Japan Easter Duck and Mouse

WDWNT on March 26, 2012

Coming to Japan on April 2nd are a couple of Easter themed Mickey and Donald Vinylmation. We found this snapshot of a Japanese ad on Vinylmation World (originally tweeted by @dizpix).

Retailing for 1200 Yen, or about $14.83 USD, they will be sold in open window boxes. The Mickey is decked out in colorful spring time clothes and is topped with a checkered hat. The Mickey face and the overall design look very well done, but I don’t know if I want to add this pastel clad mouse to my personal collection. The Donald is a completely different story. With those new bunny ears (as seen on the US Easter Bunny Vinylmation), I want him to hop into my display case ASAP! This is the way the ears should be used. I don’t mind taking away the Mickey shape canvas if you are still going to give me a Disney themed design. The face is drawn in a very cartoonish manor that is different from all the Donalds we have seen so far. The little hat also looks great.

Release Day: Friday, August 3, 2012

WDWNT on February 25, 2012

Today Park 10, the Disneyland Paris themed set releases at both stateside D-Streets.

Does this set appeal to collectors in the US? I love the designs even though I have never been to DLP. It is also fun to have another Park set out just months after the last one. Check out Park 10 explained for more info.

Release day was not without surprises. Remember that Urban 8 online exclusive Monster and Archaeologist? It finally released today for $74.95. It is an LE 1500. Wow, a bit high on the edition size there. Best bet would be to wait for this one to be part of a 2 for $50 deal.

The LE 1000 Urban 8 Toilet Paper and Kid combo also released online. This one of course had previously been available at D-Streets before moving down I-4 to the outlets for about $20.

The Japan Geisha Minnie also released today. This figure is the last installment in the “Magic Around the World” releases at select US Disney Stores and will retail for $9.95. Interestingly enough, we finally (from a random comment on the Disney Parks Blog) know where these are actually getting released. Only the New York Times Square, SF Stockton St., Chicago Michigan Ave and Burbank, CA stores are getting these releases. 

Japan USB Vinylmation

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

Vinylmation World posted these pictures last week of a geeky little treat only available in Japan right now.

An 8 GB USB flash drive. Pretty cool, especially because they used the Urban 1 Oopsy Mickey design. No word on price or other designs. I like the way the Vinylmation brand branches out into products we can use in our everyday life. You can customize your iPhone with a Vinylmation case, keep your sketches in a Vinylmation notebook or accessorize with a Vinylmation themed purse. This USB drive is a nice idea, but for me is a little big for a travel drive. It’d be a cool item to keep on my desk at work and use in a pinch to grab a few files from the computer. Would you pick these up if they made it to a location near you?

Trading Vinylmation in Japan

WDWNT on January 18, 2012

Update: 1/16/12 I was so excited today when I saw Vinylmation World tweet this picture of the Japan trading boxes I’ve been looking for!

It also seems like the article confirms this light up box trading only occurs at specific times… “every Saturday and Sunday from “13:00-14:00, 17:00-18:00.” We also got to see the “spin the wheel” box that the images below refer to.

1/21/11 I was peeking at the Japan Disney Store website the other day, and thanks to the handy Google page translator, I was able to make my way around just fine. One of the interesting things I discovered was the interesting trading method they have inside the Disney Stores there. Update: 1/17/11 According to a comment by a reader, this is only available by the large Disney Store near Disneyland.

It appears that a Mystery Trading box, similar to ours, has a light on it that illuminates each door at random. The guest, instead of picking a number, pushed a “STOP” button on a control pad that halts the light on a numbered door. You then trade into that number.

It says this replaces “the wheel with the numbers.” So maybe you never got to pick you own number. The description also makes this kind of mystery trading sound like “an event” and not normal everyday trading. Does anyone have any experience with this? I’d love to see pictures of the actual trading boxes.

They also have the clear 3 figure trade boxes we are all accustomed with.
Woohoo! Look how happy the trader is to find that gem in the box!
But don’t try to trade that Cutesters Bumble Bee you mixed with the EPCOT Holidays Around the World or that Monkey who lost an arm. Save those for our next Combo Contest.

Romantic Treats Chaser is Out of This World!

WDWNT on December 23, 2011

According to the Japan Disney Store website, the Japan Romantic Treats series that was released on December 23 has 2 chasers. Here is one of them…

It’s Buzz Lightyear! I love it! Thanks to eBay seller hawaiian_seaside for the picture. Check out the full Romantic Treats set here. Also on eBay, from seller seanb9109, is a picture of the second chaser from this set. 

He calls it Unibearsity. I can see the A+ in the ear, but I haven’t figured out what character it is yet. Any ideas?


Update: 2/23/11 Our friend Ryan just texted me that UniBEARsity is a Japanese bear product line wiht several bears with dessert names. It is also associated with everyone’s favorite Duffy! Here is a screen shot from the Japan Disney Store Online:


Josh Siegel’s 12/15/11 Epcot Photo Report

WDWNT on December 17, 2011

WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel visited Epcot last night and has a number of newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

The Germany train village is decorated for the holidays

Candlelight Processional

Santa’s Village at the American Adventure

Plenty of holiday merchandise available

Precious Moments Disney dolls

More Precious Moments

You can build your own Disney Christmas village with these pieces

Decorations at the American Adventure

Hanukkah display

How to make one large gingerbread house

Katsura Grill at the Japan pavilion is now open

It looks nice after the long remodel

A look at the menu

Epcot Christmas tree

New directional signage is up around Future World

The signage is either blue or green, again pointing to the eventual renaming of Future World East and West as Blue/Green that we have been talking about for a few years

Topiary display near Innoventions

A booth on the walkway between Future World and World Showcase behind walls

Stage set for Joyful!

The tip board still works and is decorated for the holidays!

The Stitch topiary lights up at night

Lilo and Stitch signed the back

Bambi

Thumper and Flower

If you can’t have real snow…

Adam Roth’s 11/28/11 Epcot Photo Report

WDWNT on November 29, 2011

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Epcot yesterday and took a TON of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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The RFID ticket test is over for now while they work out the bugs…

They should be back soon

The holiday topiary display is up

Bambi

Stitch bit the card…

No line for Spaceship Earth

Holiday floral behind Spaceship Earth

The tip board still works!

It now sports a Holidays Around the World image

Club Cool has been decorated for the holidays

Joyful! is back

Another set of topiaries by the fountain

New sign outside of Kim Possible World showcase Adventure kiosks

The Epcot Christmas tree is up

More decorations

Canada is still behind tarps

No Off Kilter, but Papa Noel was performing for Holidays Around the World

Rose and Crown decorated

France storyteller stage

On to France

France decorations

The temporary Japan booth from Food & Wine remains as Yakitori House is still closed

Walls still up at Yakitori House

A look inside…

The Storytellers stage in Japan

More walls

Walls also up around the small food vendor

A look from above

A look inside

Workers finishing up

Candlelight Processional running

Santa’s Village is open at the American Adventure

Precious Moments doll signing

Candlelight Processional booth… and I won’t comment on anything else in the photo…

Santa and Mrs. Claus

Kwanzaa booth

There is a sign for the gingerbread house outside of the Liberty Inn

Mmmmmmm….

The Liberty Inn is decorated

The snowman Mickey buckets are back

The overflow restrooms are back for the Candlelight Processional

Long line to enter the theater

Storytellers in Italy

The train village in Germany now celebrates the season

Germany decorated

Storyteller on the schedule in Germany

Germany stage

Mmmmmm….

Ornaments and alcohol, a great mix!

China stage

Storytelling going on in Norway

Decorations on La Hacienda

The Mexico stage

Decorations on La Cantina

Stitch also got caught up in some lights…

Donald and Goofy are ice skating

Bambi looks on… goodbye sweet prince…

Japan Exclusive Zodiac Vinylmation

WDWNT on November 21, 2011

Update: 11/20/11 This blind box set was released as a Japan Disney Store exclusive on November 18th for 990 Yen per blind box (about $12.88 USD). The interesting thing about this set is there are 12 known figures and 1 mystery chaser. Thanks to reader Nick for pointing us toward some eBay auctions. The chaser has been revealed as:

Front (photo from eBay seller hawaiian_seaside)
Back (photo from eBay seller disneycoin)

The Siamese Cats from Lady and the Tramp. I was so very afraid of these cats as a kid. I used to think they were after me in my sleep. But this Vinylmation looks incredible. The sealed case still comes with 24 blind boxes, so it seems you get a set of 13 and another 11, hopefully different, figures. Here are some screen shots of the packaging:

Packaging photos from Japan Disney Store Online
We also now know the artist to be K. Murase… the same artist who designed the pirate Hero of the Caribbean Mickey from Japan.
Photo from eBay seller mickey20072007
Here is a look at the set from the Japan Disney Store Online:

I always enjoy seeing what comes out of Japanese Pop Culture. On eBay, a couple new pre-sales have popped up for some Japan exclusive Vinylmation. The first one is a very interesting looking set that could create a lot of buzz stateside.

It’s a set of Zodiac signs using Disney Characters. Can you name them all? Highlight the text below to reveal the characters.

Top Row:
Abu from Aladdin
Chicken Little from Chicken Little
Patch from 101 Dalmatians
Pumbaa from The Lion King
Middle Row:
Elliot from Pete’s Dragon
Sir Hiss from Robin Hood
Pegasus from Hercules
Bo Peep’s Sheep from Toy Story
Bottom Row:
Remy from Ratatouille
Maggie from Home on the Range
Tigger from Winnie the Pooh
Thumper from Bambi


The above set releases on November 18 in Japan. As of this post, two eBay sellers have it listed. One is a Buy It Now for $650, the other has a starting bid at $205. There is another Japan exclusive also listed on eBay as a pre-sale…

1290 Yen converts to about $16.79. Not bad for a special Vinylmation in a cool tin. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck in Japanese culture. You may need said luck importing this Vinylmation from Japan at a good price. Right now, there is one Buy It Now for $50 and a second auction that has 3 bids and is up to $51.