August 31, 2010

The Start of a Great Debate: Orange Bird vs. Figment

figment VS. orangebird

After searching for unique ideas for an October 1st posting for the anniversaries of Magic Kingdom and Epcot, I finally came to a Great Debate, thanks to @JeromeFriends, who said it was hard to choose in the most recent GDP Blog Poll (in the side bar). So, in order for this October 1st Posting to be fantastic, I need your help, I need all readers who have any opinion on either Orange Bird and/or Figment to post the opinion (2-5 sentences) on Twitter, through Email, or through my Facebook Messaging. (By sending me your opinion, gives me the right to post the opinion in the formal posting of October 1st’s Great Debate)

There are several steps to this process:

1—Please Vote In Our Great Debate Poll, here on this thread:

Who is the best Original Disney Theme Park Character?




Powered by Twtpoll

2—Send me your opinion on either or (or both doesn't matter) by means of Twitter, Facebook,or Email.

Ok, now you’re asking what’s in it for me, well, I’ve come to realize that in order for participation I need to ‘give away’ something, so this Great Debate will give away TWO prizes. (Each will be drawn at random, and all entries must be posted/submitted by September 30, 2010 11pm EST)

Prize #1 will be for those who have participated in the Great Debate Poll, please copy and paste this:

I've Voted In @GDPinvestigator 's Great Debate: Orange Bird Vs. Figment, Have You? http://twtpoll.com/c3a50v

on Twitter, please only post once, as not to clutter/spam your follower’s feeds. Once tweeted, you will be submitted into the drawing, no need to tweet more than once (as you still only be submitted once) All Tweets must be tweeted before September 30, 2010 at 11pm EST.

Prize #2 Comes from those of you who participate by sharing your opinions via Twitter, Email, or Facebook Messaging to me about either Orange Bird and/or Figment (you can do both, or just one). All submissions must be sent in by September 30, 2010 at 11pm EST. All submissions will be entered into the drawing. (If you write a submission on both characters, then you’ll be entered twice, if you write a submission on just one character, then you will be entered only once).

The winners of the contest will be announced in the Official Great Debate Posting on October 1st, 2010.

NOTE: You can enter into BOTH contests (and I hope that you do), but you can only win one of the prizes.

Now, Who’s Ready For the Great Debate??? Submissions and Polls close on September 30, 2010 at 11pm EST. All submissions into the contest may or may not be used in the final Great Debate Posting, it’s up to my discretion, though ALL who submit will be entered into the contest, if you have any questions, feel free to Tweet, Facebook, or Email me.

Vinylmation Showcase—Trade City U.S.A. Report

VLogo

This will be a quick wrap up/review of the first Vinylmation Event, Trade City USA—Vinylmation Showcase. For all news, previews and information that came out of the event, be sure to check out Vinylmation Station for the massive amount of pictures and news.

I must give a virtual round of applause to Steven Miller and the Vinylmation Team (everyone from set up team, to planning, to artists), great job. For being the first real Vinylmation Event, I feel it went very smoothly, compared to the first Pin Events (remember those?), even though they have learned through their pin experiences, and they did put it into full use. You could definitely tell that there weren’t that many people there, which was a good thing, about 400 people (rumored number), it was a good number to start off with.

The trading I was a bit disappointed with, I don’t know if they had a ‘schedule’ to refresh them like the Pin Trading Boards (Every 30 minutes). I know that the open trading happened about every 45 minutes, and I saw the Mystery Boxes get switched out a couple times, but I didn’t see it a whole lot, and I was there for most of the time. In turn I really didn’t get anything that I wanted/needed, I was in search of the Colonel Kungaloosh Chaser from Park Series 4, as that was the only one I needed to complete my set. I do know of some people who got some great ones, from Park 1 Series and Urban 1 Series, I just wasn’t one of the lucky ones, though my dad did get an Urban 1 figure. The lines for the trading were very quick, I think maximum amount of time I stood in line was about maybe 2 minutes, other than that they were always moving, (and the Vinylmation Jr. Trading had NO LINE, I got my Figment and Nemo I was looking for).

I feel that they could have had fewer trading opportunities, so the lines would have been longer (though bearable) and then they could have refreshed them more. But overall, it was a great first event, I can’t wait for Love Is Magical and the Florida Project.

Onto the merchandise, Item #1, the Patriotic Figure is a great figure, that comes with a pin, and the tin, there really isn’t much to say, see picture.

V01

Item #2 I was most looking forward to, and it was delayed by ‘shipping’, sadly, but I definitely can’t wait for the end of September to roll around, when I can get my sets, in person (it was previewed) it looked great. It came with a pin, two three-inch figures, and two Vinylmation Jrs. (You can see the Vinylmation Jrs here)

Copy of V02

Item #3 seemed to be the ‘hottest’ item at an LE of 750. It featured a Dia De Los Muertos Sugar Skull themed figures, it was a 9in/3in/pin set. The picture below shows it best.

V03

Overall, it was a great event, very organized, and turned out well, I was a bit iffy as it was their first event for Vinylmations, but I think they did a great job, and they have learned from their Pin Events. Reminder, for more information, news, previews and pictures from the Vinylmation Showcase, be sure to check out Vinylmation Station, for the plethora of pictures.

Vinylmation Showcase—Item #2 Vinylmation Jrs. Revealed!

The Vinylmation Showcase on Sunday was suppose to feature Item #2, but the item has been delayed until late September. The set, was to feature two Vinylmation Jrs, with Two 3in Figures, and a Pin. The Vinylmation Jrs were a mystery, until now. Late Saturday during the event, Donald Ferro (I’m guessing) snuck them into the display, and no one seemed to notice, except our loyal reader and reporter, Greenhpper, and of course, she snapped a picture.

The two 3in figures of the Blue Bird and Tree with Blue Bird pin. 047

Reader Greenhpper sent in this picture of the two Vinylmation Jrs, an Earthworm (the pink one) and a Baby Blue Bird in Shell. The Vinylmation Jrs are similar to the ones released for Oh Mickey, and Sports Series, meaning they don’t have a ‘lobster claw’ for the Key Chain Ring.

blue_birda       blue_bird

August 30, 2010

Pin Celebration 2010—Trade City U.S.A. Report

Originally intended on bring a report about the event, then having the review later on, but I’ve decided to combine them into my Trade City USA Report. I hope you all enjoyed my little tweets and micro-blogging (or at least attempt to do it) throughout the event, I tried to cover the major items, but for that I didn’t, I’ve written full wrap ups, preview reports and news reports on the Disney Pincast and Vinylmation Station, be sure to check those out!

Now, onto the report/review! For those of you who want to know how Early Registration went, be sure to check out Thursday’s Report.  When walking into the World Showplace pavilion, which I love, its a fantastic building to hold events in, guests were greeted by a Mayor Mickey statue, similar to the Mayor Mickey statuette released at the event.

006

Blog_20091010_DPC2010A

The decor, as always, was great, and well themed towards the event, and as normal, they took inspiration from the various pins released at the event, like the Longest Lanyard, Trade City USA Billboard, and much more.

001

002    008

012    015

016

013    022

Now, onto the ‘main event' the Trading Boards, most people stand in these lines for pins that can only be acquired from these boards, normally, they are Hidden Mickey Pins, but this year, the Pin Team decided to take inspiration from their Mystery Pin Boxed Set, the Road Signs (but more on that in a few). The Pin Trading Lines were ok, normally they are like over an hour waits, and slow moving lines. This time it was about an average of 45-50 minute waits, but that is understandable and such, the times added up to be accurate with the number of people in front of you, etc.

033

Now back to the Road Signs! (Pictured below thanks to readers Carlita Juanita and Juan Carlos Von Feagle, who completed multiple sets, with the Mystery Pin) At this event, eight Road Signs were board exclusive, meaning only being able to be found on the trading boards, and like normal, they were in high demand on Day One, and then were everywhere on Day Two. The ‘worst’ part of the event (and it really wasn’t even that bad) was the fact that the Mystery Completer (Chaser) Pin was only LE 100, so out of the (rumored) 700 event attendees, only 100 would have a complete set. Once finding out that the Chaser was LE 100, not very many people were happy, even the ones with the Chaser pin in hand, so I think that was the biggest ‘error’ or ‘mess up’ by the pin team. I do give them the benefit-of-the-doubt as this was the first time they linked the Mystery Boxed set with the gift, so they will live and learn (hopefully). 

009

010

Overall, the Pin Event was a success like normal, and it offered great previews, and news about upcoming events, and such. (Be sure to visit Disney Pincast for more information and tons pictures. My biggest disappointment was in Item #34, the Mini Trading Bag and Pins. The description says that it will feature 4 pins (which it does), but the picture shows 7 pins, and the three pins that aren’t on the card were never made, meaning they almost did ‘false advertising’, even though they said 4 pins, the picture shows 3 pins (why have the card with the 3 empty pictures??) And, the three missing pins, were the three that everyone who ordered the bag wanted, AND also the three pins that were previewed in the Road Signs of DisneyPins.com before being officially released in RSP Catalog.

33-34     33-34

DPC10_Auto    DPC10_Pinernational

DPC10_WD

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s report from the Vinylmation Showcase, be sure to visit Vinylmation Station for pictures, news and previews!

August 26, 2010

GDP Special Report: Trade City U.S.A. Early Registration

This afternoon/evening I headed over to Early Registration for Trade City USA at the Yacht and Beach Club Convention Center, when I got there, it was about 2:00pm, it was still busy, it took about 50 minutes from entering into the room, until leaving the room (all checked in). This year they did something different, you have to wait in 2 lines. Line #1 is for Registration and Merchandise, while Line #2 is for gifts (shirt, etc)

003 005

Trading Area for Event Guests (from 12:00pm until 7:00pm).

004

Line to Check-In008

Line #2, you picked up your Early Registration Pin, Shirt, and Gift ‘Boxed Set’006

Overall, I feel that this gift was a good idea, but it kind of MAKES YOU NEED to get all of the road signs. (The Front)007

The Inside of the Book (featuring Trade City Statistics and all the road signs)009

‘Page 2’ where you can put your backs of the pins that you place in book.

012

Back of Book.014

The T-Shirt received was surprisingly nice, the logo is on the left hand corner of the chest area, and on the back is…015

A collage of the bumper stickers!!! 010

The Early Registration Pin! (Though, I don't understand why a plain card? They normally don’t have a card)024

Onto the Vinylmations! Here is a look at the ‘Logo’ Vinylmation (Item #1—The card, 3in Figure, and Pin) AND the gift, a Vinylmation Jr (on keychain) as a replica of the 3in Figure. The one thing I CAN NOT figure out is why they gave us TWO of the same Vinylmation Jrs as a gift (everyone got 2 of the same Vinylmation jrs)

022

023

Overall, the registration ran smoothly, and pretty organized, though Line #2 was kind of pointless, but by the time I got there, it was relatively short. I can’t wait for the event to begin tomorrow and see what else we get. Be sure to follow on Twitter or Facebook on all the latest news and information from event!