The buzz all over the world is about James Camerons blockbuster hit Avatar, which has already won a number of awards and expected to win many more. Avatar is quickly approaching the #1 box office spot of all time, currently held by James Cameron’s other blockbuster hit, Titanic. Now Disney is ready to get back into the world of sci-fi after the award winning Pixar smash Up and its return to the fairytale with The Princess and the Frog. Back in 1982 Disney released the computer adventure movie Tron, where the protagonists get sucked into a computer world and have to fight off a “virus” program to survive. While it wasn’t well received critically, Tron developed a massive cult following. Go to YouTube.com and look up “Tron Guy,” you’ll see what we mean. Tron was one of the first movies to use intense computer graphics and influenced the visuals of many science fiction movies that came afterwards.

At 2008’s San Diego Comic-Con Disney showed new test footage of the Tron universe that whipped fans into a frenzy about a possible sequel. The sequel had been rumored for quite some time, but the comic con footage proved it to be true. While you don’t see too much Tron merchandise at the Disney theme parks, there is no doubting Disney’s love of science fiction. Just head to Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom to see rides and attractions in a futuristic style.

But Disney is gearing up to go full blast with the upcoming sequel Tron: Legacy which is set to come out later this year. Pin Traders will notice Disney released a Mickey Mouse pin depicting our favorite mouse wearing a Tron-type suit. Something tells us this is only the beginning of the resurgence of the Tron universe if the movie does well. Tron: Legacy will star Jeff Bridges, who was in the original 1982 film, Olivia Wilde of House, and newcomer Garrett Hedlund. So far the trailer looks amazing, so if this is a hit for Disney, you can expect to see plenty of Tron merchandise in the Walt Disney World Resort soon!

If you have not heard of Vinylmation yet, you might just find yourself running into the new collecting trend the next time you’re in the Disney theme parks. Vinylmation figures are blank figurines of various sizes shaped like Mickey Mouse. Artists from around the world paint their own interpretations onto the blank figures and sell them in mystery packs to surprise you every time you buy one. Check out the Vinylmation website’s description about these great little figures. If you thought Pin Trading was going to be big at the Magic Kingdom and the other Disney parks forever, Vinylmation might be taking over pretty soon. The figures are available for purchase all over the Walt Disney World Resort. Downtown Disney even has a store especially for Vinylmation figures and other merchandise like t-shirts and purses.

The D Street Store in Downtown Disney has all of these great Vinylmation figures along with special events where the artists come to sign the figures or even draw live so guests can see the works in progress. Donald Ferro, Product Developer of the Vinylmation Mickey figures, said this on the official Vinylmation website:

It's a thrill for our Disney Artists to who see the Vinylmation figure as a blank canvas. Their inspiration comes from everywhere Disney Park icons, urban landscapes and even holidays. There are a variety of figures to collect from 3" limited releases to 9" limited edition figures. For 3" limited releases, there are typically 12 figures per series. Eleven figures are known while the twelfth is called the mystery chaser. Each 3" Vinylmation is packaged in a blind pack which means you won’t know which figure you’re getting until purchased. The 3" figures are sold individually or you can get a whole tray. Buying an entire tray guarantees you the entire set of Vinylmation figures from that collection, and also gives you additional duplicate Vinylmation figures to trade.

If you don’t think Vinylmation is for you, all it takes is one little figurine. Once you open up the foil packet and find your surprise figure, you’ll either be excited or disappointed in the one you got. After that comes the curiosity—what would your next one look like? And so your obsession begins. Pick up a Vinylmation figure the next time you’re in the parks!

Labels: Disney

The Alice in Wonderland hype is growing fast and we are loving very second of it. Alice and friends can be tough to find in the Disney theme parks. If you go to the Supercalifragilistic character breakfast at the Grand Floridian, she’s there along with Mary Poppins. Over at the Magic Kingdom you can usually find Alice and the Mad Hatter causing trouble by the tea cups. She can also be found over in the UK pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase. Now, thanks to Tim Burton’s upcoming take on the film, dear little Alice is coming into the spotlight once more and fans of Disney’s biggest “non-Princess” female character couldn’t be happier. Alice has even gone to the runway.

Top designers Stella McCartney, Tom Binns, LaRok and Sue Wong created amazing clothes and accessories inspired by everything that is Alice. Whether it be patterns similar to card suites or Victorian-style lace and dresses, Alice has gone high-end! Even Swarovski will be crafting special pieces inspired by scenes from the classic story, including crystal teacups and of course, the Cheshire Cat. As for the clothes, you can buy some of the dresses in Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Sue Wong spoke about her amazing line: “I have long been mesmerized by the fantastical tales of Alice and her surrealistic adventures in Wonderland and am thrilled to be collaborating with Disney on this project. This classic story, along with Tim Burton’s inspired interpretation, lends itself especially well to my design aesthetic, which is whimsical and fun, while adding yet another element of creativity and expression to my artistic process. It is an honor to help bring this marvelous tale to life.”

Most of these great collectibles won’t come cheap! While the Swarovski items range from a reasonable $80-$150, the Stella McCartney and Sue Wong dresses can cost as much as $600! If you’re a major Alice fan, we suggest you start saving now. The movie comes out in March but fans everywhere are already excited to see the genius Tim Burton’s take on the movie and increase their Alice in Wonderland collections. What will you be buying?

Labels: Discount Disney Tickets, walt disney world