ZoMG: Cars 2 at Carsland

WDWNT on November 1, 2011

In honor of Cars 2 movie release today, I took Mater & Lightning McQueen through California Adventure.
The wanted to see how progress is coming on Cars Land which is scheduled to open in 2012!
First I took them to the Blue Sky cellar to see how plans were coming and what Cars Land is going to look like! They couldn’t be more happy with the result. Looks just like home!
I then took them to see the list of rides. Mater was thrilled that he gets his own ride!
Mater and McQueen then peeked over the construction walls to see how things are coming along.

Lastly we went to see some of the Cars art that they have placed throughout California Adventure on the walls hiding the construction. Mater and McQueen can’t wait to drive back over in 2012 and check out the final product for themselves!

– Zoe

Cars Land Ready to Become a “Radiator Springs Reality”

WDWNT on August 31, 2011

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!

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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. While it may not be a Walt Disney World related presentation, 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!:

Cars 2 Combo Review

WDWNT on August 30, 2011

The Maria Clapsis designed Cars 2 Combo was released at D-Streets on August 26. It also showed up in the London Disney Store, on the UK Disney Store Online and in Tokyo. It will hit Disney Store Online September 2 and Disney stores September 19.

The packaging is nice if you want to just keep them boxed up. It has a backdrop behind the figures of one of the racing locations in the movie. The design is flashy with logos that pop right out at you.

Lightning has one of the flashiest paint jobs I have ever seen on a Disney Vinylmation. He has a sparkle to him in the light. The red paint looks really good and all the other features painted on have a bold look to them. It’s a busy figure, with things going on all over it. He is designed after the Cars 2 version, so he has the Hudson Hornet Piston Cup logo on the “hood”. That’s the only design oddity, and I’m not sure if it would have looked good if Maria place things correctly. But in the movie, the mouth would be below the hood design, but on the vinyl its more a representation of the characters as the hood design is below the mouth.

The side has wheels on the feet, the lightning bolts and the number 95. No detail left unturned. Event a 95 on the roof.

The back has the rear view window, tail fin and says World Grand Prix. Overall, this is a flashy piece that has a lot of character. A happy addition to my collection.

Mater is one of my favorite Pixar characters and his Vinylmation hits in spots but misses in some important ones. The face is just a tiny bit off to me. I know this is a small thing, but I think if the eyes where more open and the mouth a little bigger and more open, that would have helped. I do enjoy the details like the missing headlight.

A look at the side shows how Maria had to walk the line between putting these characters on the vinyl and just representing parts of them. She decided to put Tow Mater horizontally on the arm and I think that works well. And another great detail, Mater’s one different tire is painted on his left side.

The back represents his tow hook and bumper. Looking overall at the back, side and hood, things seem to look very blocky. Just kind of place there instead of really feeling like they belong. Not being a designer, I can’t say what’s best, but I think I would have enjoyed a grittier, more real feel to Mater.

It has to be so incredibly hard to capture a vertical car on horizontal canvas and the flashy Lightning piece works well for me, but Mater is just missing some of the characteristics that would make him feel like a whole figure instead of just blocks of design around the mold. As a set, its a nice addition from a move franchise I love.

Cars 2 Combo Release at D-Streets and England

WDWNT on August 26, 2011

The Lightning and Mater Vinylmation Combo set was released at D-Streets today. The Disney Store on Oxford Street in England also released this Cars two-figure set today. And, it should also be available as of today via DisneyStore.co.uk. US Disney Store Online gets it on September 2 and brick and mortar Disney Stores will see Cars 2 Vinylmation on September 19.

Cars 2 Vinylmation Explained

WDWNT on August 8, 2011

Cars 2 Combo Pack
Release Date: August 26 at D-Streets
Online Release Date: September 2
Disney Store Release Date: September 19
Limited Release
Retail: $26.95


Update: 8/10/11 Disney announced today that the Cars 2 combo pack will be available at Disney Stores on September 19th! Good call Disney on what will be a popular set. Give us more Pixar combos as Limited Releases!

Cars 2 combo pack on display at D-Street Orlando
Side/Rear of Lightning McQueen

On the back of Lightning, you can see the flames, window and antenna. It looks like it might say “World Grand Prix” like the back of his car in Cars 2. On the sides, his wheels are painted on.

Mater

Mater’s back side has tail lights and a black and yellow caution bumper painted on. On the side you can see his mirrors, “Tow Mater” logo and his wheels.

Lightning McQueen Races into “Lights, Motors, Action!”

WDWNT on July 21, 2011

Lightning McQueen from the Disney-PIXAR Cars series finally debuted in the “Lights, Motors, Action!” Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Tuesday. WDWNT Reporter Adam roth was on the scene and has video to share of the new scene that replaces the Herbie the Love Bug sequence:

Cars 2 Vinylmation Explained

WDWNT on May 15, 2011


Special thanks to @indyandmarion for the pictures of the Cars 2 set that was out during the Cars 2 event at Downtown Disney Florida this weekend. We thought this might have been a set of 12, but it looks like it’s a two pack, like a previous Pixar set, Wall-E and Eve. Both pieces utilize the “New Mold”. No word on a release date or cost.

Mater

The simple minded Mater looks great. I can’t wait to see the back!

Lightning McQueen

With the Piston Cup on his front, Lightning looks extra fired up for his role in the next Cars movie. No lightning bolt is obvious though, do you think that might have to do with the new movie? Sporting his classic number 95, compare him to the previous Park 5…

What do you think of this set? Do you even like Cars the movie?

Cars 2 Vinylmation pictures by @indyandmarion


Here’s the giant Cars vinylmation that we saw several months ago. Little did we know, but this pointed to which characters were going to be part of the Cars 2 set!

“Cars 2” Merchandise Speeding to Walt Disney World

WDWNT on May 9, 2011

From Merchandise Communications Manager Steven Miller on the Disney Parks Blog:

'Cars 2' Youth Shirts for Disney Parks

The Disney•Pixar film “Cars” has a special meaning to me; it was the first movie my son saw in a theater. Despite the fact he was quite young at the time, he enjoyed it (though the part with Frank was a little scary…for me). I’m looking forward to seeing “Cars 2” with my son on June 24 (two words – Finn McMissile!). Yet I won’t have to wait that long to experience “Cars,” especially with the Downtown Disney Car Masters Weekend coming up on May 13-15. The weekend event sounds awesome (I used to attend car shows with my father while growing up in Columbus, Ohio). To celebrate this special Pixar-filled weekend, we made arrangements to release select “Cars 2” merchandise ahead of the national street date. I have a special look at several new items coming that weekend.

There will be three new youth shirts with original artwork created for Disney Parks. I love the bold, colorful graphics on the shirts! It looks like I’ve found what my son will be wearing next.

'Cars 2' Pins for Disney Parks

We will also release new pins including “two-on-a-card” pins featuring Finn (my favorite) with Holley Shiftwell and Professor Z with Acer. A mystery pin set is scheduled for release that weekend, too. Each set will contain two randomly selected pins from the 10-pin collection. I selected my favorite five pins for the image above.

There are some items that I am unfortunately unable to show yet – the new die-cast toy cars. Cody Hampton, Associate Developer for Toys and Games, shared some details of these new items.

“The new die-cast toys were created by Mattel and expand upon the ‘Cars’ universe with new characters,” explained Cody. “There will be 16 individual cars for the initial release. Each car will retail for $6.95. We are also introducing six different two-car sets and each contains an ‘exclusive vehicle’ found only in the set.”

Mater and Lightning McQueen from 'Cars in the Parks' Line

While I can’t show the newest die-cast cars, I can show Mater and Lightning McQueen from the new “Cars in the Parks” line. This art program places characters from “Cars” at Disney Parks, and they inspired a recently released Disney ear hat featuring Tow Mater sporting a Goofy hat (to which I fully expect to see being worn during the Car Masters Weekend).

Tow Mater Disney Ear Hat

These select merchandise items will be found at D Street and DisneyQuest Emporium located at Downtown Disney West Side starting May 13. Select items will also be carried at Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney located in the Downtown Disney Marketplace.

While I am doubtful I will find an actual Finn McMissile car during the weekend (I’m in the market for a new automobile), I hope to see you at the finish line.