Suzannah Otis

Sunday Readin’ April 18 2010

18 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Tronorail tron monorail — Tronorail - the TRON themed Monorail pulls into Epcot. photo ©Alex Goldman

This week was not short on wonderful Disney blog posts, so let’s get right to it and share a few that caught my eye – much like the fun new look of the Epcot monorail line caught my eye last weekend! Many thanks to Alex Goldman for the use of his photos here on ZannaLand.

Before we jump in though, let me officially announce here that ZannaLand is available in a mobile version at m.zannaland.com! If you are connecting on your phone, it should switch over to the mobile version, but if not (or if on an iPhone) you can just type in m.zannaland.com and it’ll show you the mobile-friendly version. Enjoy!

The Main St. Gazette gave us some eye candy in the form of POP icons found at one of my children’s favorite resorts, Pop Century – as reported by Tony Caggiano. Then editor-in-chief Ryan Wilson shares a bit of the rich story behind a feathered friend who’s found a new home with a new sort of “adventurer” – Vinylmation collectors.

Meanwhile over on the DisneyFoodBlog, guest author and noted creator of ThemeParkMom.com, Leigh Caldwell, gives her review of the new menu now appearing at the Studio Catering Company in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Then AJ shares a mind-bender of a Disney food photo quiz – can you guess the location of all of these Disney dining-related photos?

Amanda Tinney shares a wonderful cast member experience that I was lucky enough to be a part of too. Our server, Mandy from the 50’s Prime Time Cafe featured at one of made it a meal to remember, in more ways than one. Speaking of that dinner, I almost forgot the fun review that our friend John (aka Chef Big Fat Panda) posted on The Disney Food Blog! Amanda also shares a fun video of the colorful new Spring merchandise available in the Parks. I know there’s an item or two I need to pick up in that group!

Finally there is a wonderful review over on Progress City, USA of the film Waking Sleeping Beauty {you can view the trailer here}. Michael Crawford‘s review makes me even more excited to see this film, I cannot wait until I can do so.

…

Before you run off to read all those fun articles – I have a winner to announce! The Project Future book giveaway recipient was determined using random.org. There were 18 entries and lucky number 9 was the winner – Charles Aguillon! Congratulations, Charles – I just know you’ll enjoy reading Project Future. Thanks again to Mr. Emerson for providing the giveaway, which did not affect my prior review in any way.

Stay tuned for future giveaways including an exciting prize back from a Mr. Lou Mongello – you may have heard of him. 😉

Happy reading!

Disney Dooney & Bourke CRUISE Edition!

15 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 13 Comments

Well what to my wondering eyes should appear – a brand NEW Disney Dooney & Bourke design! That’s right folks, the Disney Parks Blog just released a fabulous new picture showcasing the all-new Dooney & Bourke design – exclusive to the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic ships.

This design is similar to the first Disney Dooney & Bourke sketch print, but this time our favorite Disney Cruise Line icons are featured. Check out the new handbags and purses below:

Disney Dooney & Bourke Cruise Line — The Disney Dooney & Bourke co-branded Disney Cruise Line print handbags

I know I won’t be able to get one of these Disney Cruise Line prints any time soon, but if any of my readers are headed on a Disney Cruise soon – please let me know! 😉 Thanks to Disney and Dooney & Bourke for keeping the excitement and buzz going on this great collaboration!

UPDATE: Scouring ebay has provided news of a NEW Disney Cruise Line Dooney & Bourke wristlet style in 3 colors – red and navy, navy and red, and yellow and navy:

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

*ShopDisney.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!

Meet Your Walt Disney World Moms Panel – Anna S

14 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

This is now the 6th week of the Meet Your Moms Panel series and we are ready to get to know Anna S. These informal interviews are meant to be a jumping off point from the bios that appear on the DisneyWorldMoms.com site where you can learn about every panelist’s background and experience with Walt Disney World, and see their personal videos as well. Once you check them out there, you can get to know the panelists a little better here!

The Walt Disney World Moms Panel {image ©Disney}

If you have not had the pleasure of meeting Anna, you may not realize it, but your life is not complete. Prior to meeting her at the December Moms Panel training trip, I had started to follow her on twitter and facebook and got to know a bit of her incredible sense of humor. In person (like me) she is actually very soft-spoken and quiet, so I also instantly felt connected with her since most of the other moms expected me to live up to my twitter persona of being a crazy person. 😉 What you might not realize is that behind Anna’s hysterical stories and way with words, is that she has a heart bigger than all 42 acres of the Walt Disney World Resort. She is one of the most caring, compassionate and giving people I have ever had the pleasure and honor of meeting. I know you’ll love her just as much as I do:

Sunday Readin’ April 11 2010

11 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

buzz at pizza planet — photo ©Alex Goldman

Welcome to the second Sunday in April (I almost wrote August there, oops)! It’s been another exciting week in the world of Disney blogs, and I’m about to share some of my favorite articles. But first, I’d like to invite everyone to check out the wonderful links on the Your Disney Community tab on ZannaLand. There are some great places to get your Disney fix and discover something new!

In addition, if you missed the articles on ZannaLand this week be sure to check out my interview with AJ Wolfe of Disney Food Blog fame, Disney Moms Panelist Erin Foster’s report on Disneyland Paris, and my review and giveaway for Chad Emerson’s Project Future.

And finally…my good friend Amanda Tinney has decided to turn the tables and put the Meet Your Moms Panel spotlight on me…but YOU get to ask the interview questions. Head over to DisneyEveryDay.com and ask a question, which Amanda and I will get together and share the answers to in the near future. Oh, I almost forgot – Amanda also let me share my take on the new D-Street Vinylmation shop in Downtown Disney’s West Side, so check out the pictures and news there too!

Now, onto the Disney articles that caught me eye this week:

First, whether you are on twitter or not, you must do yourself a favor and check out Scott Otis‘ twitpics of his adventures in Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. He’s sharing some amazing pictures and updates with all of us – Thanks Scott!

The official Disney Parks Blog tells us all about the new adults-only dining option on the upcoming Disney Dream cruise ship – Remy – after the famous culinarily-gifted rodent from Ratatouille.

Then head on over to the Main St. Gazette for a great interview with Ridley Pearson of Kingdom Keepers fame. While you’re there, take a look at the great collection of Official Walt Disney World Transportation Cards – how cool!

If you’re looking for even more (and constant!) Disney stories from around the world – don’t forget DisMarks.com and be sure to submit your favorite stories there to keep the updates growing strong!

Happy Sunday!

Project Future, The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Walt Disney World

9 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 25 Comments

Though I may not be able to rattle off names, dates and facts as succinctly as some Disneyphiles, my love of all things historical within the Walt Disney Company is no less great. So I was quite excited when I was given a copy of Chad Denver Emerson‘s new book entitled Project Future, The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Walt Disney World, Ayefour Publishing, 2010, which details the events, meetings and plans that led to the creation of Walt Disney World – known at its start as simply Project Future.

Disney Parks Discovery Series – Disneyland Paris Review from Erin Foster

8 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 6 Comments

Readers will have of course noticed that my primary focus here at ZannaLand is the Walt Disney World Resort. It is where I have enjoyed countless memories from childhood through present times. As much as I love everything about it, I also write about it because I have not had the good fortune to experience any of the other parks and resorts Disney has to offer. I hope to remedy this sad state of affairs as soon as I can but until that time, I figured I should not in turn, deprive you of the wonderful experiences out there. That’s where my friends come in.

I asked for some help in bringing an overview of the non-Disney World parks to my readers and first up is the lovely and intelligent Erin Foster, from the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, a self-admitted Disney Geek and in my opinion, a veritable font of Disney knowledge. Erin recently returned from her family’s first trip to the Disneyland Resort Paris. Once I got over wishing I could somehow stow away in their luggage, I asked her to share her experiences here with us. Je vous présente avec plaisir, Madame Foster!

Disney Online Honors Winner of PixieHollow.com Fairy House Design Contest

7 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

DISNEY ONLINE HONORS WINNER OF PIXIEHOLLOW.COM FAIRY HOUSE DESIGN CONTEST

Winning Design Revealed During Special Celebration at 17th Annual Epcot® International Flower and Garden Festival

WALT DISNEY WORLD® RESORT – LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – April 7, 2010 – Disney Online announced today the winner of its “Design a Fairy House Art Contest,” which ran in February on the popular online world for girls, Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow (www.PixieHollow.com). The fairy house, inspired by 15-year-old winning designer, Zoe P., from Frazier Park, Calif., was revealed during a special ceremony on April 3 in the Pixie Hollow Garden at the 17^th Annual Epcot® International Flower and Garden Festival. Zoe and her family were in attendance to celebrate the momentous occasion, as the fairy house will be on display for the duration of the festival.

Meet Your Walt Disney World Moms Panel – Dannée N

7 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

In this 5th week of the Meet Your Moms Panel series, we meet Dannée N. These informal interviews are meant to be a jumping off point from the bios that appear on the DisneyWorldMoms.com site where you can learn about every panelist’s background and experience with Walt Disney World, and see their personal videos as well. Once you check them out there, you can get to know the panelists a little better here!

I have a special place in my heart for Dannée, because she was one of the first two moms I met during our December Moms Panel training trip and boy did she make me feel welcome and at ease. She just oozes fun, personality and humor. I also had the pleasure of getting together twice recently when her family was visiting Walt Disney World and then Tampa. Our families were able to meet and interact and just have a general great time. {Who doesn’t bond over cheesecake?!} I consider myself so lucky to know Dannée – and now you will be too:

Meet the Foodie Behind the Disney Food Blog-Interview with AJ Wolfe

6 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 28 Comments

mickey waffles — For those of us on twitter and facebook, this is how we recognize AJ 😉

When first stumbling upon the Disney fan-site blog-o-sphere, one site stood out and instantly became a favorite. That would of course be the Disney Food Blog. I know I am not alone in loving this site and the wonderful person behind it, AJ Wolfe. It’s funny that since AJ has chosen to be for the most part completely anonymous on the internet, I actually spent the first 6 months or so I communicated with her, thinking she was a he! I actually think that’s a great testament to the power of her factual reporting and her blogging prowess. Of course, when I was lucky enough to meet AJ in person back in February, she couldn’t be a more stereotypically sweet and ladylike Southern lady! {Even though she’s technically a New Yorker, having only relocated to Texas a year ago – she’s just that charming!}

AJ was kind enough to let me post as a guest author on her site back when I was just getting started, and I appreciated that so much. Many of my blogging friends have contributed to her site as well, once again proving that there is no end to wonderful Disney food topics! I thought it’d be fun to get to know AJ a little better and discover some of the background behind her passions. So without further ado, here’s AJ —

Easter Sunday Readin’ April 4 2010

4 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

For those celebrating either at church or with copious amounts of chocolate and marshmallow bunnies, I hope you can take some time out to enjoy some great posts from the world of Disney blogging this past week:

Tokyo Disneyland Easter Parade {Photo courtesy of cafetricot on flickr}

Via @DisneyKing6785 – check out these amazing photos of Easter happenings in Tokyo Disneyland!

Amanda Tinney at DisneyEveryDay.com clues us in to the What is Vinylmation Jr. Quest with great photos and info about the newly released mini-creations.

In the “what if” category check out these thoughtful posts: from MainStreetGazette.com, friends wax poetic on what they’d like to see in the home of the Adventurers Club and in the wish-it-wasn’t-an-April-fools-joke department John Frost at TheDisneyBlog.com gives us a whopper of a press release for upcoming Disney plans.

From the Official Disney Parks Blog – Dara Trujillo tells us to check out the dates for an upcoming Ridley Pearson book signing to celebrate the release of the third entry to his Kingdom Keepers saga – Kingdom Keepers III – Disney in Shadow. Lastly, Jonathan Frontado shows us the amazing treatment Animator’s Palate restaurant will receive on the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Dream.

Thank you DisneyFoodBlog {who should really just get a permanent spot here on Sundays since there are just too many great posts to choose from!} for the reminder about the DisMarks Disney Blog Carnival! Head over there for some great reads all about Disney.

Whatever you celebrate, have a wonderful Sunday! See you next week!