Yet another family tradition each year and yet another moment to cry tears of joy in a Disney park. My dad loved these lights as well as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I’m always flooded with memories when we first turn the orner and see the amazing sparkling colors. I will have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the crowd control this year, normally we can walk right through from the Writer’s Stop, but this year we were detoured at every turn from left of the Great Movie Ride on, and funneled around to the back of the San Francisco area and Lights, Motors, Action!. Unfortunately, this is a terrible way to view experience the lights, especially for first-time visitors. You are able to SEE the lights as you turn into the New York Street area, but cannot gain access until the back, making for teeming throngs of disgruntled guests, and I was among them this week.

Having visited the Spectacle of Dancing Lights (SODL) each year since it premiered, the overall ‘show’ has always started at the end of New York Street and culminated with the turning Peace on Earth globe, angels and the Nativity. Granted, this route has changed slightly since first opening, when guests would get to walk down Residential Street, but the Peace on Earth was always the ‘finale’ so to speak. As years passed, the lights began to dance to music and more and more interactive elements were added. As a result, I understand that there isn’t any one centerpiece or finale, but the current route with countless detours and barricades made for a very disappointing experience.

In addition, there are many more PhotoPass stations now, making it almost impossible to take family photos, or even photos of just the lights, without a line of guests in front of you, waiting for professional photos. Again, I understand why Disney is doing what they are doing, but from a guest standpoint, it’s not something that benefits most people. How about photo stations outside of the fray of New York Street, where PhotoPass software can add the SODL into the background later? Surely, the photos will look better than a close-up of the base of a giant tree of lights, or building, where you can’t see the immense detail and overall wow factor of the experience. Just my thoughts, as a long-time visitor and someone that heard lots of complaints the night I went, and online too.

Still awe-inspiring, each year.

Luckily, the lights and the family memories won out in the end and magic again took over, but I implore Disney to work on a better plan that doesn’t involve so much confusion and frustration. When and if you visit, be prepared for crowds and ask the cast members where you actually enter for the lights so you can head there first. My advice is to go during the week and see the lights later in the night, not when the lights first switch on. Those caveats given, I’d love to share one of my favorite musical portions of the nights’ songs, that I was able to record. If, like me, it’s one of your favorite things at Walt Disney World during the holidays, or you aren’t able to make it down to see the lights, I hope you enjoy the show. This video features the all-new canopy, offering some amazing effects.

©Noah Fine Art

The past few months have taught me a lot about what’s truly important in life. Values are important. Character is important. Teaching my children those things is important. All the other stuff? Just fluff. Don’t get me wrong, fluff is great. I love fluff.  But without a strong core inside, everything will fall apart. I formed two very close friendships over the summer and these friends continue to inspire me to be a better person, each day. I am definitely a believer in everything happening for a reason and I am so very grateful for these people being sent into my life. I’m also thankful for getting closer to old friends and meeting new ones.  I will make it a priority to maintain these current and new connections.

Without gushing too much, I just wanted to take a moment and reflect on my blessings. I am so happy in our new home in Celebration, I think it was a wonderful decision to move back to the Orlando area and I’ve loved every aspect of living in this amazing community. I am grateful for my wonderful family, who continue to support me non-stop in my endeavors here on the blog and the events I attend as a result. I couldn’t ask for more a more understanding husband, 3 kids, and of course my mom as well. I’m thankful that I get to do what I love each day here on Zannaland; share my thoughts, stories, and news with all of my wonderful readers. I love connecting with people on twitter especially and reminiscing, being excited, and learning new things, together. I’m certainly not the best blog or blogger, but I deeply appreciate each and every reader and the support and encouragement I’ve received over the years. The thought that I’ve made even one person smile, or remember a happy memory, makes it all worthwhile. Who knows where the future will lead, but I am so appreciative of the “right now” and look at each morning as a chance to grow.

So thank you all for reading this, for being such a constant source of support and encouragent in everything I endeavor, and for just being you. Thank you to my wonderful friends and family, for the lessons I have learned and the chance to learn more each day. May your Thanksgiving (or Thursday, depending on your location!) bring you peace, blessings, and love that last throughout the coming year.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite little songs of thanks, a Shaker song written and composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett and one which I sang way back in the third grade when the world was full of possibility and hope. I like to think it still is. Take a moment to actually read the words, and reflect on how true they ring, even today.

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain’d,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right

Dreamfinder, Figment & me in 1985

Most little girls have a favorite princess, and while I’m pretty sure I grew up being most attached to Princess Aurora, I was never really fanatical about princesses. I was more a Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake girl anyway. Until my 1983 trip to EPCOT Center of course. You’ve heard me wax poetic on that magical trip before. While I cannot find a photo of Dreamfinder and I from that first trip, I can assure you, his impact was felt for decades to come.

Princesses were prim and proper and always said the right thing, while Dreamfinder was a bit of a jokester and would react to the guests around him accordingly. Unlike many rides of the time, where you rode passively through them, Dreamfinder spoke directly to you in Journey into Imagination. “Oh, hello there, so glad you could come along. I am the Dreamfinder!” (I still have that entire spiel memorized in my head.) As an impressionable young child, I felt that Dreamfinder and Figment really were bringing me along for the ride to the Dream Port and that imagination was a powerful force within us all. And just as I cried through my entire last ride through Journey into Imagination on that last day of my first trip, I was all the more excited to see Dreamfinder after we moved to Florida when I was 10.

Dreamfinder, Figment and me in 1986

I wouldn’t always stop to take a photo with Dreamfinder and Figment, but any time he was out there, I always said hello – and of course, riding Journey into Imagination multiple times was a given. I consider myself particularly fortunate to have had EPCOT Center as my playground during that time in my life. It wasn’t an easy transition, moving from a small New England town, close to family and surrounded by friends, to a really tiny central Florida town where I had a three cousins but not much else. EPCOT Center and Journey into Imagination (and Horizons) became my happy place, my refuge from the trials and tribulations of a tween existence, before that age group even had a name. And just as the sweet scent of l’oranges signaled Horizons, Dreamfinder was synonymous with Journey into Imagination. In summary; I liked him.

Fast forward 28 years from that first encounter and I am still as in love with Journey into Imagination and Dreamfinder as I ever was. I walk up to the Imagination pavilion and am flooded with happy memories of joking with Figment, getting soaked with the jumping fountains, the scent of roses, the beautiful white room inside the ride and countless hours playing in the Image Works. I am of course saddened by the changes made to Tony Baxter’s masterpiece, but I hold my version of the attraction within my heart. If you did not get the chance to experience the original attraction, check out Martin Smith‘s video tributes: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Attending D23′s Destination D in Florida back in May, I was brought to tears when Dreamfinder and Figment made a surprise appearance for a sing-a-long with Richard Sherman. My love and appreciation for Disney was renewed that magical night.

Destination D's very special guests

In a random turn of events, I happened to be reading the comments of an old post here. Within the comments, I saw one from a “Ron” that went as follows:

Zanna — It’s a funny thing… Figment & I posed for a million photographs back then but I’ve seen precious few of them. Thanks for posting this one!

I was shocked and amazed that THE Dreamfinder had commented on my silly little blog. Then I realized the comment was a year ago and was disappointed I hadn’t seen it prior to now! I replied to the comment and was filled with such joy and validation, as if little 10 year old me had come full circle in life. Or so I thought.

Enter Lou Mongello, well-known Disney fan, expert, and Podfather who runs the WDW Radio podcast and live news show. Lou writes and records audio guides, trivia books and more, has conducted interviews with amazing Disney legends, and given back through fundraising efforts for the Make a Wish foundation. In addition, he is a great friend. During the past weekend Lou and his WDW Radio team were engaging in a 40-hour LIVE web broadcast to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World and raise funds for Make a Wish. (They raised close to $18,000 that weekend alone!) When, on last week’s live show, Lou announced a “Special Guest” would be appearing on Sunday, October 2, my mind immediately went to Ron Schneider. Before I discovered Ron’s comment on my blog, I never would’ve guessed, but I just had that on the brain and something told me it was a good possibility. After a series of meet-ups on Sunday, I ventured over to the Imagination building, where I heard the WDWRadio crew would be. Sure enough, there was Ron Schneider, in his Imagination symbol shirt (which I almost wore that day!). I stood close and listened to the tales Ron shared of his time as Dreamfinder and with the Disney company. One of the funniest was the story of how Ron had recorded several takes for the exit safety spiel, including his favorite, “Your ride vehicle and the moving platform are traveling at 5000 miles per hour! Good luck!” They never used that take. I can’t imagine why?

Ron Schneider with Lou Mongello, while Lou's beautiful children look on. Scott Otis holds the laptop broadcasting the show live.

I had prepared my phone in hopes of getting a chance to show Ron the photo about which he commented, in person. When Lou asked if there were questions from the audience, I patiently waited for others to ask Ron to describe favorite memories or parts of his work experiences. Then I raised my hand and let him know that I didn’t have a question, but rather a photo to show him, which I did (the photo at the top of this post). He was tickled to see it and remarked again about how rare photos of him as Dreamfinder were. He portrayed the Dreamfinder from 1982 – 1987. I thanked him for the wonderful memories he gave me as a child and how I grew up with EPCOT Center. Tears began to flow as I remembered little 10 year-old me and the lifetime of experiences that has passed between then and now. Hearing my voice break, Ron said, “Oh, come here and give me a hug.” So I did. I hugged the Dreamfinder, without the blue suit and top hat, without that little purple dragon, but the man that gave life to both was all that mattered. It was perfect.

Dreamfinder - Ron Schneider and me, 2011 ♥

While storm clouds may gather…and stars may collide, nothing can take those amazing moments that Disney and Dreamfinder provided. I truly had come full circle. It’s not often you can thank your childhood influences in person, much less hug them. I was so very grateful for the special chance to do so. My oldest son was standing behind me as I was speaking (and crying) to Dreamfinder. I think it was a special moment for him as well, to see that his mom is human, and was once a child full of wonder too. Perhaps he has a bit more understanding as to why Disney is so special to me and such a part of my life. So thank you to Mr. Schneider for taking the time out of your weekend to be there last weekend, and for being a part of childhood memories I hold most dear. Also many thanks to Lou Mongello for making this meeting possible and giving back to Disney fans in so many ways.

Imagination is something that belongs to all of us…and every sparkling new idea can lead to even more! – The Dreamfinder

My brother and sister, 1975 And as with all Disney photos from the 70's, it's difficult to tell which people are cast members are which are actual guests due to attire!

In a funny coincidence, I see that Jud’s Disney Photo of the Day he just posted looks like it could be in a very similar spot! I’m now questioning the date…because photo I have in the other post lists it as 1972, which would make sense because if it was 1975, I’d be almost 2, and probably would’ve been in more pictures. But my mom has this trip listed in the photo album as 1975. Hmm. This may remain a mystery!

Two of my favorite movies are Pleasantville and The Truman Show. Both offer a wonderful commentary on how we make our own reality and ignorance may not always be bliss, but a balance can be struck between the simple pleasures in life and our hectic day-to-day reality. I always likened Celebration to Pleasantville, while in reality it IS very similar to The Truman Show since that movie was filmed in Seaside, FL. Everything seemed perfect at first glance, but what was it really like to live there? Common sense tells us there are still mortgages and bills to pay, jobs to go to, sometimes unruly kids to manage. Add to that the fact that Celebration has from the start been a bit of its own tourist attraction since it was initially developed and owned by the Walt Disney Company, and many people chose to paint it in a bad light. The land is actually part of Kissimmee/Osceola County now (and has been for quite some time) and the downtown area buildings were sold to the Lexin Capital back in 2004. Still, tourists and locals alike flock to the downtown area for special events and festivals that take place throughout the year and sometimes just to drive around and look. Like we did for 17 years.

I can’t comment on what life was like in Celebration back when the first residents moved in, but I do recall when the announcement and groundbreaking took place. During a Walt Disney World vacation from Massachusetts back in 1994, we saw the billboards and drove over to tour the model area. Back then, the ‘houses’ were two-dimensional life-sized cutouts of homes, in the different styles Celebration neighborhoods would be offering. We dreamed and wished we could live in such a place but it ended there, after hearing how the first lots were being awarded by lottery. We (we being my mother and I at the time – I was still in college) weren’t really in any position to move to Florida…or were we? It was around that time that I decided I wanted to work for Disney and we packed up our lives, I dragged my boyfriend with me and the three of us moved to Orlando in 1995. Building was still going on then and when the home my mom bought in Orlando was under $100,000 and she put a pool in, the thought of homes starting at $200,000+ was a little intimidating at the time. But we kept dreaming and visiting the model homes, and the downtown area. We still have a postcard that was sent to us after visiting the model center, and we still have an original green “Celebration, Florida” license plate that we bought in the store back when it was on Bloom Street, secretly hoping we’d one day be residents.

Real life happened, my boyfriend became my fiance and then my husband, our first home was bought, our first child was born and a second one was on the way when we moved back to Massachusetts. We played “musical states” for a while before settling back in Florida in 2003. And we *still* would drive over and visit the models of North Village being built and later Artisan Park. It still seemed so out of reach, but the dream never vanished.

Fast forward to 2009, when I first began my adventures here on ZannaLand and at year’s end, was chosen for the Walt Disney World Moms Panel. My life changed completely by the end of 2009, in only good ways. Well, one bad way, the once ‘no big deal’ one-hour commute from our home north of Tampa to Walt Disney World had now become a gas-guzzling, time-burning ordeal that caused cries of “Do we HAVE to?” from my previously Disney-fied children. I know, this is completely a ‘first world problem’ and not something I am truthfully complaining about. But over time, I was making the commute more and more frequently and as my colleagues and friends expanded, the wheels began to turn with the thought, “Can we move back to Orlando? Should we?”.

When we moved to the Tampa area in 2005, it was for a job transfer my husband had received. Originally, he was put up in an executive-stay hotel and would come home on the weekends. We visited him during spring break of my oldest son’s first year in school, and decided we actually really liked the area. As much as the Metro-Orlando area had SO.MUCH.STUFF.TO.DO. the area we were looking in was much more laid back, and rural. The town we moved to was pretty much one big cow pasture that was slowly getting developed into subdivisions and businesses. Then the bottom dropped out of the market and development came to a screeching halt – including the promised amenities of our own subdivision, which were the major reason we bought the home we did. It became increasingly easier to look for a new path. And 17 years after that first ‘if only…’ that path led right down Celebration Avenue.

Market Street in the heart of downtown Celebration

Now of course, we still thought it was impossible. But I’d always said, as we left Orlando in 2005 that if we came back, I’d be very picky about where we lived. It’s especially hard with kids in school…we didn’t want to move someplace temporarily and then have the kids transfer if we changed school zones. In addition, my husband had to secure a job in this area, or risk an even longer commute than he currently had. We just sort of put the idea “out there” into the Universe and decided to see if things could come together. If they could, great, if not, we would stay put. In the meantime, we had friends that lived in Celebration (lots of friends actually) so we knew it was more than just a tourist attraction and the fears I had of living so close to Kissimmee’s 192 were assuaged when we’d stay at our friends’ house and realize how secluded and insulated the town really was.

The stars aligned for the home we found. The realtor told us about it 4 months before it was really going to be available, but the people leaving had a newly built house to go to and were able to leave early. It fit every criteria we had and it also had every item I’d ever wanted in a ‘dream home’. The icing on the cake – it was less than a mile to my husband’s new job. He could walk to work if he wanted to! So while I’ve been saying for 2 years now that dreams do come true and people might be sick of that…I’m living proof that they really do.

We’ve already experienced quite a bit in the short time we’ve been living here and I’ll go into some of my impressions in the next update.

Recreating this photo is not possible today! Pre-Sorcerer's Hat and Sunset Blvd.

You’ll notice I didn’t say “Disney’s Hollywood Studios,” because I truly fell in love with the Disney-MGM Studios, which is no longer the proper name, as we all know. It will forever be “MGM” to me when I speak of it among family and friends, just as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover will always be the “Wedway Peoplemover”. But I’m not here to talk about why I’m stuck in the past or yell at you kids to get off my lawn. Oh wait, I actually am going to talk about why I’m stuck in the past. Sorry about that. Hopefully you’ll bear with me and perhaps even agree with some of my thoughts.

I am pretty bad with dates and official names for things, so apologies up front if I remember something incorrectly. I used to be great with details, but then I had three kids. In any event, my first visit to the Disney-MGM Studios was some time in 1989, probably in June when I got out of school (a 14 year-old Sophomore). We were living in Lynchburg, VA at the time and would’ve driven down to Orlando. My trips sort of mesh together around this time, so I’m not sure where we stayed, it could’ve even been off-property. It’s hard to imagine that this was a time before Disney’s Port Orleans (either side), Beach Club, or Wilderness Lodge Resorts existed, but it was. I remember there being a lot of buzz surrounding the park, because it was supposed to be a Disney version of the Universal Studios lot in Hollywood, or Hollywood East. Sort of.

My late father was a huge old movie buff. He loved all the classic black and white films, the over-the-top musicals and everything in between. So to say he was excited for this new park was an understatement. As I’ve mentioned before, I spent from 1983-1986 visiting EPCOT Center and the bonds I’d formed there were unbreakable. We had so many memories as a family there, we all had high hopes for the Disney-MGM Studios. And we weren’t disappointed.

From the moment you walk into the Studios, you are greeted with tiny details giving a nod back to old Hollywood, or as their slogan goes, “The Hollywood that never was and always will be.” I remember how completely thrilling it was to walk into the 50′s Prime Time Cafe for the first time and see items I saw in my grandmother’s home as an even younger girl. It truly was another world, different from the Fantasy, Adventure or Tomorrowlands of the Magic Kingdom or the futuristic (it still was back then!) world of EPCOT. It was like reality, only better.

Back then there was no Sunset Boulevard but that didn’t mean anything felt lacking. The only Sorcerer’s hat was that seen atop Sorcerer Mickey’s head as he stood on top of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to kick of the Sorcery in the Sky fireworks, which premiered the following year in 1990. Pixar Place did not exist and Lights, Motors, Action! was actually home to Residential Street, which I still miss to this day. What made Disney-MGM Studios so magical, to me, was not only the incredible attention given to each themed area, but also the amount of guest interaction and audience participation. It was, after all, the birthplace of Streetmosphere!

Who can forget their very first journey on the Great Movie Ride when your car is over-taken by either a gangster or a western bank robber and you are right in the middle of the show? I remember thinking it was the greatest ride ever, even if I did close my eyes in the Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark scenes. During the finale with the movie clips, I’d listen to my dad name every movie that came on, and usually know all the lines too. As a result, I really can’t sit through that part of the ride today and not tear up, remembering him and his favorites.

Another attraction I loved was the Monster Sound Show. I am a huge Martin Short and Chevy Chase fan, and seeing this fun little movie was great, along with the chance for the audience to create their own sound effects to the film? Hysterical. And? Interactive. Super Star Television was an example of this as well. Housed where the American Idol Experience is now, the stage held several sets for different famous television scenes. Employing blue-screen technology, guests chosen from the audience can then act out the candy factory scene from I Love Lucy, or be a jilted lover in a soap opera, or appear on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. My dad was chosen during our visit and played that soap opera character, complete with long trench coat and fedora. It is such such a special memory and he loved getting to talk about it.

The Rocketeer's Bulldog Cafe on the Backlot Tour

I think my favorite at that time was the Backstage Studios Tour (now the Backlot Tour).  When the attraction first opened, you entered where the Animation tour is now and an actual cast member gave you the tour spiel on the tram. Driving through the costuming and set-building departments, something was always being worked on. You truly felt like you were a part of the backstage magic. The tour then went down Residential Street, which showed the front facades of houses used in opening shots of tv shows. The Golden Girls house was there and the house from its spin-off show, Empty Nest as well as the house from the Disney Channel Adventures in Wonderland series. It was just fun to look at these pristine houses from the front, then make a turn and see nothing but framing and no back to the houses at all. I never watched the Golden Girls the same way again! Later, the Bulldog Cafe from the wonderful Disney movie The Rocketeer was placed on the tour too. It was not a real cafe and really very small in person. It did not age well and was removed along with the other houses when Lights, Motors, Action was being built.

My soon-to-be-husband counseling his victim...er, volunteer

The Catastrophe Canyon section was the same and it was actually believable that we were stuck in the middle of a movie production. Now there is no pretense, and guests are told up front that we are just witnessing special effects. The tour ended where the Studio Catering Company now is, and guests could take a break before going on to the second part of the tour – Inside the Magic: Special Effects & Production Tour. This was always fun because you got to see things like blue-screen technology used to make the flying bee scene in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and miniatures used in the making of Dick Tracy. You then walked through a series of production studios, including a section on sound hosted by Pee Wee Herman and Mel Gibson. You were also able to see actual shows being produced, including the new Mickey Mouse Club. We then watched the short film, The Lottery, starring Bette Midler and filmed right on New York Street. The last part of the tour was walking through a room filled with the set pieces from The Lottery. This was later replaced with pieces from the 101 Dalmations live-action film.

The details are a but hazy as to when the changes to this part of the tour were made, but I know the bee room and the miniatures room were still in effect back in 1995, because that’s where my husband (then-fiance) worked when we first moved to Orlando to work at Disney. He started out in Merchandise at the Little Mermaid shop, but then transferred to Attractions and worked at the special effects water tank, the two inside special effects rooms, and rotated to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set play area. I remember being so jealous that he was in Attractions! It was really fun to watch him perform his show. At that time there was a tv show on the Disney Channel also called Walt Disney World Inside Out. It started with Scott Herriott as host but changed in 1995 to J.D. Roth, Brianne Leary and George Foreman. J.D. Roth filmed a segment at the Inside the Magic tour and my husband was the cast member responsible for (off-screen) setting off all the correct cues to make the bee and other parts of the attraction work. Fun fact!

The water effects tour is slightly different today...

Needless to say, we enjoyed our first visit. My mom and I returned in 1991 with my high school class trip to Walt Disney World. At that time, Here Come the Muppets was where the Voyage of the Little Mermaid is and the Dick Tracy show was there (I may only be remembering the Dick Tracy show from the vacation planning video though – I seem to remember it being part of the Backlot Tour…maybe it was just a display of some sort?). EDIT: Confirmed by StudiosCentral.com – here’s a YouTube video of the Dick Tracy finale with some other great Backstage Studio Tour footage! Thanks, Matt!

Here Come the Muppets sign

Later when we moved to Orlando in 1995, we would enjoy the Aladdin parade and see the debut of the Toy Story Parade. I cannot hear “Strange Days” without remembering that time in my life – good memories of course! I haven’t even touched on Streetmosphere (see that link above, it’s worth a read!) or the wonderful Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pocahontas stage shows, which had incredible sets, actors and special effects. The park has of late received a lot of criticism and I will admit that I myself even thought less of it as the years went on. Things like Residential Street being destroyed, the Sorcerer’s Hat addition, and lots of Disney Channel synergy moving in have changed the feel of the place. However in recent times, I realized how much I really did fall in love with the Studios and what a special place it is.

Dorma Nesmond to the rescue during the D23 Great Scavenger Hunt

One thing that brought this into view was taking part in the D23 Great Scavenger Hunt about a month ago. There were so many difficult questions that caused you to really stop and notice the impeccable detail and Hollywood spirit with which the park is imbued. Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards are brimming with nods to old Hollywood, little inside jokes and other Imagineering details you’d expect in any Disney park but may not have ever noticed here. While the scavenger hunt was frustrating, it definitely gave me a renewed appreciation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

As with all Disney parks, things will change and corporate decisions will be made that may not feel right as a guest, but great decisions are made as well – Star Wars Weekends are one of my favorite times of the year and the all-new 3D Star Tours is probably my favorite ride right now. If I were to speak to the decision-makers at Disney I would implore them to remember what made the Studios so appealing: interaction. They are on the right track with Star Tours and the “Rebel Spy” aspect, which is now a goal for each guest as they ride. After all, don’t we all want to be a star?

The park history remains as well. Just as I regale my children with tales of Horizons and KELP and how Living with the Land was once LISTEN to the Land, I now tell them how there was a time when the 8×10 glossies hanging in Mama Melrose were relevant actors and how their daddy used to dump gallons of water on people every day. So during this Disney’s Hollywood Studios Awareness Week, I have become acutely aware of how important it is to capture and record these memories while they are fresh and appreciate the best laid plans of Mice and men.

I woke up to breakfast in bed and some hand-made cards and gifts from my three little loves, including my 2 year-old who managed to write ALL the letters to “Happy Mom Day” and “love Gio” on his card…they may not all be next to each other in the right order, but they’re on the paper!

Later today we are heading to Epcot for our annual tradition of Mother’s Day lunch in France at Les Chefs de France with my mom – this year joined by some very dear friends who I consider family as well. I couldn’t ask for anything more!

Here's an image I found of some Disney moms getting together! Who is your favorite Disney mom?

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Ready for anything with Mickey stickers!

It’s not news to any regular readers that we go to Walt Disney World…a lot, nor that we have 3 children. My oldest son is about to turn 12 this weekend, my daughter is 10 and my youngest son turned 2 the end of October. While we have visited the barber shop in the Magic Kingdom many times, in both its locations, we had never experienced a “first haircut” there. With our first child, the thought just never occurred to us and we took him to a local kids hair cutting place. With our daughter, well, we just never really cut her hair until she was about 4 anyway! So since we now frequent Disney a lot more than “normal” with the blog and Moms Panel and twitter meet-ups etc. It seemed only natural to experience this rite of passage, well, the right way.

Now what’s changed since our last visit, aside from the new location, is that you can now actually book appointments at the Harmony Barber Shop. Since this is such a popular attraction among those who know the Magic Kingdom, the wait time can get quite long in the shop. Simply calling 407-WDW-DINE will secure you a spot in the barber’s chair. Walk-ins are still available but will be taken when available around those with appointments. Our time was for 11am on a busy Saturday, and despite the line out the door, the wait wasn’t too bad for those without appointments. These dual-skilled cast members/stylists know their stuff and do it efficiently. The “First Haircut” package is $18, a child’s haircut is $15, Adult haircut is $19 and colored hair gel and pixie dust is $7.50

Giovanni is pretty good around people he hasn’t met, as long as we introduce them and ask him to say hi. He’s been known to give a high-five or two as well. However, we’d never been in a situation like this before where something was happening TO him, aside from doctor visits of course. I think Gio definitely prefers getting his hair cut after this. As luck would have it, we were assigned to Michal, who is known pretty much world-over as THE barber at Harmony (as evidenced by his appearance on the Disney Parks Blog). I have no doubt the other cast members are just as proficient and we have in fact gone to others in the past, but having known of Michal since my brief days of working on Main Street, U.S.A. selling t-shirts and watches as a merchandise hostess, I was excited. I remember seeing him in the break-room down in the tunnel or in passing on my way to or from my post at Disney Clothiers, Main Street Athletic Club or Uptown Jewelers. He always had a smile or a wave. I can’t even begin to imagine the number of hair cuts or styles he’s given in his many years at the Magic Kingdom but it was an honor to know he’d be the first person cutting our last child’s hair.

Doling out the stickers

Which brings me to my next worry, Gio’s hair. Those who have seen pictures know of his curls. They also know that he gets mistaken for a little girl and called Princess more times than I can count. But that’s okay. I know he’s my little guy and after cutting off both his older brother and sister’s curls, I want him to keep them as long as possible! I explained this to Michal and he assured me his curls weren’t going anywhere. Whew!

We started in by lifting Gio into the little kid-bench part of the barber chair and Michal began saying his hellos and covering Gio in Mickey stickers from head to toe. (Well, not head, that wouldn’t be good!) He put some on his siblings and Dad and me too, just to keep him occupied and entertained. Gio was already clutching his mama elephant and baby elephant toys, so between that and the stickers, I think he was distracted enough to not really notice what was actually about to happen. To him, it seemed like this nice man was just covering him in stickers and combing his hair.

Getting ready to cut...

The challenge: Don't lose the curls or give him a mullet!

A few strategic snips later and the hair was out of his eyes but his curls were still in-tact. Michal carefully saved aside his cut hair and brought out the kid-sized Mickey Mouse ears with “First Haircut” embroidered on them. He did it! Michal then filled out the certificate so we can save it with all the other precious memories we have.

Checking out the Mouse Ears and in the mirror!

I actually shared this photo on the Disney Parks “Let the Memories Begin” site, to let Disney know how special the memory was to us.

First Haircut Mouse Ears!

The Mouse Ears didn’t stay on too long “I no like it…” but we got some pictures anyway and we have them to show him when he’s older too. Daddy then got his hair cut too to round out the day. It’s such a fun, happy place where everyone walks out with a little bit of pixie dust (even if it’s the kind that you can wash off).

On one of our favorite attractions at Magic Kingdom...

I also wanted to share our previous memories of the barber shop, when our two oldest visited a few years back. Christian was donning a mohawk back then, which he wore at his own request from age 5-8 off and on. He had wanted one since he was about 3 and I finally relented when he was 5. As my mother always says (and I’ve said many times myself after hair fiascos) “it’s only hair.” Anyway, his mohawk had started growing out, so he got it trimmed and then covered in red gel, while his sister, Sophia got some gel and pixie dust over her long hair. They were around 5 and 6 at the time and going through a period of bickering (well, I guess that period hasn’t ended yet!). When they walked out of the barber shop, they both marveled at each other’s new looks and were pretty in awe of themselves. In fact, the experience rained down such peace and, yes, harmony on the day that they actually HELD HANDS down Main Street, U.S.A. It’s one of my favorite memories of my family at Disney.

Thanks to Disney, we have these amazing moments captured forever in our hearts and minds. Cast members, wide-eyed children (and adults too), and pixie dust make memories to last a lifetime. Great thanks to Michal and all the Harmony Barbershop cast members for the magic they spread each day.

So much has happened in the span of two years, it’s hard to imagine that just a short time ago my dream was to join the amazing panelists on the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, and that dream actually came true. Since the site here took off at around the same time and my last year was filled with special events and opportunities, new friends and experiences, I felt like I needed to remember the dream that started it all. It’s still pretty amazing if you stop and think.

I’m so grateful for the chance to help guests out in an official capacity on an official Walt Disney World site, not to mention the wonderful cast members I’ve met, fellow panelists I’ve worked along side and friends I’ve made because of the panel. It’s such a special opportunity of a lifetime and I am so appreciative, every day, for that gift. I only hope that I can pass my excitement, love and knowledge of Walt Disney World on to the people I come in contact with and, well, make Walt proud too.

If you’d like to ask me a WDW vacation planning question directly, you can head over to my bio page at DisneyWorldMoms.com and click on the “ask Suzannah a question” link. I’d be happy to help! While you’re there, check out all the new faces ready to lend a hand as well. I hope to be highlighting some of them here on the sight in the coming months!

• My latest post for the Whoa, Momma! blog over at TampaBay.com went up on Wednesday, all about when is the best time to visit Walt Disney World during the holidays, or if you go during the busy times, how to survive the crowds. So head over to check out my Walt Disney World During the Holidays article and see if you agree with my tips.

• My friend and Hidden Mickey-finding guru Steve Barrett asks me to share some ideas over at his site when I can and my latest addition is up there now. Continuing with the holiday theme, this article discusses where to find the holiday spirit year-round at Walt Disney World.

• I’ve also started a new project with friends and fellow bloggers Amanda Tinney (DisneyEveryDay.com) and Leigh Caldwell (ThemeParkMom.com) as well as our good buddy Rick Howard (TravelWithRick.com) called TheOrlandoBlog.com. We felt like there was something missing in the area of reporting Orlando area events, news and happenings and thought we’d fill that void. We hope you’ll check it out, subscribe to the feed or follow us on twitter and facebook for all sorts of great Orlando information. (Like the logo? I designed it! )

Thank you all so much for your continued support and readership of ZannaLand. I appreciate each and every one of you! If you weren’t aware, you can keep up with posts here through the facebook fan page: facebook.com/zannaland (now at 700 members!) as well as subscribing to my YouTube channel, which is something I hope to utilize more in the coming months. I also have a new project I’m working on, which I hope to share with you soon so stay tuned! Of course you can find me daily on twitter where I’m always babbling on about something!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

In putting together the video I’m about to share below, I remembered when I first started looking into DisneyWorldMoms.com and watching the official video Disney released announcing the 2009 panel. I recall watching the video and seeing the faces of the moms and dads on the panel and just thinking, “That will never be me. I can’t imagine.” (but at the same time secretly hoping) The people on the panel seemed like rock stars to me; people you admired from afar but could never be a part of their world. Despite that, I had a dream…and now not only am I one of the chosen few Walt Disney World Moms Panelists, I call each and every one of them friend.

The internet is an amazing place in its ability to bring people together. Even if I hadn’t been chosen for the panel, I still might have been able to meet everyone I’ve met in the past year, through twitter, facebook, message boards and even because of ZannaLand. That is another gift for which I am truly grateful. The fact that I was chosen just made this past year all the sweeter and full of magical twists and turns and showers of pixie dust.

I’ve spoken a bit before here about my personality. One of the biggest shocks when people meet me in person is that I’m not the real-life personification of my online persona. I wish I was…but the truth is I’ve always struggled with being shy and I’m usually the person that will shrink back into the background if given the chance. It’s something I embarrassingly never even thought about when I applied to the panel – “oh, I’ll have to actually speak on video and meet people and *gulp* be outgoing!” So that is another gift of this past year – learning to be more sociable. I’m still taking baby steps I’m in that department and each time I meet someone from twitter or facebook or a fan of the Moms Panel, I get a little more comfortable. THAT is thanks to the patience and understanding of  my fellow Moms Panelists and everyone I’ve met that’s really shown me it’s okay to just be me. I’m getting there!

Anyway, enough rambling about me! I just wanted to take a moment to drink in all that’s happened since one year ago and the amazing journey that started with the thought, “I can do that.” As Walt himself said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I realize many people who have attempted this particular dream may be a bit heartbroken right now…and that’s understandable. Many of us took several years to achieve it, some have made it but moved on to other paths. That’s the important thing; keeping your passion alive and seeing what pathways open up for you. Every Disney fan is an amazing person full of heart and soul, pink jacket or not.

In the course of reflecting on this past year, I finally got around to something I’d wanted to do for months now – make a video slide show of all the Moms Panelists to date! No matter what year we joined the panel, we all have something special to bring and an amazing bond among us. I put this together as my little thank-you love-letter to the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, the panelists and those behind the scenes that have made dreams come true for going on 4 years now. The video is pretty heavy on last year’s training trip, simply because that’s what I had the most pictures and memories of. However, we truly are one big pink family and cannot wait to meet and welcome the newest panelists as they start their magical journey. For more on our 2010 training trip, check out fellow Moms Panelist and all-around great guy, Marc Lorenzo’s video (which puts mine to shame!).

I will be returning to the panel again in 2011 so you’re still stuck with me! Much love and thanks to *everyone* that’s followed along and made the past year so very special to me.

My Dad and I at Uptown Jewelers in 1995

I mentioned on twitter and facebook this morning that today my dad would’ve turned 71. I’ve posted about my early memories of Walt Disney World with my family, my parents were both big Disney fans, however my dad, who had a childlike nature to begin with, would always be filled with excitement at every Disney visit.

His favorite character was Donald Duck. In later years, this meant he always got a Donald something for birthday and Christmas presents. I remember asking him one time why Donald was his favorite and he told me that he only really said he liked Donald for my benefit, because my older siblings were not really into Disney (I know, shocking!) and he didn’t want me to feel sad about that, so since back then Mickey was my favorite, he said Donald was his…and it just stuck. If that’s not an example of what a Daddy’s girl I was, I’m not sure what is.

My dad loved old musicals and old Hollywood. He’d be the one singing along to all the songs playing in the background on Main Street, USA and would name every movie from the Studios soundtrack too. Disney’s Hollywood Studios was definitely his favorite park. We visited a few times when it first opened and of course back when my husband, mom and I were cast members too. He loved being able to tell me every actor or movie  that was being referenced in some detail or pun used in the parks. My mom and I cannot watch the film montage at the end of the Great Movie Ride and not tear up remembering his favorites. That park is just full of happy memories.

Another spot that holds some magic for me is the queue for Splash Mountain. My dad loved the thrill rides and was the one to first convince me to ride Big Thunder Mountain, which, as scared as I was, of course I loved. When I finally agreed to go on Splash Mountain, he spent the very long wait that day telling me stories of his childhood in Ocala and Jacksonville, FL. He always loved Song of the South and the tales of Uncle Remus (without getting into a PC debate, I think the lessons and history within that movie are something to be treasured, learned from and preserved) so the Splash Mountain theme always made him nostalgic for his southern upbringing and the crazy stories he grew up with. In fact, during 2009′s Moms Panel round 3 phone interviews, that was the ‘favorite memory’ I discussed (I was extremely nervous and I think sounded like I was about to cry but hopefully got the specialness of the memory across).

We lost my dad back in 2004 and although I do believe that he is looking down and seeing his beautiful grandchildren, I wish more than anything that he could walk through the parks with them and tell them his stories, as he told me. I am so grateful that I was given the chance to hear his stories in such a magical place and will forever be thankful to Walt Disney World for that gift.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.

This trip is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

In this photo, you not only get to see adorable 6-ish year old me, you get my mom next to me in a long sundress (which is I think back in style today?!) and Jackie O sunglasses, my brother on the other side of me in knee socks and short shorts, and to the far right, you can see part of my sister in a green one-piece tube-top/shorts-set situation. If my dad were in the picture, I can only imagine the fashion fabulousity he would’ve added, given his previous appearances with white pants and reaaaally short shorts.

I think my family is pretty tame compared to the other 1970′s theme-park couture going on, even from behind. Thanks, lady with the matching red pants and vest, lady with the super high plaid bell-bottoms with matching plaid jacket in your hand, and dude behind my brother with his shirt buttoned ALL the way down. You really made this picture worth posting. How did we survive as a species during this time?? Oh that’s right. Disco!

It’s no secret that ZannaLand has changed since its inception. In fact, when it first started there was nary a mention of Mickey and his Florida home. Originally this was a place where I sold a zine I wrote, entitled, “Zanna, Do!” all about my life as a slacker and how I was still searching for my dream job. That was in 2004, right after the sudden death of my father, after I had just turned 30 a couple of months prior. It had been my dream to be a writer since I could first put sentences together. I still have some very funny stories I wrote in grade school, summer camp, and high school which, while embarrassing to read now, bring me back to a time when I wasn’t afraid of failure or rejection. I just wrote. Then I got to college and decided to major in Creative Writing for Children and was suddenly hit with this daunting fear of “What if I fail?”. For a long time, that’s all I thought about, and decided if I didn’t try, I couldn’t fail. I then moved on to Travel & Tourism Management and living in Florida: briefly working for Disney and moving up from travel agent to manager of an Orlando area agency. I got married, had two of my children, and my dream of writing faded even further into the distance. Suddenly I was a mom first and any other ambitions went out with the diaper genie trash.

As I mentioned above, I turned 30, and two months later, my father was gone. Suddenly the little voice I’d tried to silence for so long in the back of my head was screaming at me – “Do something!”. So I wrote that zine. It seemed like a failure-free way to start out. I was publishing it myself, mailing it out to people online that wanted to read it, and even getting some independent book store distributors to sell it. It led to me writing an essay for a book that was published in 2005 entitled “If Women Ruled the World.” My piece was very fluffy and tongue-in-cheek and published alongside serious commentary on women in the world. It was exciting nonetheless. Anyway, life took over and I once again left my writing behind to carry on as a mom first and foremost. A few years passed and we relocated to Tampa, I had our third child, and as you most likely are aware, discovered twitter.

My story from that point on is well known; embracing my dreams of writing and being involved with Disney has been the best risk I ever took. Truly, I could not have been as ambitious as I was without the almost-instant support of everyone I came in contact with online. Rather than hearing “Don’t bother, there are a million and one Disney blogs out there…” I heard “Go for it, you can do it!”. Rather than hearing “The odds are against you getting on the WDW Moms Panel…” I heard, “You’d be perfect! Good luck!” And yes, my application experience was a little different because I thought I didn’t make it to the 2nd round but then I did – but sometimes technology is unreliable. Even Laura Spencer herself thought she didn’t make it to the phone interviews until right before they happened.

There will always be those that say I was picked because I was so vocal about my dreams on twitter and my blog – and yes, I was obsessed. I don’t recommend it to anyone because it truly was a 1 in 20,000 chance that I would get chosen and the odds were against me. I thought I hadn’t  made it and yes, I was crushed. I learned during those few days that it’s great to have goals, but you have to be able to adjust them if they aren’t within your power to achieve. I couldn’t *make* Disney pick me, no matter how bad I “wanted it”. I had done my best and had just gotten to the point where I was able to move on (great thanks to everyone that I leaned upon during that time, I will never forget how you all tried to lift my spirits), when I got the 2nd email telling me there was a mistake. It wasn’t a 2nd chance – it was a mistake. Obviously, my emotions were all over the place at that point and I truly can’t say how I wouldn’t handled it if I made I then didn’t make it to round 3 or the finals. But fate had different plans and I did make it to round 3, on to the phone interviews and (obviously) the panel.

As thankful and grateful as I was after getting off that phone call, a part of me never really stopped to realize what an accomplishment it actually was and to soak that in. Part of me always had my own sense of self-doubt that I had ‘bugged’ my way onto the panel. Logically though, even I can see how ridiculous that is. Why would a multi-billion dollar company choose me out of tens of thousands of entries just to ‘shut me up’? The simple answer is, they wouldn’t. The team behind the Walt Disney World Moms Panel application process doesn’t enter lightly into their choices. And while I’m never going to be the one to say, “yeah, I’m pretty awesome” the fact that Disney thought I was worthy enough to be welcomed onto this panel, is an honor to be celebrated. It has, in fact, been an amazing journey and the friends I’ve made along the way have made it all the sweeter.

Now lets get back to the blog! Once I made the panel, I was kind of in a place of limbo with the blog. Will writing it interfere with my role on the Moms Panel? Should I step away from Disney topics and attempt to be a “mom blogger”? I chose the latter and soon found out it wasn’t for me. I have great respect for mom bloggers and the real-life topics they share with all of us trying to be successful parents. I have even greater respect for those that can be completely real, dirty laundry and all, all with amazing wit and wisdom thrown in. I tried to be involved in networks and ‘get myself out there’ as much as I could. However, I soon found that blogging the same giveaways 100 other moms were posting was not for me. I had built my community of readers up by sharing my experiences and love of Disney, and now I was trying to tell them about this exciting new product. I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself. So I again returned to Disney-centric posting.

Then a funny thing happened, my adorable little baby that was crawling around suddenly started walking and talking and running and wanting to get into everything all.the.time. My older kids had a lot going on at school too and my time to blog was suddenly reduced to maybe two hours a day…and in those same two hours I had to take a shower, keep up with laundry, clean the house and once April came around, answer questions on the Moms Panel. I know thousands of women do all this and more daily, but I just couldn’t keep up and actually get any writing done. There were (and are) multiple days in a row when I just can’t update the site. Then, of course, I get anxious. “OMG everyone’s going to delete my site from their feed, stop reading, move on, and forget about me!” And yes, I am admitting that I fear that. I am not making any money from this site and I’m not in it for ‘fame’ or ‘celebrity’ in fact it makes me cringe when I see pictures or video of myself, even though I love the opportunities that take place to hang out with the other people in those pictures and videos. What I was and am in it for is to fulfill my dream of writing. I’ve made some strides there and have been incredibly grateful for the breaks I’ve been given to be a guest author and now a contributing author at Whoa, Momma! Being on the Moms Panel has also been amazing and every time I log on to answer questions, I get a smile on my face.

So, where does that leave me? Well, I’ve never been an “information only” blog. I will share news or reviews but 99% of the time I still throw my personal spin on it. The thing about blogging is you want to share your stories with others. You want people to read and connect and interact. And once you get a little of that, it does become a little addictive. It’s hard not to think, how can I reach more people? How can I get more readers? And as noted, I do have down days where I want to give it all up. This blog will always be a personal blog for better or for worse. There are 100′s or even 1000′s of blogs and sites that will tell you the latest and greatest Disney news – and they are wonderful. ZannaLand will never be one of those sites.

What I will do is tell you how walking down Main Street, USA looking up at Cinderella Castle at night still gives me chills. I’ll tell you about my interactions with Dreamfinder in 1983 and how he and Figment wanted to connect the dots on my freckles. I’ll tell you about my when my two oldest children were little and their faces lit up at the ‘snow’ and lights at the Studios or how my youngest ran to the window of Animal Kingdom Lodge and yelled out “RAFFE!” as he saw his first live giraffe through the windows. In between, I’ll share some tips and other experiences that may make your vacation more enjoyable. Maybe I’ll give some things away. Maybe I’ll share some other bloggers with you, or other travel destinations I think you may enjoy. My point is, you’ll get me, my personal experiences and then some. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hopefully, you’ll find something you can identify with and share back with me, because we’re just getting started.

Thank you for reading.