It’s NOT a trap. Star Wars Series 3!

WDWNT on August 30, 2012

Pictures from insidethemagic.net

Today, at Celebration VI in Orlando, Disney announced series 3 of Star Wars. Like most people expected it appears to be attached to the third movie, Return of the Jedi. So far we’ve seen an Admiral Ackbar and a 9″ Jabba with Jr Salacious.

This is amazing news! My only worry is this. Does that mean series 4 might be Phantom Menace related? That would sadden me. The other big question is cost. If series 2 is $14.95, how much will series 3 be??

What else would you like to see from this series remembering that it is probably Return based?

Collectors Beware: Capturing Yeti Comes at a High Price

WDWNT on July 10, 2012

On June 29th, the 9″ Yeti from Park 8 will be released as an online exclusive. With an edition size of 1000, it will retail for $74.95. (Park 8 LE Explained page)

This is the second time we have seen the outrageous price tag of 75 bucks for a single 9″ figure. Price aside, let’s talk about the creature it is based on.

Expedition Everest opened on April 7, 2006 at Disney Animal Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. When completed, the mountain of steel beams and imagineered rock work stood nearly 200 feet tall. Here is a great article from Popular Mechanics Magazine with a peak inside the mountain. To me, the best part about this ride is the most detailed queue line at the Disney parks. Every inch of the path onto the train is fulled with treasures and artifacts from a journey into the Himalayas. It may be a bit of a stretch to say this, but I don’t mind avoiding the Fast Pass line now and then to check it all out.

Inside the Everest queue. Picture from our Urban 8 photoshoot
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Once on the train, guests are sent up a hill offering one of the best views of the rest of the resort… if one is brave enough to take a breath and look around. The downhills are great and the ride backwards is a thrill, but the star of the attraction is the Yeti… the protector of the imagineered “Forbidden Mountain.”

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The Yeti, standing at 22 feet tall, is the largest animatronic the Imagineers ever built. The story of the Yeti is a much publicized one. Dubbed “Disco Yeti”, he now stands motionless with a strobe light on him to simulate movement. Here is an Orlando Sentinel article from 2010 highlighting the issue.

Park 1 Yeti
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We have a Park 1 Yeti and a Park Starz version, but none seem to capture the Yeti’s ferocity as depicted in the Exhibition Everest attraction as the new 9″ Park 8 does.

Park Starz Yeti
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This Park 8 version has the straggly fur, glowing red eyes and big dangerous teeth. Where as the other versions depict a more cartoonish Yeti.

The 9″ figure looks to take inspiration from both the animatronic Yeti himself as well as some of the artwork in the queue.

Photo from Jim Hill
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Photo from Mouse Planet
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But the big question still remains… will the Vinylmaiton Yeti’s arms move?

New Holiday Vinylmation to Hatch on 2/17

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

With weather like today, it feels like spring is right around the corner. Oh, sorry to all of our readers in cold weather climates. But it was a spectacular day in sunny Central Florida. And take a look at what we found in the D-Street display case that made thoughts of Spring pop into our heads.

Thanks Austin for sending this in. This 9″ Easter inspired figure will be released on February 17. It is an LE 800 and will retail for $44.95. Here is a look at the concept art for this figure…

For a look at all the 9″ Holiday 3 figures and our take, check out 9″ Holiday 3 Explained.

Mickey gets all dressed up for Park 8 LE

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Thanks to @vm_paris for this look at the 9″ Park 8 LE inspired by the Mickey Mouse Review. It was released at Disneyland Paris. We are still waiting on word of the stateside release.

More Park 8 LE Goodness

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Update: @VM_Paris has given us a better picture of the box side. It shows a 9/3 Contemporary and Monorail, Mickey Mouse Review, what appears to be a Yeti from the Animal Kingdom Everest ride a design that seems like the 25th anniversary pink Cinderella’s Castle. What do you think about these Park 8 LE 9″ figures?

Our friend Cindy forwarded this picture from @VM_Paris of the side of the 9″ Mickey Park 8 box. Two more LEs showed up. The top one looks like the Contemporary Resort (with yet another monorail, so that’s where it’s been hidden). The bottom one looks kinda like the Eagle figure from Park 7. Anyone else have any ideas of what these two are?

More 9″ Park 7 Release Dates

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

9" Park 7 LEs 7 Adventures MK and Main Street Electrical Parade Train to release on 2/24 at D-Streets. CM quoted me price of $44.95 out of book. The 2 figures sit on display in Orlando.

New 9″ CYO: Covered in Mickeys

WDWNT on February 9, 2012

View of new CYO in D-Street Orlando display case

On the heels of the brick pattern CYO comes this interesting 9″ covered in Mickeys. The price is $42.95 and it will be released at D-Street on the February 10th, 2012. What do you think of these new CYOs? I’m not really sure why this is a thing. The bricks made more sense then this. What can you create with this.

9″ Holiday 3 Vinylmation Explained

WDWNT on January 18, 2012

9″ Holiday 3 Explained


Update: 5/23/12 Release date and price on 9″ Colonial figure. It will hit D-Streets on May 25.


Update: 9/13/11 We found out the entire line up on 9″ Holiday 3 figures on a poster on display at The Florida Project.

This series of Vinylmation are the first that will be released in the new 9″ mold. First on display at D23 in August.

 

 DraculaArtist: Maria Clapsis

LE: TBA

Price: TBA

Release Date: September 14, 2012

An evil looking face and great detail on the shirt with the bats and the pocket watch. It captures Dracula well, but I’m spoiled by customs that add things like real capes.

 

 ColonialArtist: Casey Jones

LE: 600

Price: $44.95

Release Date: May 25, 2012A very Patriotic figure, I’m drawn to this one as I am to the Patriot from Holiday 2. He has nice definition in his face and it for sure looks like he will have an accessory hat. I may have to grab this one if the price is in the 40’s.

 

 Easter EggPrice: $44.95

Release Date: April 2012A colorful egg design with a chick peaking out of the crack in the head. It’s a solid design, but doesn’t appeal to me. I do like the idea and placement of design elements.

 

 Chocolate Birthday CakeArtist: TBA

LE: TBA

Price: TBA

Release Date: TBAIdentical in every way except color to the 9″ Holiday 2 figure by Tyler Dumas. Not a bad design. Its fun but the earlier figure had a small production issue. It was layered with stickers for the pattern and they overlapped, misaligned and shown through each other in parts distracting from the overall figure. Hope they fixed that in this release.

 

 Be My ValentineArtist: Lisa Badeen

LE: 1000

Price: $44.95

Release Date: 1/21/12

 

 Thanksgiving Diner Aftermath

Artist: Mike Sullivan

LE: 600

$44.95

Release Date: November 2011Wow! All ready for a nap. I have to say, I love this design. It’s kind of gross, but very cool looking.

Note his right arm. It looks a bit odd, almost like another left, but not sure if it is or not. If not, the new 9″ mold has two different right arms… one to hold accessories and one like this. (see below)

 

 Nutcracker Suite 9″/3″ comboArtist: Maria Clapsis

LE: 1200 -11/18 (D23 said 1000)

$74.95

Release Date: November 18th, 2011 OnlineThis is the Rat King from the Nutcracker. The new 9″ mold, like the 3″, allows for easier holding of accessories. Here is a look around his head:

 

 

 Nutcracker Suite 9″/3″ comboArtist: Maria Clapsis

LE: 1200 -11/18 (D23 said 1000)

$74.95

Release Date: November 18th, 2011 OnlineThe Nutcracker is the 3″ figure in this combo. Here, the shape of the head neck to body area of the new 3″ mold really pays off for the shape of the mouth.

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.

The Gloves are Off! 9″ Urban 8 Boxer

WDWNT on January 18, 2012


Don, one of our awesome readers, sent in these photos of the Urban 8 Boxer by Casey Jones. When we talked to Casey at The Florida Project he had mentioned that the gloves would come off. Well here’s what it looks like with the gloves off!

Great details! Wonderful work Casey!

What do you think of the newly released 9″ LEs for Urban 8? We think they are some of the best 9″s ever!