The next piece scheduled for release was the Disneyland marquee, which is being released in three separate editions: regular open edition, annual passholder exclusive and cast member exclusive. Shortly before the scheduled July 8 event, though, it was announced that the marquee would not be available at the event, but rather, available for order online from July 3 to July 13 or while supplies last. (The delay was caused by production and shipping problems.) Online purchases will be pre-signed and come with a certificate of verification and first day of issue plaque. Complimentary shipping will also be included during this time only. The open edition costs $59, limit two per person. The annual passholder exclusive has an edition size of 1,000 and costs $59, limit two per annual passholder. The cast member exclusive is available for purchase only by Disneyland Resort cast members through the cast portal, has an edition size of 500 and costs $45, limit one per cast member. The cast member exclusive has not yet sold out, though it is close to doing so. The cast member edition is expected to be available for pickup from the resort on Monday, July 16. The marquee in each of the three editions are identical - the only difference is the plaque on the base.
The Disneyland marquee with the cast member exclusive plaque.
Also scheduled for release during this event was the Gallery of Light "Beauty and the Beast" piece, at a cost of $80. Two additional Gallery of Light pieces were made available for sale - "Cinderella" at a cost of $65 and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" at a cost of $80. Also scheduled for release during this event was the "Nightmare Before Christmas" heirloom box, at a cost of $60, at an edition limited to 1993 (the year the film was released). Also released this day was the Tiki Room heirloom box at a cost of $60.
Bob brought two new pieces with him, Snow White editions for the Gallery of Light and heirloom boxes.
Snow White Gallery of Light.
Snow White heirloom box.
The "Lady and the Tramp" Gallery of Light piece has also had some work re-done.
Lady, beautiful as ever.
The first pieces in the Gallery of Light and heirloom box line, themed to Pirates of the Caribbean, are still available.
Very familiar scene from Pirates.
Pirates heirloom box.
Bob also had one more piece on display with him, though it's a personalized piece and not one for sale. The writing on the marquee has been adjusted to welcome one particular special guest.
A personal Disney welcome!
A few updates to the release schedule: the Main Street platform lighting kit is expected to be available for sale exclusively through the official Olszewski Studios website in early September pending one last quality check. For those who have the first editions of Sleeping Beauty Castle and Central Plaza, wiring in those pieces won't be a problem.
The next release date of July 28 has been moved to August 4, 2007. The Plaza Pavilion/Tiki Room/Aladdin's Oasis piece will be the only release that day, at a cost of approximately $275. The turnstiles/front gates and 2 side gates pack (approximately $90 for the set) which had been scheduled for the July 28 release has been moved to the September release, which has been confirmed for September 22, 2007. Also available during the September release will be Carnation Plaza (approximately $225), Adventureland and Frontierland gateways (approximately $210) and the souvenir stands/newsstand/stroller and wheelchair rental (approximately $90 for the set). The gateway piece had needed adjusting to fit in properly with the Tiki Room entrance, and that has been done, resulting in the loss of some greenery to accommodate the move. The piece which is currently on display at the Disney Gallery and Disneyana is the older, uncorrected piece.
The Gallery of Light "Lady and the Tramp" piece which had been scheduled for release on July 28 will be available sometime in early September.
The painting/touch-up kit will be available exclusively through the official Olszewski Studios website in late Fall.
Tree pack number 3 (a set of three for the space behind the Opera House/Disneyana/etc.) is expected to be available for sale exclusively through the official Olszewski Studios website in September and cost approximately $85. Tree packs 1 and 2 are currently available for sale.
Peter Pan is still scheduled for release in late November/early December 2007. There have not yet been any firm discussions on what other pieces may be coming down the line. There has been talk that the Matterhorn may be ready in 2009 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the attraction, but the biggest hurdle in producing that piece is doing it the way they'd like without making it completely cost prohibitive for the consumer. The plan is to release one or two attractions per year, with the intent of coordinating with an anniversary of a particular attraction. Disney has also expressed an interest in having the Columbia produced, but Olszewski has countered with the idea of producing the Chicken of the Sea Pirates Ship. In addition, depending on how sales of the marquee go, Disney wants to continue releasing pieces with the three different open edition/annual passholder/cast member bases, and plans are being worked on for the next piece.
The next scheduled re-releases will be the Haunted Mansion and the Pirates of the Caribbean. A small shipment is expected within the next two weeks or so, so if you need those pieces, keep an eye out at Disneyana and possibly World of Disney. If you miss this shipment of Haunted Mansion, another small shipment is expected to arrive in December. The Astro Orbiter is expected to be re-released in late Fall of this year, and Town Square is expected to be released in early 2008. Of the accessories previously available, the most requested are the trolley and the red fire truck, so those would be the first accessories to be re-released.
There is no news on the Holiday train which had previously been discussed for release. Similarly, on the Main Street mechanical road, while one float is being worked on and they've figured out the solution to making it work, no other news is available.
A number of people have asked about the Walt Disney World collection. There is currently no news or any plans for another release in the immediate future. There is always a possibility that things could change down the line.
For anyone who will be attending the NFFC convention and show on Sunday, July 15 at the Crowne Plaza in Garden Grove, tree packs 1 and 2 will be available for sale there. Entry price is $5 for NFFC members, $6 for the general public (entry starting at 11am) and $5 for Disney cast members.
Two other Gallery of Light pieces are scheduled for release this year. The "Bambi" piece will show Bambi chasing the butterfly and will also feature Thumper. The "Pinocchio" piece will appear as if you're looking through the window into Geppetto's shop as he paints Pinocchio as Figaro looks on. 5 more pieces are expected in the series for 2008, and 4 more heirloom boxes are scheduled for release in 2008.
The release of the Olszewski pieces today was a part of a larger celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Disney Gallery. Because it had been previously announced that the marquee was available for order online, many of the normal Olszewski collectors didn't attend this release. Charles and Bruce Boyer had a painting called "Mickey Mouse - The Artist", which sold to one of the first few people in line. Both Boyers were on hand for signing as well. James Coleman also had a painting for sale, and he was also on hand for signing. Also released was a pin commemmorating the 20th anniversary of the Disney Gallery. The event becomes all the more ironic since it was confirmed earlier this week that the Disney Gallery in its current incarnation will be closing on July 31, 2007. The Fantasmic balcony viewing/dessert buffet package will also no longer be available. All of the artwork currently being sold there will be redistributed among Disneyana, Off the Page and World of Disney. They're currently looking for another space in which they hope to recreate the Gallery setting. There are rumours that the space could be turned into a Cinderella-type suite like the one that's in WDW or it could be turned back into office space, but no confirmation of that yet. While I'll be sad not to be able to visit the Gallery and be able to relax in the courtyard with the fountain and think about the apartment that Walt and Lillian might have shared with their children and grandchildren, I hope that the space is used as something special rather than reverting back to office spaces.
20 years and no longer counting.
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