second exposure so that the boats would blur and not be noticeable in the foreground.

‘it’s a small world’ Holiday at Disneyland Resort

The final photo was taken just as the fog was rolling in one early morning. What I like about this photo is that the fog separates the topiaries from the background so they stand out instead of blending into the lights.

‘it’s a small world’ Holiday at Disneyland Resort

Mechanical Kingdom’s Early Release

WDWNT on December 31, 2012

While at Epcot’s 30th celebration on Monday, I happened across a few shelves full of the new Mechanical Kingdom Vinylmation. Inside the gift shop at Journey to Imagination. This series is not due out until October 5th at WDW and the 6th at Disneyland (where there will be a signing with series artist Mike Sullivan at D-Street). I could not resist adding the Donald Duck figure to my collection immediately.

The design is great, the paint job is perfect and the hat is spectacular. But the hidden surprise…

The cape is removable. Unlike the Goofy Vader cape that is molded onto the figure, this cape is like your average action figure cape and rings around the neck. Mechanical Kingdom retails for $12.95 and as far as I can tell was only put out early at this Epcot location.