FROM: Vinylmation 360 Published Mondays
A Tour of Disney World's D-Street
Kelly returned recently from a trip to Walt Disney World, where she took time away from the rides, attractions, and shows to indulge her passion for Vinylmation. And where better to indulge in Vinylmation at Disney World than in D-Street?
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This week marks the start of an in-depth look at Vinylmation from the Disney World perspective. I'll be covering everything from buying and trading in the parks to what it's like to go to a popular release event. Today we'll start with a must-see store for any Vinylmation fan traveling to the World: D-Street.
The Walt Disney World location is located in the West Side of Downtown Disney. If you are traveling by car to DTD, you should park near the AMC Theater. Walk straight, with AMC to your left and Planet Hollywood to your right. The Characters in Flight balloon ride will be directly ahead of you. When the pathway splits off into a t-shape, turn left. The Harley Davidson shop that is scheduled to open this summer will be the first store you see, followed by D-Street. On the other side of D-Street is Magnetron, a cool shop featuring all kinds of unusual magnets. Across the walkway is Wetzel's Pretzels.
D-Street's hours can vary, especially on some release days. Generally, they are open from 10:30am to 11pm Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 AM to 11:30 PM Friday and Saturday. If you are vacationing and happen to be in town for a release, make sure to check the official Vinylmation blog for news about special operating hours.
If you do not have Internet access during your trip, it is best to go to the store yourself a day or two in advance and ask. WDW Resort hotel Cast Members try their best to help you, but as I discovered the hard way, the operating hours they are given for D-Street are not always correct.
Before you even enter the store, there are some nifty things to see. In the window displays, you can check out the full sets of 12 vinyls from almost every blind box series released to date, as well as artist One-of-a-Kinds for sale and other merchandise. The first display case contains the sets of 12.
Check out some close-ups: [PIC1] [PIC2] [PIC3] [PIC4].
On the top shelf of this display case is the most interesting thing you will see in the entire store. At least, it is to me! If you read the official Disney blogs and websites, you already know that last year the Space Shuttle Atlantis had a couple of "guests" on its trip to the International Space Station. A Park 3 Mission: Spacesuit vinyl (customized for the trip) and a 3" Create-Your-Own vinyl (for the astronauts to customize) tagged along for the adventure, and are now proudly on display at D-Street. Alongside the well-traveled duo is an autographed and inscribed photo of Ken Ham, Commander for the mission.
In the other main display case, you can see the currently for sale One-of-a-Kind vinyls created by Disney artists, as well as get a better look at the LE watches that were released awhile ago. The Pacman-esque ear hat with matching 3" and a collectible box, along with the Sushi set were also on display at the time. This display case is likely prone to a high turnover rate, so you never know what you might spot in there!
Aside from the main display cases, there are also a few window dressings worth a glance.
Once you actually enter the store, the first thing you will see is a display table set up to showcase new or recent releases. In late May, the Urban 6 Series 9" vinyls that were released on the 20th were available for sale, and the then-upcoming Disney Afternoon: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers set was on display as a preview. This table will also see a high turnover rate, particularly when you considers just how many vinyls are released in any given month.
Although D-Street is a decent-sized store, keep in mind that almost half of it is dedicated to other merchandise. On my trip, I spotted quite a bit of Star Wars merchandise (likely due to Star Wars Weekends) and some Iron Man merchandise. The Vinylmation goodies are in the center section and right side of the store. This area of the store also includes the drawing station, consisting of glass table and wing-backed chair.
The store provides free printouts of the Vinylmation shape and encourages guests to borrow the provided markers and "Create Their Own" designs. It's a nice idea, and I'm sure children especially enjoy it. It's also a fun and free souvenir to take home with you.
The problem with this table is that it and the chairs are big and bulky, and between the furniture and the actual people, it makes getting to the vinyls on the shelves nearby a chore. This is particularly true when the store is already busy.
In general, between the drawing area and the display setups, there is not much room to maneuver around other people in D-Street. The Mickey made using the Vinylmation ice cube tray is rather nifty, though!
The selection of vinyls available at D-Street is generally good, but sometimes not everything is on hand. If you are in search of something and can't find it there, check elsewhere. Aside from things like the Disney Afternoon sets, which tend to sell out the first day, you can usually find things that are MIA from D-Street in the parks or elsewhere in DTD.
For the most part, everything in the store is grouped together. For example: Holiday 9" vinyls are with the Holiday 2 blind boxes. For those shoppers who like to look before they buy, most areas have display cases on hand to showcase each series. This is convenient in that you don't have to go back to the front of the store to look at the main display case. There is usually one with each set that is for sale. The downside is that some of these displays, such as Cutesters Too, are hard to see due to the cutout vinyl shape.
After you've shopped 'til you (or your wallet) dropped, you'll probably be ready to run out of the store and head on to your next adventure in the World. Stop! Look up. Some of the best things in the store are found up above your head. Take some time to really look around, and you'll see designs of older and upcoming vinyls, actual retired 9" vinyls, and props from the now-defunct Adventurer's Club. Just watch where you're going, for your toes' sake (and everyone else's)!
I'll leave you with: [PIC1] [PIC2] [PIC3] [PIC4] [PIC5].
That wraps it up for this week. Until next time: happy shopping!
Mark Your Calendars
Friday, July 8: The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure and Goofy's Sky School 3" Passholder Exclusives scheduled for release at D-Street DLR (opening at 8am) and Embarcadero Gifts in Disney's California Adventure (opening at 9:30am). Initially limited to two per passholder, per style, per day. Open Edition. Retail price: $14.95.
Friday, July 8: Steam Park 3" boxed set scheduled for release at D-Street WDW and D-Street DLR. LE 1000. Retail price: $99.95.
Friday, July 8: WDW Trading Night at the Contemporary Resort's Fantasia J Ballroom. 6pm-9pm. These events are mostly attended by pin traders, but a decent amount of Vinylmation collectors usually attend as well. According to the official Vinylmation site, some of the Steam Park sets will be available for sale at Trading Night.
On the last Sunday of every month, I'll devote this column to your questions and my answers. You can leave questions here as comments or else send them directly to me.
More: VINYLMATION 360
Stuff Not to Skip
- Disney's Vinylmation
http://eventservices.disney.go.com/static/vinylmation - Article about the two vinyls that went into space aboard the Space Shuttle
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/04/disney-vinylmation-in-space-vinylmation-figures-take-a-long-journey-aboard-space-shuttle-atlantis