Cars: Cozy Cone Spiral Rampway (Story Sets)

Mattel has finally released a Disney·Pixar Cars Cozy Cone playset! I've been waiting a long time for this. While this isn't perfectly to scale with exact film accurate details, it's a really fun set that comes close enough for me. It will still go great with the rest of my 2006 Mattel / 2012 Disney Parks Radiator Springs playsets. Too bad they didn't make a Cozy Cone playset specifically to be added to those, but this will do (and is probably the best we'll get from Mattel). There was a very small Cozy Cone Motel released in THIS playset a little while back, but that one was way too off scale more me to purchase- this one here is much, much better. 

This Cozy Cone Spiral Rampway is part of Mattel's new 1:55 scale "Story Sets" series, which is a line of connectible playsets and launchers to re-create key scenes from the film. It's really a fun lineup!

This playset comes with one 1:55 scale plastic Lightning Mcqueen and has a variety of features. It retails for $14.99, which I thought was a great price.

Here's everything out of the box. It took just under 10 minutes to put it together, plus adding the decals.

And here we have it all assembled!

Features-
First of all, you can lift up part of the road around the cone and attach to a hook on the side to create to spiral ramp. Of course there isn't anything like this in the movie, but it does actually make a pretty fun play feature.

There is also a steep ramp on the backside of the cone- this actually gives the car a good amount of speed.

Cars can hang out in the Motel check-in garage...

Or use the backside of it as a launching ramp! This is where other "Story Sets" launchers (sold separately) will come in handy.

There we have it. Really fun stuff! I'm excited to share with you the other Story Sets as well, so if you like this one, look for those right here soon!

Toy Story 3: Peas-in-a-Pod Plush (19")

When my wife Brita and I were at the Disney Store this past January (for their New Year's Day sale), they were having a deal on plush toys that we had to take advantage of. One of their exclusive plushes that we were drawn to was this adorable (and giant) 19" Toy Story 3 Peas-in-a Pod. Since I already have the more "movie accurate" scale 8" Peas-in-a-Pod, I hadn't considered getting this large one; however, it was irresistible in person and, since Brita is especially a fan of these cute characters, she surprised me by purchasing it. It made a great green St. Patrick's Day present!

Details:

• Includes three removable plush peas in a pod
• Embroidered features
• Full-length zipper on pea pod
• Underside has ''Genuine Original Authentic Disney Store'' patch
• Polyester fiber / polyurethane foam

A big thanks to Brita for this (even though she claims it's actually hers, ha!). I'm really happy I ended up getting it after all and it will look adorable amongst our other Pixar plush in our kid's Pixar room (yes, I'm hopeful) someday.

Here's a picture of me with the peas on St. Patrick's Day for a little size comparison:

If you're interested in purchasing, you can still find this in Disney Stores or on their website HERE.

Pixar Collection: Hallmark 2 Glasses Beverage Set (Monsters Inc. & Toy Story)

As part of the stunning new Hallmark exclusive line of decorative Disney·Pixar products, here we have their collectible "2 Glasses" Beverage Set with characters from Monsters Inc. & Toy Story! I was absolutely thrilled when I saw these at the store and knew I needed them as part of my collection. These are definite must haves for Pixar fans!

This set retails for $24.95. Each glass hold 15.5 oz. and are dishwasher safe.

The Monsters Inc. glass features Sulley, Boo and Mike Wazowski while the Toy Story glass features Buzz Lightyear, Woody and a Pizza Planet Alien. I absolutely love the minimalistic designs.

Also available is another fantastic set of two, featuring The Incredibles and Finding Nemo themed glasses. If you missed my post on that from last month, view it HERE.

You can find these at Hallmark stores everywhere or purchase them online at their website HERE.

A BIG thanks to my thoughtful wife Brita who gave me these as part of my St. Patrick's Day present! Glad to have the complete set now...but hoping for more when the "phase 2" Pixar products are released at Hallmark this summer.

Toy Story: Rock-a-Stack

The Rock-a-Stack toy was introduced to the world by Fisher-Price in 1960 and is still sold today as now a classic, timeless, learning toy for young children. Though countless versions have been released over the years, the same idea of stacking colored rings in order of size onto a pole has stayed the same.

In Toy Story, like for example the See 'N' Say and the Barrel of Monkeys, the Rock-a-Stack makes several appearances in Andy's room as another classic toy that has stood the test of time. It would make sense that this is actually his sister Molly's toy though, since it's seen near her crib and would be too simple for Andy to play with.

I'm not sure which year/version is seen in the film (there are no dates on the toy itself), but I was happy to finally find the most screen accurate one out there (probably from the late 80's) on eBay recently- after months of waiting for one to come up.

Most Rock-a-Stacks have the blue ring as the biggest on the bottom and goes up to red from there; but if you're looking to get the one seen in Toy Story, you need to make sure the red ring is the biggest on the bottom, with the smallest ring, blue, on the top.

If you're looking to track this one down for your Toy Story collection, be sure to check eBay regularly by searching "vintage rock-a-stack." It also helps to follow the search, as eBay will then inform you when new items are listed under it.

Good luck on the hunt and please let me know if you have any additional comments, questions or insights!

Cars: Darren Leadfoot (Shiny Wax)

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! I hope you all had a fun and safe holiday.

To keep things relatively festive here on the blog, I of course had to post something that I have that's green....SO, here we have the Disney·Pixar Mattel 1:55 scale diecast of Darren Leadfoot, better known by his sponsor Shiny Wax (No. 82)! This particular release is from the "Radiator Spring Classic" collection (a Toys R Us exclusive) from a couple years ago, but he has been released quite a few times over the years. His latest release was just in last year's series (and the year before), so this character has been making his rounds quite a bit (however, no release scheduled for this year). 

As shown in the screenshot above, Shiny Wax is briefly seen in the film's opening Motor Speedway of the South race. He is one of the 36 race cars competing for the Piston Cup.

If you're still looking to add this character to your Cars collection, be sure to head to Amazon or eBay for the best deals.

Cars 2: Racing 4-Pack (Nigel Gearsley, Raoul ÇaRoule, Francesco Bernoulli and Shu Todoroki)

When the initial Mattel Disney·Pixar Cars 2 collection hit stores in the summer of 2011, a couple gift packs featuring some of the WGP racers were released as Target exclusives. While these characters were also released individually, these packs were a nice way to quickly get caught up with all the new releases at the time.

This particular "Racing 4-Pack" includes: Nigel Gearsley (representing Great Britain), Raoul ÇaRoule (France), Francesco Bernoulli (Italy) and Shu Todoroki (Japan). They are 1:55 scale diecasts.

Since this release, these characters have been released numerous times as singles and in other mutli-packs. However, if you're specifically looking for this set, you can find it on Amazon or eBay using this direct link:  Cars 2: Racing 4-Pack (Target)

Best of luck completing your Cars collection!

 

Cars: Nature Drive Lightning Mcqueen

A couple years back, Mattel released with fantastic "Nature Drive" version of Lightning Mcqueen from the original Cars! This is, of course, based on the scene in the film when Sally and Mqueen take their romantic cruise up to the Wheel Well Motel.

As usual, this is a 1:55 scale diecast from Mattel and is #5/5 of the 2013 "Lightning Mcqueen" sub-series.

This version of Mcqueen was just released that once and is not available in stores currently. If you're still looking to add this one to your collection, be sure to hit up Amazon or eBay for the best deals. Good luck on the hunt!

Cars 2: Quick Changers Grem with Crash Damage

In 2012, Mattel released a series of plastic (not diecast) Cars 2 1:55 scale cars called "Quick Changers Spy." These cars change, or transform, with the press of a button on the back window. For example, Grem here simulates crash damage on his side, while others have pop-out weapons or change in facial expression. You can also activate the damage by crashing [the front of] the car.

While I didn't feel the need to get all the cars in this line (since they are all repeats of previously released characters), I picked and chose the ones I felt had the most unique features. I'll be posting the others right here soon! In the mean time, you can check out the Quick Changers Crabby Boat, Finn with Karate Wheels, Rod "Torque" Redline with Pop-Out Weapons, Acer with Pop-Out Weapons, Professor Z with Pop-Out Weapon and Oil Rig Play Set that I have already posted on.

Be sure to look for this one (and the rest of the line) on eBay or Amazon for the best deals. As usual, best of luck on the hunt!

Cars 2: Quick Changers Professor Z with Pop-Out Weapon

In 2012, Mattel released a series of plastic (not diecast) Cars 2 1:55 scale cars called "Quick Changers Spy." These cars change, or transform, with the press of a button. For example, Professor Z here has a weapon that pops out on the side, while others simulate some "crash damage."

Looking back at the film after this purchase however, I realized that Professor Z never actually used any kind of pop-out weapon. Oh well! Also, compared to the diecast version, this release is actually quite a bit bigger.

While I didn't feel the need to get all the cars in this line (since they are all repeats of previously released characters), I picked and chose the ones I felt had the most unique features. I'll be posting the others right here soon! In the mean time, you can check out the Quick Changers Crabby Boat, Finn with Karate Wheels, Rod "Torque" Redline with Pop-Out Weapons, Acer with Pop-Out Weapons and Oil Rig Play Set that I have already posted on.

Be sure to look for this one (and the rest of the line) on eBay or Amazon for the best deals. As usual, best of luck on the hunt!

Cars 2: Marcelo & Marco

Here we have one of the last Mattel Cars 2 releases from last year...Marcelo & Marco casino pitties! They are 1:55 scale diecasts and are numbers 7/8 and 8/8 of the 2014 "Lemons" sub-series. This is also a "Chase" edition release, meaning that a limited quantity of these were made available.

As shown in the screen shot above, these two pitties are briefly seen in the Porto Corsa Casino. Marcelo is one of the pitties that delivers party hats to the celebrating Lemons and Marco is the one who brings Professor Z his "secure" phone call.

This 2-pack has come and gone (I wouldn't expect to find this in stores at this point), but you can always find it on Amazon or eBay using this direct link: Cars 2: Marcelo & Marco 2-Pack

Cars: Hooman

From Mattel and Disney·Pixar, here we have Hooman the photographer as seen in the original Cars! Up until this new release of the character, Hooman had only been released once- in the "Final Lap" collection back in 2009. As the years went on, he become one of the hardest and most expensive cars to track down; selling typically between $45-$50! That being said, this is a most welcome re-release and I'm thrilled to finally have it as part of my collection.

As usual, this is a 1:55 scale diecast (with an attachable plastic camera accessory) and is #4/8 of the 2015 "Lost and Found" sub-line.

As shown in the screen shot above (bottom right hand corner), Hooman is one of the press members who is there when Lightning Mcqueen is discovered in Radiator Springs.

I was lucky enough to find this one at Walmart last week, so head to your local store to check for availability! If you'd rather pick Hooman up online, visit Amazon or eBay using this direct link: Cars: Hooman

Cars 2: Chauncy Fares

A few days ago, I yet again had some great luck finding some of the newest Disney·Pixar cars at my Walmart- one of them being this brand new release of Chauncy Fares, a taxi character seen in Cars 2! This is Chauncy's first release as a single; he was originally only available in the Target exclusive "London Race 7-Car Gift Pack" from a little while back (seen HERE).

As usual, this is a 1:55 scale diecast from Mattel and is #1/7 of the 2015 "Ye Left Turn Inn" sub-series.

As shown in the screen shot above, Chauncy is briefly seen in the "Ye Left Turn Inn" near the end of the film (when Acer and Grem crash through the pub). Other identical taxis are also seen on the streets multiple times throughout the London sequences.

If you're looking to add this one to your collection, head to your local store now to check for availability! If you'd rather just pick it up online, check out Amazon or eBay using this direct link: Cars 2: Chauncy Fares

Good luck on the hunt and please contact me with any additional questions, suggestions or comments! Thanks for visiting. 

Cars: Greg Candyman (Tach-O-Mint)

Here we have the latest Disney·Pixar Mattel 1:55 scale release of Greg Candyman, better known by his sponsor Tach-O-Mint (No. 101). This character has only been released once before- as a Kmart exclusive years ago (with rubber tires). This is Greg's first single release with plastic tires.

He is #9/18 of the 2015 "Piston Cup" sub-series. 

As shown in the screenshot above, Tach-O-Mint is briefly seen in the film's opening Motor Speedway of the South race. He is one of the 36 race cars competing for the Piston Cup.

I'm really happy to have gotten a re-release of this character! I had been trying to track this one down for a while, but it was too expensive for me to pick up online (around the $25-$30 range) up until now.

I was lucky enough to find him just last weekend at my local Walmart, so be sure to check your local stores for availability! If you're having a hard time finding him though, and would rather just pick this one up online, head to Amazon or eBay using this direct link: Cars: Greg Candyman

Best of luck on the hunt! 

Cars: Determined Lightning Mcqueen

Today we have the brand new Mattel 1:55 scale Cars release of "Determined" Lightning Mcqueen! This version of Mcqueen has never before been released and is an all-new, all-diecast unibody sculpt. He is #13/18 of the 2015 "Piston Cup" sub-series.

The only real difference with this release is Lightning's "determined", or aggressive, facial expression (as seen in the moment above and many other times throughout the film). There was a similar release called "Aggressive Lightning Mcqueen" that came out years ago in a Dinoco Showgirls Gift Pack (seen HERE), but the mouth is slightly different.

Look for him in stores now. I found this one at my local Walmart just a few days ago, so if you're still looking for him as well, you might want to go check your local store for availability. If it's easier for you to just snag it online, visit Amazon or eBay using this link: Cars- Determined Lightning Mcqueen

Best of luck on the hunt!

Cars: Bert

A brand new Disney·Pixar (re)release from Mattel, here we have Bert the photographer from the original Cars! This is a 1:55 scale diecast (with plastic camera accessory) and is #7/8 of the 2015 "Lost and Found" sub-series. He was originally available in the "Final Lap" series a few years back and in a "lenticular eyes" 3-pack at one point as well.

In the film, as shown in the screen shot above, Bert was one of the members a the press (a photographer) that showed up when Mcqueen was finally found in Radiator Springs.

I'm really happy he has hit shelves once again-I have been waiting to add this one to my collection for quite some time.

Look for Bert in stores now. I found this one at my local Walmart, so if you're still looking for him as well, you might want to go check your local store for availability. Best of luck on the hunt!