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Photos From the Parks

A Closer Look at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Details

3 September 2021 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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Cast members were recently given preview days at the all-new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction over in EPCOT’s France pavilion. With that preview, they also got to enjoy the newest restaurant, La Creperie de Paris, which offers both quick service and table service options for crepes. We’ll share a look at all the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure details, including the new France pavilion expansion, and La Creperie too.

Get ready for a squeak preview of what you can enjoy when this area, ride, and restaurant officially open on October 1!

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

As you approach the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction, you will pass through this canopy, which signifies the transition from “real world” Paris to that of the Ratatouille movie setting, with more exaggerated details and animated style  of architecture.

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure fountain

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

At first glance, it looks like the streets of Paris, but a closer look shows whimsical drain pipes and chimneys you’d see in the animated film.

La Creperie de Paris

La Creperie de Paris exterior

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

Rich layered architectural details

La Cave d'Ego Remy's Ratatouille Adventure fountain

Anton Ego’s Wine Cellar!

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure vespa

You may recognize that scooter from the Ratatouille film!

Now let’s take a look at the entrance and queue details of the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride:

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure fountain

Click to enlarge any of the photos below and just hit the back arrow to return to the post:

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure queue

Time to ride the ride! We won’t share too many photos, but here are a few to give you an idea of what to expect on this 3-D trackless ride through Gusteau’s restaurant:

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure on ride

I will be experiencing this ride in person in the coming week at another Cast preview where guests are allowed, and a Passholder preview. I cannot wait! Be sure to follow along on @zannaland on instagram to see what I share from my visits!

You can also see inside, the full menu, and vegan options at La Creperie de Paris on our sister site, VeganDisneyFood.com.

La Creperie de Paris
La Creperie de Paris

What’s your favorite detail of this new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure area?

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, La Creperie de Paris, and the entire France expansion in EPCOT’s World Showcase opens October 1 as part of Walt Disney World Resort’s Most Magical Celebration on Earth. See you there! 

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Latest News, Photos From the Parks, Top Stories, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney details, Epcot, EPCOT details, EPCOT's France, France pavilion, La Creperie de Paris, Remy ride, Remy Ride area, Remy ride details, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Edible Art Easter Egg Display Will Amaze

21 March 2015 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015 I was scrolling through instagram and saw a photo in my feed of the penguin statue in the lobby of the Grand Floridian Villas (it just happened to be the fabulous @rbrent from the Disney Parks Blog!). I was about to double tap to like the picture (who doesn’t love penguins?), when I kept reading and saw that it said “(ps, this is made of chocolate!)” and I stopped and went “huh?” and re-looked at the photo. It was then that I noticed the giant bird cage in the background and said to myself, “oh! that’s the regular Grand Floridian lobby!” What I was seeing was one of the jaw-dropping creations made by Disney chefs for Easter on display around the main lobby. This is the fourth year that the Grand Floridian is showcasing these edible Easter egg works of art, and it’s hard to pick just one favorite. I headed over last night for a late dinner at the Polynesian to see the construction updates over there, and ended up at the Grand Floridian to see all the eggs first hand. I only wish I could also share the intoxicating chocolate scent that swirled around the displays. Heavenly.

Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015 The egg creations are placed in six different spots around the perimeter of the main lobby, with a few of them being accessible from all sides. Three of the displays are a bit hard to view from the back, but if you are visiting, do try to see them all, because many have incredible details on all sides. I’m not sure if perhaps they’ll rotate some of the eggs to give all of them a chance at being seen in full, but I’ve tried to capture them all here for you anyway, in case you can’t make it down in person. They definitely put me in the mood for Easter and Spring (and in the mood to see a few favorite Disney movies). Be sure to click on any image to see it larger – and let me know in the comments which one is your favorite (or favorites if you can’t decide like me!). The Easter Egg display will be up until April 10, 2015. Happy Spring to all – and thanks to the incredible bakers and pastry chefs at Disney for sharing their hard work with everyone.

 

Click to enlarge and view all:

Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Eggs 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015
Grand Floridian Easter Egg Display 2015

 

 

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Filed Under: Disney Holidays, Disney Resorts, Photos From the Parks, Walt Disney World Tagged With: chocolate art, Disney chef Easter eggs, Disney Easter eggs, Disney holiday displays, Disney Resorts, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, easter, Easter egg art, Easter eggs, Grand Floridian, Grand Floridian Easter egg display, Grand Floridian Easter eggs, sugar art

Behind the Gates at Disney’s Golden Oak: Private Resident Clubhouse

31 January 2014 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

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Continuing in the Golden Oak series, today we take a tour of the rest of the Summerhouse private resident clubhouse. Well, most of it. I’m saving the best for last. With Tyler’s lounge and Markham’s restaurant taking up most of the right side of Summerhouse, the left side contains the entertainment and recreation area and fitness center.

Golden Oak Summerhouse
The Resident Services office

As you enter Summerhouse, to the left is the Resident Services area, and straight ahead a little reception area with refreshments. Then to the left is the impressive great room style entertainment area and behind that, the locker rooms and gym. Let’s take a stroll…

[flickr_set id=”72157640323256244″]

What are your thoughts? Ready to move in? More soon, including the Golden Oak grounds and the impressive Triple R room. Don’t forget to check out the review of Markham’s restaurant if you missed it.

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Filed Under: Disney News, Photos From the Parks, Top Stories Tagged With: Disney Golden Oak, Golden Oak, Golden Oak clubhouse, Golden Oak private resident clubhouse, Golden Oak Summerhouse, Golden Oaks, summerhouse, Walt Disney, Walt Disney World

Nightime Magic at Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival

12 March 2013 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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The 20th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival has really outdone itself this year with the addition of dining and drinking options at 12 booths around the World Showcase. In addition, there are some special nighttime effects for many of the topiaries, making the Festival a must-visit, day and night. I was so enchanted by a few of these displays, I had to create a special post to share the photos I took at night. I hope you enjoy the gallery of nighttime magic at the Flower and Garden Festival!

Fab 5 topiaries at night

 

Click to enter a slideshow of the images below:

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival at night
The monorail station has projections of the Flower & Garden logo, flowers, and butterflies on the monorail track
Fab 5 topiaries at night
The fab 5 still look great at night
Mickey topiary at night
Mickey is ready for a BBQ
Pluto topiary at night
…and so is Pluto!
Phineas and Ferb topiary at night
Phineas and Ferb have color-changing LED lights around them
Tow Mater topiary at night
Tow Mater
Lightning McQueen topiary at night
Lightning McQueen
Epcot's Garden Retreat at night
The Garden Retreat is a lovely seating area, day or night
Tinker Bell topiary at night
Tinker Bell and Periwinkle are the hit of the nighttime gardens
Tinker Bell topiary at night
Color-changing LED lights at the base accent the green laser lights on the fairies
Tinker Bell topiary at night
I could spend all night here!
Tinker Bell topiary at night
Close-up of sparkly Tink
Oz the Great and Powerful Garden
The Oz garden sign looks wonderful at night
Monsters University topiary
The Monsters University scene looks just as great at night
Monsters University topiary
Mike Wazowski, with braces!
Monsters University topiary
Monsters University topiary
Monsters University topiary
Monsters University topiary
Monsters University topiary
Monsters University topiary
Monsters University topiary
Monsters University topiary
Sully’s back spikes
Monsters University topiary
I love the shadows cast by the Monsters University gate
Monsters University topiary
Close-up of monster hands
Moose in Canada pavilion at night
Lit up moose in the Canada gardens
Beauty and the Beast topiaries at night
Beauty and the Beast
Beast topiary at night
Beast is a little scary as a close-up!
Lotso topiary at night
Lotso looks very happy, but I’d watch out for him…
Lady and the Tramp topiary at night
Lady and the Tramp
China dragon topiary at night
The dragon in China spits mist
China dragon topiary at night
I think the dragon in China should be there year-round
Norway troll topiary at night
A friendly troll?

 

Oz garden poppies
Hand-blown glass poppies in the Oz garden are beautiful at night!

 

Which display is your favorite at night? Mine is definitely Tinker Bell and Periwinkle – the fairy music playing in the background is the perfect touch!

Make sure you see our other posts on the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival!

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Filed Under: Disney Special Events, Photos From the Parks, Top Stories, Walt Disney World Tagged With: China pavilion, Chinese dragon, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Epcot, Epcot at night, EPCOT Center, Epcot Flower and Garden 2013, Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, Epcot in Spring, Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Goofy, Italy pavilion, Lady and the Tramp, Lotso, Mickey Mouse, Mickey topiary, Mike Wazowski, Minnie Mouse, Monsters University, Night gardens, Norway pavilion, Norway troll, Periwinkle, Phineas and Ferb, pluto, Sully, tinker bell, topiaries, topiary, World Showcase

Instagram Lets You Create and Enjoy Insta-Disney!

4 February 2013 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

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Instagram zannaland It’s no secret that social media is an amazing way to connect with friends, make new friends, and in the case of bloggers, keep in touch with readers and reach new ones. The major networks are of course, Facebook, twitter, and most recently, Pinterest and tumblr have joined the mainstream. It may seem hard to keep up with all of the outlets out there, so you might decide to be a “Facebook person” or a “twitter person” much like people are dog people or cat people. (Have I mentioned I have a dog and a cat at home?) I do use both, but I will admit to having a definite preference toward twitter. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s much easier for me to follow along on twitter than Facebook’s ever-changing news feed format. I will always update my Facebook page with photos and links from posts here, and if I’m at an event, try to add more photos too. If you click on any of those photos, you’ll most likely see where they originate – Instagram.

Cinderella Castle clock While I’m confessing my social additions, I will shout from the Splash Mountain-top that I am completely addicted to Instagram. Perhaps more shocking, I actually got an iPhone a little over a year ago, predominantly because of wanting to use Instagram. Embarrassing? Maybe, but I own it. Taking photos is something I’ve always loved and Instagram is a great way to get those photos in neat little square packages, and, just for fun, add filters and frames to make the photos unique. Instagram gets a lot of flack online, among those who say “why do you want to make photos taken today look like they were taken in 1978” and complain that Instagram (and other photo apps) mess with a good thing by editing photos too much.

Tilt-shift Big Thunder by @otisney
This tilt-shift Big Thunder Mountain Railroad taken by @otisney on Instagram

 

Well, my personal opinion is that, as a local, I may have taken approximately 1971 photos of Cinderella Castle, and while it never gets old for me, I like to shake things up. Instagram and other photo apps make it easy and fun to focus on one castle spire, or close-up on the clock, do a tilt-shift of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, all sorts of FUN stuff. And, within the Instagram app lies a whole other community, connected by hashtags and common friends, of people that support and enjoy photos as much as you do. It really is a wonderful place. And you can in turn share the photos you create on Instagram over on twitter or Facebook or tumblr or even Flickr and Foursquare. It’s so easy. (And I mentioned fun, right?) One note of caution: many people feel like using social networks in the parks can lead to missing out on what’s going on around you. As someone who is guilty of that, I’ve come up with a sort of solution. I will take photos along the way, but still enjoy everything that’s happening and not get too engrossed in my phone. Then later, when we stop for a break, I’ll edit and post the photos then. It makes for a nice balance where you aren’t spending the entire visit with your head down in your phone.

Over time, I’ve downloaded quite the collection of photo editing apps, for making photos pop or adding some sparkles here and there, and it’s become quite an art form in its own right. Of course other times I just want to share a photo of my cat or my kids being silly. That’s the great part about Instagram, there are no rules. Another great part of the Instagram community are the hashtags, just like on twitter using a tag like this: #disney will allow you to find lots of other photos using that tag, and ensure your photo is seen by more people. It’s also fun to go back and look at hashtags later on and relive the memories you created. My friends, family and I have taken to using “#widdlebabygio” every time we post a photo of my youngest – just looking back on that set of photos puts a huge smile on my face. The use of hashtags then leads to other fun stuff, like photo challenges.

Characters in Flight balloon

Characters in Flight balloon

Prince Eric's Castle

WhimsicalDisneyGram Many people on Instagram start monthly photo-a-day challenges encouraging folks to use their creativity and be committed to posting at least one photo a day, based on the daily topic. This of course branches out into various fandoms, and the Disney fandom on Instagram is huge. My very sparkly and also Instagram-addicted friend, Nicole, from SparklyEverAfter.com and I came up with our very own photo challenge, and this month we’re focusing on the whimsical aspects of Disney (or anything else, you won’t get scolded for using other subject matter!).

Our hashtag for this challenge is #WhimsicalDisneyGram and there you can see all of the daily topics and the photos participants have created. February just started and we’ve already seen some amazing content! So if you haven’t tried Instagram before, give it a go, you just may fall in love! And if you’re already up there, look me up – I’m @zannaland, Nicole is @sparklynicole and you’ll find so many other Disney friends there too! Nicole and I would love to have you take part in our February photo adventure, with more to come each month! No pressure, just drop in and out as you please, and have fun!

I hope to see you ‘gramming soon!

 

Sunset on World of Motion

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Filed Under: Disney Planning, Photos From the Parks, Top Stories, Video Games and Apps Tagged With: #whimsicaldisneygram, android, disney community, Disney parks, Disney photos, Disney pictures, Disney social networking, Instagram, Instagram at Disney, iphone, Nicole Siscaretti, photo apps, Photo challenges, photo editing apps, Photo-a-day, photos, social networks, SparklyEverAfter

PHOTO TOUR of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights!

13 December 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Walking around the corner at Disney’s Hollywood Studios onto New York Street and seeing the overwhelming amount of holiday lights displayed at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is one of those must-do moments for me, that takes my breath away every year. If I could figure out a way to move into one of those Brownstones on the street, I would pack up in a heartbeat. Heck, I’d even live above the T.P. Tree! 😉 It is such a gift that Disney gives us each year, the beautiful lights, the music, a way to pause and enjoy the wonder and spirit of the season. It’s impossible not to go home happy.

I have so many wonderful memories tied into these lights – with my dad, who loved them as much as I do and loved the Studios too, my mom, as we tear up remembering the times with my dad, my older kids when they were little – I can still picture my now almost-14-year-old son sitting in his stroller, reaching his hand out to catch the “snow” as it fell, and now my youngest gets to experience it all as well and more and more memories are made each year. The past few years I’ve added memories with friends and other locals too. It’s just such a great place to wander and hang out. No parades or fireworks to line up for, just relax and enjoy the sights and sounds that envelope you at every turn.

So without further ado, lets take a look at some highlights from my most recent visit:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Tree
Sid Cahuengas is always ready for Christmas!
One of my favorite Disney holiday displays!
My attempt to emulate Tom Bricker 😉
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Santa!
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Ooh, a black cat!
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Fireplace with stockings
Fireplace without stockings!
The T.P. Tree
The infamous Toilet Paper Tree!
Crowds love The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Spectacle of Dancing Lights
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
The canopy is the best
City Hall
City Hall with Mickey and Minnie lights
Santa Goofy is on hand for photos
Merry Christmas!
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
The big tree!
Peace on Earth!
Still more canopy!
Canopy in motion!
And even more canopy!
Canopy from afar!
Santa and the tree!
So pretty!
Santa and snow!
Blue canopy (yes, I guess I went overboard with canopy shots)
Looking up from next to the canopy.
Cannot get enough of the canopy!
The colors here are so pretty!
I loved this tiny pink hidden Mickey
Can I move in now?
The nativity is beautiful…
Goodnight from Hollywood Studios!

 

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Filed Under: Disney Holidays, Photos From the Parks, Theme Park Holiday Events, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Christmas lights, colors, dancing lights, Disney, Disney Christmas, Disney holidays, Disney photos, Disney snow, Disney's Hollywood Studios, extreme Christmas lights, holiday lights, hollywood, hollywood studios, lights, manger, music, nativity, osborne family, Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Photo Tour, Santa Goofy, SODL, spectacle, Spectacle of Dancing Lights, spirit of the season

Inside the Chase Visa Lounge at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival

4 November 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Chase is one of the main sponsors of Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, and this year they are offering something special for Chase cardholders. Located behind the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience, the lounge is reserved exclusively for Chase debit and credit Cardmembers. Simply show your card to a Cast Member for access. Inside, cardholders can enjoy a refreshment or just relax between trips around the World Showcase for the 17th annual Food and Wine Festival.

Chase Visa Lounge Epcot
The Chase Visa Lounge

 

Chase Visa Lounge Epcot
Refreshment area

The stripes giveaway that this was once part of the whole circus theme enjoyed by the VIP lounges within the former Wonders of Life pavilion. The circus colors may have been toned down here and in the Wonders VIP lounge and Carousel Room upstairs, but they stand as a reminder of what once was at EPCOT Center.

 

Chase Visa Lounge Epcot
Comfy couches! (With former Senator Mel Martinez!)

 

Chase Visa Lounge Epcot
Electronics charging station

 

Chase Visa Lounge Epcot
Interactive touch screen Food and Wine Festival map

This is a wonderful addition to the Festival and, I hope, one that returns each year. It’s the perfect combination of what every guest wants, a free drink, a place to charge your phone, and a comfy chair in the air conditioning. The interactive map was really fun to play with too. A+ to Chase and Disney!

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Disney Special Events, Photos From the Parks, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Chase lounge, Chase lounge Epcot, Chase Visa, Chase Visa lounge, Disney Visa, Epcot, Epcot Food & Wine Festival, Food and Wine Festival, Future World VIP lounges, VIP Lounge, VIP lounges of Epcot

Photo Tour of Be Our Guest Restaurant With Quick Serve Areas!

15 October 2012 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

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Be Our Guest Restaurant

Over the weekend, you may have seen the buzz about the Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland opening up with a “Dress Rehearsal” of its completed areas. I’ll have many more photos to come if you missed some of my Instagrams on Twitter or Facebook, but I thought I’d start with some of the Be Our Guest Restaurant, since it is such a highly anticipated new dining location and boy, does it live up to its hype as far as appearances go.

The Walt Disney Imagineers have done an amazing job of bringing the classic Beauty and the Beast animated movie we all know and love, to life. We see familiar creatures and architectural details as well as some new interpretation of how Beast’s home would look. The details and tiny surprises are just perfect and will provide hours of enjoyment as something new is discovered each visit.

Be Our Guest Restaurant opens to the public on November 19. You can find menu info and more over at The Disney Food Blog.

 

See the wonder for yourself:

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Be Our Guest Restaurant sign – you can see Gaston’s Tavern on the background on the right

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Be Our Guest Restaurant menu board outside – this was for lunch items

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
A hunched gargoyle offers a sharp contrast to the beautiful waterfall and vistas behind him. All part of the amazing envelopment into the Beast’s enchanted castle area.

 

New Fantasyland
The mountains and cascading waterfall are just breathtaking.

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Beast’s coat of arms on the gate to the restaurant

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Amazing Be Our Guest Restaurant entrance, carved into the mountain-side and guarded by mythical beastly creatures

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
The door guards at Be Our Guest Restaurant

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Close-up of the door guards outside of Be Our Guest Restaurant

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
These windows flanking the front doors are really the only stained glass in the restaurant, but it casts a lovely glow as the sun streams in.

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Be Our Guest Restaurant archway to the dining area

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
More Be Our Guest Restaurant details – the top of the hallway leading to the West Wing

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
An unhappy minotaur keeping the columns up

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Another unhappy-looking minotaur holds up a column in the entryway

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
I absolutely love this interior window in the entryway, which offers a lovely view of the elegant hallway inside the “ballroom” of the dining area. One of my favorite details.

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
The ballroom does not disappoint with its chandeliers and windows to the snowy French mountainside (yes, it’s really snowing back there!)

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Another view of the dining room with painted ceiling and chandeliers

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Be Our Guest Restaurant hallway – see the doorway to the right?

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
A sneak peek into the Quick Serve counter area in Be Our Guest Restaurant

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
Another look at the Be Our Guest Restaurant menu boards

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
The Quick Serve hallway, the screens will show menu items before you go through the doorway to order

 

Be Our Guest Restaurant
The Belle and Beast mosaic tile work in this alcove is a perfect photo opportunity, and ties in with the mosaics inside the Cinderella Castle walkway down the road a piece.

 

I hope you enjoyed the photo tour, I’ll have many more photos of New Fantasyland to come in the next few days. The photos above are free to share, but if you do, please provide a link back to zannaland.com. Thank you!

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Filed Under: Disney Dining, Disney News, Photos From the Parks, Walt Disney World Tagged With: architectural details, Be Our Guest Counter service, Be Our Guest dinner, Be Our Guest lunch, Be Our Guest photos, Be Our Guest Quick Serve, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Beast's castle, Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast restaurant, coat of arms, disney imagineers, dress rehearsal, enchanted castle, fantasyland, gargoyle, Magic Kingdom, menu board, New Fantasyland, restaurant menu, Walt Disney World, waterfall, WDW

Little Mermaid Section Photos & Review at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

20 September 2012 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

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On my recent tour of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, I also checked out the newest area, the Little Mermaid section. These rooms are the traditional “value” rooms seen in other resorts, not the family suites or “value plus” experience found in the Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King buildings. The rooms here start at $94/night vs. the $248/night starting price for the family suite rooms. Having noted that, when I visited the Little Mermaid section, I was a bit disappointed – relatively speaking.

Disney's Art of Animation Little Mermaid buildings
Giant Dinglehopper awaits you!

On its own, the Little Mermaid fits right into the All-Star and Pop-themed buildings. However, down the road from the Cars buildings, there is just no comparison. Here we are met with giant and I mean GIANT characters and props from the film. When you first walk in, you have two photo ops, a very over-sized Dinglehopper and an even larger Snarfblat. Sure, they are familiar icons from the film, but why so big? Does this mean we have been shrunk to krill-size creatures upon entering this area? That would be plausible if we didn’t then happen upon the statue of Prince Eric which Ariel keeps in her grotto. It is slightly over-sized, but for the most part, on par with how it looks in the movie. Then to your right is a behemoth-sized Ursula and an equally towering King Triton. It is almost impossible to make characters that huge not look deranged somehow…and these are no exception. Also, with no interior doors and hallways, the buildings are also covered with 2-D cut outs of fish from the film and bubbles, which are a far cry from the expertly themed buildings in the rest of the resort.

Again, I get that it’s in keeping with the super-sized theme that the other value resorts are known for, but when you feel actually immersed over in the Cars section, it’s just hard not to wonder what the other buildings would’ve been like with those same rules applied. Perhaps it is because the Cars section is so wonderful that it stands out on its own and is the one out of place. I will say that I enjoy the details that are present, like the ship’s mast and crows nest themed light posts along the walkways, and the attempt at a beachy/underwater landscaping mix. I would just personally prefer to stay in the Cars or Lion King section, were I to stay in this resort. We’ll see inside a Cars section room in a later post, and I’ll also discuss the dining options and other resort information in the coming weeks. Until then, with my opinions out of the way, let’s take a look at the Little Mermaid buildings:

[portfolio_slideshow]

What are your thoughts on the Little Mermaid buildings? Will you choose this section of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort over other value resort options?

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Movie News & Reviews, Disney Planning, Disney Resorts, Photos From the Parks, Reviews Tagged With: Art of Animation, Art of Animation review, cars section, dinglehopper, Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Finding Nemo, king triton, lion king, little mermaid, Little Mermaid building, Little Mermaid buildings review, Little Mermaid section, prince eric, snarfblat, super-sized Disney characters, ursula, value resort

Inside Disney’s Art of Animation Resort-Lion King Room Photo Tour

19 September 2012 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

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After my initial tour of Disney’s new Art of Animation Resort, which has opened in phases, the last two buildings, Lion King and Little Mermaid are now open. I thought I’d venture back over and tour the new areas to share here with you. In addition to the exterior of the Lion King and Little Mermaid buildings, I was able to tour a Cars and Lion King room. I’ll be sharing the other photos in subsequent posts, but for now, let’s check out a Lion King family suite and its surrounding buildings.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort Lion King
Hakuna Matata!

Before I share the photos, a quick note about all of the buildings at Art of Animation. When I first saw the property back in April, what I was most impressed with were the tiny details. In the Finding Nemo section, it was the landscaping, made to look like you were actually under the sea, along with things like the swim mask featured in the film, famously marked with “P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney”. The giant sea creatures were fun for the kids, but it was those details that really made the theming work for me. The rooms were also pretty and full of muted colors like you saw in the movie.

By far my favorite section was Cars. It was as if you were walking into a less-vast Radiator Springs. After visiting Disney California Adventure and seeing the “real” version of Cars Land, of course this area cannot compare, however it’s an excellent second place. What makes it so great is the perspective. You see the cars, properly-sized, as you would in the film and you feel as if you are a part of the town. The landscaping, again, is a key detail, painting a desert scene in keeping with Radiator Springs. You’ve got the Cozy Cone motel and other landmarks that are again, properly sized so it feels natural. The rooms inside are in keeping with this theme and, I think, a nice mix of racing vs. Radiator Springs decor. We’ll see photos of the rooms in an upcoming post.

The Lion King buildings sort of straddle the line between the over-sized Finding Nemo and (as we’ll also see in later) Little Mermaid rooms and the proper perspective of the Cars section. The Lion King statues are bigger than life-sized, but not so huge that it feels just silly and not at all realistic. I like the unique layout of the Lion King buildings, with the famous “Hakuna Matata” log that Simba, Pumba and Timon dance across in the movie and the Elephant Graveyard where the three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed are found. Of course all of the wonderfully detailed scenes are riddled with “Please Do Not Climb” signs, which will probably make this a battleground for cast members trying to protect guests and those guests hoping to get that really cool photo from their vacation. I do love the lush look of the building entrances and the overall fun but not too over-the-top theme of the Lion King buildings. Later I’ll discuss the Little Mermaid buildings and my thoughts on their theming. Now, onto the photos!

[portfolio_slideshow]

What do you think of the Art of Animation Resort in general? What about the new Lion King section? Share your favorite details in the comments below:

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Movie News & Reviews, Disney Planning, Disney Resorts, Photos From the Parks, Reviews Tagged With: Art of Animation Resort, Art of Animation tour, Cars building, Disney's Art of Animation, Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Lion King Building, Lion King room tour, Little Mermaid buildings, Photo Tour, value plus resort, value resort

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