ZANNALAND!

Past. Present. Future. Fun.

Suzannah Otis

About Suzannah Otis

A child of the 80's, Zanna grew up on a never-ending quest the next best sticker for her collection. First falling in love with a misplaced extra-terrestrial, she followed that up with a band of Ewoks, the entirety of the original EPCOT Center, and sipping her first iced coffee at age 10. All of these things shaped her life, growing up outside of Boston where she climbed trees and roller-skated till the streetlights came on.

Mother of 2 adult humans, an 11-year old (also human), 3 cats, and a corgi. She is also the wife to one husband, who puts up with all of the above. Zanna tries to find that one little spark in everything, and thanks you very much for taking the time to read this.

Up the Waterfall Set Tour and Disney History Book List – Episode 30

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We are now 30 whole episodes in to our passion project, Up the Waterfall podcast. We initially had a different topic planned for today, to mark this momentous occasion, with our first GUEST and everything! However, the tiki gods were angered by all our celebrating, so some pesky technical issues have put a delay on that. Instead we are bringing you a fun little episode where we give you a tour of all the little knick-knacks and collectibles we have around our podcast set.

In addition, Scott gives us a quick overview of the stack of Disney history books he has on display on the shelves behind us on our set. Who doesn’t need more Disney history books, right? As a bonus, there is a LOT of our resident kitty, Stella in this episode. What can we say, she loves Disney books as much as we do.

As promised on the episode, we are sharing links for every book he discusses so you can investigate picking up a copy for your Disney library if you don’t already have one. Some of them may be out of print and being sold by third party marketplace sellers, or you can find them on eBay or your local independent bookseller as well, but now you’ll have the list right here below:

Of course, due to the sheer number of books in this episode, Scott just gives a general overview of their contents. We will do other episodes focusing on one or two books in-depth. Do you have a favorite book you’d like us to discuss? What about our silly collectibles? What are some of your favorite Disney collectibles to display? We’d love to hear from you!

Up the Waterfall Podcast set

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

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ALL Disney Hotels RANKED! Up the Waterfall – Episode 29

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This week on Up the Waterfall podcast, we discuss a highly contentious topic – Ranking the Disney Hotels! For this ranking, we included ALL the Disney hotels in the United States, which proved to be a little difficult. At least as far as I’m concerned, the California properties (or some of them) deserve to be appreciated separately on their own. We’ll have to see if you all agree with our Disney Hotels Ranked choices!

While we always encourage you to watch our episodes on our Zannaland YouTube channel, this time around we really encourage you too, because we will be ranking the Disney hotels using a visual ranking system. You can see the screenshot below. I realized after we wrapped that I forgot to mention on the audio only version what the final rankings were, so you can see them below. We do hope you watch the show this week though for an added visual fun factor. Speaking of our YouTube channel, we are so close to 500 subscribers there, which would be halfway to our initial goal of 1000. If you aren’t already, we’d love you to subscribe. It only takes a second and doesn’t cost a thing. 🙂 Thank you!!

As mentioned, this was a little more difficult than I initially thought it would be. This was especially true trying to insert the DVC villa properties, which vary a lot on their own too! I’m really not sure if I think Disneyland Hotel should come behind Wilderness Lodge…but that’s where it ended up! It did make us want to do more in-depth resort hotel episodes thought, so stay tuned for those in the future. In the meantime, feel free to explore our Walt Disney World Resort hotel videos!

disney hotel rank list

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

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Top 10 Underrated Disney Animated Films – Up the Waterfall Episode 28

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This week on Up the Waterfall, we take a lighthearted look at our favorite Underrated Disney Animated Films. Will our picks match yours? Did we forget a favorite animated feature that you think deserves some more love? Let us know!

If you missed last week’s episode on Jules Verne’s influence in Disney Parks and Films, in it I brought up one of my favorite animated films, Atlantis, and how that definitely had a Jules Verne feel to it. That sparked the idea for this week’s show: Underrated Disney Animated Films! Scott and I each share our top 5 picks, and of course, some runners-up along the way.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire
image via Disney

 

Our criteria for “underrated” may differ from yours, so we welcome discussion once you hear and see our picks. It definitely made us both want to head to Disney+ and watch all of these beloved films once again.

We also mentioned some books from Scott’s library at the end of the show, so I’ve listed them below in case you want to give them a look.

A quick note and apology…

Each week we record the audio separately from the video of our show and our producer, Christian uploads the audio and matches it to our 3 camera angles of video for the video version of the show. Unfortunately this week the audio file was corrupted and short of re-recording, we could not fix that track. So, we had to use the camera audio, which isn’t too terrible on its own, but when we switch cameras, there is a quick moment where the audio is noticeably different.

We do apologize for that, I really didn’t want to re-record the show because I kind of loved this one and how it unfolded. I didn’t want to ‘fake’ that magic by re-recording, so I hope everyone understands and bears with us for this week. We’ll have it fixed next week!

Thank you as always for listening or watching!

Books we discussed on the show:

Click to view them on Amazon – as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

 

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

Listen to Up the Waterfall:

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

Watch Up the Waterfall:

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these hot button topics, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO: 

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love! 

Up the Waterfall logo

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When Disney Met Jules Verne: Up the Waterfall Episode 27

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It has been a very turbulent few months in the world. The past couple of weeks have brought so many important matters out of the dark and into the light. We do not want to make light of recent events, nor move on as if nothing has happened. However, we know that many people still need to take mental health breaks from what they’ve been dealing with. So in that understanding, and because we did take such a long break during the quarantine times (for our own mental health), we have made the decision to continue with our next Up the Waterfall episode.

We actually recorded this Jules Verne episode 2 weeks ago, but technical difficulties prevented us from posting it last week, and then we felt it was not the time to post during such an important time in history. We are not stopping our actions, our learning, or our listening as we spread the message that Black Lives Matter, and we hope you continue to do the same. If you have not yet visited the resources listed on my last blog post regarding anti-racism, I urge you to read and seek out further education leading to action. Thank you.

In this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall, we journey back to the days of Jules Verne, and all of the ways that he can be found and seen in Disney parks and films. For some people, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea instantly comes to mind, either the movie or the attraction. Others may remember the homage to the “Grand Old Man Himself” in the former Horizons attraction. Still others may know of his influence in other Disney parks around the world. And we’ll cover all of those and more.

Mysterious Island
Photo ©Tom Bricker – DisneyTouristBlog.com

 

Jules Verne was such an elaborate storyteller. He filled his pages with endless amounts of details, bringing each sentence to life as he wove his tales of adventure. As you can imagine, Jules Verne’s narratives filled with exploration and travel, perfectly lent itself to Disney’s method of storytelling. This is evident both on film and in attraction form. As you will see and hear on this episode, Disney only improved on bringing Jules Verne’s creations to life over the years. Perhaps the best representation is Mysterious Island at Tokyo DisneySea. As we discuss, be sure to comment below or on the YouTube video of Up the Waterfall Episode 27, which we highly recommend watching this time around, as our producer, Christian has inserted so many fun photos, videos, and more referencing what we are describing. We’d love to hear your thoughts or favorites too!

As always, we thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed, please share with a friend so more folks can learn about our growing podcast! Thank you!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

How to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these hot button topics, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO: 

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love! 

Up the Waterfall logo

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A Time to Escape, and a Time to Act

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Too often, we hear about Disney as “an escape.” Whether Disney animated films, Parks and Resorts, or Disney Cruise Line, they often go hand in hand with staying full of “magic” and “pixie dust.” As a result, many folks in my position, running a Disney-themed site, blog, vlog, or social account of some sort, have felt that they shouldn’t “discuss politics” or engage in discussion about any serious issues.

The fandom has had its own divides over the years: those who love everything Disney does with no critiques vs. those who long for the earlier days of better attractions, less marketing, and less IP-based updates. More recently, the real world began to creep in, as a global pandemic affected even pixie dust. Those who are for a slower, more calculated re-opening, mask requirements for safety, and additional precautions, vs. those who want everything they always got from a Disney vacation, with no changes or new actions on their part. That discussion started to become political. This was mainly because as with everything in the last handful of years, opinions of what should and shouldn’t be a focus or a “freedom” tend to run down party lines, and many look to our current President as an example – if he isn’t wearing a mask, why should I?

Like many, I shied away from sharing my thoughts on things. I tried to stay neutral, I didn’t want to rock any boats or upset anyone who might be reading and have a different opinion. Part of why I’ve struggled so much (internally) with my site as of late, is I feel like I am lost in a sea of influencers looking for how they can convert their readers/listeners/viewers/followers into dollar signs. I’ve never felt like that was me. I’ve only ever wanted to share my silly thoughts and experiences with the Disney community. But that is getting away from the point of this post.

This is very much not about me and my inability to play the blogging-as-a-business game. My purpose in that backstory was to say that all that time, I worried SO much about what people would think. I can’t have a controversial opinion, what if it upsets someone? I can’t discuss my thoughts on that, it might get political and offend someone or alienate my audience. And certainly, I don’t want anyone to not read/listen/view my site because they disagree with my thoughts as a person and human being! But that ended on May 25th. And I am ashamed and embarrassed that it took me that long to realize that. We are now beyond “opinion” – we are at an impasse of right and wrong and human rights.

black lives matter
image @laurajaneillustrations

If you get offended by any opinions I have, relating to basic human dignity and preservation, I will not at all miss you when you leave this site to never return. If you remove and block me from any and all social media channels, I will not post counting the number that have unfollowed me, or mourn your loss. Because quite simply, there could be nothing that mattered less in this time than caring about losing views or taking away your magic and pixie dust. If you think differently, I urge you to ask yourself why and truly think about the root of your feelings. Human injustice is not partisan, or it shouldn’t be. Things have gone on too long, and must change. I cannot remain silent any longer. I cannot pretend this doesn’t exist and share a photo of the castle and leave it to someone else. Yes, Disney is an escape. But we need to live in a world where we shouldn’t feel like that escape means we live in the dark the rest of the time. 

We can no longer sit idly by, and I certainly won’t, as people of color literally fight for their lives and the ability to exist in this country without fear of being killed, attacked, denigrated, or treated as less than equal, for simply the color of their skin. I have never known that injustice, that inequality, that discrimination. I’ve seen many discussions recently where some white people get very upset because “they aren’t privileged, they grew up poor/with struggles/had a hard life” and that couldn’t be further from an understanding of what white privilege means. My children and I have the privilege to not think twice before we leave the house, drive our car, walk into a store, or any countless number of basic activities. I do not have to have a talk with my sons about how they must try to act to increase their chances of not being murdered just for how they look. Systemic racism is a disease in our country, and we are the cure. Only together can we change the status quo and what we will no longer accept as the norm. Black Lives Matter. Black. Lives. Matter.

For some reason, those three words upsets some people. They parrot back, “ALL lives matter!” Well, no one said they didn’t. Not once. Do you think people who say Black Lives Matter want all other lives to be treated poorly? No. The point is that they want Black lives to be just as important as all other non-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) lives in this country have been for centuries. It’s not a difficult ask. Please, do not get caught up on worrying that if lives suddenly matter, you as a non-person of color will suddenly be less-than. The irony to me is that those shouting all lives matter from the rooftops, are doing so because they don’t want to be treated badly, they don’t want to be ignored, or experience “racism” or discrimination. Now think about what that is saying. That is exactly how BIPOC have been living in this country since the first boat arrived. Imagine that. All lives do matter, and once we can all experience the same freedoms and lack of discrimination, they will.

black lives matter
image by @ohhappydani on instagram

 

Additionally, people with law enforcement families or friends chant “Blue Lives Matter.” It is mind-boggling to me that this is even an argument people are trying to use. A person of color cannot clock out of their shift, take off their badge, hang up their uniform, and call it a day. Blue lives are a job title. A profession. Not a life you are born into and can’t walk away from. As with all professions, some are more dedicated than others. Does this mean all police are bad people? No, but if even one is, it is too much, and they should not be in a position to inflict their control and misplaced power over another human being. If you or someone you love is a police officer, I would hope you would want the same justice and removal of those who are giving your profession a bad name. Why wouldn’t you want a justice system that lives up to its very definition? This movement isn’t about good cops. It’s about bad ones and stopping them from doing more harm.

That is all I am going to comment about what should and could be, because as a white middle-aged mom, mine is not the voice that needs to be heard right now. I will be listening. I urge you to listen. Let us learn together. Let us be open to knowing and understanding that not all of our stories are the same. Our hearts and our hopes should be the same, but until we stop and listen, we will never know and never learn.

black lives matter
image @radicalchilddesigns on instagram

 

There have been many links, petitions, and protests shared over the past week and I hope they will continue. I am sharing some here in hopes we can achieve more understanding, build community, and affect change in our country. Until we stop shouting “but what about…” and can be allies, listening to others’ stories, and others’ truths, there can be no peace.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

Let’s all be a light, together. 

Anti-Racism Resources

If you want to make a change from the ground up, fill out your Census form and to register to vote! Both of these can shape local funding and who is selected to run local government which is so important for how our local communities run.
Are there hate groups in your area? Open your eyes to what is happening in your backyard:
Since many anti-racist books are selling out, here are some other anti-racism books you can read.
Thank you to friend Becky Staudt for the above links.

Online Resources:

Being an Ally, Dear White People

Trailhead Equity Ally Learnings

From Curious to Courageous

The King Center – Online Nonviolent Protest

The Need for Stronger White Allies

Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race Resource Roundup

Living in Minneapolis While Black

Thank you to Ryan P. Wilson (frequent guest author and friend) for the above links)

This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Here is a shorter link: bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES

To take immediate action to fight for Breonna Taylor, please visit FightForBreonna.org.

Resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children:

 

Articles to read:

 

Videos to watch:

 

Podcasts to subscribe to:

 

Books to read:

 

Films and TV series to watch:

  • 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
  • American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
  • Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
  • Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada) — Hulu with Cinemax or available to rent
  • Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
  • Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
  • Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
  • I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
  • If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
  • Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent for free in June in the U.S.
  • King In The Wilderness  — HBO
  • See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
  • Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
  • The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
  • The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
  • When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix

 

Organizations to follow on social media:

 

More anti-racism resources to check out:

Document compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein in May 2020.

Campaign Zero

  • Campaign Zero – Donate to the effort to end police violence in America. This is a baby step, but change needs to start somewhere.
  • Talking About Race – National Museum of African American History and Culture. 
  • Black Table Arts – Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota – Gathering Black communities through the arts, working towards better Black futures.  
  • BEAM – Black Emotion and Mental Health Collective – BEAM is a training, movement-building and grant-making organization dedicated to the healing, wellness and liberation of Black and marginalized communities. 
  • The Four Bodies –  A holistic toolkit for coping with racial trauma.

If you can donate, I urge you to do so too. BlackLivesMatter.com. If you can attend a peaceful protest in your area and affect change in numbers, I encourage that as well. Thank you for reading, now let’s listen, together. 

blm protest orlando

 

 

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Disney Parks Anniversary Celebrations – Up the Waterfall Episode 26

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This week on Up the Waterfall, we explore the many Disney Parks anniversary celebrations. Most of these moments were televised as specials featuring stars of the time, song and dance numbers, and even skits. Now that decades of time has passed, these specials provide loads of entertainment and a spotlight on how things used to be both in and out of the parks.

We discuss the major Disneyland and Walt Disney World anniversaries, recent EPCOT celebrations, and of course, the 100 Years of Magic Celebration. However, it is hard to fit all of that celebratin’ in one show! For instance, Scott remembered after we recorded that he’d forgotten to mention the 6 CD set that came out for Disneyland’s 50th, which is chock-full of amazing recordings. We’ve mentioned that one before in our History of Carousel of Progress episode. Similarly, while looking up photos, I realized I forgot to mention one of the promotions from the 100 Years of Magic – the collectible glasses from McDonald’s! I collected 2 sets, and have since sold them on eBay. So if you watch or listen and find we’ve missed some aspect that you remember or loved, be sure to let us know!

In addition, we promised we’d link to all the crazy anniversary specials that aired on TV back in the day. Thank goodness these are on YouTube, because I don’t think some of them will be showing up on Disney+ any time soon. If you watch them all, let us know your favorite! I think I love the ones where families travel by car and make a whole road trip out of their Disney destination vacation. Despite the cheesiness, they really did capture how things were at the time (maybe minus the breaking into spontaneous song) and what an EVENT it was to visit a Disney park.

All the YouTube TV specials of note:

As we conclude the show, we discuss how things have shifted since the earlier Disney anniversary celebrations. A focus more on merchandise vs. special events in many cases. Let us know what you think of more recent celebrations!

Lastly, as always, we hope you enjoyed this week’s episode and the walk down memory lane with us. Tell a friend if you did, so we can get the word out about our still growing podcast!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

How to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these hot button topics, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO: 

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love! 

Up the Waterfall logo

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The Return of Up the Waterfall!

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Hello, friends!

It has been a bit but we have recorded a special Up the Waterfall episode, a kind of check-in to see what we’ve been up to, what’s been going on, and just an acknowledgement of all that’s happened and is still happening over the last few months. We will then continue with our regular Monday posting schedule on next Monday, the 25th.

We have missed recording, and sharing our stories and Disney history with all of you, but we definitely needed a moment to take a step back and take care of our family first and foremost as things were turned upside-down. We look forward to future topics and sharing new discoveries with you all and thank you for your patience with us during this trying time.

We’d love to hear from you and share your thoughts on the state of things, and the future of Disney Parks, Resorts and more! As always, thank you for listening, and if you like our show, please share with a friend or two! 🙂

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall!

How to Listen to Up the Waterfall

You can listen anywhere you download and listen to podcasts, including: 

(If there’s a podcast service where you can’t find our show, let us know and we’ll get it added there!)

How to Watch Up the Waterfall

Head to our Up the Waterfall YouTube Playlist – where you can see our opening sequence and see some unique images during some episodes.

Feel free to comment below with your opinions on ANY of these hot button topics, any questions or info you’d like to add, or if it’s easier, head to the Zannaland Facebook page and join the discussion there with fellow Disney Parks fans!

Zannaland and Up the Waterfall Community – Let’s Connect!

FOLLOW THE ZANNALAND FAMILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH OUR VIDEOS, VLOGS AND PODCAST TOO: 

We thank you for your support and for sharing the love! 

Up the Waterfall logo

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What’s MouseAdventure?! A Disney Scavenger Hunt!

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Having been around the Disney internet-sphere for over a decade, I’ve certainly heard of MouseAdventure, and knew it was a scavenger hunt-like game held at Disney parks. Despite taking part in a few Disney scavenger hunts myself, I’d never done MouseAdventure. Well, my procrastination and forgetfulness to figure it out and sign up myself came to an end this year, when the fine folks at MouseAdventure invited us out to experience it first hand. I soon found out it was much more than a scavenger hunt!

Mouse Adventure Night and Day

What IS MouseAdventure?

If you are completely unfamiliar, MouseAdventure is a scavenger hunt/brain puzzle game that has been taking place for the past 20 years! Looking back at the timeline linked above, I am kind of really regretting not doing this earlier, some of the themes sound so fun. This year’s theme was “Night and Day” like the Pixar short “Day and Night” that was shown before Toy Story 3. It was named this because it was taking place over 2 days; the first at night in the Magic Kingdom, and the second the next day at Disney Springs. Teams could sign up for either both days together, or just the Saturday night or just the Sunday day. We were given a full ticket, so we were able to do both Night and Day events.

Mouse Adventure 20

How Do You Sign Up for MouseAdventure?

From the MouseAdventure site for the most recent Walt Disney World registration:

MouseAdventure registration does not include theme park admission. All registrations are final. Registration is strictly limited by the capacity of the event venue, and teams may not change divisions or add players after registration closes. Once we are fully registered, we cannot make special exceptions or extend registration. There is no waiting list for this event.

Your MouseAdventure team must consist of at least two players and no more than four players. Some people like having four brains on their team; some teams work better with just two or three players. It is up to you to decide whether you want 2, 3, or 4 people on your team, but there are often advantages for larger teams.

MouseAdventure events can sell out very quickly, so you’ll want to have your team’s details before registration opens:

  • Pick a team captain who will be responsible for registering your team. Don’t assume your teammate is going to register for your team!

  • Signup for an account at thirdgategames.com. You will need an account to register for the event.

  • Decide on a team name. (optional, but if you are going to have a team name, you must provide it during registration)

  • Be sure to have the first name, last name, and email address for each member of your team. This is a really good time to add mouseadventure@thirdgategames.com to your e-mail client’s approved sender list. (If you use Earthlink or Hotmail, we can not guarantee that you will receive event-related e-mail from MouseAdventure. We STRONGLY encourage players with Earthlink or Hotmail accounts to register for another e-mail address [GMail is free, and works just fine] to ensure you receive all of the messages from MouseAdventure.)

  • Names for personalized buttons (optional)

 

Then, the fun can begin! When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom bus loop area, we didn’t really know what to expect. Most exciting was how MANY people there were participating with us. One of the organizers, Stephanie Wien, who invited us, let me know that there were 63 teams signed up for Saturday’s game (If I got that wrong let me know Steph!). Since each team can have up to 4 team members, that adds up quick!

The MouseAdventure folks were amazing at keeping us all organized and passing out all of the info, and then quest packets in an orderly fashion. I was very impressed. Knowing that MouseAdventure has 20 years of experience behind them lets you know this is not some Mickey Mouse operation (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Once we got our quest packets, we were set loose upon the Magic Kingdom and had 4 hours-ish to complete our quests. We were ready. I think.

Past Experience
Team badges and scoring sheets
Team badges and scoring sheets – photo courtesy of MouseAdventure

Previously, I participated in D23’s Walt Disney World Scavenger Hunt (which took place in May of 2011 over 2 days with 4 parks being visited and an average “feels like” temperature of about 157 degrees. :P).

I also competed in a Goofy’s Mystery Tour. Goofy’s is a Walt Disney World Cast Members-only trivia/puzzle event where you and 3 teammates are bungee corded together and compete in a park after hours. It’s as crazy as it sounds. My husband, Scott Otis has a record 3 consecutive Goofy’s wins. He won a 4th time in 2014, when I was on his team and it was enough for me to want to retire and rest on my laurels after that.

Disney has recently changed its registration process for Goofy’s to a lottery-type system, so Scott has pretty much retired as well. Point being, I knew what to expect a little. Although I was a bit rusty with my puzzle-solving, it wasn’t like we were coming in blind to how the game worked.

How Does MouseAdventure Work?

Basically, you receive a packet of quests, which contain mini-quests and clues within them, and then formulate your final answers to the main quest, and answer on the answer sheet. There are puzzles and visual clues where you have to find signs or letters etc. Lastly, there are trivia questions on both days, which can also help make or break your scores.

How to Choose Your MouseAdventure Team

MouseAdventure is a great cross-section of quests that involve finding details throughout the park you are in (or Disney Springs in this case), brain-teaser puzzles where you have to unscramble word puzzles or even math, and trivia, which if you’re signing up to do MouseAdventure, you probably are prepared to answer random Disney trivia questions. But be prepared to cover allll areas of Disney – parks, attractions, movies, tv, etc!

This is why it’s great to have people on your team that also represent this cross-section of skills. For example, Scott is really good at word jumble type filling-in-the-missing-letters type puzzles and math too. Me, not so much. I can do some word puzzles, but under pressure, and when you really have to dig in to do things like “3 letters up from and 5 letters down from” I kind of zone out. But that doesn’t mean this wasn’t fun for me, it was a blast! I love high-energy, complex situations where you need to stay on your toes and still get surprised.

The best plan is to look over the various quests that you receive, and see first if there are any answers you can fill out on your own (but it’s always good to double check even if you think you know it!). Next you should be reading all the clues to organize your paths within the park. See if you can tell up front which clues will send you to Tomorrowland vs. Fantasyland vs. Frontierland, for example. That will hopefully save you a lot of zig-zagging back and forth across the park. This is both for the sake of your feet and the time expiring with every step you take!

Our Zannaland MouseAdventure Video!

To see more of what this edition of MouseAdventure was like, Christian put together a fun video of our experience. Since we kept joking that it was like The Amazing Race (a show which our entire family watches religiously and likes to pontificate about what we would do in each situation), Christian themed the video to The Amazing Race, which makes it worth a watch just for that comedic value.

Some notes on the video and our game play while you watch…

The first quest we did, the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor quest – we got wrong. 😛 This was a case of Scott solving the clue by filling in the blanks. We were thinking we knew the answer to the final clue – but we didn’t. THAT is where these quests trip you up. You might think “The future of energy at Monsters Inc….” is LAUGHTER, but turns out, it’s a JOKE. So we lost points on that. I take full responsibility for that one, because Scott wanted to double check and go back in the queue. However, we had spent so much time in there…and the cast working the attraction were NOT too happy with all of us looking at the bulletin board in the queue for 15 minutes. So I said “No, what else would it be?” haha joke was literally on me.

Mouse Adventure Zannaland

Additionally, at Disney Springs, one of the questions was “name all of the parking lot fruits listed on the Disney Springs map.” We included the garages as well, which was NOT what they were asking. So things like that really make a difference between ranking high or winning, and getting knocked down a few pegs. But that’s all part of the fun and it definitely makes you want to play again and “prove” yourself if you’re the competitive type (which Scott definitely is).

The End Result

There is a reason they have teams “master out” after 3 consecutive wins. Teams can still play, but won’t compete to win any longer. And some teams just do it for fun anyway, which I think is really the best way to approach a MouseAdventure scavenger hunt! At the end of the event, there is a ceremony to award winners their Disney gift cards and buttons and other fun stuff. Scores are later posted online with answers to the quests (but not trivia) so you can see how you did.

Mouse Adventure Night and Day
The final tallies – photo courtesy of MouseAdventure

Anyway, we had a great time and we are so grateful to MouseAdventure for inviting us out. As always, our opinions are our own. We hope you enjoyed our experiences too! If you’d like to do more research and sign up for the next event, head to MouseAdventure.com and also be sure to check out the MouseAdventure forums to see lots of great conversations and more puzzles too.

Have you ever participated in MouseAdventure or another theme park scavenger hunt? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear what you thought!

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All Disney Parks Close in Wake of CoronaVirus Concerns

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In an unprecedented move, ALL Disney Parks will be closing as of Sunday, with Disney Cruise Line suspending departures as of Saturday. This has not happened since the attacks of 9|11, but we knew this announcement had to be coming soon, the risks were just too great to remain open and provide a breeding ground for this spreading virus. Without being able to control guests arriving from other areas and other risk factors, it would be irresponsible to stay open for business. This is of course a difficult bit a news to bear, as so many folks from all over the world plan months and years in advance to make a yearly, or even once-in-a-lifetime visits to this resort.

Disney Parks Corona Virus

If you currently have plans and a booked hotel vacation to any of these parks or destinations, we’d advise contacting your travel agent or whomever you booked with. Wait times will be long, and patience is a must in situations like this. The cast members or employees answering these calls can only do so much, and only have as much information as they are given. We hope Disney releases more information as to plans, and future solutions to these unplanned closures. We will update this post as we hear more official news.

Disneyland Corona Virus

Until then, here is an article from Variety.com, detailing the current closures as of the posting time of this article:

Disney is temporarily shuttering Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Paris, beginning this Sunday and lasting through the end of the month, due to the coronavirus pandemic. It follows the news that Disneyland California and Universal Studios Hollywood are temporarily closing starting March 14 as well.

The announcement means all Disney parks worldwide will be closed by next week.

The Disney Cruise Line is also suspending all new departures beginning Saturday through the end of March. The Walt Disney Company will pay its cast members during that closure period.

The hotels at Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice, as will the retail and dining complexes, Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris.

Universal Studios Hollywood expects to reopen on March 28, while Disneyland foresees opening its doors again at the end of the month.

“The health and safety of our team members and guests is always our top priority,” said a Universal Studios spokesperson. “Out of an abundance of caution and in response to the guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health, Universal Studios Hollywood will temporarily close beginning Saturday, March 14. The theme park anticipates reopening on March 28 as we continue to monitor the situation. We will provide timely updates as conditions evolve.”

Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open until March 16 so guests can make necessary travel accommodations. Universal CityWalk remains open, as does Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

It’s only the fourth time in history that Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., has fully suspended operations. The other instances were the Sept. 11 attacks, the morning after John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the Northridge earthquake.

“While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California’s executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month,” Disney said in a statement. “The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements; Downtown Disney will remain open. We will monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state officials and health agencies. Disney will continue to pay cast members during this time.”

The company added, “Disneyland Resort will work with guests who wish to change or cancel their visits, and will provide refunds to those who have hotel bookings during this closure period.”

Disney was slow to close doors to its theme parks, despite cancellations of major entertainment industry events like South by Southwest and Coachella. The NBA suspended its season Wednesday night after a player tested positive for coronavirus.

But the theme park closure seemed inevitable after California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday called for gatherings with more than 250 people to be canceled or delayed in an effort to halt the transmission of the virus, though Disneyland and other theme parks were exempted from that guidance. Officials have also been encouraging “social distancing” of six feet per person.

Disney closed its parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong in January, and has also temporarily shuttered its parks in Tokyo as well. The Shanghai Disney Resort will reopen some shopping, dining and entertainment options on Monday, but the main theme park will remain shut. Disney reported that it could lose $280 million in revenues due to closures in Shanghai and Hong Kong alone.

Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who has been critical of low wages for theme park employees, wrote Thursday on Twitter, “This is heartbreaking, but it’s the right thing to do. I just hope they honor their obligations to their employees.”

In a newly issued press release on Thursday afternoon, Newsom indicated that more theme park closures would be coming soon.

“Late last night, California put out a new policy on mass gatherings and engaged in deep conversations with Disney and other companies about how to meet it,” he said. “Using that policy, Disney made the right call in the interest of public health and agreed to shut down their California parks. Expect more announcements like this shortly.”

Per the California Dept. of Public Health on Wednesday, the new guidance is as follows through the month of March:

The California Department of Public Health finds the following:
  • Large gatherings that include 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled.
    • This includes gatherings such as concerts, conferences, and professional, college, and school sporting events.
  • Smaller gatherings held in venues that do not allow social distancing of six feet per person should be postponed or canceled.
    • This includes gatherings in crowded auditoriums, rooms or other venues.
  • Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people.
    • This includes gatherings such as those at retirement facilities, assisted living facilities, developmental homes, and support groups for people with health conditions.
  • A “gathering” is any event or convening that brings together people in a single room or single space at the same time, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, cafeteria, or any other indoor or outdoor space.
This applies to all non-essential professional, social, and community gatherings regardless of their sponsor.

Knott’s Berry Farm closed early Thursday due to inclement weather but otherwise remains open for business. A spokesperson said it is “aware of the new guidance issued by the State of California last night,” and “is open today as we understand and evaluate what this means for our park, our guests and our associates.”

Representatives for Legoland and SeaWorld San Diego, both theme parks located in California, did not respond to request for comment.

Again, we advise contacting your booking provider if you had booked plans to any of these destinations. We will update as we learn more. Stay safe!

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Pym Test Kitchen Menu Must-Haves at Avengers Campus

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In addition to our earlier announcement about the Avengers Campus Opening Date, we also have some SUPER news to share about the menu items at Pym Test Kitchen. Some of these dishes are really unique and we hope they turn out as good as they look in these preview photos! Here’s all the scoop, originally posted on Marvel.com

Avengers Campus brings together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for the common good, and they’re calling all recruits to join the action: Team up with the Avengers and their allies; sling webs with Spider-Man and become part of a bigger universe. Kids and guests of all ages will find their powers as they unite with family and friends to take an active role alongside some of their favorite heroes, with a chance to live out their own heroic story. So at some point, you’re going to want to refuel. Thankfully, you won’t have to go far after your latest mission because Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort includes multiple spots to stop and grab some delicious food, drinks, and even something sweet before it’s time to assemble again.
Pym Test Kitchen

The brand new land, opening on July 18, 2020, features one new quick-service restaurant for you and your family of heroes to taste-test inventive food and drinks, a tasting lab with alcoholic beverages, a shawarma cart

(yes, you read that right), and a new treats stand located by Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission — BREAKOUT!

We recently got to try some of the brand new food and beverage offerings coming to Avengers Campus, and it all looks good enough to eat — and share on social media. So after helping Spider-Man catch those pesky Spider-Bots and in between heroic encounters with the Avengers and their allies, here’s where you need to go to fuel up:

PYM TEST KITCHEN

“Super Heroes don’t normally open restaurants,” Jillian Pagan, Staff Writer, Walt Disney Imagineering explained during an early media day for Avengers Campus. But, that’s exactly what the Pyms have done.

“They would use their technology to help the world, right?” Pagan continued. “So that’s the story of our Pym Test Kitchen. In our story they are using their shrinking and growing technology to create new innovations in food science because, of course, you can feed many more people if you can run, say a normal-sized pretzel through this quantum tunnel machine, hit it with some Pym Particles, and make it grow to a giant size.”

“We’re here at Pym Test Kitchen, where we are shrinking problems and growing solutions,” John State, Culinary Director at the Disneyland Resort, explains. “Just imagine the guests walking through, pulling the handle of that door, walking into a laboratory, becoming part of the experience of Pym Technology.”

It’s one thing to talk about the Quantum tunnel, and it’s another thing to actually see it in action — The Pym Test Kitchen features one that will shrink and grow food right in front of your eyes!

There will be plenty of options for everyone, including plant-based options along with kid-sized items and taste for kids. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll be able to find inside, and mobile order will be available via the Disneyland app.

Experiment No. IP42: Quantum Pretzel

Feast your eyes on a giant pretzel that has been enlarged by the quantum tunnel and comes with a mustard sauce and a beer cheese dipping sauce (featuring California IPA, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, a hint of mustard).

Quantum Pretzel

Experiment No. EE10: PYM-ini

Looking to indulge in a giant panini? You can with the appropriately titled PYM-ini. The full sandwich is two feet long, and 9 inches wide after it comes out of the Quantum tunnel — and while it can be ordered family style, it can also be done in individual slices, too.

PYM-ini

The PYM-ini features toasted focaccia with salami, rosemary ham, provolone, sun-dried tomato mayonnaise and arugula with marinara dipping sauce. There’s also a version for little Avengers, the Teeny Pym-ini, which is ham, provolone cheese, a touch of mayonnaise, and focaccia.

Experiment No. EE746: PB³ Superb Sandwich

The PB³ Superb Sandwich features peanut butter, banana, smoked bacon and strawberry jelly with a banana smoothie shot and vegetable dusted potato bites.

PB³ Superb Sandwich

For kids, there’s a deconstructed version, which includes peanut butter (served in a Petri dish), strawberry jelly, a little paddle to spread it, and two slices of the Pym  bread, fruit and a Dasani water or a Lowfat Milk.

Experiment No. EE90: Not So Little Chicken Sandwich

What happens when you shrink a bun but grow a chicken breast? That’s the Not So Little Chicken Sandwich, with a fried chicken breast topped with teriyaki and red chili sauces, pickled cabbage slaw and crispy vegetable dusted potato bites.

Not So Little Chicken Sandwich
I may be vegan, but this gigantic chicken sandwich with a tiny bun is hysterical…

There’s also a shrunken chicken sandwich, the Subatomic Sandwich for kids. It doesn’t have any sauce on it, leaving kids to customize it their own way at the condiment station.

Experiment No. EE45: Impossible™ Spoonful

For those looking for a plant-based option, the Impossible Spoonful features large and micro plant-based Impossible™ meat-balls, served in a super-sized spoon with a tiny fork, and two different sizes of pasta. They’ll be an option for kids, too, where the sauce will be on the milder side.

Impossible™ Spoonful

PYM TASTING LAB

Adjacent to the Pym Test Kitchen, an oversized beer can overhead signals that grown-up beverages are available at Pym Tasting Lab. Guests may order a craft beer, ranging from a blood orange hefeweizen to an amber lager. These are poured from a reverse draft system where, thanks to the food scientists, the glass fills from the bottom up. Those thirsting for a beer cocktail will have four to choose from, along with bite-sized snacks.

Pym Tasting Lab Beverages

If you’re looking to try everything on the menu, there will also be beer flights available, along with souvenir Pym beaker cups.

X-Periment, Molecular Meltdown, Honey Buzz and Particle Fizz

X-Periment: Patron Silver Tequila, Lime Juice, Habanero, and Mango Syrup, garnished with Mango flavored Popping Pearls.
Molecular Meltdown: Garage Brewing Marshmallow Milk Stout with Vanilla Ice Cream and topped with Mini Marshmallows.
Honey Buzz: Plymouth Gin, Lemon Juice, Honey Premium Syrup, Elysian Space Dust, IPA and a Honey edible Straw.

PARTICLE FIZZ: Endless Summer, Hard Seltzer with Cherry flavored Pearls.

The Regulator

The RegulatorPatron Silver Tequila, Lime Juice, Habanero, and Mango Syrup, Golden Road Mango Cart Wheat Ale, garnished with Mango flavored Popping Pearls.

Snack Molecules

To complement any beverage selection, guests can also nosh on these Snack Molecules featuring popped sorghum with mini pretzels and honey roasted peanuts.

Snack Molecules

Proton PB&J Punch and Pingo Doce

Pym Test Kitchen Beverages

The kid-friendly Proton PB&J features Odwalla® lemonade with flavors of strawberry and peanut butter, while Pingo Doce, the distinctly green beverage from Avengers lore, is a park-exclusive beverage featuring the flavors of lime, vanilla, and maybe some Gamma radiation.

SHAWARMA PALACE

After the Battle of New York, the Avengers fell in love with shawarma. So, it only makes sense for there to be a shawarma cart at Avengers Campus.

The cart will feature two items. New York’s Tastiest, which is a classic shawarma spiced chicken, with garlic sauce, a warm wrap and a dipping sauce featuring tahini, lemon, garlic, and a pickled vegetable.

There’s also the Impossible™ Victory Falafel. Falafel, Kalamata olives, mint, garlic sauce, hummus, crispy cauliflower, and a tofu dipping sauce. [We’re very excited for this along with the impossible meatball!]

TERRAN TREATS

Taneleer Tivan — also known as The Collector — is always looking for ways to lure more guests towards his towering building of collections. So what are guests constantly searching out? Sweet treats. Located over by Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission — BREAKOUT! here’s what you’ll find Taneleer serving, but everything might not be what it seems.

Sweet Spiral Ration

Why just have a churro when you can have a churro from The Collector? The Sweet Spiral Ration Churros will include unique, rotating flavors (and colors).

Sweet Spiral Ration

Cosmic Cream Orb

For a hand-held snack on the go, try the Cosmic Cream Orb. A crispy cream puff with whipped raspberry cheesecake mousse — and while you see it in a purple hue here, it might not always be that color.

Cosmic Cream Orb

 

We’re beyond excited to see these in person soon and test them out ourselves! The new Avengers Campus sounds like it’ll be quite the immersive area with all of these new additions including the new Web-Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure attraction. What are you most exited to experience at Avengers Campus? Stay tuned here for more news to come!

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