Suzannah Otis

Tampa’s New Imagination Park Disney Store Reveals Magic For Every Guest

28 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

Tampa’s International Plaza and Bay Street mall became the first southern Imagination Park Disney Store to open today, designed with input from Apple’s Steve Jobs. The soft-opening already had a small crowd of people lining up by 9:00am and an hour later, the queue wrapped around the play area in front of the store. The first 250 guests received Disney Store ear hats as we waited. {click to enlarge photos}

Disney Store Imagination Park Tampa — With no promotion, around 250 guests lined up to see the Disney Store's soft opening at Tampa's International Plaza

Store managers spoke about the Key to Unlock Imagination ceremony, which will happen each and every day. A young guest will be chosen to use the Disney Store key to open the lock and the store each morning.

Show Me Your Disney Dooney Photo Contest – Win a Wristlet!

25 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

If there’s one thing most ZannaLand readers are passionate about (in addition to love of Disney of course) it’s the exciting Disney’s Dooney & Bourke collaboration. My good friend Amanda of DisneyEveryDay.com had the fabulous idea that I should ask people to show me their Disney Dooneys! I agreed that this would be a fun thing for fans to take part in – and thought I’d sweeten the deal by giving away a Disney Dooney & Bourke wristlet to the contest winner!

ZannaLand Disney Dooney & Bourke Photo Contest Info:

Take a picture of your Disney Dooney & Bourke – your favorite, your whole collection, by themselves, with people or pets – the ideas are endless and you are only limited by your creativity! Don’t have a Disney D&B? What about a pic of you with a sad face? 😉 Get creative!
Email me your best shot (one per person please), I’ll post all of the entries here, then readers will vote on a winner.
The contest winner will then get to choose what color wristlet they receive (of available wristlets in Walt Disney World up to $49 in value – sorry I can’t produce a Disney Cruise Line or Disneyland wristlet!).

Send one photo entry to [email protected] by Thursday, September 30 2010. I will then post the entries and voting will commence (info to follow on voting). Help spread the word on twitter, facebook and anywhere else you’d like – the more pictures the more fun we’ll have!

Ready to hit me with your best shot? Go!

Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again on Nintendo DS

24 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

With a household of gamers, I had no trouble getting someone to give me their opinion of the new Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again Nintendo DS game I was given to review from Disney Interactive Studios. Here’s what the family thought of the game:

Disney Interactive has delivered a fun game for fans of the popular Disney Channel show Phineas and Ferb; Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again for the Nintendo DS and DSi. The game follows the adventures of the title characters as you guide them through the environments of Danville looking for parts to build various contraptions. There are many mini games to break up the action and keep the game play fresh. You can also download content to share rides and compete against friends.

A personal favorite is a Pac-man style game in which you try to collect screws for a project while steering clear of Candice. After playing through the first level of the game the only complaints were that Perry was relegated to being a “save point” and is not included in the game play elements, although you can play as Agent P. while he battles Dr. D and his robots. Finally, the open style of game play, having no defined path through which to complete a level, may prove to be a little frustrating for younger players. Overall Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again is a fun and satisfying game for fans of Danville’s most famous residents.

Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again is available now on Nintendo DS and Dsi. The single-player game is rated E for Everyone and retails for $29.99. For more information including screenshots and game trailer, head over to Disney Interactive Studios Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again page.

NEWS: Let the Memories Begin at Disney Parks in 2011

23 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

NEW YORK (Sept. 23, 2010) – In 2011, Disney guests will become the stars of a nightly spectacular when photos taken in the park during the day become larger-than-life projections on Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort or “it’s a small world” at Disneyland Resort. This groundbreaking new experience will celebrate the family vacation memories created in Disney theme parks every day.

And this week, Disney guests will begin starring on television, too, as part of the new “Let the Memories Begin” campaign. For the first time, Disney Parks is featuring the home videos and snapshots of real guests in television ads and other marketing that will allow an audience of millions to share in true-life, heartfelt moments.

“A Disney vacation is the perfect way to create family memories that will last a lifetime,” said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, at a media announcement Thursday in New York. “We’ll spotlight those ‘only-at-Disney’ moments with family and friends during our ‘Let the Memories Begin’ campaign.”

A just-released survey of U.S. and Canadian families conducted for Disney Parks by Ypartnership, a noted research firm that tracks consumer insights and trends in travel, showed that vacation memories hold a special place in family history.

Nine out of 10 parents said they planned their vacations with the express hope that they would result in a lasting family memory, the survey showed. And those memories stuck with them – nearly three-quarters said they think back “often” or “very often” on their favorite vacation experiences.

‘Memories in the Making’ to be Shared on Disney Park Icons

Beginning in January 2011, some Disney parks guests will find that the memory they just made has become a larger-than-life image during a “Let the Memories Begin” nighttime experience.

At Walt Disney World Resort, the guest photos will be projected on the soaring spires of Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom. At Disneyland Resort, the iconic façade of “it’s a small world” will be the canvas for the show.

In both locations, Disney PhotoPass photographers will capture guests caught up in the Disney experience – a memory in the making – and as many as 500 photos will be used in each location every day, producers estimate.

The nighttime show will use the latest in high-intensity projection technology to create vivid visuals that seem to defy the architecture of the building. A new song commissioned for the show will provide an emotional context for these images of the Disney guest experience.

For TV Ads and More, Disney Parks Issues a ‘Call for Memories’

Beyond seeing their own projected photos in lights, guests also could become the stars of Disney Parks television commercials, online campaigns and social media opportunities that will showcase to the world the power of memories.

Gnomeo & Juliet Trailer-Shakespeare Meets Garden Gnomes?!

23 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

The greatest love story ever told, starring…garden gnomes? In “Gnomeo & Juliet,” Shakespeare’s revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (co-director of “Shrek 2”) and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, who have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and thrilling lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find a happy ending?

Check out the adorable Gnomeo & Juliet trailer and be sure to catch the Tiki Room song!! Corny jokes and bad puns abound but it looks really fun.

GNOMEO & JULIET hits theaters everywhere in 3D on February 11, 2011.

What is the Training Trip for the Walt Disney World Moms Panel Like? We’ll Show You!

22 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 26 Comments

There has been a lot of buzz about the 2011 Walt Disney World Moms Panel applications, just as there was last year. Today, friend and fellow 2010 Moms Panelist Marc Lorenzo shared a video he compiled of our training trip last year. It brought back such wonderful memories of our time together at Walt Disney World, I got his permission to share it here with all of you as well. Each training trip is slightly different and focuses on whatever projects WDW has going on at the time that they’d like to promote, in addition to lots of bonding opportunities among the new panelists and some special surprises too – this is Disney after all! We all had some an amazing time just packed full of memories at every turn, thanks to Walt Disney World, Laura Spencer and her team! I hope you enjoy this glimpse into our training trip last year thanks to Marc:

I never did get around to finishing my reports for the trip, but you can read the first day of training, hopefully I’ll finish it up before December! You can catch the entire trip report from Kaylene J. at her blog FiveTimesBlessed.blogspot.com (see links to all of the days on the left of that page), Kathie F. at WhatNowKathie.com, and Amanda W. at her site, OhAmanda.com.

Have you applied to the 2011 panel? I’d love to hear from you if so!

Boo to You! Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2010

21 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

In addition to meeting Duffy the Disney Bear this past Saturday, some fellow Disney bloggers and I also got a chance to enjoy one of my very favorite special events at Walt Disney World – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! It’s so so hard for me to decide between this and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party…but MNSSHP as it’s commonly abbreviated has candy AND the Headless Horseman, so it might win.

I’ve reported previously about the fun that is MNSSHP – check out part 1 of my “Boo to You!” Parade pictures, part 2 with the “Boo to You” Villains from the parade and my Headless Horseman video from 2008. Last year and now this year again, the Horseman has slowed to a trot from an eerie gallop (perhaps for safety issues) but it’s still impressive nonetheless! New to the parade this year is the evil Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog fame. My favorite are still the gravediggers with their shovels!

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Crafts & $10 Coupon Off Blu-Ray+DVD Combo

21 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue comes out TODAY on Disney DVD and Blu-ray! Now you can get $10 off the Blu-ray+DVD combo pack! Just click here for the $10 coupon.

Also click the images below, or head to http://tiny.cc/TinkGFRActivities for some fun print & play crafts and recipes to keep your little fairy rescuer entertained. The activity links will be .PDF files for you to download, print and use. Enjoy!

We’d love to hear what you think of the new Tink movie! Watch for a review of the new Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Nintendo DS game later this week!

Facts On Duffy The Disney Bear’s Move to Epcot’s World Showcase Oct 14

20 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 13 Comments

Saturday, September 18th saw the Walt Disney World Annual Passholder preview of Duffy the Disney Bear and his move from Japan’s Tokyo Disney Sea to our very own Epcot World Showcase. Duffy is getting some mixed reviews among die-hard EPCOT Center fans that would rather see money spent on new or improved attractions. Call me a sentimental girl, but I for one am excited for Duffy’s arrival and supportive of the treatment he’s getting as he get introduced to the rest of Walt Disney World.

I look at it this way – as a young girl visiting EPCOT in the early 1980’s, if Figment was given the same love and attention that Duffy is receiving now, I’d have been as happy as, well, a little girl. This is not just some random bit of merchandise being promoted without any research or follow-through. Duffy has experienced great success among Japanese Disney fans and while I don’t anticipate he’ll be quite as popular here, I can appreciate that he has a “history” and is not just going to show up on store shelves. If you don’t like Duffy, there is no reason you have to partake in Duffy madness, but for those with a softspot for cute and cuddly characters, he is a welcome friend.

As ZannaLand reported earlier last week, Duffy merchandise will be plentiful in World Showcase. Here are the Duffy Fast Facts, as discovered Saturday: