Two Patriots

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Update: 2/20/12 Steven Miller later responded in a comment that the Uncle Sam figure will be a separately sold open window box figure.

In honor of President’s Day, the Disney Parks Blog has shown us some great looking upcoming figures. The first is the 9″ Holiday 3 Patriot we saw on the poster at the Florida Project.

Its designed by Casey Jones and will be released later this year. I like the detailed look on his face and the patriot hat is amazing.

The second is Uncle Sam. Our best guess is this is the first we are seeing if Holiday 4. This figure will be a limited release open window box figure similar to what they release for Valentine’s Day or Halloween and should be released around the 4th of July. Very exciting.
Thanks to @velco_wallet for the heads up!

Combo Contest #3

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Update: The Grand prize has been announced as a 9″ Urban 8 Boxer and a 9″ Park 7 Electrical Parade Train. The grand prize winner will receive both of these figures. Boxer chosen by M.C. and Train chosen by Nick. There will also be secondary catagory prizes awarded. Deadline for entry extended to March 23.

Combo Contest 3

The Rules:
1: Take Vinylmations and form a new one by changing around the parts (the easiest way is to put a new head on another one’s body).
2: Email the photo to . In the email include your name, a name for the combo figure, and explain which parts you used to make your figure.
3: You can use any old mold or new mold Vinylmation, Park Starz, or official “accessory” to help create your figure. You can not use anything that is self-painted. You can use a “make your own” piece, but only if it hasn’t been painted. The more interesting and better themed, the more likely to win.
4: Enter as many different combos are you want!

The Prize:
The winner will receive a Vinylmation (from a list we will supply).
Once the winner is chosen, they will receive an email with a list of Vinylmation that we can send out. The winner then chooses which they want and they get it!
There will most likely be several winners (the last contest had two, even though we only said their would be one!)

The Due Date:
The contest will end at midnight EST on March 23rd. The winner will be announced on the next podcast following that date.
Abraham Lincoln; 
Vampire HunterHead: Abe Lincoln Park 6
Body: Abe Lincoln Park 6
Hat: Pirates 1
Ax: Haunted Mansion Bride Park Starz
Zombie Head: Runaway Brain Mickey Park 6
Fine Print: The winner will be named by Destination Vinylmation. All decisions are final. All photos may be published in a gallery for Destination Vinylmation and have a Destination Vinylmation watermark added. Feel free to add your own watermark to your photos, but all photos will be credited to the person who emails the photo. If two people send in the same combo, only the one to arrive first shall be considered. Destination Vinylmation is not responsible for any problems that might arise from the separation of Vinylmations. The list of Vinylmation to win is subject to change, but we promise NO CLEARS!

Light Up Set Delayed Past 3/28?

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

We had a comment just posted on our Disney Store 25th Anniversary Light Up Explained page. It appears to be a Disney employee and came from a Disney.com email address.

Hi Vinylmation Fans,
Please note that the release of this series has been pushed out past 3/28/12. However, we will release our special Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Singleton on 3/28 – in stores and online. Be sure to check Vinylmation.com for more updates as we get close to our 25th Anniversary Celebration!
Have a magical day!
MG
Disney Store

The 3/28 was never confirmed by Disney, and now it looks like that date will come and go without this series.

Park 8 Limited Edition Explained

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Park 8 Limited Edition

Update: 5/23/12 9″ Contemporary and Birthday Cake Castle get June 1st release dates. Contemporary will cost $89.95 and comes with a 3″ Gold Monorail. Castle will price at $54.95.

 9″/3″ Contemporary Resort
and Monorail Gold
WDW (1971-Present)
LE 2000
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Price: $89.95
Artist: Lin Shih
–
One of the original three resorts to open at Walt Disney World (Fort Wilderness and Polynesian). The side of the resort is featured on the viny’s front. The resort is famous for it’s A-Frame design and unique room construction. Each room was built off site complete with electrical and plumbing and then just inserted into the frame.

Picture from D23 WDW 40th slide

Picture from D23 WDW 40th slide
The resort is also famous for the monorail track that travels right through the building. So it makes sense, a 3″ Monorail would accompany it. We have 4 Monorails (Red, Blue, Green and Orange), but this will be the first in new mold.

9″ Yeti
Animal Kingdom (2006-Present)
LE 1000
Release Date: TBA
–
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 this one does. It has the straggly fur, glowing red eyes and big teeth where as the other version depict a more cartoonish Yeti.

Picture from JimHillMedia.com

Picture from MousePlanet.com
The figure looks to take inspiration from both the animatronic Yeti himself as well as some of the artwork in the queue. But the big question remains… will the Vinylmaiton Yeti’s arms move?

9″ 25th Birthday Cake Castle
Magic Kingdom (1996-1998)
LE 1000
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Price: $54.95
Artist: Mike Sullivan
–
To celebrate the 25th birthday of MK, imagineers transformed Cinderella’s Castle into a giant cake.

Picture from leagueent.com
400 gallons of pink paint, 26 giant glowing candles, 30 3ft. tall lollipops and more decorated the castle for 15 months. This figure seems to represent one of most debated renovations in Walt Disney World history.

9″ Mickey Mouse Revue
Magic Kingdom (1971-1980)
Artist: Alex Maher
LE 1500
Released: May 2012
–
An opening day attraction that featured audio animatronic performers lead by Mickey Mouse. This figure portrays the dressed up conductor Mickey with accessory baton. The rest of the orchestra was made up of classic Disney characters.

Picture from Walt Dated World
The attraction was replaced by Magic Journeys, The Lion King and eventually Philharmagic. The show now resides at Tokyo Disneyland.

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.

Collectors Corner: Nick

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

MC has been on me awhile now to post some pictures of my collection, so I took some initiative this morning, counted them up and took some pictures. We always welcome you to submit pictures of your collection and over the next few weeks, the DV staff will share ours.

Name: Nick LoCicero

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Collection size: 750

3″ = 628
9″ = 64
Jr. = 58
Park Starz = 12
Watches = 3
Ear Hats = 4
Customs = 7 (3 I made myself)

My Stormtrooper army is up to 22!

How long have you been collecting?
Since July 1, 2010. I remember the day well. It was the return of Captain EO to Epcot. It was raining all day. To stay dry, I hopped inside Mouse Gears where I saw they started to trade Vinylmation. That hooked me. I went home with 10 and was back just about every couple days for weeks. Now I’m over 700. The 750 figure above is pretty close to accurate. It doesn’t include my like 20 traders, 10 sitting there to be repainted customs, 14 Urban 6 Killer Bees awaiting an Epcot Flower and Garden photo shoot and a few other random doubles I hold onto because I like them. (It does however include to 22 Stormtroopers)

One row in my case is dedicated to my favorite Park figures with the chasers gathered to the far right.
One row has various figures including Muppets, Urban chasers and DCL.

What is your favorite figure that you own?
My first one, Park 4 IASW Leopard.

Another row used to be Urban, but now shelves my movie themed pieces.

Which of these is the best feeling: Pulling a figure you want… from a blind box you just purchased, from a great trade with another collector, from a mystery trading box at the park or from a clear trading box?
A blind box. Because I split cases now, that feeling is largely gone. But it was the best.

I have stuff all over… these Villains sit on top of a speaker
This stuff is stacked on top of my display case.
And more still sits in labeled boxes waiting for that addition on my house.
The top of my computer desk is crowded with Disney collectibles. Stormtrooper Donald is one of my favorites.
More stuff on top of my desk.
Way up top, all kinds of Buzzs and Woodys hang out.
One of my favorite sections is my retro Disney themed area.
I even have stuff on my TV stand.
Vinylmation was my gateway drug… pins were the next logical step. Here is my just full pin board.
That Alex Maher designed framed collage is wonderful, but the crown jewel of my Disney collectibles is that WDW 1/2 Marathon medal. One, because I love Donald and the design is brilliant, but mostly because I earned it. Send us an email to DestinationVinylmation@gmail.com to have your collection featured.

Future World Mickey Tops Off the March 2nd Releases

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

We saw him visit the shelves of DLP before the US parks, but now, the Park 8 combo topper featuring EPCOT Future World Mickey will be available at WDW and DLR beginning March 2.

The combo topper will cost $24.95 and will of course be packaged with a blind box of Park 8. The design in a nice choice for this WDW themed set and even the face looks a bit retro and differently designed than other Mickeys we have seen. Is it just me, or does the face actually look more costume like than the other Mickey faces?

Back It Up in Style

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Do you trust your Vinylmation with your most important data? Disney sure hopes so. The nifty tech gadget we saw in Japan a few months back has made it stateside. On March 2, Disney will release 8GB flash drives designed as Vinylmation. At $64.95, the price seems a little steep for an 8GB USB drive. A quick search on Best Buy’s website shows that most 8GB drives can be had for $35 or less. There are more expensive ones, but they seem to come with special encryption and other data back up or security software that I doubt this one comes with. So Disney is banking on the fact that you will pay for the character. They have chosen three designs for this release.

Photo from Vinylmation World

Oopsy was the design released in Japan. He is originally a Thomas Scott figure from Urban 1. The second USB takes a design from Cutesters 1.

Lisa Badeen designed the entire Cutesters 1 series, and Disney seems to like to use this Owl design on various other Vinylmation products such as a women’s bag that is available in the stores. The third design is from the Cast Member Exclusives collection.

This retro Mickey design was the second first CM exclusive to be released. So there is really something for everyone here to choose from, but will the USB drives be a hit? At the $65 price point, will you pick one up? If so, to use or display? And if you have used one from Japan, how are they? I’m assuming they are flat on the back of the figure so they fit easily into a laptop or back of a tower?

Hippity, hoppity

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Update 3/2/12 After waking up a bit after my 24 hour visit to WDW and really taking a look at this figure, I have an update on my thoughts, partially in response to Rust’s comment below. Since Park Starz and Furry Friends, I think we have to come to realize that a ton of different vinyl collectible syles will be produced under the Vinylmation name. I have defended the fact that Vinylmation refers to the brand name and not a Mickey mold shape vinyl collectible. Yes, it is true that I said that the removal of Mickey ears means it is no longer Vinylmation, but because of what I described above, my opinion has changed and I no longer hold that to be true. All that being said, I do not think I will add this figure to my personal collection. I would however add an Oswald to my collection if it was in the same or similar shape. Reason being, and for the same reason I didn’t hesitate to add Park Starz, is that it is Disney themed. A figure like this Easter Bunny is not Disney themed and doesn’t have the Mickey ears… so it is so far removed from Disney, you could see this as a vinyl collectible by any other company.

Hopping down the bunny trail… and right into D-Streets… is a new open window limited release 3″ Easter Bunny Vinylmation.

Designed by Casey Jones, this otherwise plain looking bunny, does come with a purple hat and a tail like we’ve never seen before. It looks like a cotton ball bunny tail. Nice job Casey. DLR will see this bunny first, on March 2nd. O-town’s D-Street will have to wait a week later, March 9th, for the happy little fellow. $16.95 is the price tag. Your thoughts on this holiday vinyl?

DCL Exclusives To Be Available to Landlubbers

WDWNT on March 5, 2012

Disney’s Vinylmation Blog has announced that certain, up to now, DCL exclusive figures will be released via DisneyStore.com on March 9th. The figures available will include the DCL Dream AquaDuck for $12.95.

Also, the 7 figure Characters as Crew lineup featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale. Also $12.95.

The other figures set for release are the 3 DCL Ship Bows for $12.95 as well.

You can see all the figures on our DCL 2011 Explained page. A nice treat for collectors that don’t plan on cruis’n, but it also takes away from the collectible exclusiveness of these. What are your thoughts on this plan?