Finding Dory: Swimming Robo Fish Collection from Zuru Toys

From Zuru, here we have their amazing collection of Finding Dory inspired Robo Fish! The initial wave of characters, including Nemo, Marlin, Dory and Bailey (as well a couple playsets which I'll also be showing here soon) was released back in late April/early May. More recently, "Little Dory" (aka toddler Dory or baby Dory) was added to the assortment. It's really a very cool line of toys! I'm hoping for even more characters in the future.

How they work- 
Each plastic character is battery operated (batteries and extra batteries included) and water activated. As soon as the fish hits the water, the carbon sensors will kick in and trigger the lifelike swimming movement. On the flip side, the fish will stop moving when taken out of the water. No need for any kind of ON/OFF switch! It's really neat how it all works.

If any of the fish swim for an extended period of time, they will "fall asleep." Just tap the container, whether it be a fish tank, bowl, etc., to start the motion up again. Each character is right around three to four inches in size and retails for $11.99 (Bailey being the exception; he is about seven inches long and retails for $18.99).

Check them all out in more detail below! 

Swimming Little Dory Robo Fish (NEW!)

Swimming Dory Robo Fish

Swimming Marlin Robo Fish

Swimming Bailey Robo Fish

You may have noticed that I didn't include Nemo in this post- keen eye. That's because Nemo was also released as a pack-in with the Marine Life Institute playset, which I purchased and will be showing here soon, so I opted out of getting the single pack release (since they're exactly the same).

I was testing these guys out and recording videos of them in action last night and I'm happy to report that they work really well. As soon as my new computer comes, I'll have the completed video up on my YouTube channel. Stay tuned for that!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for all my updates.

Cars: SDCC Exclusive Dirt Track Fabulous Hudson Hornet Precision Series Diecast

For those following along, you've probably heard me talk about my computer problems time and time again. Well here's pretty much the final update: yesterday (after crashing several times) my computer eventually just wouldn't turn on and so I had to forgo this post (in its defense, it is almost 10 years old). The good news? That forced me to finally give in and order a new one! Tonight my current computer happens to be working again (barely), but who knows for how long. Basically I just wanted to let you all know that until my new iMac comes (around the 19th), my posts might be inconsistent- depending on if my computer feels like turning on or not.

Anyway, lets move onto why you're here. Today we're taking a detailed look at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) exclusive Cars Precision Series Dirt Track Fabulous Hudson Hornet 1:55 diecast from Mattel! Phew, that was a mouthful.

To be honest, when I first heard about this, I wasn't very interested at all (since I already have several versions of this character)...but then I saw the display/accessories included inside the unique collector's packaging and I was sold. I am so glad I changed my mind.

Now for the unboxing. Before you get to the diecast itself, you first have to get through three layers of packaging- starting with the outer box seen above (which is a pretty standard Precision Series design). Another box, enclosed with the awesomely designed slip cover seen below (featuring a collage of "historical" Hudson Hornet newspaper articles as seen in the original Cars), is housed inside.

Here's the box once the newspaper slip cover is removed (which is actually magnetized shut). Open it up and...

Bam! There is the famed Fabulous Hudson Hornet in all his glory. The fantastic checkered floor base/trophy case display is made from both high quality cardboard and acrylic materials (no actual wood or glass) and is attached to the inside of the box with velcro (easily removable). Doc Hudson on the other hand is attached to the base with screws, so you'll need to use a screwdriver to remove him completely. 

This is probably one of the coolest looking Cars items in my collection. Yah the car itself is neat enough, but what really makes this set phenomenal is the way it's presented! Mattel really went all out with this one.

As usual with the Cars Precision Series diecasts, the front hood opens to reveal the engine and there are no paper stickers. Everything is painted on with a precise attention to detail. I especially love the "dirt" effect around the tires!

The trophy case window (also magnetized) can be lifted up and the Piston Cup tri-stand, as well as the three individual Piston Cups, can be removed (all plastic). Wow, just look at that detail... even down to the tiny movie accurate text on each cup which reads "Hudson Hornet Champion 1952" (or 1953 or 1954 depending on which trophy).

 

There you go folks. An absolute must have for serious Disney·Pixar Cars collectors. This originally retailed at the convention for around $25, but with eBay and Amazon being your main buying options at this point, expect to pay somewhere in the $40-$50 range (which isn't bad for a SDCC exclusive).

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Finding Dory: Plastic Storage Bin

Organize your Finding Dory toy collection in style with this excellent large plastic storage bin sold now exclusively at Target stores! I stumbled upon this in the kids home and decor section at Target a month or so back and I couldn't pass it up. It's perfect for housing some of my Dory bath/pool toys, Swigglefish, plush, Funkos, Robofish, figurines, etc.

This lidded tub is approximately 15"L x 11"W x 9"H in size; so it's not huge, but it's definitely big enough to store a decent amount of the smaller toys. Some of your favorite fish friends, including Dory, Hank, Nemo, Marlin and Bailey, are featured on the outside (as well as the forever classic phrase "just keep swimming").

Here I threw in a few things to help you gage the storage capacity.

Find this at your local Target for just $9.99 or on their website HERE. Highly recommended!

Note: There is also a much smaller one, seen HERE, which I may or may not pick up as well.

Finding Dory: Nemo & Dory Mugs (Disney Store)

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all had an excellent holiday. Who was able to catch Finding Dory in the theaters one last time?

In honor of the film's re-release this past weekend, here we have two Finding Dory 12 oz. 3D character mugs from the Disney Store featuring Nemo and Dory herself! Both of these ceramic sculpted mugs are microwave and dishwasher safe and are 3 1/2' H x 6 1/2'' W (at handle) x 3'' D in size (according to the official descriptions; though it appears to me that Dory is a little taller). They were released on April 19th along with the rest of the mainline Disney Store Dory merch. 

These are really fun mugs with a great look to them; perfect for sipping your favorite hot beverage or for display. They're so cute! If you're a Finding Dory/Nemo fan (or just an overall lover of all things Disney·Pixar), you may want to consider adding these to your collection before they're gone. I say one can never have enough mugs.

Note: See a similar Nemo mug that I reviewed back in 2014 HERE.

You can purchase Nemo online HERE for $14.95. Unfortunately Dory has sold out on the US website, but I can almost guarantee that your local Disney Store still has her in stock (the store I work at still has a million of both of these sitting around). If you're in the UK, you're in luck; the Disney.co.uk site still has Dory available HERE.

Finding Dory: Disney Store "Feature Dory" Talking Plush

Wow, it's hard to believe it's been over three months since my Finding Dory birthday party and I'm still reviewing the merch that I got! This one has been a long time coming. Released back in April, here we have the Disney Store exclusive "Feature Dory" talking plush toy!

This Dory plush is super soft with embroidered features, though keep in mind that it also has moving internal parts. With the press of a button (near her right fin), her fins and mouth move as she says one of seven phrases [at random]:

• "Hi! I'm Dory. Excuse me! Hi. So, I'm looking for my family. Guess we'll hang out another time. Don't be a stranger!"

• "Hey man, don't touch my tag! Wow...Hank, I'm so glad I found you" 

•  "You know I speak whale. Helllooooooo....Destinyyyy. Why thaaannkkk yoouuuu."

•  "Hello there! Do you know me? Oh no, I'm sorry. I, I suffer from short term memory loss. You found me! How did you find me?"

•  "I remembered something! I actually remembered something! Something important! Then we better get going. Wooohoo! I'm sorry...did I forget again?"

• "Hello? Hello? Can you help me? Hey guys I'm looking for my family. Got it- what was the first part again?"

•  [Speaking whale] "Youuuuurrrrr'eeee Welccoooommmee. It's ooookkkkaayyy....I found Marlin and Nemoooo..."

Of course she has her signature 3181 Marine Life Institute transfer tag (made of plastic). Nice detail!

Lets take her out of the box for an even closer look...

Dory is a medium size plush measuring 7'' H x 14'' L x 11'' W (fin to fin). Under her belly is a velcro pouch where you'll find the battery pack and on/off switch. She requires three AA batteries (which are included).

This is a fantastic product and a no brainer for any Dory fan! She looks great, sounds great (love the actual Ellen DeGeneres dialogue) and looks really cool when she moves and talks. You can most likely still find this at your local Disney Store or online HERE (currently on sale for just $16.99- originally $29.95).

Don't miss out! UPDATE: Check out Dory in action in my YouTube video unboxing below:

 

Finding Dory: Ultimate Sticker Collection Book

The DK sticker books, in this case the "Ultimate Sticker Collection", are always on my "must have" list with each new Pixar film release. These style books are fun, timeless and bring me right back to my childhood. Inside this one you'll find a massive amount of stickers (over 1000) of all shapes, styles and sizes from both Finding Nemo and Finding Dory.  

This high quality, soft cover book is 96 pages in length and retails for $12.99.

Lets take a look inside! Here are a couple standard pages featuring the classic silhouette placement spots. The goal here is to search for the specific stickers of certain characters/scenes and place them over the correct area. Kids will have fun reading a bunch of fun facts along the way as well!

There are also a couple blank scenes, such as the P. Sherman's aquarium page below, for kids to decorate.  

And of course the rest of the book is...stickers! Pages and pages and pages and of stickers. And after that? Pages and pages of EXTRA stickers (where basically all the stickers from the first half are repeated)! Interestingly enough, you'll notice when flipping through that most of the book is actually Finding Nemo centered, with only a few pages of Finding Dory. 

For little fans of the Finding franchise, I'm sure this will make for hours of entertainment. Plus who doesn't love stickers? You can pick this up wherever Finding Dory books are currently sold or on Amazon using the link below.

Have fun!