Never Produced Disney Store Vinylmation Artwork Surfaces

Over the past week, a few interesting pieces of artwork of never produced Disney Store Vinylmation have surfaced. The first was released intentionally by Disney Store artist Jim Valeri on his personal website. Back in 2012, the Disney Store released a Blind Box set of 13 figures that would light up when placed on a base (sold separately). The set celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Disney Store and featured the following line up.

Apparently, the set was planned to be much more ambitious. Jim Valeri has released the following artwork showing 13 more figures.

Here is a quote from Jim Valeri off his website: “This Vinylmation series was designed for TDS 25th Anniversary which came out about a year and a half ago. The original idea was to have 25 pieces….for the 25th Anniversary…see the math there? Anyway, that turned out to be a little too ambitious given our timing and manufacturing logistics so 13 of the intended designs were nixed…”

I personally never enjoyed the style of this collection, but did appreciate the artwork. I would have for sure liked to see a few of these replace the released figures. I'd take Genie, Donald and Peter Pan over Goofy, Tink and Dumbo. How about you?

Also in the past week, a piece of artwork, seemingly unintentionally, was leaked to the internet and discovered by a member of Vinylmation Exchange. Last year, series of open window figures called Disney Tunes was released to the Disney Stores. It featured six Disney characters with a musical theme.

It appears that there was at least one more design that never made it to the production factory (or will be released in the future?)

The Cheshire Cat, dressed to the nines like a hip jazz cat, was designed on a blue clear body with musical instruments and music notes floating about.

Episode 135 Green Thumb

Ep. 135 Green Thumb This week the theme is "un-released." We talk about the leaked photos of Villains 4, the un-released figures pulled out of Reflections of Evil trading boxes and artwork of un-produced figures that made it to the internet. Also, Matt from Vinylmation Kingdom stops by to give his take on the RoE previews.

Listen in Popup Player

Download podcast

Lighting Up the Magic Kingdom

As the sun goes down just a bit earlier these days, the Magic Kingdom lights up that much earlier. Have you ever really explored all the different lights around the park? Austin and I did... with the help of the Disney Store 25th Anniversary Light Up series.

Bambi stalks the hunters at the Frontierland Shooting Gallery

Buzz scales new heights in Tomorrowland

Where else would you find Dumbo then by the new Casey Jr. Splash Station?

Only this Adventureland light can lift Eeyore's spirits

This tall Liberty Square light box is perfect for Goofy

Grumpy makes the most out of this interesting light, only found in Frontierland

Mickey finds Main Street USA very enlightening

Minnie awaits her prince at the castle

Pinocchio tries to peak over the Fantasyland construction walls outside the Village Haus

Rapunzel lets her hair down and relaxes outside a Liberty Square home

Sorcerer Mickey keeps a look out for Pirates at this Adventurland post

Tinkerbell flutters around the Tomorrowland lights

You Light Up My Vinyls...

One of our listeners, Greg, sent us a note and some pictures playing around with the 25th Anniversary light up base. I think my favorite is the Bubbles! Check these out, then send in your favorites.

Hey Guys! I remember you talking about how cool it was going to be to light up all the clear Vinylmation with the base from the Disney Store 25th anniversary L.E.D. base. Here are a few that I tried....

Clear Red

Cutesters Too Bubbles

Oh! Mickey

Urban 2 Confetti

Celebrations

Episode 075 It's a Small World Leopard

Ep. 075 It's a Small World Leopard On our 75th episode we finally get those Vinylmation themed cupcakes! We also make a big announcement about another Disney themed podcast we are launching this week. Annemarie joins us fresh off her trip to Japan to give her take on the week's news and talk about what Vinylmation collecting is like in Japan. We also discuss the new Lightning mold, the Villains 3 lineup and much more.

Listen in Popup Player


Download podcast

ZoMG: Disney Store Light Up Set Review

This past Monday May 28th, the Disney Store 25th Anniversary Light Up Vinylmation was FINALLY released! I thought these guys were never going to see the light of day after what happened with Furry Friends, but thank goodness they pulled through because they are BEAUTIFUL.

I wasn’t really looking forward to this set, except for the fact that we got our first 3" Princess (which I have been waiting for forever!) But this set has honestly blown me away. Let’s start off with the box, the box design is awesome. It ties in perfectly with the rest of the Disney Store 25th Anniversary merchandise and the coloring really stands out.

I bought 5 blind boxes and one Sorcerer Mickey that came with the light up stand. I know that during the actual Disney Store Anniversary, the Mickey and light up stand were given to Cast Members as a gift. I thought that in doing this they would get rid of the bad quality ones and sell us Vinylmation fans the newer and better quality ones... I was wrong.

Let’s talk about Mickey. I’ve seen reviews that people had done on how the paint lines were not up to par and there was some smudging. The Mickey I purchased has some flaws but I wasn’t too disappointed since he wasn’t the only one I wanted from the set. But for some reason they decided to leave Mickey the way he was in the first batch of this series that surfaced during the Disney Store’s Anniversary.

Now as for the rest of the set, it is apparent that they went back in and added more details, cleaner lines, and my favorite part... glitter/pixie dust/sparkle whatever you’d like to call it... onto the figures!!! On the Mickey figure you can see the separation where his body ends and the light up part begins, and in the actual set of 12 figures, you can see they’ve added the sparkle to cover that area up. I wonder why Mickey wasn’t special enough to get his own pixie dust? Maybe the next batch in stores will have it? Who knows, we will have to keep checking.

Let’s talk about the light up base. I like the idea of the figures lighting up but to me I think they could have looked better when turned on. Maybe each figure could have had something that you can only see when the base is on... like how Sorcerer Mickey has a Hidden Mickey on his chest. I’m not saying that I hate the idea of the figures lighting up because it looks super cool. I was just nervous that the set would only look good when lit up, but they look great either way!

Now on to the actual set. I am in LOVE. This is hands down one of my absolute favorite Vinylmation sets in all the years I have been collecting. I’m not being bias because I finally have my very own Vinylmation Princess figure (please take note other artists, include Princesses PLEASE!). I honestly really love this set from ears to feet.

Of the 5 blind boxes I pulled, I got Eeyore, Minnie, Dumbo, Buzz and Rapunzel. These figures are absolutely stunning in person. The detail is incredible, the quality is top notch and the best part is that the actual figures these are painted on are sparkly, which makes any clear area full of glitter which I LOVE.

I think that the characters they picked are good ones. We’ve had many Tinker bells this year but I love way artist Gerald Mendez made them his own and went with it. This Tinkerbell is completely different than any one we have seen. The cute little faces are consistent on each figure which makes the whole set flow. It’s a creative and fun play on everyone’s favorite characters and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Now let me break down briefly what I think of the figures I’ve collected so far:

Eeyore looks so adorable, but the only thing missing is his tail. But that’s okay because that’s normal for him to misplace it.

Buzz is awesome. I love the expression on his face and the details on all sides of him are perfection.

Dumbo is the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen. I love that in one ear he has his little yellow hat and also if you look on the sides you can see his cute little ears flapped down. He doesn’t want to outshine the iconic Mickey ears you know.

Sorcerer Mickey is great. I love the hat and his expression is cool too. I love the little hidden Mickey you can see when he is lit up!

Minnie Mouse is so cute, the face is adorable. I love the little smirk she’s giving. Also the bow is removable and she’s just darling.

Last but not least Rapunzel. She is everything I would have wanted in the first Princess 3 inch Vinylmation. She’s pretty, her hair is flowing, her face is so cute and her dress looks perfect on the mold. She is perfect!

This is great set to represent the Disney Store’s 25th Anniversary. It’s fun, full of great characters and looks awesome. I would definitely recommend stopping at your nearest Disney store, making a trade or shopping online for at least one of these.

25th Anniversary Gift with Purchase

When the light up set was announced, Disney talked about the idea of getting a Sorcerer Mickey and light up base with purchase of a full case, and now we have the details.

As particularly pin people know, often Disney does a Purchase with Purchase, meaning you still have to pay a few bucks for the other item. But in this case, it is a Gift with Purchase. Here are the details direct from Disney:

Gift with Purchase Promo: Free 3-inch Sorcerer Mickey Light Vinylmation (retail price $14.95) with purchase of full tray of the 3-inch 25th Anniversary Vinylmation Series. While Supplies last. Limit two (2) trays with free Sorcerer Mickey Light Up per Guest (From 5/28 - 6/3 ONLY!)


The case will cost $238.80 plus tax ($9.95 per blind box). Sorcerer Mickey as a stand alone buy is $14.95.

While certainly a nice treat for any collectors already picking up a case, does this giveaway sway anyone toward buying a case that might not already be doing so?

Episode 071 Astro Orbiter

Ep. 071 Astro Orbiter This week we discuss the new Nightmare Before Christmas Set and its place in Vinylmation. We also bring up news about Disney Character Star Wars, Disneyland figures, DCLs and a ton of new, confirmed and changed release dates. We also get a voicemail in Mystery Mail Bag concerning the upcoming trading night. And yes, we sneak in some Avengers talk as well.

Listen in Popup Player


Download podcast

Light Up Chaser Revealed

Today, via the Vinylmation Exchange Facebook trading page, the Disney Store 25th Anniversary Light Up chaser was supposedly revealed. It was posted by Angela Vega. Although no official word by Disney about the chaser, we have seen the 11 known figures in this set, so it is safe to assume this is the real chaser. It is a very interesting character choice that in my opinion makes it a great chaser. The character, although off the beaten path a bit, has appeared on a previous Vinylmation design. Click the picture below to reveal the chaser.

Light Up Mickey Review by Sophie

Sophie, who brings us many of the wonderful graphics across our site, has written a review of the new 25th Anniversary Light Up Sorcerer Mickey.

In the last couple of days some Disney stores in the UK accidentally sold the 25th Anniversary Sorcerer Mickey early (RP 12.00). I was lucky enough to pick up a few before they were removed from the shelves until the official release date of May 28th.

He comes in an unusual shaped package (similar to combo toppers) however I'm assuming this was to enable Mickey to be presented with the Sorcerer's hat on. The base is the same as the special display window boxes, however on the bottom there is a hole for which you can turn on and try the light up base, so it's not great for display purposes. However it does look nice as it's decorated with silver shiny sparkles along with the Vinylmation and Disney Store 25th logo. The plastic part of the packaging does break easily as I was given two which had been cracked, so be careful with that. The back sides and top have a blue film with sparkles and incorporating the sorcerers hat design with clear areas shaped like moons and stars cover the film. On the top is the Disney store logo. And for a nice little touch, on the back it says Celebrating 25 Years of Magic with Tinkerbell waving her wand. Although the decoration of box is nice, it does means it's hard to see the figure and identify any areas of poor quality.

The main reason for why I bought mine was for the light up base. It's a great little extra way to display your clear and translucent Vinylmations! Remember only Vinylmations with clear feet can light, with the better effects when both the feet and body are clear and even better when the whole vinylmation is on a clear figure. It works great with Ariel's Undersea Adventure, 100 years of Magic hat, Alien, Obi Wan Variant, Furry Friends Cheshire Cat and the clear Pink elephants. Both old mold and new mold fit snugly into the base. It is very sturdy, you can even turn them upside down and they won't fall out. Although none of my figure's feet have been scratched, I would take care when removing and inserting them into the base. Overall the design is filled with nice translucent cloud shapes that swirl around your vinylmation's feet and also means it partially lights up when switched on.

A detailed Disney store 25th Anniversary logo proudly stands out on the front, which is a bit of a shame as it won't make sense when displaying other non 25th Anniversary Vinylmations. The very bottom of the base is a metallic silver which does help in a small way to intensify the light. Turn the base over and you'll find the compartment for the batteries, a switch and a button. With the switch you can change from "Try" mode, in which the base can only be lit up by pressing the button continuously, or the "On" mode so that when you press the button the light will stay on until you press the button again. The light itself comes from three white LED bulbs, arranged in a triangle shape, be warned they are very bright so don't directly look at them without a figure being in the base. The brightness does mean it can light up a small portion of the area around it. Not only does the base lite up, but it adds an extra 2cm (approx. 1 inch) to a figure's height.

Now to the bit that I'm sure most people are interested in. The figure itself! The design has been printed onto a clear figure with glitter running throughout it. It looks super nice and makes it look a bit more magical. Hopefully we will see future figures with different colored glitters. Around the hands and waist is essentially a white line with stars radiating from it, thus making a nice transition from the clear feet to the rest of design. Plus it adds to the light-up and magical quality. Above this you will find Mickey's red robes. The folds in the clothes and bow at the front is really great, as highlights have been added. Also on the front you will find part of the robe in the top right missing in the shape of Mickey ears, letting light shine through the pattern.

Next we see Mickey's face, he's got a awesome expression and what makes it even better are the highlights and shadows that have been added. Even highlights have been added to mickey's ears.

Next up is the removable hat. It's quite an awesome accessory as unlike the other standard Sorcerer Hats this has been shaped. The rim shape moves up and down, the top slopes over to one side, even folds have been included. The moons and stars are clear meaning some of the light from the base comes out from them. When he's lit up the feet shine very brightly, then the body, however the head doesn't, so if you were in quite dark conditions you cannot see his face at all. Also to note, with the finish that's been added to this figure, plus its snug fit, the hat can scratch the ears. Speaking of the finish, it's glossy and sleek, similar to that of the Tunes series

Now some of you might know of quality issues, and yes there are some, all of which are to do with the paint. application. Firstly the white fluffy cloud that surrounds the waists and arms at parts lacks definition. On one figure the precise outline of the stars wasn't there at all and appeared blurred. The mickey face on the robes also varies, some the outline is not cleanly cut/stamped thus leaving a rough outline. On the face some parts do not correctly line up with the rest of the face, e.g. overlapping. Then of course there's the occasional small blob of paint. However, these faults are hard to find, but when lit up everything shows up. You can see where there have been repaints as they appear darker. The most annoying part when lit up are the sparkles around the waist, part of it is applied on the red robes and the other directly onto the mold. Thus half seem light and the other half darker.

When lit up all figures have a line of light coming from the neck, some more than others as the paint doesn't fully cover the very top of the body and the very bottom of the head. Perhaps this was a design decision so that head can be lit up, but to me it looks unsightly. Similarly a line of light has often escaped from around the brim of the hat. Speaking of the hat, the blue paint doesn't reach the outline of the stars and moon and due to the fold shape, lighter and darker areas can be seen due to more paint being added to some parts more than others. With one or two figures light also can be seen through the applied design, often with the black parts of mickey's head, such as the nose and back of head.

In conclusion the figure by itself not lit up is great and here are plenty of other figures that look amazing when lit up, so use them instead. - Sophie