First Releases of the New Year

WDWNT on January 18, 2012

Ah, it’s a brand new year in Vinylmation. Time to get a fresh start. 2011 saw many changes in our hobby and 2012 will hold many surprises I’m sure. So as we enter our first release day of 2012 I ask, do you collect differently now, than when you purchased your first blind box? I know I do. I began by collecting only a few from each of the Urban and Park sets. Then I branched out into Have a Laugh. Then MC came along and before I knew it I was splitting cases and filling in my sets. I became a completest. Even buying sets I didn’t fully like, but they came out, so I grabbed them. That started to change around Occasions, Celebrations and Sea Creatures for me. With the flood of different products hitting the market, I have made a resolution to be more picky about what I buy. It starts with the 9 inchers. There are many I would have bought 6 months ago that will not see my shelves. I’ve noticed a lot of collectors change their habits as 2011 came to a close. MC would not longer jump at a case with me. I’ve seen many people begin to sell off some of their collection. Our friend Matt over at Vinylmation Kingdom gave himself a $1000 budget for 2012! Good luck with that one buddy. And I’ve also seen some collectors swing the other way. I’ve seen them catch the fever over the course of 2011 and become completionists. I also think Disney has recently shown their hand and many collectors are now just going to sit back and take a chance that the figures they want go deeply discounted online.


Where are you as a collector as the 2012 release schedule begins in earnest? 


Technically the release week began yesterday at the Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL with the two 3″ WDW Marathon/Half Marathon vinyls and the 9″ Goofy’s Challenge. 

Goofy 9″ for sale at Disney’s WWOS
Today, some great looking Park 7 LEs hit the D-Streets:
Horse and Trolley. LE 2500. $26.95

Read all about the history of River Country

Also on the schedule for today at D-Streets are four 9″ Urban 8 figures.
Boxer, Fish Bites, Sabertooth and 50’s Girl. Check them out in full detail here.

Then this weekend is the release of the much anticipated Furry Friends. (Saturday at the Costa Mesa, CA Disney Store and Monday at all Disney Stores). This blind box set retails for $10.95.
For more info, check out Furry Friends Explained

Then and Now: Disney’s River Country

WDWNT on January 18, 2012

Park 7 celebrates the rich 40 year history of Walt Disney World. All the figures, 3″ or 9″, feature both current attractions and ones that now only reside in the memories of the guests who enjoyed them. This article is about the later. On January 6th Disney’s first water park, River Country, will be commemorated with a 9″ Vinylmation.

This 9″ features Goofy with a huge water tube “accessory” around his waist. The tube is one of the finest accessories to date for a large figure. Monty Maldovan designed this LE 1500 piece. Goofy’s face has a simple, yet perfectly placed look to it. The nose and mouth seem so much more suited for this larger canvas than previous Goofy 3″ efforts. The ears waving up into the air is nice, although I would have liked to see some kind of background pained on. The bathing suit is also simple, but works. Just a green and white striped pattern. But let’s be honest, the tube is the highlight here.

It has the River Country logo painted on and is very colorful. Overall, this figure is a solid Park addition. Now, the reason Goofy was chosen is because he was featured on the park’s logo:

Goofy always seemed to be tossed into the water at WDW… remember water skiing Goofy? Well I also found this 1981 picture at MainStGazette.com of Goofy enjoying a River Country slide.

River Country was a fun watering hole for Walt Disney World guests that opened on June 20th, 1976. It was located at the Fort Wilderness Resort, right on the shore of Bay Lake. In fact, the main feature of River Country, The Old Swimming Hole, was actually part of Bay Lake. There were rope swings, T-Bars, large platforms, a ship’s boom and other areas where guests could jump into the water. There was also a barrel bridge for guests to cross over to the slides.

Scan from a WDW guide book. (scan from BigFloridaCountry.com)
Scan of a River Country park map
Here are some of the River Country attractions as described on old WDW material:

Whoop ‘n’ Holler Hollow – Two twistin’ ‘n’ turnin’ body slides that plop right into Bay Cove.

Slippery Slide Falls – Two winding slippery slides that sploosh you into the Upstream Plunge.

Upstream Plunge – Dive into 330,000 big, splashin’ gallons of good, clean fun.

White Water Rapids – Hang on for an adventure in relaxation as you float through swishin’ and swirlin’ waters.

And here is a picture from BigFloridaCountry.com of River Country in it’s hay day…

I also found a scan of this undated park admission ticket on ImagineeringDisney.com

Not a bad price for a day at an Orlando water park! This was also a cool find…

A scan of a 1976 Eyes and Ears, the Cast Member magazine, inviting CMs to preview the new water park. So, that’s a bit about the history of the park, but it’s all in past tense… On November 2, 2001 the park closed for the last time… then finally, on January 20, 2005, The Walt Disney Company announced that River Country would remain closed permanently. So what ever happened to River Country? Oh, it’s still there. You can see the banks of this abandoned water park when you take the boat ride from the Contemporary Resort to Fort Wilderness. And here is a current Google maps view.

That’s the watering hole in the center. And you can see all the slides, albeit with much plant growth surrounding them, still standing to this day. Here is a then and now picture from ImagineeringDisney.com.

It’s really a spooky site to see some of these current pictures. Guests have been fence hopping for years to get some shots. Here is one of my favorites…

An inner tube still floats around the murky waters. You can find a ton of pics and stories at these two links:

http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2009/12/19/abandoned-disney-river-country-part-1.html

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2344523

Although I stayed at Fort Wilderness many times throughout my childhood, we never visited River Country. To this day, I’m not a big water park fan, but do find the history of this park, being that it still sits abandoned, fascinating. Do you have memories of splashing in the waters of River Country? Please share them, and your thoughts on this Vinylmation, here.

Park 7 Vinylmation Explained

WDWNT on January 18, 2012

Park 7
Release Date: October 14, 2011
Blind Box Price: $12.95

Update: 02/23/12 9″ Main Street Electrical Parade and 7 Adventures get 2/24 release date. And according to a D-Street Cast Member, will have a retail price of $44.95.


Update: 01/27/12 Today DisneyStore.com released various Park 7 LEs including the Online Exclusive Main Street Electrical Parade Dragon and 3 piece Fife and Drum set. They also released 9″ River Country and 3/3 Horse and Trolley combo.

Yesterday Disney announced a 6 figure set based on the Tapestry of Nations parade. No pictures released yet, but the release date is February 3 and the price is $99.95 on this LE 2000 set. See details here. We are still waiting on details for Kitchen Kabaret. You can see the entire Park 7 LE lineup below.


Update: A ton of updates on this series today. First, an October 14th release date for the series and the combo topper. Second, we updated the pictures below. Tinkerbell has wings! Also, the Park 7 pin that we called Hong Kong Castle is NOT in the 12 figure set. Makes sense, because Park 7 and Park 8 are themed Walt Disney World for the 40th year celebration. Hence the amazing packaging:

No bland black boxes for Park 7! The used the same collage that is featured on other WDW 40th merchandise.

Here is the 11th figure we did not get from the Park 7 pins:



Update: 9/12/11 New pictures from The Florida Project


Update: 8/28/11 Well, after D23 we now have a clear view of the 11 known Park 7 figures and a release window. We guessed at a few of them when we first posted this explained page… and missed horribly, but in November 2011 we will see the following figures.

 Donald Philharmagic
Casey Jones

The best 3″ design EVER. Hands down. Wow. This is a favorite of mine. It’s from the Philharmagic show where Donald gets stuck in a tuba at the end of the show. Only to get blasted out into the wall behind you and then end up tangled in the instruments of the ceiling of the gift shop.
Muppet Vision 3D
Lin Shih

This colorful figure fits perfectly onto the Vinylmation. It’s Kermit’s hot air baloon that flies high over the attraction. It has a lot of bright colors and a clean design.
America on Parade
Casey Jones

This amazing little guy depicts the parade float Mickey, Donald and Goofy rode in America on Parade. (see Fife and Drum set below for more info)
Polynesian Fire Dancer
“Cousin Q” Quynh Kimball?

Ok, they kicked it up a notch. Look at the fire stick! The pin didn’t do this guy justice. The ears are clear with the left having a flower and right saying “Aloha”.
Tinkerbell
Eric Caszatt

The famous fairy gets another vinylmation. Is this her flying through the night sky over the park? Will she have a wand? Oh wow she has a wand! Look at that wand with a star on top. Her outfit also has a real glittery appearance. I have to say she looks a ton better in person than she did on pin. Wings!
Star Jets
Eric Caszatt

A Tomorrowland ride that has had or has versions in all the theme parks. The ears are clear and have the rockets painted on them. Its a perfect rendition. It’s also a perfect accessory piece on the head.
Figment in Spacesuit
Thomas Scott

Figment makes his 3rd Vinylmation appearance… not inside a spacesuit. He has a Buzzlightyear-type helmet and clear ears to show off his horns.
World of Motion Sea Serpent
Maria Clapsis

It’s the Sea Serpent from World of Motion who is found looking right back at Christopher Columbus who is searching for the New World.

picture from lostepcot.com
EPCOT 2000
Thomas Scott

Love it or hate it, the EPCOT ball had a wand attached to it for 8 years. This figure celebrates the occasion. In the picture, it says “EPCOT” above the ball, however, when the wand was originally put in place in 1999, it said “2000″ as on the Vinylmation. I liked it, but 8 years was overkill.
– Nick
Kali River Rapids
Billy Davis

A river rapids water ride in the Animal Kingdom. This figure is from the logo and sign that greet guests at the ride.
Earful Tower
Lin Shih


This was the iconic feature of Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM) in Orlando, FL until the giant sorcerer’s hat was built in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
Mystery Chaser

Could be anything. What would you like to see?
The combo topper is Magic Kingdom Mickey from 1971 designed by Monty Maldovan.
3″ Horse and 3″ Trolley

Released in January 2012
Based on the transports you can see at the Magic Kingdom.

3″ Fife and Drum Set
Jan/Feb 2012
LE 5000
$44.95
 Mickey Mouse

This set represents America on Parade that ran from 1975 – 1976 at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. In the parade, Mickey had a flag, but it wasn’t in the display. Mickey does have a tri point hat on his head.
Donald Duck


Donald played the fife in the band as they rode the parade float down Main St. USA. The eagle float that Mickey, Donald and Goofy rode on was 18 feet tall. I like the duck bill extending down to the body. A ton of great Donalds coming out.
Goofy


Goofy has a drum and stick accessory. The artist did a great job at capturing his eyes and face. The drum says “America on Parade”.
9″ River Country Goofy
Jan/Feb 2012
LE 1000
$44.95

River Country was a beloved Disney water park before Blizzard Beach and Typhoon lagoon came along. It opened in 1976 and closed in 2001. The area next to Fort Wilderness sits abandoned today. What was your favorite attraction there?
Magic Kingdom Ticket
February 24, 2012
LE 1500
$44.95


7 Adventures in one place! I want to go!
Main Street Electric 
Light Parade Dragon
Jan 2012
LE 1500
$74.95

It’s the parade we all know and love that makes it’s way down Main Street USA nightly. Are you a ELP or Spectro fan?
Main Street Electric 
Light Parade Train
February 24, 2012
LE 1500
$44.95

It’s the parade we all know and love that makes it’s way down Main Street USA nightly. Are you a ELP or Spectro fan?
Kitchen Kaberet Set
Jan/Feb 2012
LE 1500
$74.95
Kitchen Kaberet is a former EPCOT attraction. It was in the Land Pavilion from 1982 to 1994. It was an animatronic show with food promoting healthy heating through entertaining skits and music.
Mr. Dairy Goods Mustard Rice
Bonnie Appetite Broccoli Ham

Fife & Drum Set Sale

WDWNT on January 12, 2012

This Memorial Day weekend only, you can get 25% off the Park 7 Fife & Drum set featuring Mickey, Donald and Goofy.

This is at the Disney Store Online, just use the promo code PARK25. This set retails for $44.95 and is well worth it. The design is phenomenal. This set, however, does suffer from an extremely high LE of 5000.

Park 7 Main Street Horse and Trolley

WDWNT on November 5, 2011

There were several vinylmation pieces shown last night at the Trade Show at WDW. One of the newest, never before seen, pieces was this 2 pack 3″ Clydesdale Horse and Trolley. Based on the packaging it seems to be one of the Park 7 LEs (Along with the 6 piece 3″ Kitchen Kaberat and the 3 piece 3″ Fife and Drum set). This is designed after the horse that pulls a trolley down Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom.

Pic from burnsland.com

The hidden Mickeys on the horse’s harness are great. The trolley is also done well. The front seems to fit perfectly onto the mold and wrapped around it well. What are your thoughts?

Park 7 Kitchen Kaberat Packaging

WDWNT on November 5, 2011

The last new thing we saw at the Trade Show at WDW is the packaging for the Kitchen Kaberat LE Park 7 set. This set contains 6 3″ pieces and comes packaged 3 in the front and 3 in the back. (The pic is the two sides combined.)

At The Florida Project we were told that the set is coming out in January or February of 2012. It will be a LE of 1500 and will cost $74.95.

Any interest in the set?

Park 7 Review: Celebrate WDW in Style

WDWNT on October 28, 2011

You can tell Park 7 is something special from the moment you lay your eyes on the packaging. Instead of the bland black boxes we are used to from the Park series, the Disney Design Group used the wonderfully designed 40th anniversary collage.

Park 7 was released today at the D-Streets. With Walt Disney World celebrating it’s 40th anniversary, Park 7 and Park 8 will be focused on milestones from the Florida resort. Now, we talked on a podcast not too long ago (ep. 040) about the disparity between figures representing WDW as opposed to DLR and other parks. Some fans in Disneyland complain that many more figures are WDW-centric… and the numbers do support this. From Park 1 through Park 6, 31 figures (44%) are specifically WDW. Only 7 (10%) are from Disneyland. With 27 (39%) shared between the parks. That is just using the 12 base figures from each set and does not equal 100% as some figures are not from WDW or DLR. But you also have to take into account that WDW has 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a ton of resorts and Downtown Disney to pull from.

Let’s take a look at some highlights of Park 7. (Pak 7 Explained) In my opinion, the best design in the set is Philharmagic Donald.

It really takes Vinylmation to a different level. Some people might not like the huge bulky, outside the mold addition. But I think it is spectacular. I am biased, as this is one of my most favorite rides ever imagined.

I like Tink. I think this design is very well executed. The face is well proportioned. The outfit has that added sparkle. The wand and wings are icing on the cake.

Kali River Rapids is one of the more colorful Vinylmation you will ever see. It completely captures the art style used at the Animal Kingdom attraction.

I’m a big fan of the WDW resorts. I like walking around them, enjoying the food and shows they have to offer. The Polynesian Fire Dancer is a great representation of a classic WDW resort. The fire stick is unexpected and brilliant.

There really isn’t a miss in this set. Muppets 3-D is bright, colorful and spot on. America on Parade is a great nod to a long gone Magic Kingdom favorite and will go perfectly with the upcoming LE Fife and Drum set. Star Jets is awesome and uses the ears perfectly. World of Motion Sea Serpent really looks great up close and gives us EPCOT fans a little bit of nostalgia. I was a fan of the EPCOT 2000 ball with wand… and this figure, although a little awkward, actually works as a representation of that time. And the Earful Tower… if ever there was a no-brainer that just “fit” onto the Mickey-mold, it’s this. Then we have Figment. This one is the only area for minor criticism. But only that it’s my least favorite designed Figment we have gotten so far. It is still a well designed figure and as we know, comes with a variant.

Overall, Park 7 may replace Park 4 as my favorite overall set. I will figure that out and let you know by the next podcast. What are your thoughts on this milestone set?

Episode 043 Glass Half Full

WDWNT on October 24, 2011

Ep. 043 Glass Half Full
This episode is packed with chaser goodness… but we hold that until after the ending for a spoiler free main show. This week we review Park Starz, talk about Villains 2 and look ahead to Park 7. We also break down the nominations for the Dee Vee Awards. And of course, we read your comments and answer your questions in the Mystery Mail Bag.
Listen Now:
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Park 7 Figment Variant

WDWNT on October 23, 2011

Park 7 was put out on the shelves a week early at Villains in Vogue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now we have one variant confirmed. A reader sent this picture of a Figment in a yellow spacesuit to Vinylmation Kingdom.