Vinylmation Prognostication: Disney Parks Ride Vehicles

Welcome to another installment of Vinylmation Prognostication! In this column I will be brainstorming “blue sky” ideas of what I would like to see future Vinylmation series to feature. I will examining the potential futures of current Vinylmation series as well as thinking up new series that I (and maybe other Disney fans!) would like to see be released. Since I have no idea what new series will be coming up this will be a fun way to dream up our wish lists so to speak. So, feel free to voice your thoughts on if you agree or disagree with my choices at the end of the article. With that being said let the prognostication begin!

In today’s column I will be creating another brand new series! This time I will go outside the traditional Mickey Mouse shaped platform to create a series devoted to Disney Parks ride vehicles. Taking inspiration from the Park Starz series, the figures in this set will be shaped like the actual ride vehicles you would find at the various Disney theme parks. The size of the Vinylmation figures would be comparable to the size of the Park Starz figures. So, that gives you an idea of what this series is all about. Let’s explore the actual designs that I envision for Vinylmation Disney Parks Ride Vehicles!

1. Doom Buggy, Haunted Mansion

Photo from doombuggies.com

I am going to kick-off this series with the iconic doom buggy from the Haunted Mansion which can be found in several of the Disney Theme parks around the globe. What Disney fan wouldn't want their own mini doom buggy? In fact, there is always "room for one more” Vinylmation in anyone’s collection!

2. Train Car, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

For this vinyl I envision the front of the train from the attraction with one car attached. The car being the place where the guests are seated when riding. I think this design could be really interesting depending on how many of the little details could be transferred on to the figure. Trains have been use on the Mickey platform before, but to see an actual BTM train in vinyl form would be awesome!

3. Log, Splash Mountain

Photo from wdwradio.com

From Big Thunder to Splash Mountain, here we have the hollowed out log that transports you through the adventures of Brer Rabbit and whisks you down into the Briar Patch. This would be a great tribute to a ride woefully lacking in Vinylmation representation. (despite my first column on the subject!)

4. Boat, Pirates of the Caribbean

Photo from attractionsmagazine.com

As I continue to hit the classic Disney attractions, we have another Disney water ride vehicle. There is nothing too unique about the actual design of the boat in real life, however due too the popularity of Pirates I will include it in this series. A simple design, but one that holds a lot of great memories to people all over the world.

5. Space Shuttle, Space Mountain

Photo from mouseplanet.com

Representing another mountain, I will have this design be modeled after the Disney World version of the ride. I enjoy the sleek design of the WDW version the best. This is also an opportunity to have a variant of a design of the Disneyland version of the vehicle!

6. Bobsled, The Matterhorn

Photo from mouseinfo.com

Representing one of my favorite Disneyland attractions, I will include a Matterhorn bobsled in this set. Since the bobsleds were recently redesigned, I will have the figure be modeled on the new bobsleds currently being used at the park. However, here is another chance to include a variant of the old bobsled design!

7. Caterpillar, Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland

Photo from flickriver.com

Sticking with another Disneyland attraction, I would next include the large caterpillar that is the ride vehicle for the Alice in Wonderland ride in Fantasyland. Now these caterpillars come in various colors so here is another opportunity for color variants. I would have the main figure be the green caterpillar.

8. Motorcar, Mr. Toad‘s Wild Ride

Here would be by ultimate Disney ride vehicle Vinylmation! While the ride vehicle is still in use at Disneyland, for WDW fans this would be a memento from a beloved lost attraction. Different variants could exist with this figure, featuring various colors and the different character names on the front of the vehicle. I would use the classic red colored car with the name of J. Thadeous Toad on the front of the car as the main design. I could see myself developing “motor mania” in pursuit of this figure!

9. Time Machine, Spaceship Earth

Photo from wdwfanzone.com

I will head back to Florida and Epcot Center to find my next design. I would love to see a “time machine” Vehicle from Spaceship Earth! I love the color and it would be interesting to include a more unusual ride vehicle in this set. This may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Disney ride vehicles, but the attraction is so great I must include it here.

10. Flying Pirate Ship, Peter Pan

Photo from flickriver.com

I will go back to Fantasyland for the next figure and give you the flying pirate ship from Peter Pan’s Flight. This could be one of the best designs in the set, with the details that could be included on the figure! Here is also another chance to include color variants based on the different versions found in the attraction.

11. Safari Jeep, Kilimanjaro Safari

In Park series #8 we saw this jeep transported onto the Mickey platform. I would like to see an actual mini version of the jeep in this series. Here we could get another very detailed ride vehicle as the jeep in the attraction has numerous little details on it. This would be a nice figure to round out this set with.

12. Jungle Boat, Jungle Cruise (Chaser)

Photo from matterhorn1959.blogspot.com

For my chaser, I will represent another classic Disney attraction, the Jungle Cruise! A classic Disney boat, the Jungle Cruise debuted at Disneyland in 1955. For my design I will use the original Jungle Boat design from Disneyland. The original design was a white boat with black smoke stack, and a red and white canopy. I think this would be a unique chaser and would be highly sought after.

So, there you have it! An entire ride vehicle series that is outside of the traditional mold. I am sure I have left out some worthy ride vehicles so tell me what you would like to see included in this series. See you next time!