Mater & Lightning Take Shop with Doc

For those of you who also collect Disney Pins...here's a rare Cars release as part of the Annual Epcot Event running from September 5-7, 2008! The theme this year is "Pin Trading University!" I previewed the pins at the Animal Kingdom event in April and they are some of the best in years. Just as in high school, Mater and Lightning take shop class as one of their electives being taught by Doc. It is a Limited Edition of 750, and is a pin on pin design that is supposed to have sculpted elements. That means Free-D rubber typically. So, their tires my have a 3-D effect. It will be an average sized pin measuring approximately 1.5 inches tall by 1.85 inches wide. It will retail for $12.95, and can ONLY be obtained if you are a paid attendee, and have been awarded it through an RSP (Random Selection Process). There's still time to register if you're interested at this link Pin Trading University Event with admission costing $115/person. Theme park admission is required and not included.

I've personally attended every Pin Celebration at Epcot since the start. The event has been everything from a mess to great! Beyond Disney's organization of the event, you will make the event an ultimate success based on how you look at things. If you go there and are sociable, take in the event activities, experience all that Epcot has to offer, eat good food and relax, then you'll go away happy! If you just go there and sit on your butt, and take little to no initiative, then you'll likely go home unhappy. I've been amazed at how little people enjoy the things Epcot has to offer. Many just sit at a table all day and try to trade pins. But, as the saying goes, "To each, his own."

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Mattel Collectors Club - Rumor or Reality

I've read rumors on a number of sites claiming Mattel is going to launch a FREE Collectors Club. I've searched and searched and can't find anything to support this assertion. I've been contacted by the PR firm that handles Mattel due to my covering the Comic-con, and the Press Release I received didn't mention the launch of a Collectors Club. I will certainly explore this further on Monday, and inform readers about any verified news as I get it. I will have a definitive answer by July 23, 2008.

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Disney Pixar Cars Movie Trivia

I watched Cars yesterday for about my 10th time, and made some notes so I could test just how much of a fan you really are! So, let's have some fun and see how well you know the answers without watching the movie. Post them to this thread and I'll reveal the answers in a few days!

1. What's the "Kings" real name? Answer: Strip Weathers
   
2. What's the name of the track the Dinoco 400 is run at? Answer: Motor Speedway of the South
   
3. How many laps are completed when Lightning blows his first tire? Answer: 399
   
4. What does RSN stand for? Answer: Racing Sports Network
   
5. What does Lightning Storm McQueen fire his missels at in his daydream? Answer: Spark Plug Creatures
   
6. What does the license plate say on the rusted car in Lightning's Rust-eze ad? Answer: Eville
   
7. What style of music is the Rust-eze jingle styled after? Answer: Polka
   
8. What kind of truck does Mack make faces in while driving to California? Answer: An Oil Truck
   
9. How many tickets did Harv tell Lightning he was alloted for friends for the tie-breaking race in California? Answer: 20
   
10. Finally, What was the name of the song and artist that DJ played to put Mack to sleep? Answer: Songbird by Kenny G
    

I personally was surprised about the King question. Never even noticed it after watching the movie a number of times. So, how well do you know the answers?

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Subscribe & What's This Blog Called

New Features are added all the time, and finally a simple button was added by Blogger to allow readers to Subscribe to New Posts and New Comments! You'll see the Subcribe to Alternator Valley Buttons on the left just below our Welcome Statement. You can choose what you want and you'll be notified when New items are posted!

While I'm at it, let me ask you a few important questions...What do you feel this blog is called? From the start, I named it, "Alternator Valley." The URL however, is www.CarsDiecastToys.Blogspot.com. How do you refer to it? Do feel it should be one or the other?

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Characters Showing Up, Others Still Elusive

Over the last two weeks I have seen an ample supply of Chukis, Stacys, Dudley Spares, Pit Stop Guidos and Charlie Checkers showing up on store shelves. So, if you haven't done so, you can feel confident you'll finally find these characters in your local Walmarts and Targets now.

On the flip side, I've seen less and less Movie Moments appearing on shelves. I've still yet to find a Flik and Flea, or a Tow Cap and Gasprin on the shelves. Additionally, I have only found Red Mia and Tia just once, and their Dinoco Blue counterparts just twice. These have been the elusive pairings.





















So, while we await NEW releases like Van and more Pit Crew characters, this is the time to try to catch up with the characters you're missing. It can certainly be a frustrating endeavor. I personally wish they'd just release the whole lot and be over with it. I don't like endlessly trying to track down toys that aren't even in limited release. I for one, have never been one who enjoys the chase!

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Off to Cover Comic-Con 2008!

I've got my Press Pass approved, my airline ticket purchased, my car and hotel setup, and I'm ready to head to San Diego in two weeks to cover Comic-Con 2008! It will be my first time attending, and I am truly excited to be part of the Press who'll bring you the goings on at the convention.

I will be bringing you coverage of Mattel's release of the special Lightning Storm McQueen! I'll certainly take photographs and give you the most detailed info I can report to you. I'll also do my best to find out about Mattel's plans for the line of Cars die cast toys, and any announcements I can fill you in on.

The convention is filled with so many features...I personally can't wait to see the Costume Ball where entrants must make an Original Costume. There's sure to be a lot to see! Celebrities like Dean Koontz, Lindsay Wagner and so many more will be in attendance! An incredible roster of exhibitors such as Mattel, Hot Wheels to LucasArts! What excites me, is I have no idea of the cool and crazy people I'll meet. So, it is sure to be a great time!

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Who'll Replace George as Fillmore?

With the passing of George Carlin, who'll replace the comedy legend in Cars 2 as the lovable Fillmore? Once a character has made an impression on the public, it is hard to think of anyone else voicing that character. It is like a band losing a lead singer like Steve Perry or Peter Cetera whose voice was the band. A similar sounding replacement may suit some, but I won't accept Journey without Steve.

I remember that David Coulier from "Full House" fame, had done the voice of famous cartoon characters such as Scooby Doo, Popeye and Fred Flintstone. There are some impressionists who are very good voice-over artists, and although not the original, can pull it off as a fill in. Since Carlin's voice was a bit gruff, his voice should be easier to imitate. Pixar may have additional recordings they could use for the second film. Carlin's passing will no doubt affect the character of Fillmore in the sequel.

They may be able to imitate George Carlin, but he was certainly an "Original!" His talents and personality will be missed.

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Will Apple Release a Laptop with Blu-Ray?

I went to my local Apple Store a couple days ago and talked to a lovely girl about the 17 inch Mac Book Pro. I had to know if they had a Blu-Ray player yet. "Not yet," she told me. If the Apple cycle of new releases follows as usual, we may hear about new hardware in July. I'm personally dying for them to release new laptops with Blu-Ray players. They will certainly be smart to do so. As a reader points out, others have already released laptops with Blu-Ray players such as Sony, Dell and HP.

Why is this pertinent to Cars? Because I, as many, bought the Cars Blu-Ray disk due to the Blu-Ray McQueen promotion from November of last year. I have yet to be able to watch it, as I don't have a player. I'm not going to buy a Play Station 3 because I'm not into video games. Blu-Ray players don't have the features I want at a good price yet. So, I am waiting for Apple to end my waiting by taking the lead and coming out with a laptop with a superb Blu-Ray player.

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Pixar Cars Mini Adventures Line Stalls Out!

When Mattel released the Cars "Mini Adventures" line, I went to the store and bought the first four pairings and three play sets. I got home and had such a case of buyer's remorse, I felt stupid! I sat there and looked at over $100.00 worth of plastic and thought, "What do I need all this stuff for?" The Cars "Mini Adventures" line are made of plastic, I feel the designs are quite boring, and they are overpriced. So, the next day I returned it all and felt great! Why, because as I normally do, I knew it wasn't practical, nor economical to collect ALL the Cars stuff! I decided to stick with the line I fell in love with...the Cars die cast toys! There have been so many die cast Cars released, and as we all know, many, many more are to come.

The one strong positive about the Minis line are the play sets. They are full of detail and are quite cool! Mattel should make them bigger to match the die cast line of play sets to complete the town of Radiator Springs. In the long run, I think I'm going to build a model town with all the characters and play sets that are released. It will be just like the detailed and often amazing model railroads people like Walt Disney loved!

From what I've observed, the Mini Adventures line is not that popular. The stores are packed with them, people don't talk about them much, and they are certainly not that interesting.

I'm sure most of you would like to see Mattel keep a steady stream of new releases from the 1:55th die cast line flowing. Additionally, it would be nice to be able to get them more easily. The original line is speeding down the track and shows no sign of running out of gas!

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