Monsters Inc: Disney Parks Mug

As I was meandering through the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney Anaheim last week, this phenomenal Monsters Inc. ceramic mug caught my eye like no other. Inspired by the film's brilliantly designed and memorable opening title sequence, this mug really captures the fun and magic of the scene with all the vibrant colors. I can hear Randy Newman's classic, jazzy theme now!

I love how the adorable Mike and Sulley are showcased here on the front of the mug, waving from a door station. It's hard to tell from the picture, but they're also a bit raised from the surface for a cool 3D look and feel. The back of the mug with the eye (also 3D) is fantastic too; in fact, I might even like displaying it that way even more! All around, this mug looks awesome though. Check out the other angles below-

This holds about 16 oz, retails for $16.95 and is microwavable safe. If you're a Monsters Inc. fan, you really can't go wrong here. This is a really unique product that you'll want to snag while it's still available. Whether for sipping or for display (or both), this is highly recommended.

If you can't make it to Disney parks, visit this direct link to current eBay listings. That probably your best bet! 

Cars: D23 Expo 2015 Exclusive Albert Hinkey (Big Al)

Boy was this an unexpected treat to find at the D23 Expo last week! I was lucky enough to have been at the convention there in Anaheim, CA and getting Big Al here was pretty much the very first thing I did. Funny enough though, I didn't even know this existed going in! As soon as the D23 doors opened last Friday morning, I went right to the show floor room. I was wandering around, having no idea where I was going or what I was doing, and I just happened to stumble upon the Mattel Cars booth.

There he was in a glass case and in all his glory- no line and plenty available; and like I said, I didn't even know this was coming out. It was a real great surprise (since, as you may know, I'm a big time Disney·Pixar Cars collector)! Needless to say, I bought this guy within seconds.

Big Al here was a D23 convention exclusive and will never be available anywhere else. He retailed for $35 and is a limited edition of only 1000 made. Like the rest of the Mattel line of diecasts, Al is 1:55 in scale.

Now, you may be wondering, who is Big Al and where was he in the film? As shown in the screen shot above, Al is "Mcqueen's Biggest Fan" and is seen in the crowed during the opening Motor Speedway of the South race. He shouts, "Yah Mcqueen! KA-CHOW"! He is also seen during the final race at the Los Angeles International Speedway.

Lets get to checking this out!

First of all, the packaging is really great. You can tell us "adult collectors" were in mind when Mattel was making this. The box measures about 5'' H x 12.5'' W x 5'' D and features some great artwork and detail. On one of the sides is Lightning's signature number "95" and on the other is a "Big Al" license plate which reads "1985 Boxomatic Travel'Bout 4XL" (a fictitious RV model). Some aditional info on Al follows:

Albert Hinkey is not just Lightning McQueen's biggest fan. Known as the "Buffet Master" among friends, Al can also guzzle two gas stations worth of fuel in one sitting! Al is the biggest and best friend one can ever have.

Al slides right out of the package and looks absolutely fantastic. He comes in a really cool plastic/cardboard display case (that I don't think I'll be taking him out of anytime soon). Al himself measures about 7.5" long.

There is just one discrepancy that I see here with this diecast. The plastic banner displayed along his side isn't exactly like the one in the film. This one reads "Lightning Mcqueen's Biggest Fan", while the one in the movie says "Mcqueen's Biggest Fan." That is nitpicking, but it's a detail I had to point out. It's a real minor thing.

Overall, Al looks stunning. He's mostly diecast, but the banner, flags and his "95" hat are all plastic. He will look absolutely amazing on display with other RVs released from this scene!

Since this was only available at the expo and is a limited release, your best bet to find this is on eBay (it sells for typically $100-$130). Be sure to visit this direct link to current eBay listings! If you're a big Cars collector, then this is a must have! Highly, highly recommended.

Please let me know if you have any additional comments or questions! I would love to hear from you. 

Inside Out: Disney Store Reusable Tote Bag

This fantastic Inside Out reusable tote bag was recently available exclusively at the Disney Store. With its colorful, minimal renditions of your favorite characters from the film, I was instantly drawn to it; and given that this carry-all is also made from 80% recycled materials, it was very inexpensive as well (retail was only $2.95).   

This is a roomy medium sized bag (15'' H x 12 3/4'' W x 6 1/2'' D) with reinforced fabric handles and plenty of space inside for goodies. Whether you're using this for shopping, as a gift bag or just as place to store your Inside Out merch in (action figures and other toys), this bag can come in handy for any fan of the film. 

Check out the other angles of the tote below! 

A big thanks to my wife Brita who got this for me as a birthday present back in May! She used it as a gift bag for some of my items, but I'm also going to use if for display/as a storage bag. Multi-purpose! 

While this bag has since sold out at the Disney Store, you can still find it online on the secondhand market. If you're interested, you can search for it on eBay using this direct link (there are a couple of current listings). Best of luck and please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Cars: Cars Land Attraction Diecasts PAGE UPDATE!

Today's post is an update to my Cars Land attraction diecasts collection. Visit the original write-up HERE to read the story behind this!

Toy Story: Hot Topic Zurg Men's Tee ("Daddy, is that You?")

Over the past year or two, Hot Topic stores have released an impressive collection of exclusive Disney·Pixar merch. I've grown super fond of their t-shirts and tend to get many of them that catch my eye. One of the latest releases, and possibly my favorite Toy Story shirt that I have, is this fantastic "Daddy, is that You?" tee!

I absolutely love the very minimal, textured graphic on this shirt featuring Evil Emperor Zurg and Buzz Lightyear. I know I've said this before, but I would actually love this on a poster! 

As with all the Hot Topic tees I've purchased, this is a quality, comfortable, soft and nicely fitted shirt- just how I like them. If you're a fan of Toy Story and want to wear it proud, then this is the shirt for you. You'll never find another one like this.

If you're interested, head over to HotTopic.com to purchase HERE, but hurry before they're gone. Once they're out, shirt designs there rarely come back. 

Thanks for dropping by! Be sure to check back daily for more from my personal collection of Pixar merch and memories.

Cars: Piston Cup Magnetic Bumper Sticker

Any time I visit Cars Land at Disney's Califonia Adventure, I'm overwhelmed with all the fun Cars themed toys, clothes, collectibles and other fun knick knacks and souvenirs. Being a big fan of the franchise, I always have to get a few of these little items around at the gift shops! One cool thing I got back in April when my wife and I visited is this fantastic "Piston Cup- Racing Series- Radiator Springs" digital printed magnetic bumper sticker! I couldn't resist...I knew it would look great on the back of my orange car.

I really love decking my car out with anything Pixar. If you've been a follower here for a while, you might remember when I got the Monsters University license plate cover and sticker (see post HERE).

Anyway, check it out below! It looks super cool and sticks to the car without any problems; I'm definitely glad I snagged this while while we were there. A big thanks to my wife Brita who included this in an awesome Cars Land themed birthday package for me back in May!

If you're visiting Cars Land and would like to pick it up for your collection, you can find it in the "Curio Shop".

Inside Out: Disney Store Highlighter set

Released on May 4th at the Disney Store this year, here we have this fun Inside Out stackable highlighter set featuring everyone's favorite emotions: Joy (yellow), Anger (red), Disgust (green), Sadness (blue) and Fear (purple)! These are five individual plastic mini highlighters that interlock to create one big one.

Each highlighter is 1 3/4'' H  with the complete stack at about 7 1/2'' H. It retails for $6.95, but unfortunately  it's currently all sold out online (listing was HERE). Your best bet is to see if your local Disney Store still has one of these in stock.

This is a really cool set that you can't really go wrong with. Everyone does some sort of highlighting, right? If you're a fan of the film, than this is for you. Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

be sure to follow me on Instagram @danthepixarfan

Cars: Circus Van (Super Chase)

Here we have a "super" exciting new addition to my collection...the circus van from the original Cars end credits sequence! One of the reasons this is such a cool car is because he's a "Super Chase", which basically just means he's ultra rare (no more than 4,000 units are produced). Super Chase cars are extremely difficult to spot in stores, so I'm thrilled to have this one! Per usual, this is a 1:55 scale diecast from Mattel and was just released a few weeks back.

One of the funniest and most creative scenes in Cars is during the end credits when Mack is parked at the Radiator Springs Drive-In Theater. There we see many of our favorite Pixar characters in car form such as Buzz, Woody, Hamm, Mike, Sulley, the Yeti, PT Flea, Flik and the "circus cars" (as seen in the screen shot  above). The scene is hilarious because it pokes fun at how actor John Ratzenberger has had a cameo in every single Pixar film. The scene can be watched here. Never gets old!

This circus van is the first of the circus cars to be released this year. The rest will be released within the next few months and will also be "Super Chase" cars (unfortunately). Check them out on this cardback below!

This is such an awesome and unique car and I'm so glad it's finally released. It's too bad it's so hard to find! I was lucky enough to snag it on eBay recently for a really decent price (uunder $15). If you're having trouble finding this one in stores too, eBay or Amazon might be your best bet.

Good luck on the hunt!

Cars: Mater with Sign

From the original Cars, here we have the brand new Mattel 1:55 scale diecast release of Mater with sign! He is part of the 2015 "95 Pit Crew" sub-series (#4/8). This is the first time Mater holding this "Radiator Springs Racing Team" sign has been made available. Now when you build this scene with your diecast cars, your diorama will be that much more accurate!

As shown in the screen shot above, Mater is seen this way near the end of the film when Doc Hudson and Lightning's Radiator Springs pit crew come to his rescue during the big tie breaker race.

You can find this one in stores (or online) now!

Toy Story 2: Lego Pizza Planet Truck

You're probably here because you're, and I'm guessing here, a Pixar fan; and if you're a Pixar fan you most likely know of the famous Pixar Pizza Planet truck "Easter egg". If you're not aware of what I'm referring to, I'll give you a quick overview.

It all started with the original Toy Story, where the now famous and iconic Pizza Planet delivery truck made its first appearance and played a significant role in the film. Ever since then, the truck has made very brief background cameo appearances (usually pretty hidden, why it's known as an "Easter egg") in almost every Pixar film to date- all except The Incredibles for whatever reason. It's now almost like a game, where Disney/Pixar fans try to search for the truck's appearance in every new release from the studio. To see where it shows up in each film, check out the Pizza Planet Truck Pixar Wiki Page.

Ultimately, the truck has become a pretty instantly recognizable Pixar icon (much like the Luxo ball) that people associate with the studio. Because of this, I thought it would be most essential to have it represented in my collection; and what's cooler than one made out of Legos!?

This "Pizza Planet Truck Rescue" set (#7598) was released on May 1st, 2010 under the Toy Story 3 banner (even though this set is based off the classic scene in Toy Story 2). For some unknown reason, I didn't get this set when it was released; but seeing it online recently made me realize how much I missed out on such a great product. I had mentioned it briefly (in passing) to my mom a couple months back and, of course, she had to go ahead and surprise me with it for my birthday this year!

The set originally retailed for $39.99 and contains 225 pieces (including four mini figures- Rex, Buzz, Ham and an Alien). It took me just about an hour to put it together.

Check it out all assembled!

Some features include: 

• Opening doors
• Opening hood
• Opening hatch on roof 
• Pizza launcher (place six pizzas under the hood; pull back launcher on back to send them flying)

Though this set isn't in production anymore, you can always find it on the online second hand market. Be sure to check out eBay or Amazon (using the direct link below) if you're interested in adding this to your collection. Thanks for dropping by!

Inside Out: Convention Exclusive Funko "POP!" UPDATED

Today's post is a page update to my Inside Out "Convention Exclusive Funko POP!" collection. Visit the original post HERE to read more about this fantastic new addition... Anger with flames!

Cars 2: Manny Roadriguez

From Cars 2, here we have a brand new Mattel 1:55 scale diecast release...Manny Roadriguez! He is part of the 2015 "Palace Chaos" sub-series (#5/7). This is the first time this character has been made available.

As shown in the screen shot above, Manny can be seen (very briefly) in the crowed during the London race. He is standing next to Sir Harley Gassup, Prince Wheeliam, and The Queen.

You can find this one in stores now. If you're having a hard time tracking him down, be sure to check out Amazon using the direct link below. Good luck on the hunt!

Cars: Cars Land Attraction Diecasts

When I visited Cars Land this past Spring, I couldn't resist snagging these 1:55 scale diecast vehicles based on some of the attractions there in "Radiator Springs." Here we have three racers from Radiator Springs Racers (a red, a green and a teal one) and a tractor from Mater's Junkyard Jamboree!

Although these are 1:55 scale, they are not made by Mattel. They are produced by the Disney Theme Park Merchandise and retail there for $7.95 (a little bit pricey for cars, but hey, at this point I expect to pay nothing less at Disney ;). They can be found throughout several of the Cars Land gift shops there at California Adventure. Being a Cars collector and a big fan of Cars Land (and of Cars in general), these were a must for me! They are great mementos to remember our fun memories there as well.

Check them all out in more detail below-

Radiator Springs Racers 

 Mater's Junkyard Jamboree

Since I regretted not getting these the first time we went to Cars Land in 2013, I'm very happy that I decided to get them this time around. A huge thanks and shout out to my wife Brita who included these in a Cars themed package for my birthday back in May. She totally surprised me with three of the four Radiator Springs Racers cars; I told her to just pick out just one of the colors (since they were pretty expensive), but she went all out! I'm now just missing the blue one, but it's so similar to the teal that I'm not sure I need to go for it. 

If you would like to add these to your collection, but can't make it to the parks, be sure to check eBay for current listings. Or a better option might be to call the Disneyland merchandise mail order phone number at 800-362-4533 to have them shipped to you for park prices. You can't really beat that.

Anyway- Good luck on the hunt! Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Would love to hear from you!


UPDATE 8/18/15-  
Well, it was only a little over a week ago when I wrote this post. Since then, I attended the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA with a surprise visit to California Adventure/Cars Land! A group a friends I was with were able to get me in with them for free; how cool right? I was not even expecting that. When my wife and I visited there back in April, I figured that was going to be my last time out there for years and years. It was very surreal being back there again last week before the convention started.

Above I mention how I was just missing one of the cars in this line- the blue one. I said "it's so similar to the teal that I'm not sure I need to go for it." That's when I thought I would have to track it down on eBay, but since I was there at Cars Land, there was no way I could pass up the chance to complete this collection! I was able to snag one of the last blue ones I could find right outside Sarge's Surplus Hut gift shop. What perfect timing.

Check it out!