On a recent trip to Disneyland, I learned a valuable lesson in Disney shopping. If you see something you really like, buy it! Sounds simple, but as an annual pass holder I need to remember to budget my spending for future visits. I am always second guessing my purchases and spend too much time looking for knick-knacks when I could be enjoying new experiences. Here are some tips for those trying to prioritize their spending and what to do if you can’t find a treasure you missed on your last visit:
Monthly Archives: June 2014
The new comic book series for Disney Kingdoms by Marvel is Figment. A turn of the century tale of science fiction set in London, England during a time of industrial exploration and discovery. Again Marvel and Disney Imagineers dive into the rich history of the parks to bring us adventure and a deeper understanding of the characters developed for EPCOT in Florida. Growing up a Country away from Orlando, in California, the characters Figment and the Dream Finder were Disney myths. What is cooler, to a boy, than a purple dragon with a fish tail? The mystery surrounding him. The new story promises fans a dearer connection to the character while introducing countless others to a new imaginary friend. I look forward to learning more about this creative creature and the origin of the Dream Finder.
This is the first time I’ve started a comic book series at number one and I am already wishing I had the rest of the story. Issue one ends with an imaginative cliff hanger! Alas, I will wait until July seventh, like everyone else, to see what happens in issue two. Will this new tale usher in a whole new set of Figment adventures throughout Disney entertainment? Is Disney Infinity already developing Figment for the toy box? I can only dream!
One of the things I love most about living close to Disneyland is every time we drive down to Anaheim, even if it is for a few hours, my mind is tricked into believing that I am on vacation. Hanging out at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar only reinforces that mentality. This tropical hideaway is nestled in the center of the Disneyland Hotel surrounded by palm trees and lush greenery. The Tiki Bar is named after the best “head salesman” in the Amazon Jungle, Trader Continue reading
Disney Infinity announcements are flying at us harder than a certain heroes hammer! Joining the Avengers will be the Spiderman playset with Nova, Iron Fist, Nick Fury and Venom in a special symbiotic adventure. First question that came to my mind was, “Will Nick Fury work in both playsets?” I hope the Marvel Universe will be interchangeable with a free range mode after missions are completed. I read a report where it mentioned players will be able to choose between twenty playable heroes! We have only scratched the surface of Infinity.
On Saturday, Phranq and I went down to the WonderGround Gallery at Downtown Disney, to see the latest Disney inspired piece of art by Southern California artist Shag. WonderGround has become one of my favorite places to visit when I venture to Disneyland. Before WonderGround, I never realized Disney supported and promoted independent artists. They feature a growing slate of artists with special events, new works of art and merchandise. Continue reading
In it’s first lap as a Disney story teller, Marvel, collaborates with Walt Disney Imagineering on a magical tale of a theme park attraction that nearly was. Disney Kingdoms: Seekers of the Weird is a five issue story, written by Brandon Seifert, of a family tasked with the burden of managing the magical, mysterious and Weird found in the world. This tale is very similar to the style of Marvel’s Runaways (2003) where the heroes of the story are teens forced to live by their wits and the lessons they tried to ignore from their parents. What makes this series a unique treasure for Disney fans is Continue reading
I have been a fan of infinity from the early announcements at D23. A game that allows me to play with actual toys. Build, race, knock things down…perfect inspiration for creative play. Unless you want to cover Monster University in ice or wreck Pirates of the Caribbean with Ralph going turbo. I have found the Toy Box a little harder to use than I would like. Instead of going to a game store and “buying” the toys you want to play with, players are sent on a treasure hunt to find game elements or spin a game of chance to “win” items. This adds interactivity, but makes it difficult to complete a race track or castle when you get your third fantasy tree pack or ESPN sports element. It was reported that this has been changed in the upcoming release. Instead of a chance based system players will climb a development tree.
I purchased most of the Toy Box characters and now I’m going back to finish the Play Sets with all the characters. In hindsight, I should have purchase all the characters for a Play Set before I set out to complete it. There are places in the game where missions are unique to specific characters. When you reach one of these missions, swap the character out and complete the mission. Swap back to continue with the other character. Each character gains experience points separately. So power up your favorites and practice with the others as desired. As we draw closer to the 2.0 release I hope the price will drop on the first run characters and Play Sets and I will be able to find some of the harder to find characters.
A note for those looking for a certain character: They are out there somewhere. I have noticed that certain stores/regions received a large load of specific figures and less of others. This does not mean the character you want is rare or should cost more (not to say there are no limited or special additions). I’ve been told Violet is rare, Jack Skellington is hard to find , Syndrome is out of production… I found all of them in three stores today waiting for the right person to come along. I bought Barbossa and Mrs. Incredible. For those third party vendors stocking up and raising the prices… Shame on you. Did Toy Story 2 teach you anything? Toys are meant to be played with. Let me know when you rid of them.
One of the frustrations I’ve had with Infinity is the lack of a community to trade Disney Infinity Power Disks. I meet people to trade pins, vinylmation and common knowledge. Where are the folks who bought thirty mystery packs to get 20 unique power disks? What did you do with your extras? I gave mine to friends who have kids.
I found a used video game retailer that had 5 extras for a very affordable $1 per disk. Not only did I get to pick my disk without the fear of getting doubles, I did not have to pay five dollars shipping as seen on bay.
If you are looking to trade infinity power disks, send me a note. My favorite thing about Disney collectors is getting to know them. Why should pin traders have all the fun?