Here's another bonus update, mainly focused on Olszewski Studios' appearance at Disney's D23 Expo, but first, the results of the poll that was posted in the last update. Thanks to everyone who voted - the overwhelming majority expressed an interest in having "how-to" videos made by Bruce Richards on the assembly of the Main Street platform. The results have been forwarded to Bruce.
Disney's D23 Expo is being held at the Anaheim Convention Center from August 19 to 21, 2011, and details about events have been released. Subscribers to Olszewski Studios' mailing list were informed this week about appearances that Bob Olszewski will be making during the Expo.
On Friday, August 19, Bob will be at the Welcome Center, signing from 10:30am to 11:30am. He will then be in the Dream Store, showing his latest creations, from 1:30pm to 4:30pm. On Saturday, August 20, Bob will be in the Dream Store from 11:30am to 12:30pm and again from 1:30pm to 4:30pm. On Sunday, August 21, Bob will be in the Dream Store from 10am to 1:30pm and at the Welcome Center from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Bob will be signing pieces while he is at the Welcome Center, but he will not be signing pieces while at the Dream Store. Please note that only pieces purchased on the day of the event at the Expo may be brought for signature, and proof of purchase may be required, so be sure to hold on to your receipt after you make your purchase at the Dream Store.
For those who want to purchase the Pinocchio/Village Haus piece or the 2 Gallery of Light pieces or the paper clip box piece all being released at the Expo, it's expected that they will be available for sale at the Dream Store along with other merchandise available to Expo attendees. The D23 2011 Expo pokitpal is a D23 member exclusive, so you would need to show your membership ID to purchase that. You may need to request that from a cast member at the Dream Store, as it may not be out on display since it's an exclusive. None of the items come pre-signed, so if you want to get Bob's signature at the Expo, you would need to attend one of his two signing times at the Welcome Center.
At Olszewski Studios' appearances at the Dream Store, they will be previewing the Disneyland Fantasyland platform, the Haunted Mansion attraction piece from the Magic Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom sign, the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction vehicle, 6 pokitpals for Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary, 3 pokitpals for next year's Star Wars Weekends at WDW, 3 new paper clip boxes (Sleeping Beauty Castle, Cinderella Castle and Haunted Mansion) and 1 new Gallery of Light piece (Evil Queen at the mirror). These items will be available at the Dream Store on display during all Dream Store hours, regardless of whether or not Bob or Travis are there, so even if you can't make it during any of Bob's appearance times, you can still go by and have a look when you have the time. Travis from Olszewski Studios will likely be at the Dream Store during most all convention hours, so you can also stop by to say hi to him and ask him any questions you might have. Bob will likely be walking the Expo, so don't be surprised if you see him out and about. There's no information yet about how entry into the Dream Store will be handled, especially during Bob's scheduled appearance times.
Contrary to earlier information, there will be no pre-sale of the Pinocchio piece for those not attending the D23 Expo. After the Expo, any remaining pieces will be available for purchase online, but no information is currently available regarding when the sale will occur. These pieces will come with the premiere plaque but will not be signed by Bob. Additional units are currently in production, so the stores (like Disneyana) at the Disneyland Resort are expected to have product in stock by October.
Since Olszewski Studios had been partnering with Deckers Fine Gifts for appearances at the twice-yearly Disneyana Show and Sale, and Deckers will no longer be attending the events, it's currently unclear whether Olszewski Studios will continue to attend those events. There are other ideas being considered by Olszewski Studios where collectors would be able to see/interact with Bob and Travis.
For those who won't be attending the Expo, I will be doing live updates from the Expo generally, as well as posting updates on any information obtained from Olszewski Studios' appearance at the Expo, including pictures of their location at the Dream Store and new products. The regular update is expected to be posted next weekend, but if you want information from the Expo sooner than that, you can follow my live updates here. You don't have to join Twitter to be able to read the entries - the link will be updated as new entries are posted. As I mentioned, I will be posting about our experiences at the Expo overall, not just Olszewski news and updates.
If you'll be attending the Expo, then have a great time, but if not, we'll be happy to have you along as we explore the Expo ourselves.
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