Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment

Most ICONIC Disney Foods – Up the Waterfall Podcast Episode 37

26 August 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Other than the attractions and music, the other main component of a Disney Parks experience has to be the food. Over the years, some items have become instant classics, while others have stood the test of time and become truly, iconic. This week on our Up the Waterfall show, we discuss as many of these classics as we can, without becoming a 3 hour discussion. I initially made a list of iconic Disney foods and thought I’d gotten them all, but I soon learned I’d forgotten some, and even after we finished, I realized even more that I’d missed.

Enjoying a Disneyland Corn Dog (when I wasn’t a vegan!)

This show was a fun one to record, and I think it will spark lots of discussion about what YOU think should be on the “Iconic Disney Foods” list. What I realized while naming our favorites was that some items become classics because of how they are themed to their surroundings, like Tonga Toast in the Polynesian Resort, or Dole Whip in Adventureland. Still others are classics due to their simplicity, like popcorn, Mickey Premium Bars, and Mickey pretzels.

Epcot Germany pretzel — Gio enjoying a pretzel bigger than his head!

As time has marched on, the days of instagram and live video have taken over. Some menu items have been created solely for their photogenic nature. We discuss that too, and whether or not that helps or hinders their acceptance into “icon status.” A cupcake may make an adorable insta-photo, but will you want to buy it more than once like a classic corn dog or Dole whip? These are the questions we must ask ourselves! You’ll have to listen in or watch to see what made our list, and if we forgot any of your favorites. Watch the show below:

We definitely will continue this discussion into our Up the Waterfall LIVE! show, this Thursday, August 27. We are planning to broadcast that and all future shows on our Zannaland facebook page and our Zannaland YouTube channel. That way you’ll have options to tune in to whatever’s easier for you, and of course, rewatch later. We hope to see you at either spot as we share the latest Disney news, discuss more of our favorite foods, and play some fun games. We’ll also choose a winner from our Maleficent ears giveaway on our instagram. See you there!

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:

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

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

2020 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Merchandise Preview

25 August 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Along with the newest Disney Dooney & Bourke 2020 Epcot Food & Wine Festival bags, some new merchandise was revealed today. Lucky for purple-hearted people like me, this include LOTS of Figment designs! This was from a media preview today, so I don’t have all the pricing, but this gives you an idea of what your “must-haves” may be for this upcoming Festival, which starts September 1, 2020.

I really love almost all of the designs, and it’s usually hit or miss for me. The designs, and the styles of merchandise really seem to check off all the boxes. Scroll through the gallery below and see what your favorites are. You can enlarge any photo by clicking on it. Thanks to Brooke G. McDonald on instagram for her photos from the event today.

Disney Dooney and Bourke Epcot Food and Wine 2020 — Disney Dooney & Bourke 2020 Food & Wine designs

Epcot Food and Wine 2020 merch — Adorable Figment merchandise

2020 Epcot Food & Wine merchandise — More Figment merch

Any favorites? I don’t know if I can pull them off, but I kind of love those leggings!! I will definitely have to pick up quite a few Figment items. At the very least the long-sleeve shirt. Well enough about ruining my wallet, share your picks with me in the comments below or let me know on social media! You can follow me here:

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

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

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

2020 Disney Dooney & Bourke Epcot Food & Wine Festival Designs

25 August 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Hey there folks! Remember when I used to post all the latest and greatest Disney Dooney & Bourke bag designs? So much has happened since I was able to keep up with that and it’s gone from a handful of designs to seemingly hundreds, with new purses for each festival, new film, character and more! I am going to return to my roots here and make every attempt to keep up with these latest and greatest designs. Of course, there are now so many other partnerships now as well, Coach, Vera Bradley, Loungefly, etc. and I’ll do my best to keep up with those too. That said, let’s jump right back into it with the very newest Disney Dooney & Bourke designs for the 2020 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival!

Right now, EPCOT has reopened with limited hours, and a sort of mix of the Flower and Garden and Food and Wine food booths, called the Taste of Epcot. The Food and Wine Festival is returning, and will begin on September 1, 2020. With it of course comes new Festival merchandise items! We’ll have those in a separate Epcot Food & Wine Festival Merchandise post.

This Festival will of course be very different, with the global pandemic of Covid-19 still in play. Mask and social distancing requirements, and Park Pass reservations needed to even get into EPCOT in the first place. We will leave it up to you to decide when the time is right to return to the parks. I will say some of my family members and friends have returned and been very impressed with the safety measures in play. It really does depend on the guests, the number of guests, and the cast members ability to enforce the rules, so your mileage may vary.

Disney Dooney & Bourke 2020 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival designs will appear later in September. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we see they have arrived, along with pricing. Here are the three designs we now know about, with thanks to Brooke G. McDonald on instagram and Chip & Co. for the use of their photos (click to enlarge any photo):

Don’t forget to check shopDisney.com for sales of select current released Disney Dooney & Bourke purses and peruse Zannaland’s Disney Dooney & Bourke page with the original lineup of handbag photos and info.

Merchandise Hotline number for Walt Disney World Resort: 407-363-6200 or 407-828-1451.

*DisneyStore.com links are affiliate links. That means it costs you nothing extra to click or buy but if you do, I get a small commission. Thanks for reading!

The History of Little Orange Bird at Walt Disney World – Up the Waterfall Episode 36

19 August 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

This week we delve into one of my favorite topics: the unique and fascinating story of the Little Orange Bird and his residence at Walt Disney World. Much like Figment showing up in all the EPCOT festival merchandise, Orange Bird is now found all over the parks and resorts, when just 8 years ago, he couldn’t be found anywhere.

Back in the late 1960’s, Walt Disney World was still in its planning stages. Disney was working to obtain sponsorships from various corporations who wanted to be involved in the new park. With those sponsors came the opportunity to be affiliated with a particular attraction, show, or restaurant. The Florida Citrus Commission closed a deal with Disney on October 22, 1969, underwriting a “tropical bird show” for $3 million.

Original Sunshine Pavilion — Image courtesy of MrThemeParkAudio

That “tropical bird show” of course became the Sunshine Pavilion, which included the Tropical Serenade (or Tiki Room) and with it the Sunshine Tree Terrace, serving the soon-to-be-famous Orange Swirl, among other citrus delicacies.

Disney company marketing maven Vince Jefferds came up with the Orange Bird idea and developed the backstory, which would be released in book form, with an accompanying record with six songs penned by the renowned Sherman brothers. Bob Moore, the designer who handled many special projects for the Disney Company including the Walt Disney postage stamp and the eagle mascot for the 1984 Olympic games, came up with the character design for the Little Orange Bird.

On this week’s episode of Up the Waterfall, we discuss all things Orange Bird, from his inception to appearances in the park, and reappearance 8 years ago. We hope you’ll join us for this citrus-filled discussion and memory sharing of the adorable little bird with an orange for a head. You can also read my article on the Return of Orange Bird from when he first reappeared at the Sunshine Tree Terrace back in 2012.

Do you have memories of the Little Orange Bird? Are you a Citrus Swirl fan? Or is it Dole Whip all the way? Let us know! Join in the discussion at Facebook.com/UpTheWaterfall or any of the places listed below. Thank you as always for listening or watching! If you enjoyed – please share with a friend you think may enjoy 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!

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.

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

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

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

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

Top Reasons You NEED to Visit Disneyland – Up the Waterfall Episode 32

22 July 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Disneyland recently celebrated its 65th anniversary, and we thought we’d mark the occasion with a podcast episode sharing all the reasons why we love Disneyland park so much. This episode is an expansion of my Disneyland Difference post from the 60th birthday celebration. Now Scott can add his 2 cents and I can elaborate on my feelings 5 years later. Together we share the reasons why WE love Disneyland so much, and why you MUST visit if you haven’t yet.

Disneyland Christmas birthday — The first holiday visit we mention on the show, for my birthday!

Throughout the episode, we take turns sharing our top 5 picks for what makes Disneyland stand out above other theme parks. It’s sort of a top 10, but we lost count so it may be a top 17? You’ll have to watch and listen and count. Whether it’s the music, the atmosphere, the history swirling around you, the attractions themselves, or the cast members you encounter, Disneyland is just different.

We hope you enjoy watching or listening, and please, share your favorite reasons with us below or wherever you’d like the share a comment with us. Did we forget something in our lists? Did you disagree with any of our picks? Let us know!

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our LIVE show, starting Monday, August 3, 2020. We’ll be broadcasting live from the Zannaland facebook page, so be sure you are following along there and like the page to be notified when we go live!

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.

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

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

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

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

History of EPCOT Center’s World of Motion – Up the Waterfall Episode 31

10 July 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

We have now polished off 30 episodes of our passion project – Up the Waterfall podcast! To mark this milestone, we decided it was time to bring in a guest to share some further insight and commentary. After covering our personal memories and EPCOT Center’s history back on episodes 5 thru 9 (be sure to check them out if you haven’t already watched or listened), we thought it was time for our first “deep dive” into one of the original EPCOT Center attractions: the World of Motion. Who better to help us navigate the history of this great attraction, than EPCOT Center fan, historian, and generally great guy, Michael Crawford.

For those unaware, Michael has been sharing his love and historical facts regarding the original Walt Disney World Resort, EPCOT Center, and more, on his Progress City, U.S.A. blog for years. He also has had a great presence on the original “Disney twitter” where is how I personally came to know him. We shared fond and obscure memories of our time in the parks when we were just tiny fans.

Additionally, Michael has presented at D23 events such as the EPCOT 30th Anniversary Celebration and written the Progress City Primer, all about the creation of the Walt Disney World Resort. We are very grateful to have Michael join our modest podcast, and the timing is great, because he’s just recently started up his own Progress City Radio Hour podcast after a short 10-year break in between episodes 3 and 4. We urge you to check it out for more great discussions with Michael and his brother Jeff Crawford.

In this episode, we take a quick rundown of our favorite bits and pieces of the iconic World of Motion. We then take a deep dive into this original EPCOT Center attraction; including its storied history reaching back to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. We then go over each section from boarding the ride vehicle to exiting the Trans Center. Michael shares some fun facts along the way so you may learn a thing or two as well.

Do you have memories of the World of Motion? We’d love to hear them below! Did you love the music, the sets, the animatronics? Or just checking out the new cars at the end of the ride? If you haven’t ever been on the ride, be sure to check out Martin Smith’s Ultimate Tribute video, which is the next best thing. We hope you enjoy this week’s episode! You can watch it below:

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 add it here!)

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.

ALL Disney Hotels RANKED! Up the Waterfall – Episode 29

22 June 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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!

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.

When Disney Met Jules Verne: Up the Waterfall Episode 27

8 June 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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.

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

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

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

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

Disney Parks Anniversary Celebrations – Up the Waterfall Episode 26

25 May 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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.

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

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

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney, @badgesickle
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney, @badgesickle
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

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

The Return of Up the Waterfall!

20 May 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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.

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

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

Twitter: @zannaland, @otisney, @badgesickle
Instagram: @zannaland, @UpTheWaterfall, @otisney, @badgesickle
Zannaland’s facebook page
Zannaland on YouTube
Listen to Up the Waterfall podcast, subscribe on iTunes, or watch Up the Waterfall on YouTube

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