Tag Archives: vinylmation

Dream Along With Emma!

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In this latest Dream Along With Emma interview I would like to introduce you to Sera, a Disney friend from Australia. I thought it would be nice to hear from someone else who daydreams Disney from many, many miles away……

So before we talk Disney tell us a little about Sera (background, age, family, job etc) – Well, I am 28, have lived in Australia my entire life. I currently live in a city called Adelaide, which is in the state of South Australia. Even though I was born in Canberra, in the A.C.T (Australian Capital Territory), I’ve lived in Adelaide for 19 of my 28 years, and the other 9 in Canberra. I currently live with my fiancé Adam, and our tuxedo cat, called Boris Yeltsin. I work as an Administration Assistant, but have always dreamed of becoming an animator (I did try and make my dream a reality, but alas, I didn’t get into the University course I needed). My favourite characters are Donald Duck, & Eeyore. The Lion King, the Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, & Toy Story 3 are my favourite films. I’ve just recently started collecting Vinylmation, and have a small collection of Disney handbags. As well as a decent size Disney Pyjama collection! (14 pairs & counting!)

How long have you been a Disney fan and what first got you hooked? As long as I can remember! One of my earliest memories is seeing The Little Mermaid at the cinema in 1990! (Even though it was released in November ’89, Australia didn’t get it until July ’90). My Dad used to take me to see all the Disney animations as child, plus I was given Disney story books. I guess I’ve always been surrounded by Disney (Which is never a bad thing!) I remember my Mum buying me a Disney magazine, which at the time I treated like my bible! It didn’t leave my sight! As a teenager I started listening to various Disney Soundtracks (Lion King, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Jungle Book, Tarzan, to name a few!), and that’s when my interest in the behind the scenes/making of the films started.  

What’s it like being a Disney fan in Australia? Does Disney have a big presence and following over there? It can be difficult and frustrating at times. Our Disney stores closed down about 8 years ago, and the shipping from the Disney Store.com is extremely pricey. Sometimes we get the release of the movies before the U.S, but most times we get them a few months later. Maybe I’m not looking in the right places, but I haven’t found many other Disney fans. The ones I have found are on the other side of the country to me! I know plenty of people who love the Disney animations, but not quite to my level.

Now we first got talking on the WDW Radio forums, my very first Australian friend! How did you first discover the Disney on-line community?  I was at the library in 2009, and stumbled upon ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Walt Disney World’ 2008 edition by Doug Ingersoll. I was ecstatic. I must of read it half a dozen times before having to return it. After that, I just knew Walt Disney World is a place I HAD to go to! Anyway, the author mentions the WDW forums, and Lou Mongello. I ended up buying the 2010, and the 2012 editions, and finally joined the WDW Radio forums in May last year, after a year of listening to Lou’s show, and watching his videos on YouTube, I joined!

I know from our chats that you are yet to have that first magical Disney vacation. Which one of the Disney parks are you looking forward to visiting the most? WDW, without a doubt!

What are you most looking forward to when you take your first steps in a park? Seeing the Magic Kingdom for the first time, and realising that I have finally made it!! (I believe a tear or 7 will be shed)

Now I believe you’re getting married soon, does Disney feature in your wedding celebrations or is it going to be a case of ‘hidden Mickeys’? Yes, I am! A bit of both, really. We will have a Mickey Mouse cake, and wedding Mickey & Minnie cake topper. My nails will have a Minnie mouse theme, and the flower girl, and Bridesmaids will have a Mickey head silhouette hair piece, plus a few other touches. Once we are Husband and wife, we will be leaving the ceremony to ‘You’ve got a friend in me’.

And what about your future husband, is he a Disney fan too or have you had to educate him on the wonders of Walt? Adam enjoys the Pixar movies, but other than that he isn’t much of a Disney fan. I am adamant that once we get to WDW, that he will LOVE it, just as much as I do!! As for the educating, I find showing him YouTube videos of the AMAZING stuff that you can do at WDW/DL and DCL helps ;)

If you could have any Disney dream granted, no matter how big or small, what would it be? Fabulous question! I have always dreamed of voicing a main character in a Disney animation!

And to finish, here’s the quickfire round…

Favourite WDW park – I’m predicting MK or Epcot

Favourite WDW resort – I think it will either be POFQ, or POP Century for the fantastic photo oppotunities

Favourite Disney collectible – My precious moments ‘Magically Ever After’ figurine

Your top tip for being a Disney fan -  Don’t ever stop dreaming!!!

 

 

Sera and Adam’s wedding took place a couple of weeks after this interview so I would like to not only thank Sera for sharing her daydreams but to also wish her and Adam a wonderful life together, filled with lots of Disney magic! :)

 

Shop Disney!

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My regular readers will be fully aware by now as to how much I like shopping….and how much I LOVE Disney shopping! So this week I’m pleased to finally announce a new category of posts dedicated to shopping Disney! :)

There are many blogs and websites out there which cover recently released Disney merchandise, available at Disney parks and online. My posts will feature Disney items which I have actually bought; whether it’s from a shop, online or from a visit to the parks. It might be something that’s available in the UK or worldwide. I’ll be giving you details of where it was purchased, how much it cost and what I think of the item now that it’s mine!

 

The first ‘Shop Disney’ item I would like to share is this super cute sweatshirt, made by Mango. It costs £22.99 and is available on-line at asos.com.

Now if you’re not into the current trend of wearing your sweatshirts ‘fitted’ just buy a larger size. I picked up a Large and it’s roomy enough to wear over a t-shirt when I need something a little warmer.

The sweatshirt is great quality and definitely worth the reasonable price. I really love the artistic design on this top, it makes it a little different from the standard Minnie and Mickey cartoon designs. 

 

So that’s the first article in the ‘Shop Disney’ feature. I’ll be sharing all kinds of future purchases from collectibles to clothes and kitchenware. If I buy it and it’s Disney….then you’ll get to read about it!!! ;)

 

The craze that I crave!

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“…but they all look the same…” “…aren’t they just plastic?…” “…they look cheap…” “…Mickey Mouse shouldn’t be that colour…”

I’ve heard or read all of the above statements used in reference to the subject I decided to cover in my blog post this week….know what they refer to? The Disney collectible craze that is Vinylmation. In preparation for my upcoming WDW trip I’ve been making room for new additions to my Vinylmation collection so I thought it would be nice to share a bit of daydreaming on the matter!!

For some reason people seem to either love or hate Vinylmations, I’m not entirely sure why but I guess if we all liked the same things Walt Disney World would be a very boring place!

Now I have known for many years that I love, love, LOVE to collect things and have been buying Japanese vinyl toys collectibles for the last ten years. When Disney first announced that they were bringing out their own vinyl collection in July 2008 it seemed to me to be a natural and obvious step for a company that is always looking to appeal to the current trends.

The official Disney description of Vinylmation is as follows… “Vinylmation™ is a fun and affordable collectible designer toy created by Disney Theme Park Merchandise. At its core,Vinylmation™ is about creative expression and the mysterious thrill of the chase.” For me personally that description is pretty much spot on and the Disney Vinylmation website provides a lot more official information and guidance.

I also love this WDW Radio show #218 where Lou interviews Disney artist Randy Noble and discusses the Vinylmation craze.

Why do I like Vinylmation? Because I see each one as an individual piece of artwork; and like art each one is actually signed by the designer. I don’t rush out and buy every piece from a series as I am very careful to only pick ones that appeal to me in an artistic or creative way. I also don’t trade outside of the parks or keep my collection in the boxes, I like to have them out on display so that I can see the 360 degree design. And yes, sometimes I get SUPER excited when I see details of a new design about to be released…just like with the recent Stars Wars series…I just love my Luke and Leia!!!

The photos featured on this blog post are of my own collection. I actually prefer the 9″ versions as I find the designs more creative; quite often the 9″ ones are also released in limited numbers. I’m also not as much of a fan of the new 3″ shape but appreciate that this was changed to allow the artists to create even more elaborate designs.

Do I have a favourite? To be honest it changes frequently! Like many of the Disney items I own each Vinylmation piece has a memory attached to it. One of my long-term favourites is the 9″ Cutester Like You ‘Gothy’….I was so surprised that Disney decided to choose a goth version to release….and then this year they released a completely unconnected series featuring a punk Stitch…well done Disney for appealing to us ‘alternatives’ ;)

Another favourite is the 3″ Statue of Liberty Minnie…purchased during my first trip to New York last year. We visited the Disney Store on the first day of our trip, to be told that they had sold out of these and would not be back in store until the week after we had returned home….however we popped back to the store a couple of days later and they had filled the shelves with lots of Liberty Minnies…good job we made that return visit!!

Another favourite is actually a pair….the 9″ Disney Fantasy and the 3″ Disney Dream pieces, bought on the actual Disney Cruise Line ships for me by friends….the 3″ was even sent to me as a surprise :)

And then there’s my Passholder exclusive Orange Bird, and my Florida Project 9″, and my Mary Poppins penguin (with the stripes from Dick Van Dyke’s coat), and my Chicago exclusive which was another surprise from a friend………

I won’t bore you with going through my whole collection!! I know that others have more, I know that some have many more rare pieces…but to me it’s just like any other art collection….I buy what I love and love what I buy.

So are you a vinyl lover or hater? If you are a collector do you buy each one from a series or just the ones which catch your eye? Were you a pin collector that diversified into vinyls or will you never be able to love Vinylmations as much as you do your collection of pins?

 

 

Making room….

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Picture the scene….you’ve just returned home, it’s been a wonderful vacation, now you must start the unpacking. You open your suitcase and take in the sight of the wonderful new goodies you picked up during your latest Walt Disney World trip. You take each one out, overjoyed that it survived the plane journey home. Now it begins…where will this Vinylmation go? Which drawer will accommodate the new t-shirts? Do I have room in my jewellery box for those new bracelets I just had to buy?

Does this sound familiar? Are you a WDW shopping addict like me? I just love, love, love shopping in the States and always return home with far more items than I planned on buying! Following my last trip I returned home with Vinylmations, jewellery, handbags, hoodies, t-shirts, books, mugs and numerous other collectibles. And yes, I wandered around the house looking for room to display and store the various new items!

So this time I’ve decided to take action. Let’s make room before I go on my vacation!

You know what it’s like when you have to tidy a room, cupboard or wardrobe? It feels like the most tedious job in the world, something you put off for as long as possible because you are being ‘forced’ to tidy. I can tell you it feels a lot better when you are clearing out a wardrobe knowing that in a few months you’ll be filling it full of wonderful new Disney items!

Pre-holiday tidying allows you to evaluate what you don’t need anymore and more importantly what you MUST replace during your next WDW trip! Organising your Vinylmations and buying a bigger display case just confirms that you NEED that new series mentioned on the Disney Parks blog recently. You can also be reassured that you will NEED that new Dooney and Bourke bag to finish off that perfect outfit you’ve just discovered in your wardrobe…..

And if you’re really organised you might find time to sell off some of your ‘surplus’ items on Ebay or at a car boot sale. It’s amazing how getting some extra spending money together for your trip is incentive enough to get out of bed early on a Sunday morning and stand in a field selling your unwanted things to strangers!!

So why not give it a go? Have a Disney spring clean and make some money. Make some room for your new Walt Disney World treasures :)

 

Retail therapy Disney style!

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Shopping at Walt Disney World is great. Shopping at Walt Disney World for Christmas is AWESOME!!

There are a couple of shops on property which sell Christmas items all year round (Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom, Days of Christmas in Downtown Disney) but in November and December nearly every shop in the parks and resorts is bursting with holiday goodies.

I especially like picking up Christmas items which have a year on them, this way each Christmas when the item is put on display (or worn) it will remind me of my WDW trip that year.

This is a dated Vinylmation which I picked up last December, produced for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.

This is my favourite tshirt from my WDW collection. Although red isn’t my usual colour it’s just so festive, I like the play on words and the fact that it reminds me of my trip in 2005.

And then I have my mug from 2001. This was originally filled with soda and bought outside the Fantasmic area. Retro yet?

I tend to go a little bit crazy with shopping when I’m visiting the World and with all the Christmas merchandise I find it difficult to know when to stop! Unfortunately I’ll miss out on my WDW shopping this December but the Disney Parks Blog kindly published a ‘Disney Theme Park Merchandise Holiday Guide’ this week. It appears you can even phone them quoting the product number and they will ship it to you…..yes….the little voice in my head has already told me to put down the guide and step away from the phone!!!

A little piece of the magic

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So, this weekend marked the 40th anniversary of Magic Kingdom. Instead of making it a year long celebration Disney decided to mark the event with banners, 40th anniversary buttons and park maps, a one-off Disney character parade and a presentation in front of Cinderella’s castle. Despite not being at WDW I was lucky enough to join in the celebrations via Lou Mongello and the WDW Radio 40 hour broadcast.

But this occasion got me thinking about previous celebrations held at WDW, some of which I’ve been lucky enough to be at the parks for and others where I haven’t been able to attend but I’ve been lucky enough to track down merchandise from the event. I really enjoy finding merchandise that is from a specific event because it is then easy to date and connects directly to that moment in time. As I’ve said before, it’s not about the value of the item, it’s the opportunity for me to own a little piece of the magic.

Here are some of the items in my collection, which all appeal to me for differing reasons.

Firstly, my newest item, a vinylmation ‘Celebrating 40 Years of Magic’. There seemed to be a lot of merchandise available on-line from The Disney Store for the 40th anniversary. Whilst the Dooney and Bourke ’40th’ bags were beautiful I couldn’t justify buying another one just yet so I settled for adding another vinylmation to my collection!

I found this Barbie on-line a few years back and bought it because her outfit was so cute, check out that mini Mickey ears hat!! You can often buy the special Barbies at the parks and resorts celebrating one event or another. This one is for the 25th anniversary of WDW, and yes, that’s the same year as THE birthday cake castle :)

And my favourite item is this one, as I feel like I earned this! The Year of a Million Dreams promotion started in October 2006 and ran across both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Along with special events in both parks special cast members were given the task of handing out ‘dreams’ to park guests; the prizes were amazing and included such things as being able to spend a night in the remodeled suite inside Cinderella Castle! Unfortunately I wasn’t scheduled to travel to WDW during this celebration but Disney were accepting postal entries for the dream giveaway and guests could send in as many entries as they wished for the duration of the promotion. And, unusually for Disney, they were accepting entries from international guests!!! So, I proceeded to send in an entry every week for the first six months of the promotion, not expecting to receive anything, but if you don’t try etc etc…. And to my amazement one day a large Disney box arrived (always a good sign!) and in it was my very own pair of Dream Mouse Ears! There were only 250,000 of them made you know!!!

So these things might not be hard to find, or valuable to others, but they are things that I have around the house and help me with my daydreaming of Disney. And that’s how I get my very own little piece of the magic :)