Villains 1: Magic Kingdom Under Attack

Last year, with the help of some readers, we documented the Villains 1 invasion of Florida. Well, after laying low for a while, they recently were seen around the Magic Kingdom. Apparently they thought The Swiss Family Robinson's Tree House was a prime hideout location.

Bad Pete protects the ammo.

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Bonsai takes lookout in the rocks.

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Cruella stands guard on the bridge.

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Kaa slithers up a rope for a surprise attack.

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Madam Mim practices her potions.

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Prince John relaxes in his cabin upstairs while the other Villains do the dirty work.

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What is the old hag doing with all that fruit?

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Governor Ratcliffe mans the cannons.

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Shan Yu plots the course of attack.

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Stromboli plays around in the music room.

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Ursula is in charge of the water supply.

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Jafar guards the treasures.

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Vinylmation Speculation: Tracking down Villains 1

Over on twitter @artisticdoodle send out a mass tweet saying,
"Heads up, Villains 1 may be out of print. Out of stock at DLR D-street and at my local Disney Store and not listed on DisneyStore.com. D-Street and local Disney Store have no idea if they'll get anymore. D-Street sold their last case last week. Local Disney Store has been out since the first day of the BOGO free promo."

We just want to put the word out and see if anyone else is experiencing the same thing in their local Disney Stores. Usually, Disney likes to print a set for almost a year, and it's only been half that long at this point in time.

With the announcement of Villains 2 coming, are people buying these up?

What say you, the vinylmation fans?

On 7/12 @faultytext reported, "Villains in Vogue @ DHS was out, as was D-Street Orlando last I checked. I hope they return. Missing some!"

Villains Re-Released

Disney has deemed the Villains rehabbed enough to released them into the Theme Parks. Today, D-Streets at Walt Disney World and Disneyland have seen the re-release of this once Disney Store exclusive series. It's a great set that fits perfectly with Animation 1 on your Vinylmation shelves. To celebrate the D-Street release, we wanted to share with you a look back at the events around Florida on February 1st, 2011 when the Villains were first released to the public.

(the following is a timeline of the days events)

February 1, 2010 Orlando, FL - We were afraid of this. We heard rumors of a country wide bad guy break out today. And it looks like this is true. Facts are still a bit cloudy right now, things are happening very fast. We are getting in pictures from eye witnesses as we speak. Villains are being spotted around the country... up to no good I bet. We will keep you updated as news breaks, but please be careful out there! And if you see any Villains, get a picture for us, but do NOT try to apprehend. They are considered armed and dangerous.

Update: 10:57am EST A Villain was spotted lurking around the Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida this morning.

Update: 11:48am EST What evil is brewing at the Florida Hotel? An anonymous hotel employee sent us this photo and says some shady characters have been checking in this morning.

Update: 12:43pm EST The baddies have been spotted slithering up the Florida Highways. Thanks to a brave motorist for risking his life snapping this pic for us. Where are they going? What do they want?

Update: 2:06pm EST Just in from Ft. Lauderdale, FL... It looks like The Witch, we can only assume, is poisoning Florida's Orange supply. How does this compare to her poisoning of Snow's Apple? It is unfair at this time to compare the two crimes, but she needs to be brought to justice. Keep sending in your tips.

Update: 3:41pm EST We received this photo from a camper in the forests of Ocala, FL. It's a bit blurry, but it looks as though our fearless contributer was rushed to snap this photo. It looks to be Mickey's infamous arch-rival Pete walking around looking for trouble. It seems that Pete may have spotted this photographer, we hope he is OK. Stay safe people, hopefully these Villains will be rounded up quickly.

Update: 5:18pm EST This photo from and anonymous source at NASA shows a Villain, looks like Shan Yu, hanging around Kennedy Space Center. Is he catching a shuttle launch or stealing national defense secrets? Keep on the look out for suspicious activity in your area today.

Update: 6:09pm EST This is the best shot we've received of who we believe is the mysterious leader of the Villains. His crew has been wreaking havoc in Orlando today after busting out of jail. We thank this fearless theme park worker for risking his or her life and sending in this picture from outside the Arabian Knights dinner theater.

Update: 6:58pm EST We have been tracking these bad guys all day and so far they have only caused minimal damage around Florida and the US. But this... this is just blasphemy. Is there no loyalty to Disney for these evil creatures? What evil could they be causing at Florida's theme parks?

Update: 7:46pm EST We got word from a Universal cast member that Miss de Ville was just enjoying the Harry Potter ride. I'll give her that, it's a great ride. But what is Stromboli doing down in Ft. Myers, Florida? Checking out the beaches? I don't think so... thanks for the picture Cliff. Keep your distance, but keep an eye on him.

Update: 9:06pm EST We are still getting reports of Villains on the loose. But I'm beginning to think they are not all bad. Maybe they are just enjoying a day at the theme parks after being locked up for so long?

Update: 9:21pm EST Breaking News from Key West, Florida. An evil foe has been spotted soaking up some rays on the beach. An unnamed lifeguard on duty says he overheard Ratcliffe discuss plans to overthrow Rick Scott and take over the Governorship of the state. We are your source for updates about the Villains reign of terror today. Stay tunned...

Update: 9:42pm EST This is an URGENT news bulletin from Destination Vinylmation. We have been very wrong about our misunderstood Villain friends today. They come in peace and will do us no harm.... Is he gone? Good. Needless to say we were frightened when Prince John found our secret DV recording studio just outside of Orlando. He demanded air time, so we let him sit in on our podcast.

Please, whatever you do, do not underestimate these Villains! They are still out there! Find them all... before they find you! Good night everyone... we are signing off for tonight. We will be back with more news soon. If you don't hear from us tomorrow... well, take care of yourselves.

Villains Invading D-Streets 5/6/11

It looks like the Disney Stores couldn't keep the evil Villains contained. Now it seems that they will be taking over both D-Street stores on May 6th. They even got the California Store to open at 8 AM!

Evil Reviewed

We received our Villains 9"/Jr combos today. Which one is your favorite? What do you think about Disney releasing these limited edition figures in select Disney stores? What is the most fair way to allow collectors to get limited edition items? Keep them at D-Streets or put them online?

	Maleficent 9" and Princess Aurora Jr Maleficent is one of the most striking figures yet. The colors are vibrant. The face is drawn really well and is in the perfect place on the figure. I like designer Oskar Mendez's use of gloss on the head and hands and matte finish to the clothing. The Jr "Sleeping Beauty" is the first full representation of a "Princess" as a vinylmation. Here's hoping to see some more, and in 3" size!
	Julius 9" and Minnie Mouse Jr Another nice placement of the face, giving him a big chin. Artists Gerald Mendez's design is very exaggerated and cartoonish. Great detail with the stitches and gloss finish. Minnie Jr's face is drawn remarkably well on the Jr. Great color. Mickey will come as the Combo Topper for Park 6, (April 1st)
	Jumba 9" and Stitch Jr The Jumba figure doesn't work for me. To be honest, I don't think Artist Dan Beltan captured Jumba's character. The eyes look crossed. Also, I get he has a blue tongue, good idea, but it looks awkward. He's missing his satchel and a few hairs on his head. And I'm fairly certain the coloring is a bit off on the clothing. But hey, I like the stars in the ears. Stitch Jr is basically Stitch from Park 5 shrunk down... and like his predecessor, it doesn't look right. Stitch needs to be drawn more cartoonish and exaggerated.

9" Villains Vinylmation: Sold Out

Update: 10:30AM All the villains 9"/Jr combos are sold out online. Also as of this time, all the Villains 9"/Jr sets are sold out of the Tampa Disney Store (and we suspect any other EST store). Tampa only had 8 Maleficent sets (and the family in the front of the line bought like 6).
Well it didn't take long. At some point between 2am EST and 730am EST the Disney Store Online put the Villains 9"/Jr sets up for sale. As of now, the Maleficent and Aurora set is sold out. Interestingly, they also put up a package where you could buy all 3 9"/Jr sets. That is currently sold out also! Each set is a Limited Edition of 700.

Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty: Up Close and In Hand

Here is a tweet from @zoekatherine on March 12:

"Sleeping Beauty Vinylmation! She is so cute! This is the first princess Vinylmation made! So exciting! :)"

She purchased these at the Mission Viejo, CA store. They also had the Jumba/Stitch and Julius/Minnie combos on the shelf as well. The Villains 9" + Jr combos are not scheduled to be released until March 21st according to a Disney Blog post and the Disney Events page. Looks like some Villains escaped early. Here is a list of the stores Disney announced will be carrying these Villains:

Stockton Street, San Fransico, California

Mission Viejo, California

Cherry Hill, California

Fashion Valley, California

Montebello, California

Santa Monica, California

International Plaza, Tampa, Florida

State Street, Chicago, Illinois

North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Freehold, New Jersey

Times Square, NYC, New York

Roosevelt Field, Garden City, New York

Northpark, Texas

Zoe has been collecting Vinylmation since Park 2. Her favorite is Ariel from Park 2. Here are some more great pictures she sent into us.

Villains 9" Vinylmation: "Where to find them"

Update: 3:30pm EST - We contacted Disney about some discrepencies in the store names / locations. Steven Miller was nice enough to get back to us and update the list. Please recheck for the store nearest you.

Disney announced today the select list of stores that will be selling the Villains 9" Vinylmation figures when they are released on March 21. Here it is:


Stockton Street, San Fransico, California
Mission Viejo, California
Cherry Hill, California
Fashion Valley, California
Montebello, California
Santa Monica, California
International Plaza, Tampa, Florida
State Street, Chicago, Illinois
North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Freehold, New Jersey
Times Square, NYC, New York
Roosevelt Field, Garden City, New York
Northpark, Texas


Is there a store near you? If not, there is always eBay. We were wondering how 700 of each figure was going to be spread out.

Here is a link to yesterdays articles with all the details on the Villains 9" figures.

Villains 9" Vinylmation on the way

Today, Disney officially announced three 9" + 1.5" (Jr.) Villains 1 combo sets to be released at select Disney Stores and the online Disney Store on March 21.

Picture from Disney Store Facebook page

The following concept art is from the official Disney Vinylmation Blog.

Maleficent 9" + Princess Aurora 1.5"
Artist: Oskar Mendez
LE: 700
Price: $59.95
Release Date: March 21, 2011
Where: Disney Stores and Online

Maleficent is the villain in the 1959 Disney animated classic "Sleeping Beauty". This isn't her first appearance on a Vinylmation, her first was in her more sinister and destructive form. After seeing this concept art, the 3D form (at the top) disappoints with the translations just a bit. We will have to wait to see it in person, before making a final decision. Princess Aurora is making her Vinylmation debut in this combo set, however this still leaves us without a true 3" Vinylmation Princess.

Julius 9" + Minnie Mouse 1.5"

Artist: Gerald Mendez

LE: 700

Price: $59.95

Release Date: March 21, 2011

Where: Disney Stores and Online

This is Pete's 3rd appearance on a Vinylmation, all in various forms. Although, this time he takes on his role as Julius from the 1995 Academy Award nominated short, "Runaway Brain". Pete looks great... with his peg leg, stitches and lots of color to the ears and hands. This set comes with a Minnie Mouse Jr. We will see a 3" Mickey Mouse from "Runaway Brain" as a combo topper in the upcoming Park 6 set.

Jumba 9" + Stitch 1.5"

Artist: Dan Beltran

LE: 700

Price: $59.95

Release Date: March 21, 2011

Where: Disney Stores and Online

We have Jumba to thank for bringing the lovable Stitch into our lives. Jumba created Experiment 626, as Stitch was named before Lilo adopted him, in the 2002 Disney animated "Lilo and Stitch". Jumba's round head and large body fit nicely onto the 9" Vinylmation figure. The artist brilliantly uses the ears to represent the stars and planets of outer space. Stitch Jr. is the second Vinylmation for this fan favorite Disney character. His first appearance was as a 3" vinyl in the Park 5 series.

Are you ready to add some 9" Villains to your collection? Save the date, March 21st.

Breaking News Alert: Villains on the loose!

We were afraid of this. We heard rumors of a country wide bad guy break out today. And it looks like it is true. Facts are still a bit cloudy right now, things are happening very fast. We are getting in pictures from eye witnesses as we speak. Villains are being spotted around the country... up to no good I bet. We will keep you updated as news breaks, but please be careful out there! And if you see any Villains, get a picture for us, but do NOT try to apprehend. They are considered armed and dangerous.

Update: 9:42pm EST
This is an URGENT news bulletin from Destination Vinylmation. We have been very wrong about our misunderstood Villain friends today. They come in peace and will do us no harm.... Is he gone? Good. Needless to say we were frightened when Prince John found our secret DV recording studio just outside of Orlando. He demanded air time, so we let him sit in on our podcast.

Please, whatever you do, do not underestimate these Villains! They are still out there! Find them all... before they find you! Good night everyone... we are signing off for tonight. We will be back with more news soon. If you don't hear from us tomorrow... well, take care of yourselves.

Update: 9:21pm EST
Breaking News from Key West, Florida. An evil foe has been spotted soaking up some rays on the beach. An unnamed lifeguard on duty says he overheard Ratcliffe discuss plans to overthrow Scott and take over the Governorship of the state. We are your source for updates about the Villains reign of terror today. Stay tunned...


Update: 9:06pm EST
We are still getting reports of Villains on the loose. But I'm beginning to think they are not all bad. Maybe they are just enjoying a day at the theme parks after being locked up for so long?


Update: 7:46pm EST
We got word from a Universal cast member that Miss de Ville was just enjoying the Harry Potter ride. I'll give her that, it's a great ride. But what is Stromboli doing down in Ft. Myers, Florida? Checking out the beaches? I don't think so... thanks for the picture Cliff. Keep your distance, but keep your eye on him.


Update: 6:58pm EST
We have been tracking these bad guys all day and so far they have only caused minimal damage around Florida and the US. But this... this is just blasphemy. Is there no loyalty to Disney for these evil creatures? What evil could they be causing at Florida's theme parks?


Update: 6:09pm EST
This is the best shot we've received of who we believe is the mysterious leader of the Villains. His crew has been wreaking havoc in Orlando today after busting out of jail. We thank Kristy from Orlando for risking her life and sending in this picture from outside the Arabian Knights dinner theater.


Update: 5:18pm EST
This photo from and anonymous source at NASA shows a Villain, looks like Shan Yu, hanging around Kennedy Space Center. Is he catching a shuttle launch or stealing national defense secrets? Keep on the look out for suspicious activity in your area today.


Update: 3:41pm EST
We received this photo from Jeff in the forests of Ocala, Florida. It's a bit blurry, but it looks as though our fearless contributer was rushed to snap this photo. It looks to be Mickey's infamous arch-rival Pete walking around looking for trouble. It seems that Pete may have spotted this photographer, we hope he is OK. Stay safe people, hopefully these Villains will be rounded up quickly.


Update: 2:06pm EST
We thank from Kimberly in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for this snapshot. It looks like The Witch, we can only assume, is poisoning Florida's Orange supply. How does this compare to her poisoning of Snow's Apple? It is unfair at this time to compare the two crimes, but she needs to be brought to justice. Keep sending in your tips.


Update: 12:43pm EST
The baddies have been spotted slithering up the Florida Highways. Thanks to Jeremy for risking his life snapping this pic for us. Where are they going? What do they want?


Update: 11:48am EST
What evil is brewing at the Florida Hotel? An anonymous hotel employee sent this photo in and says some shady characters have been checking in this morning.


Update: 10:57am EST
A Villain is spotted lurking around the Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida this morning.