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SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular Creates Oceans of Family Fun

14 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Pumpkin carving, jumping in raked leave piles, and.. SeaWorld? This marine life theme park may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Fall but SeaWorld has a unique offering for the spooky season. SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, celebrated weekends in October, is an added experience to a regular price park ticket with trick-or-treating, sea characters and bubbles. Lots of bubbles.

Spooktacular feels geared toward the wee ones but my boyfriend and I thought it was a cute addition to a day at SeaWorld. We did a little trick-or-treating ourselves and I really loved the plethora of bubbles that filled the park. It was the most bubbles I’ve seen at once and I told my boyfriend I wouldn’t be surprised if a million bubbles were made and popped there in a day. They are in multiple places around the park and in full swing with lots of machines sending waves of bubbles in and over guests.

Now for the characters. I’d say SeaWorld is mostly known for Shamu. However I was really impressed at the amount of aquatic and Halloween character meet and greets that were around for Spooktacular. Princesses, mermaids, witches, fish and more, all in brightly colored, elaborate costumes with high energy interaction. Every character area I saw was more than just ‘wait in line and take a photo’. For example, the witches and their tiny audience members ‘baked up a Halloween tweet recipe’ in a small area that looked like a kitchen with a cauldron actually brewing. Kids seemed to really enjoy playing a long.

Nicole Siscaretti at SeaWorld Spooktacular

There are also uniquely themed Halloween decorations, featuring the ever adorable pumpkin fish, and lots of interactive experiences for kids. One that grabbed our attention was a button board that squirted fountains in a lake when you pushed different buttons.

This is all in addition to all the attractions, shows and experiences SeaWorld offers regularly. One that really took our breath away was the Blue Horizons show featuring dolphins, divers and aerialists. We also really enjoyed the excellent of the 3D in Turtle Trek. To see more from SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, watch this video:

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular takes place weekends in October: 5-6, 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27, from 12 to 8 p.m., leaving the littlest of trick-or-treaters wide-eyed for all of the fun-filled activities. Halloween Spooktacular is included with park admission.

Spooktacular Highlights Include:

NEW this year: Spooktacular Dance Party

Princess Penelope and her undersea friends invite guests to join the Spooktacular Dance Party, where children can dance along to a Spooktacular mix of line-dancing favorites as clouds of bubbles fill the evening air. The party will kick off at the front of the park every event night an hour before SeaWorld’s park closing time.

Waves of Trick-or-Treat Fun

Offering more than two million pieces of sweet treats, costumed youngsters can trick-or-treat “under the sea.” Each trick-or-treat station features an assortment of ghoulish goodies including Tootsie Roll, Jelly Belly jelly beans, Airheads and other candy favorites.

Penelope’s Party Zone

Located at SeaWorld’s Bayside area, this dynamic underwater environment comes to life each day with a live DJ, a variety of interactive crafts to choose from, countless bubbles floating overhead and colorful pumpkin fish gliding around!

Sweet Treat Decorating

Kids and parents alike can have a “splash” creating their own sweet treats at the cookie decorating station. Kids will be able to decorate and devour their spooky cookie when they purchase a kit that comes equipped with a cookie, frosting and toppings.

Jelly Belly® Bean Art to Come to Life at Spooktacular

Jelly Belly artist in residence, Kristen Cumings, will use more than 10,000 Jelly Belly jelly beans to create a portrait of rockhopper

penguins, reflecting SeaWorld’s all-new, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. Guests can watch as this handmade jelly bean creation comes together in front of their eyes during the final weekend of Halloween Spooktacular, Oct. 26 and 27. Kids can join in the fun too, with the opportunity to decorate a Halloween Spooktacular mural with a variety of Jelly Belly jelly beans.

For More SeaWorld Halloween Fun:

Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast

1-2-3… Dine with me! Don’t walk around on an empty stomach, stay 1 step ahead of hunger! What goes great with your 2 morning eggs? How about infinite hugs from Count von Count, Elmo and his furry friends! Featuring a delicious buffet sprinkled with the hottest characters in town, the Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast is a fun-filled experience sure to delight kids and parents alike. You can “count” on it! Adults $24, Child (2-9) $14.

Disclaimer: Zannaland.com was provided with free tickets to SeaWorld to experience Spooktacular, but Nicole’s opinions are her own.

“Teen Beach Movie” Beach Party Makes Waves at Typhoon Lagoon

1 July 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Now through September 1st, Typhoon Lagoon guests will get an extra splash of summer as the Teen Beach Movie Beach Party makes its way to the shore of the park’s wave pool. Expect a water balloon toss, hula hooping and more with a DJ providing the tunes. This Limited Time Magic event will happen a few times throughout the day so check for times in the park.

I got to experience the Beach Party on a special day. Three Disney Channel stars from the movie were there to surprise guests! I really enjoyed interviewing Garrett Clayton, Chrissie Fit and Kent Boyd and getting to know them a little better before Teen Beach Movie debuts on the Disney Channel on July 19th.

Garrett Clayton, who plays Tanner, has such an exciting story behind getting his role. He got the call that he was cast in the movie while working at a restaurant. Garrett had also auditioned for another role he was waiting to hear back about and the news went something like “you’re not going to be a cheerleader but you are going to be a surfer.” I asked about the big hair in the movie and Garrett was all for it. His friends once jokingly referred to him as a Ken doll.

You may already know Kent Boyd from his success on So You Think You Can Dance in 2010. It was totally adorable when I asked him about Teen Beach Movie merchandise and “how you feel about having your face possibly on–” and he excitedly blurted out “cake!” and laughed. I was thinking more along the lines of backpacks and lunch boxes but a cake would be way cooler. He thinks it’s fun and noted that his sister grew up with that with High School Musical. Boyd said “I think it’s an honor.” He later noted “I think it would be really weird to be on a bed spread.”

“The shock of it was crazy but I didn’t have a lot of time to live in it because I had to get on a plane the next day and go to Puerto Rico” Chrissie Fit told me about being cast as Chee Chee. Puerto Rico is where the movie was filmed. Chrissie is from Miami, Florida and grew up coming to Walt Disney World with her family.

I talked about the Disney Parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney World, with all three of them. “There’s so much history at Disneyland but Disney World is really a world” said Garrett. When I asked Kent if he preferred Space Mountain or Splash Mountain we ended up talking about these attractions on both coasts. How fun.

Since the Starbucks on Main Street just opened (and we here at Zannaland love Starbucks!) I thought it would be fun to ask the cast what their go-to drink is —

Garrett: Iced black coffee

Kent: Iced Chair latte with soy milk

Chrissie: White Mocha Frappucino

…

Big thanks to Nicole Siscaretti for covering this event for Zannaland and getting us the scoop on the Teen Beach Movie Beach Party going on now at Typhoon Lagoon, and to the stars of the movie for taking time to speak to us. If you are headed there this summer, get ready for extra fun! Be sure to watch Teen Beach Movie on the Disney Channel, premiering July 19.

Nicole Siscaretti Teen Beach Movie — Stars Garrett Clayton and Kent Boyd with Nicole (who is recovering from a theme park pyrotechnic fall-out and rockin’ a band-aid while it heals!)

Inside the Siemens VIP Lounge in Epcot’s Spaceship Earth

21 September 2012 by Suzannah Otis 11 Comments

As an EPCOT Center child, once I discovered that Future World lounges existed, it was on my bucket list to see them all. For the most part, it’s been happy accidents that I’ve seen them, just being with the right people or at the right event, and today was another example of that. I can now cross the Spaceship Earth lounge off my list thanks to an event put on by the Disney Interactive Media Group promoting the upcoming Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion game for the Nintendo 3-DS. I’ll have a post on that event soon, but for now, let’s head into the lounge!

Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot — Comfy chairs and couches, with LED color-changing lamps

Warren Spector discusses how Epic Mickey Power of Illusion was born

Pretty cool, right? I love how the various parts of the lounge can change color at a whim. Very Future World! Prior to the redesign in 2007 with Siemens, the lounge was run by AT&T and Bell System before that. Siemens employees can check in here and take advantage of the lounge during their stay at Walt Disney World.

The other lounges within Future World are the GM lounge (currently under reconstruction with Test Track’s refurbishment), the HP lounge at Mission: Space. The former United Technologies lounge at The Seas, The Wonders of Life lounge and one above The Land are sometimes available for special events. The former Kodak lounge at Journey into Imagination and the Universe of Energy lounge are no longer used. There are World Showcase lounges above the American Adventure and the Norway pavilion which are also used for special events.

in the Siemens VIP lounge — I was happy to be experiencing the Spaceship Earth VIP lounge with my friends Amanda Tinney and Nicole Siscaretti! A fun night for all.

Have you been in an EPCOT corporate lounge?

PHOTOS: Inside Walt Disney World’s NEW Dumbo Interactive Kids Lounge

6 June 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Disney fans may have been following the news of the opening of the next phase of the new Dueling Dumbos attraction at the Magic Kingdom’s Storybook Circus area, part of the new Fantasyland expansion. The Disney Parks Blog recently shared some video from inside the tent:

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Thanks to Nicole Siscaretti we now have some photos from testing going on today at the Magic Kingdom. You can find more photos and awesome video of the activities and interactive areas inside the new Dumbo queue at Nicole’s new site: SparklyEverAfter.com – be sure to check it out! The area should be open permanently for all guests in the next few weeks.

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Enjoy the photos – can’t wait to take my little guy down there to check it out in person soon!

VIDEO: Disney’s Wild Africa Trek-A Passage to Africa

8 May 2012 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Correspondent Nicole Siscaretti rounds out her coverage for us with a personal tour of the Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As you may recall, I was able to preview this trek before it opened to the general public, and shared the Wild Africa Trek Facts and Figures. It remains one of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World, because it is simply so unique. It is worth every penny, and the experience is one you will remember for a lifetime.

I never shared the video I took that day, but it’s good I didn’t because the tour has been improved since I saw it. You now get to hang by a harnessed cable over crocodiles as well as hippos, and the safari truck tour at the end is covered. I feel like the tour narration was much more in-depth on Nicole’s video and you learn so much about the animals on the trek!

Let’s go on safari with Nicole:

To recap from the Facts & Figures post, the Wild Africa Trek is a 3-hour group tour held at various times throughout the morning and afternoon at Animal Kingdom. You are also served an African-inspired breakfast or lunch, depending on the time of your tour, and given a PhotoPass CD of the experience. Pricing varies seasonally but right now you can save $50 on tours at or after 11:45 a.m. from 5/29/12 – 8/25/12. Call Disney for pricing details and to book at (407) WDW-TOUR or (407) 939-8687.

I would like to take a moment and thank Nicole for her amazing coverage here on the site and twitter and facebook, giving Zannaland readers all the latest with great photos and videos. Nicole has a new site she’s creating as we speak so keep an eye out for her magical new venture! Asante sana Nicole!

NEW Disney Dooney and Bourke “Buttons” and “Charms” Bags!

27 April 2012 by Suzannah Otis 16 Comments

Correspondent Nicole Siscaretti is experiencing Disney’s “A Summer to Remember” media event and sharing all sorts of news about “What’s New, What’s Next” at Disney Parks. I had to pause and share her latest photos – the all new Disney Dooney & Bourke “Buttons” collection and another new design – “Charms” from Courtney Williams. We’ve been waiting (im)patiently for the last month or so when we first heard about Buttons with the Disneyland Retro Collection, so without further ado, here are the photos! Click to enlarge all photos! All designs below will be coming out soon.

Disney Dooney and Bourke Buttons and Charms Designs (and YES, that is a WDW Retro design behind the Buttons bag! More photos soon!)

Don’t forget to check DisneyStore.com for sales of select current released Disney Dooney & Bourke purses and Zannaland’s Disney Dooney & Bourke page with ALL handbag photos and info.

*DisneyStore.com links are affiliate links, which means it costs you nothing extra to click or buy, but if you do, I get a small commission. Thanks for reading!

Should Family Travel Be A Necessity? Samantha Brown Says Yes!

26 April 2012 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Is vacationing together considered a must for your family? According to Samantha Brown and the panelists of a discussion at Disney’s Summer to Remember media event, it should be. Panelists Leslie Ferraro, Dan Lazar and Susan Newman shared information and thoughts based on a recent study that made me consider vacationing as a family a “necessity, not a luxury” as Brown bluntly put it.

Dan Lazar, president of Chatter, Inc., discovered the following from the study:

Samantha Brown speaks at Disney — Samantha Brown and other experts speak at Disney's A Summer to Remember

‘Family bonds are harder to develop and nurture than ever before because life has become, for most families, a forgettable blur. With both parents working and kids working harder than ever in school, it’s very hard to make connections in the family unit because life is moving by so fast. Parents recognize this, don’t like it, and are purposeful about making memories. Family vacation is almost like the first aid of families; they need it.’

Author and parenting expert Susan Newman, enlightened us with insight to how the family vacation helps us. ‘Memories are the building blocks of future relationships. Vacations make you feel tied to the family and give children a sense of security and belonging because they are acting as a unit. A vacation gives you a chance to be connected and build for the future.’ She also gave the following tip: ‘As you’re a parent trying to create this perfect vacation, think that it doesn’t have to be that perfect. The memories will create themselves.’

Leslie Ferraro, Vice President of Global Marketing at Disney Parks and Resorts, insured us that Disney works hard to meet the changing, growing needs of families vacationing today.

Lazar says prime time for making memories is ages five to thirteen because they are old enough to remember and young enough to still be interested in the family. Other points discussed on the panel were skills children learn from family vacations such as planning and money management. Also that downtime can be used to discuss likes, dislikes and what was learned that day.

My favorite thing I took from this panel is a quote from Samantha Brown: ‘Just wander, make mistakes and create memories for yourself that way. Put the schedule away and just see what happens.’

Editors Note: Nicole Siscaretti is currently reporting from Disney’s A Summer to Remember media event, on behalf of Zannaland. I am excited to have Nicole share her experiences from this event here with us. Stay tuned for more coverage, including photos of the new Art of Animation Resort!

VIDEO: SeaWorld Orlando’s Spectacular Sea of Trees

6 December 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

SeaWorld Orlando recently invited my family out to experience their holiday happenings. I was completely blown away and impressed by what SeaWorld had to offer. I thought maybe the Shamu show would have a Christmas theme to it, but SeaWorld was completely transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, music, special shows and more. As you walk toward the Waterfront area lighted arches show the way and trees drip with twinkling icicles. Live bands perform in various areas around the park, even special holiday meals options are served.

I’ll post more about the wonderful shows offered during this season, including “O Wondrous Night: The Greatest Story Never Told” which was just beautiful, with a surprise ending that brought the audience to its feet in applause. But for now, I’d like to share the awe-inspiring Sea of Trees show. Expanded this year to include 100 massive trees, each sparkling, lighted and choreographed to classic holiday tunes, making a dramatic display around SeaWorld’s center lake. It is just breathtaking! Well, I’ll just show you:

We loved this show so much and my family had a fabulous time enjoying all SeaWorld had to offer for the holidays. It’s definitely going to be an annual tradition for us. Thanks once again to Nicole Siscaretti for creating that video for us. Check back for more updates on SeaWorld’s Light Up the Night holiday festivities!

VIDEO: Ho Ho Highlights From Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

28 November 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Peppermint Castle — It's a Candy Cane Castle!

It’s no secret that I love Christmastime. It’s the perfect time of year for me – everything is sparkly and festive (it’s so much easier to get away with sparkles everywhere now!), you can walk around singing songs and no one thinks you’re crazy…and you can be EXTRA cheerful (hopefully people will be extra cheerful back!). I’ve said before that Walt Disney World during the holidays is just magic times ten. The spirit of the season is amped up and you find little details and cheer around every corner.

That is part of why I love Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I’ve shared more reasons why on TampaBay.com’s mom blog, Whoa, Momma! It’s an annual tradition for my family and the holidays officially start when you see the castle glittering in Dream Lights and see the Once Upon A Christmastime Parade. In addition to reading about it, my friend and video correspondent Nicole Siscaretti has captured some of our favorite moments from our most recent Very Merry Party to share here:

If you can make it down to Walt Disney World during the holidays, I highly recommend this magical special event. If you can’t, just keep watching the video while you have some hot chocolate and cookies! 😉

Kinect Disneyland Adventures Gameplay Preview

4 November 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

During our first Disneyland visit we managed to squeeze a little D23 Expo in, including this fun preview of the Disneyland Adventures game for Xbox 360’s Kinect. Santa brought my eldest a Kinect last year, and he has loved playing Dance Central, Kinectimals and Kinect Sports. There are absolutely no controllers for the Kinect, because YOU are the controller. It’s pretty amazing and once you get used to it, a great immersive game experience.

Friend and zannaland correspondent Nicole Siscaretti got to experience Disneyland Adventures first hand, as one of the games creators explains the ins and outs of the game. Things like “you never die in Disneyland” (you just splat and come right back) and how you collect coins and can then purchase costumes for your avatar in Bibiddi Bobbidi Boutique within the game.