Finding Dory: Bandai Toys Plush Dory

Released this summer from Bandai Toys, here we have their Finding Dory 10" basic Dory plush! Since the Disney Store didn't release a smaller size plush of Dory this year, I was super glad to see this one. I wanted a Dory that was comparable to the size of the Disney Store Jenny and Charlie plush (which I'll be showing here soon), and this one is just that. It goes perfect with them and all the other characters I have! Most importantly, this toy has a nice likeness to the character and feels quality made overall.

You can find this plushie at stores like Target, Walmart and Toy R Us (among others I'm sure). Retail price is $12.99. A big thanks to Bandai for sending this over to me!

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Note: Looking for a bigger Dory? Or maybe one that's a bit smaller? No problem. This plush also comes in mini (6"), large (20") and jumbo (26") sizes.

Toy Story 2: Gaming Rex and Buzz with Belt & Grapnel Figures

Over the past couple weeks, I've been sharing with you the brand new wave of Mattel Toy Story figures that just started hitting Toys R Us stores earlier this month. First I showed off the fantastic Raygon & Angel Kitty 2-Pack (From Toy Story That Time Forgot), then the equally as cool "Fun Meal Toy" Buzz & Zurg 2-Pack (From Toy Story Toons: Small Fry) and now we have a couple of characters based on their appearances in Toy Story 2...Gaming Rex and Buzz Lightyear with Belt & Grapnel!

I haven't been an avid collector of this series of Toy Story figures, to be honest. I bought a couple of sets in the past that caught my eye (like the Toy Story of Terror and "Snake in my Boot" gift packs) but, for the most part, the single figures have been a bit too standard for me...that is until this wave of very unique, never before released characters. Now I'm hooked! I may just have to go back and get the others just to complete this series (which is exactly what I was trying to avoid, ha!).

Gaming Rex is just awesome. He was an absolute must for me (especially since the only figure I have based on that appearance is the "Buddy Pack" figure)! Buzz with Belt & Grapnel (AKA Utility Belt Buzz) is not quite as unique, but it's definitely not something I have represented very much in my collection (again, I only have the "Buddy Pack" figure of him).

Lets take a closer look at each one!

Gaming Rex

 If there was any question, yes Rex's helmet is removable!

 Buzz with Belt & Grapnel
 

Buzz measures close to 4" tall and Rex (with helmet) stands at about 5" tall. Both are solid plastic figures with good paint jobs and limited articulation. Retail price is $8.99 each. These figures seem to be showing up at Toys R Us stores nation wide, so head to yours soon if you're looking to pick them up!

If you are having trouble finding these however, you can also check out this direct link to current eBay listings or Amazon using the links below. Act soon to complete your collection!

Finding Dory: Disney Store 2016 Summer Play Days Wristbands

If you have a Disney Store near you, be sure to drop by this summer for their 2016 "Summer Play Days"! Every single day from June 4th through September 5th, cast members at all Disney Store locations host fun events (like trivia, drawing, story time etc...)) for you and your family to participate in- and best of all? They hand out these FREE Tsum Tsum Disney character wristbands for you to collect!

Every week there's a new character to add to your collection (and even some "secret" ones as well). Check out the official pamphlet below to see who's available and when.

Note: Collect them all and present them to a cast member at the end of the summer to receive a Mickey and Minnie "ultimate collectors set"!

Of course I was just interested in the Pixar themed ones (namely the Finding Dory and Monsters Inc. characters); And given that I'm a Disney Store cast member myself, I was able to snag them all pretty easily (though we still have to wait week to week just like you).

Here are all seven Finding Dory bracelets including: Destiny, Hank, Bailey, Dory, the rare sea otter (only given out spontaneously to select guests), Nemo (only given to Disney Visa Card holders) and a cast member exclusive band (featuring Dory, Destiny and Bailey on one). Check 'em out-

Cast Member Exclusive  

And here's me a couple weeks ago hosting one of the Summer Play Days (drawing Nemo)! My wife Brita was there at the time and I had no idea she was snapping pics.
 

Cool off from the heat this summer by visiting your local Disney Store for Summer Play Days. You'll have a blast! You won't wanna miss out on the free stuff (or the fun). Call your store for specific times and details.

Toy Story: Mattel "Minis" 10-Pack

Hey howdy hey everyone! Today we have the brand new Toy Story Minis 10-Pack from Mattel. This is an exciting set of 10 highly stylized (and highly cute) plastic mini figures based on some of your favorite characters from the Toy Story trilogy: Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Woody, Alien, Hamm, Zurg, Trixie, Bullseye, Lotso and Rex are all featured here against a fantastic Sunnyside Daycare 3D backdrop.

In terms of style, these are a close cousin to Mattel's popular Toy Story Buddy Pack figures. They're a little smaller (these are roughly each an inch tall) and are designed to be a bit more "cutesy" (the big eyes for example, very Japanese-esque ), but they're definitely along the same lines.  

Though I have many stylized Toy Story figures from over the years, I couldn't resist this new little collection here. I'm always thrilled in general to spot any new Toy Story merch at the store and these were just different enough to get me excited about getting them.

Lets take a closer look at these little guys!

Buzz Lightyear

 Woody

Unlike the "Buddy Pack" figures, Woody and Jessie here have removable hats. I thought that was a nice touch!

Jessie

Pizza Planet Alien

Hamm

Zurg

Trixie

Lotso

Rex

The only character I feel is the odd one out here is Trixie, since she's actually never seen at Sunnyside in the film (maybe Slinky would have been a better choice?)...but that's a nitpick! The figure is great nonetheless. Other than that and some minor paint application problems, this is a solid set of adorable figures!

I found this at Toys R Us just this past week. I'm not sure if it's an exclusive to there, since there isn't anything on the package that states so, but stopping by your local Toys R Us is your best bet in finding this right now. Retail is $19.99.

What do you think? Will you be picking this up? Would you like to see this series continue with new characters? Shout out you thoughts in the comments below!

UPDATE 2/02/17- More characters have been added to this collection by means of blind bags! For now check out my posts on series 1 HERE and series 3 HERE. 

Inside Out: Little Golden Book

Last year around the time when Disney·Pixar's Inside Out hit theaters, I was a bit disappointed when the Little Golden Book based on the film (that was planned to be released) didn't end up happening (you can see the original cover art HERE). Instead, a "spin-off" Little Golden Book, called The Bing Bong Book, took its place. That one was cute and all, but I was really looking forward to seeing Inside Out get the Little Golden Book treatment. Plus, there was now a void in my collection. I wonder what happened there?

Well, it turns out the book wasn't completely cancelled—just delayed 10 months (for whatever the reason). Unbeknownst to me, this Inside Out Little Golden Book was finally released just a couple months ago on April 5th! How on earth did this slip past my radar? A big thanks to the back cover of the Finding Dory Little Golden Book for informing me. ;)

Like usual, this is a a very simplified version of the story geared towards young children. It's extremely cute and nicely written, though you'll notice some very key scenes and themes from the film are missing (but that's completely understandable). For a film as complex as Inside Out, writer Andrea Posner-Sanchez did a very good job boiling it down to just the main points. Additionally, this is one of the most beautifully illustrated Little Golden Books I've seen. The illustrations by Alan Batson have a timeless charm to them and are right up my alley in terms of style. Very classy. 

To get a feel for what you can expect inside, take a look at several of the 23 vibrant pages below!

If you're a fan of Little Golden Books and/or Inside Out, then you will most definitely want to check this one out. You can find it in stores (I got my copy at Barnes and Noble) or on Amazon using the direct link below.

It should be noted that you can find a Little Golden Book for every Pixar film except A Bug's Life. If you're interested in seeing all the others, be sure to click on the "Books" label to the right of this page to explore my entire Pixar books collection. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions... I would love to hear your thoughts!

Finding Dory: The Essential Guide

Another Pixar film, another Essential Guide! Ever since I was a kid, I always enjoyed DK publishing's Pixar "Essential Guide" books...and I still enjoy collecting them today! I actually look forward to these every year as they're always chock-full of lots of fun info about characters (i.e. traits, thoughts, backstory), plot points, fun trivia ("Did you know?" facts and "True or False"), quotes, stats and much more.

They are definitely geared more to a younger crowed, but they're great for learning so many small details from the films that you might not get from just watching them. I say they're just as fun for adults, or at least I speak for myself. This new Finding Dory Essential guide (released on May 3rd) is no different in that regard.

Inside this hardcover book you'll find 63 quality, insightful, colorful pages. I'm not gonna lie, this is a big improvement over last year's The Good Dinosaur Essential Guide. For example, that one was almost fully illustrated and was pretty light on the fun facts (or anything too interesting for that matter).

This one goes back to the roots of the Essential Guide books with a far better balance of screen caps from the film, fully rendered characters and illustrations. There is a lot of fun info to read and learn here- especially since there are plenty of real life fish/ocean facts that any age group would find interesting.

Lets get to checking out some of the pages below:

This page featuring the "shhhhing" hermit crabs is one I find particularly cool. It's hard to tell in the film what all the crabs are wearing as shells, but this gives you a clearer look! I love seeing the football helmet crab here (remember the blind bag collection figure?), since I have yet to actually spot him during the film. I keep a lookout every time though! I guess I just need the ability to pause and examine the scene (bring on the blu-ray).

Check out my "Books" label to the right of this page to explore my growing collection of Pixar books, including the many other Essential Guides that I own. Note: You can find an Essential Guide book for every Pixar film except for A Bug's Life.

If you're a fan of Finding Dory, I definitely recommend picking this up. You can currently find it easily in stores (like Barnes & Noble) or on Amazon using the direct link below.

Thanks for visiting today's post and be sure to check back daily for even more items from my Pixar collection!