Suzannah Otis

Inside the VIP Lounge at The Living Seas

2 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 6 Comments

Last month, most of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel joined together for an informal reunion, just because we love an excuse to get together and what better place to do that than the Walt Disney World Resort, right? Our Pink Princess was kind enough to have a luncheon put together for us by the allied partners responsible for the Innoventions attractions. We were lucky enough to be treated to that lunch inside the second story of the Seas pavilion, in the former VIP Lounge area from back when United Technologies sponsored The Living Seas.

Unfortunately, I did not have my real camera and my cell phone pics are not the best, but I wanted to share the inside with you just the same. Hopefully I’ll get another chance to visit. I know the D23 Sip and Stroll attendees were able to experience both this lounge and the one for Spaceship Earth, so who knows what future events may take place here.

living seas vip lounge — This sign as you enter was enough to make my visit worthwhile.

Disney Thanksgiving Crafts, Decorating, Games and More!

1 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Last year I shared some of my family’s favorite Thanksgiving Day crafts, so I thought I’d repeat the tradition this year with some new ideas from Family.com and Disney’s Family Fun magazine.

Of course, with Thanksgiving, the key is planning and organization and what better way to achieve that than a Disney Thanksgiving Planner. Organize your menu, shopping list and turkey day schedule. Download, print and start planning!

I love taking time each year (and more often than just Thanksgiving of course) to give thanks for all our blessings. This Chip & Dale Thanksgiving Basket is a fun way to turn those thanks into memories. Just print out the template and follow the instructions to make your own basket and fill it up. It would be great to pass the basket around the table and share what everyone is most thankful for. It might be the only time of the year that siblings admit they are thankful for each other!

Once the turkey and stuffing are gone, relax with a nice game of checkers – Mickey checkers of course! Print out the game pieces and let the fun begin!

These are just a few of the great ideas available. Be sure to check out my family’s past Thanksgiving table decor as well as the whole Disney Thanksgiving printables page at Family.com and the myriad Thanksgiving crafts that await.

Happy November and happy crafting!

TRON: Legacy Preview Clip: “Quorra Saves Sam” from TRON Night IMAX Event

29 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

In anticipation of TRON: Legacy, opening in theatres December 17, Walt Disney Studios has been celebrating each week as the countdown continues to the event of the season.

TRON Night: An IMAX 3D Experience, a special event took place on October 28, 2010, gave audiences worldwide the first opportunity to step onto the Grid and into the cutting-edge, 3D world of Walt Disney Pictures’ high-tech adventure “TRON: Legacy,” with an exciting 20-plus-minute sneak peek of the highly anticipated film, sponsored by ASUS Computer International.

Here is a short clip of that sneak peek:

Hidden Pixar References in “Day & Night” + Toy Story 3 Coupon for DVD+Blu-Ray

28 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

One of my favorite parts of Disney•Pixar films are the shorts we get to enjoy before the feature. Day & Night was no exception, with its unique and endearing take on the differences that can unite us.

With Toy Story 3 set to be released next week on DVD, I thought I’d bring you some behind-the-scenes info on the making of the film, as well as some fun facts (like hidden easter eggs within the film referencing other Pixar productions) about the short.

For those who have not seen Toy Story 3 in theatres yet, here is a synopsis of Day & Night and a Question and Answer session from Director Teddy Newton:

When Day, a sunny fellow, encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly darker moods, sparks fly! Day and Night are frightened and suspicious of each other at first, and quickly get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other’s unique qualities–and come to realize that each of them offers a different window onto the same world—the friendship helps both to gain a new perspective.
Running time: 6 minutes

How Do You Pronounce Karamell-Küche? Simple: Delicious!

26 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Or scrumptious, or heavenly…any of those adjectives will work. All joking aside, if you really want to know how to pronounce küche, just click to listen. And now you know. Ok, housekeeping aside, lets get to the good stuff! Pictures of yummy caramel creations!

While I can in no way compete with the amazing coverage of all things food-related at Disney from AJ at the Disney Food Blog, I also could not resist taking pictures to share while inside Epcot’s newest siren of sugar, Karamell-Küche. Located within the Germany pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. If you are a fan of caramel, you will quite simply, have reached nirvana when you step inside. And it’s not just caramel hard candies that the shop’s sponsor, Werther’s is most known for here in the states. There are caramel dipped apples covered in chocolate, caramel and chocolate fudge, caramel-filled cookies, caramels rolled with marshmallow, caramel-infused cupcakes. It’s everywhere.

As if that weren’t enough, the good folks at Karamell-Küche have seen fit to give us another gift – caramel coated popcorn which words alone cannot describe, you simply must try it. It is the perfect mix of buttery caramel crunchy perfection. Sadly the day I walked in they had just started to make a new batch so I don’t have any fun pictures of them mixing up the popcorn, (darn, guess I’ll have to go back!) but when you queue up to place your order, you walk by the huge copper bowls where they are mixing the heavenly concoction. There’s that word again – heavenly! It truly is. At only $2.95 for a small bag or $5.95 for a large one, it’s also the best new snack value in Epcot, in my opinion!

What follows are some of the items available that day. I urge you to take the time to wait in line and experience these wonders for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Downtown Disney Restaurants Pollo Campero and Fresh A-Peel Construction Photos

25 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Over the weekend we met up with friends who have just relocated to central Florida and walked around Downtown Disney. I hadn’t seen the construction progress on Pollo Campero – the new Latin chicken restaurant opening soon – since McDonald’s closed down, so I thought I’d share what looks like a really cool design. Love the colors and the stonework!

EDIT: Thanks to Keith from MouseMisers for clearing up the “Fresh A-Peel” signs that I thought were part of Pollo Campero. We now know that Fresh A-Peel is a new fresh concept named (featuring fresh salads, sandwiches, fruits and healthy snacks) plus vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, low-sodium or organic offerings.

Chef Robert Irvine Loves Helping Others, Meeting Fans and DISNEY!

24 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 10 Comments

As you may have seen on twitter and facebook, a few friends and fans of Chef Robert Irvine of Dinner: Impossible fame were treated to an informal and cozy little meet up at the Crew’s Cup Lounge inside Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. I have to thank Amanda Tinney for informing me of this hush-hush event, put together in part by Marc Bigbie and another facebook fan of the Chef. The meeting was kept quiet for the purposes of not having the chef mobbed by fans, camera flashes and questions (otherwise you can be sure that with three local bloggers in attendance – myself, Amanda, and Leigh Caldwell from ThemeParkMom.com – we would’ve spread the word!).

At first there was question as to whether the chef would make it over, as he was still filming and I guess had been stopped by many fans along the way. A man of his word, Chef Irvine did indeed show up and was extremely kind and appreciative that all of us had waited for him. So often you hear stories of celebrities having a different personality in real life or being too ‘big’ to bother with fans but that couldn’t be further from the truth here. Robert Irvine is as funny and warm-hearted in person as he is on his show. It would’ve been all too easy (and understandable!) for him to say, after a long day of shooting, “Sorry, I can’t make it”. Obviously he didn’t say that and we were so grateful for his time!

Epcot’s Scratch ‘N Sniff Soarin’ T-shirts Bring the Magical Scents Home!

21 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

Last week while exploring the merchandise area outside of Soarin’ (aka the Green Thumb Emporium – thanks to @mousemisers for that name that slipped my mind), a bright orange kid’s shirt caught my eye. I picked it up and realized it had a big “Scratch ‘n Sniff” sticker on it. “GENIUS!” I thought. I scratched and sniffed and got a whiff of orange just like in the Soarin’ attraction (without the wait!).The shirt features Mickey and Minnie hang gliding over an orange grove with hot air balloons in the background.

Behind the orange-scented shirt was an army green colored shirt with a pine forest and Mickey and Minnie hang gliding over rapids. This shirt was supposed to be pine-scented, however, to me it smelled a bit like men’s deodorant. {But really, we’ve all been behind guests in a Disney park where we wished they had a deodorant-scented shirt, right? 😉 } The point is, this is a great and logical pairing of ‘t-shirt technology’ and I was really excited to see (and smell) them!

The orange grove shirt comes only in kid sizes at $24.95 while the pine forest comes in adult sizes at $30.95. Be sure to check them out the next time you visit The Land at Epcot!

scented soarin shirts in epcot — Thanks to my kids for helping me capture these pics! Sorry the lighting is not the best - I could've moved but didn't want cast members to think I was mouse-lifting! 😉

Remembering My Disney Dad

20 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 24 Comments

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.

Photos of Disney’s Old Key West Resort’s Renovated Rooms

20 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

A few weeks back, we stayed at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, one of our family’s favorites and were able to request and receive a renovated room. The Disney Parks Blog recently posted some pictures of the updated rooms, so I thought I’d add a few of our own highlighting some other details.

My family are not Disney Vacation Club members, but with my husband and I, an 11 and 10 year-old, a 2 year-old and occasionally my mom, we like staying in DVC properties because of the extra space. We rarely use the kitchen facilities other than the refrigerator but we definitely use every other inch of space and amenity these wonderful resorts offer.

Old Key West in general is one of our favorites because of the beautiful lush, secluded atmosphere the resort possesses. I’ve said this many times, but I could really spend a month at Disney just chilling out at the resorts they are so relaxing and Old Key West is no exception. We’ve always loved Olivia’s restaurant and the pool area too. The only issue we ever had with Old Key West was that it was starting to show its age. In fact, the last time we stayed there around my birthday last year, we actually complained to management about some things, just because I wanted them to be aware of what we’d experienced. So when we were told at that time that the resort was scheduled for refurbishment in the coming year, we were relieved and excited.

Our most recent stay was completely problem-free and we had a wonderful time. Old Key West continues to be on our ‘favorites’ list (which actually has a lot of resorts on it because it’s so hard to choose just one!). The renovated rooms, which will be completed resort-wide by March 2011, now all have the same mattresses and shower heads used in the other Deluxe resorts, which are heavenly. There are other little decorative touches here and there, but the most prominent changes are shown below —

Old Key West's Renovated Rooms — New laminate wood floors everywhere but the bathrooms, where the original tile remains, granite counter tops and Roman blinds on the French doors.