The Good Dinosaur: TOMY Action Figures (Part One- Small)

TOMY Toys has had double Pixar duty this year; first with Inside Out back in the late Spring and now with The Good Dinosaur! That's right, after much anticipation, the Good Dino toys have officially hit shelves.

As I've mentioned before, with every Pixar film release, the action figures are always among the very first toys that I anticipate the most. With this line, I was even more excited than usual. Why? Because not only were new Pixar figures coming, but dinosaur figures! I've been looking forward to Pixar style dinosaur figures ever since a Pixar dinosaur film was announced years ago. As a kid, I loved dinosaurs (typical right?), but I never really had a definitive line of dino toys. As an adult, I've kept my eye out for any good ones for my future kids. Over the past couple years, I have seen a lot of cute, generic dinosaur toys, but decided to hold off buying any of those in anticipation that The Good Dinosaur toys would rock...and they do! They're exactly what I pictured.

Here's how this action figure collection is organized: as of right now, there are seven "small" figures ($9.99), nine "large" figures ($12.99) and four "extra large" figures ($19.99)- all of which are part of the same line and to scale with each other. Today's I'll be showing off the figures classified as "small", which are:

• Young Arlo 
• Baby Arlo, Libby & Buck 
• Spot & Giant Beetle 
• Spot & Lizard
• Teen Buck (full post HERE)
• Sam
• Vivian

Additionally, you'll notice that each "small" and "large" figure in the line comes with a collectible critter. This is one of the coolest and most clever things about this collection. I'll explain- In the film, a character named Forrest Woodbush (a wise and mysterious styracosaurus; more on him in part 2) dwells in the woods with many forest critters atop is horns (apparently he believes they protect him). SO, back to the toy line, you can collect all 16 of Forrest's critters and attach them to the horns of the figure (as seen on the back of the packaging below)! How fun right?

Ok, now that all the heavy details are out of the way, lets get to checkin' out these toys in more detail!

Young Arlo 

 Baby Arlo, Libby & Buck

 Spot & Giant Beetle 

Spot & Lizard

Teen Buck 
(added 3/4/17)

Now, here's something you may not know. The following two characters are actually dinosaurs made up by TOMY and won't actually appear in the film (same with two of the "large" figures). I chatted with one of the TOMY representatives at the D23 Expo and they said that, since kids love dinosaur toys in general, they decided to throw in some classic species in the the style of The Good Dinosaur (some even based on concept art) and name them. They're banking on this line to continue on for a while with a mixture of both canon and non-canon dinos.

Usually I don't go for "non-canon" characters when it comes to toys, but this actually works great for me. As I mentioned, I have been looking for some cute, general dinosaur toys for my future little ones! These will be perfect.

Sam 

 Vivian

Each figure has some nice, basic articulation and is between 2" and 5" in size. Though I haven't taken them out from the package, from what I can tell (and have read), these figures are sturdy and quality made.

If you're looking to add these to your collection, be sure to visit your local Target or Toys R Us stores! That's where I've seen them so far. If you'd rather just pick them up online, visit the direct links to Amazon below. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Be on the look out right here tomorrow as I reveal the next group of dinos in this collection (the "large" figures). Stay tuned!

Cars: Tropical Fillmore Men's Tee

While I was browsing the Disney Store "booth" at this past D23 Expo (yes, the one with the four hour wait), I stumbled across this fun Cars tropical style t-shirt featuring Fillmore! While this isn't a typical shirt that I would usually purchase, I immediately thought it would be perfect for our upcoming Disney Cruise vacation in November...So I went for it.

The screen art is very Hawaiian (surf boards and hibiscus flowers), but tropical nonetheless. It will be perfect and festive for a visit down to the Caribbean! The shirt is jersey knit, has a ribbed crew neck and features the text "Surfs Up Fillmore" under the fantastic minimal designs.

Though this shirt premiered at the D23 Expo, it wasn't an exclusive there. Since then, it's also been released on the DisneyStore.com! If you're interested, visit there today before it sells out for good.

Surfs up, dudes! 

Cars: Disney Travel Company Vacation Package Exclusives (2012)

In 2012, guests who booked their Disneyland Vacation through the Disney Travel Company got a few complimentary/exclusive goodies as part of their vacation package...including a Lightning Mcqueen Cars Land luggage tag, a pin and a lanyard! While I don't have the tag, I do have the lanyard and the pin- as seen here!

The pin is an official/authentic Disney pin and features "Walt Disney Travel Company" on the back.

As mentioned in a previous post, depending on the travel agency that you booked your Disneyland vacation through, you got a different Cars character represented on the tag and pin. Below is the agency/character breakdown:
AAA----Mater (which I have, see post HERE)
The Walt Disney Travel Company----Lightning Mcqueen
Costco----Fillmore
Disney Visa Card----Luigi & Gudio

Pretty neat right? I actually didn't get these from booking my vacation through the Disney Travel Company though; so I have to give a big shout out and thanks to my good friend Adrianne who picked this up for me as a gift during our visit to the Company D-Team Center outlet store! They had a few of these laying around for castmembers only and he was nice enough to think of me.

If you're interested in picking one of these sets up, check out eBay! They actually have quite a few for sale.

Thanks so much for dropping by! Be sure to check back daily for more from my Pixar collection and please let me know if you have any comments or questions. Would love to hear from you!

The Good Dinosaur: Pixar Studio Store Men's Tee

Here we have this fantastic new The Good Dinosaur t-shirt, which is only available at the Pixar Studio Store ($17) in Emeryville, California! A huge thanks to my good friend Jeff over at thisdayinpixar.com, who generously picked this up for me during his recent visit to Pixar. I was so thrilled to receive this as it's the closest thing I have to actually going there. Again, much appreciated! 

This t-shirt is perfect for me. It's the exact style of tees that I love; it's a thinner material, is super soft, has a simple, minimal design and has a nice, slim fit. Highly recommended if you're lucky enough to get to the Pixar store or are able to find one on eBay! I feel the Good Dino logo featuring the dinosaur and hand print will soon become iconic. I loved that design as soon as I saw it on the teaser poster, so I'm thrilled to now have it on a tee. You know what I'll be wearing to the premiere!

I've said this before, but I also really like the basic "Emeryville, California" on the back. It's simple, but this is signature to shirts sold only at Pixar (so that makes it extra cool). As with anything I have from the studio store (since it's so limited), this will be a prized part of my collection.

Pixar Collection: Pixar Series 3 Vinylmation

For all you Vinylmation fans out there...Pixar Series 3 has arrived! Following Series 1 (2012) and Series 2 (2013), this long awaited third series is finally here and includes eight fantastic new characters/designs. Just in time for its traditional Fall release too! This series was just revealed on October 9th and then was released a week later on the 16th...it came as a huge (and quick) surprise! Oh yes, I was super excited.

I've discovered that the easiest way (for me) to get an entire new series of Vinylmations these days, is to just purchase a full tray of them from the Disney Store and sell the remaining ones online (which pays off a lot of the expense); so that's what I did! It's so much easier than trying to track down each one individually.

I was thrilled when UPS dropped this off last night. Needless to say, I opened that box right up like I was a little boy on Chirstmas morning. Check out out the full case below in all it's glory! 16 Vinylmations are included (which amounts to two full sets of the seven "known designs", one "mystery chaser" and one randomly selected additional character from the bunch).

Technically though, you could also get one of two variant characters. For those of you who are less familiar with Vinylmations, the "variants" in a series are extremely rare and are always a variation on a character already included in the series. For example, the variants in this series are Woody's Roundup Marionette Stinky Pete (see image HERE) and a differently designed CDA agent (see image HERE). Variants typically sell for $100+ online...phew! Unfortunately, my case didn't include either of the variants. 

Here are some additional angles of the individual blind boxes-

Ok, I know you didn't come here just to check out the boxes; so let's bust these guys open and check them all out in more detail!

CDA Agent (Monsters Inc.) by Artist Thomas Scott

Really fun design using the taller Vinylmation mold! 

Bruce (Finding Nemo) by Artist Chris Gardner

Love how the artist utilized the translucent vinyl for a "watery" effect. The style here also fits in perfectly with Nemo and Dory (from the previous Pixar series), who are made up of similar design elements.

Linguini (Ratatouille) by Artist Chris Gardner 

I wouldn't have thought it, but I have to say that Linguini here might be one of my top fave designs in this series! I just love the use of Remy, the grapes and the cheese in the ears. Very clever and cute!

Wall·E  by Artist Ron Cohee

Speaking of favorites, my number one fave in this series (hands down) is Wall·E. Again, the use of the clear vinyl is brilliant as well as the additional fire extinguisher accessory. Oh, and how cute is his little cockroach friend hanging out up there on the ear. Perfection!

I also wanted to note that I'm thrilled that a new Wall·E has been released. The only way to get him up to this point was in a very limited edition (and very expensive) 2-Pack with Eve that I was never able to get (seen HERE). I actually like this one better, so I'm glad I didn't fork out $$$$ for the 2-Pack- now let's just hope for a new Eve coming soon as well! 

Guido (Cars) by Artist Maria Clapsis

This was another fun choice for a character! Such a fun design too. Guido wasn't one I could picture fitting into the shape of Mickey, but hey, look at that! Again, great use of clear vinyl to achieve the effect. Nicely done.

Russell (Up) by Artist Cayley Hicks

Everyone's favorite Wilderness Explorer! This is such an adorable design that really captures the character. Love the hat and the details of his uniform!

Stinky Pete (Toy Story 2) by Artist Ron Cohee

You might be thinking, "Hey! Wasn't a Stinky Pete Vinylmation released just last year in the Pixar Villains Series?" Why, yes he was! This is the second release of this character. It does seem a little odd (since they could have chosen anyone else out Pixar's entire lineup), but hey, it's still a great design. 

I honestly haven't decided which Pete I like better yet, but I do love the little pickaxe accessory included here with this one. It's a nice little addition!

Edna Mode (The Incredibles) by Artist Thomas Scott 

Last but not least, the CHASER, Edna Mode! Seriously, who doesn't love Edna? She definitely has to be one of the funniest Pixar characters to date and I'm thrilled to now have her as a Vinylmation. Unexpected, but great choice for a chaser nonetheless!

There you go! Eight very well designed characters that are all exciting additions to my ever expanding Pixar Vinylmations collection. What are your thoughts? Who's your favorite? Who do you want to see in a future series? Shout it out in the comments below! 

If you'd like to add these to your Vinylmation collection, you can find this series at Disneyland's D Street shop (at Downtown Disney), at Disney Pin Traders at Walt Disney World and online (HERE for the full tray, HERE for an individual blind box). Also, eBay is usually a good route to take if you're looking for a specific one. 

Visit this direct link to current eBay listings. Have fun and good luck on the hunt!