Walt Disney World

Imagination By The Cup – Disney And Joffrey Flavors At Home

6 August 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Now this is the kind of partnership I love. Disney and coffee. Joffrey’s Coffee, which has had a presence at Walt Disney World since 1995 and is now served at many locations on both coasts, is now creating specialty coffee blends based on signature Disney parks and resorts restaurants. But more than just the coffee blends, which I’ll speak about in a moment, I love that Joffrey’s has taken the time and effort to create really unique and fun labels for the different coffee types. There are great descriptions for each type, showing they really know the restaurants they are featuring. In this day and age of mass-produced homogenized merchandise and souvenirs, it’s refreshing (on more than one level!) to see these new products with a unique look and taste.

The Disney Parks Blog reported earlier about the specialty coffees from Walt Disney World and Disneyland restaurants and resorts, but I know a little secret – there’s actually another coffee being produced for Markham’s restaurant in the Golden Oak community. The only catch with that is you have to be dining at Markham’s to enjoy that blend (one of the many benefits of residency!)

From Walt Disney World Resort, there’s a new coffee for Tusker House Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Wave … of American Flavors and California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Cítricos and Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, as well as Artist Point from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Jiko, and Flavors of Africa from Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and two blends from Flying Fish Cafe at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort: regular and espresso. At Disneyland Resort, both Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel have their own special coffees along with Carthay Circle from Disney California Adventure. In addition, there is a “French Bistro” blend in regular and decaf, which emulates the in-room coffee available at Disney resorts.

Is it bad that I want to try them all to figure out my favorites? The absolute best part is that you can order the 17 flavors above online and enjoy them year round! The vary from medium to full to dark roast with 100% specialty grade Arabica beans. Prices range from $12.95-14.95 for 16 oz and Joffrey’s offers free shipping for orders over $50 right now. These will make the perfect gifts for birthdays and holidays coming up too! I’d write more but I really have to head over and order some coffee right now. If you order and try any of the Joffrey’s Disney Parks & Resorts blends, I’d love to hear what you think!

NEW Club 33 Disney Dooney & Bourke Bag

4 August 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

This may just be the most exclusive of the Disney Dooney & Bourke bags to date – to coincide with the redesign of Club 33, a brand new Disney Dooney & Bourke has been added to the Club 33 logo merchandise items. This photo was graciously given to us by Ashley Matthau, friend and Disneyland and Club 33-lover extraordinaire. You can follow her on twitter and instagram. Thanks, Ashley! The bag sells for $195, and the Club 33 member must be present with membership card to purchase. but as for now, they are sold out. Hopefully more will come back in soon! Simple, classic Dooney & Bourke with a hang tag featuring the new Club 33 logo. Love it!

Here are two more photos of the hang tag and the interior thanks to my other friend Ashley who also purchased one! Thanks, Ashley! Follow her on twitter and instagram too!

In the mean time, if you’re wondering about the Club 33 refurbishment, my friend Amanda has a gorgeous set of photos over at her site, Where’s Amanda. I will definitely miss the old Club 33 but these new photos are just beautiful. Here’s a sneak peek at the photos you’ll find there:

NEW Disney Dooney & Bourke Buttons and Street Scene Bags at Disney Store

8 July 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

After the release of the latest design – Mickey and Minnie Street Scene right before the Marketplace Co-Op opened and Cherry Tree Lane began carrying the new styles, this print is now available in black straps at DisneyStore.com. I do believe these black strap styles are available in Disney Parks as well.

In addition, some new styles of the Buttons print are now available at the DisneyStore.com. I have not seen these in the parks, but I’ll keep an eye out for them. I love the new styles, which seem to be great parks bags, not too big and not too small. As always, we’ll update this post with any news we hear on additional prints or styles. Happy summer shopping!

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

*DisneyStore.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!

Rock Your Disney Side Heroes and Villains 24 Hour Party Details

16 May 2014 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

For the third year in a row, Disney Parks in the US are doing a 24-hour Disney day. Starting with Leap Day back in 2012, we all enjoyed “One More Disney Day” followed in 2013 by the Monstrous Summer Memorial Day 24 Hour Party. This year, we will all Rock Your Disney Side with the Heroes and Villains 24 Hour Party. Guests are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Disney hero or villain and enjoy 24 continuous hours in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom or the Disneyland Resort parks. The party will feature lots of Hero and Villain photo ops, entertainment and specialty food items as the parks stay open from 6am May 23 – 6am May24. Here’s a rundown of what to see, where to eat and what to do at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom:

Let’s start with the food! There are quite a few must-try options available only for the event, hopefully there are no cupcake overdoses! (All food photos ©Disney)

Rock Your Disney Side Cupcake – at the Main Street Confectionery, Big Top Souvenirs, or Prairie Outpost & Supply
Maleficent Cupcake, Frozen-themed Cupcake, & Olaf Carrot Cupcake – at the Main Street Bakery

Princess-themed Cupcakes – will be found at Gaston’s Tavern
Poisoned Apple Waffle Sundae – Sleepy Hollow

Poisoned Apple Shortcake Sundae – Storybook Treats

Olaf Sipper Cup with Specialty Beverage – found at Friar’s Nook and The Lunching Pad
Heroes and Villains-themed Cotton Candy – various locations at Outdoor Food carts

Mickey’s Kitchen Sink Sundae – at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (but I believe this is available normally now)

If 6am is too early to Rock Your Sweet Tooth, many dining locations will be offering a breakfast option on the morning of the 23rd or 24th depending on location. One of my favorite moments of last year’s event was having beignets at 5am in front of Cinderella Castle. Hoping for something to top that this year! For organization purposes, I put together a handy dandy table of what’s available:

Location Name:	Friday 5/23	Saturday 5/24	Hot Breakfast Served:
Main Street Bakery	yes	yes	breakfast sandwiches
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor	no	yes
Casey’s Corner	yes	yes	breakfast sandwich
Auntie Gravity’s	yes	no
The Lunching Pad	yes	yes	breakfast hot dog
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe	no	yes	breakfast sandwich
Cheshire Cafe	yes	no
Storybook Treats	no	yes
Friar’s Nook	no	yes
Pinocchio Village Haus	no	yes	breakfast flatbread pizza
Gaston’s Tavern	yes	yes
Liberty Square Market	yes	no
Sleepy Hollow	yes	yes	breakfast waffle sandwich
Columbia Harbor House	yes	yes	French toast sticks & bacon
Westward Ho	yes	yes
Pecos Bill’s	no	yes	breakfast sandwich
Sunshine Tree Terrace	yes	no
Aloha Isle	no	yes

As more information becomes available on other dining locations or times, I’ll of course update this post.

Entertainment options will offer a little something for everyone to enjoy:

Special Character Greetings will take place both Friday and Saturday – Disney heroes and villains will be making appearances around the park, check the Times Guide for more information.
Special Photo Opportunities both Friday and Saturday will be held at the Rose Garden and Rocket Tower Plaza.
Disney’s Up All Night Dance Party and Frontierland Dance Party will rock the night away starting at 2am and ending at 5:15am in Frontierland and 5:45am by Cinderella Castle.
Incredibles Super Movie Night will take place after the #IncrediblesSuperDanceParty! and show a screening of The Incredibles from 11pm – 5am.
It’s Good to Be Bad Villainous Celebration is a special night time parade with Disney villains taking place before the Main Street Electrical Parade at 10:45pm on Friday and 12:45am Saturday, along the usual parade route.
Kiss Goodnight – to culminate the 24 hour party, this farewell will happen at 5:50am Saturday morning at the Town Square Train Station.

Merchandise – in addition to all the food items above, a special Rock Your Disney Heroes and Villains Glow in the Dark T-Shirt and other Rock Your Disney Side items will be available at the Emporium.

Transportation to the parks from Disney resorts will begin 45 minutes prior to park opening and the monorail will end operations between the TTC and Epcot at 11pm.

Will you be rocking your Disney Side for 24 full hours? I know many think we must be crazy to stay in a park for that long, but the reason I love it is because it is the perfect way to experience the park as I want to; enjoying the scenery, landscaping and gardens, the quiet little nooks where you can just people watch and relax. I’d be happy not going on a single attraction, although I must admit, riding the Peoplemover in the wee hours of the morning is a must do. Hopefully we can get some rides in on the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train too if there are soft openings happening. The fact that Starbucks is there now is perfect too. If you do go, take some time to enjoy the aspects of the park that you would never normally see – sunrise over the Castle is a must. What are you most looking forward to experiencing? Let me know in the comments below!

Disney Dooney & Bourke “Street Scene” Bags Now Available!

13 May 2014 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Here is the long-awaited Mickey and Minnie “Street Scene” pattern from Disney’s Dooney & Bourke collaboration, first announced back in January on the Disney Parks Blog, to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Disney/Dooney & Bourke partnership. We thought we’d have to wait for Cherry Tree Lane to open within the Marketplace Co-Op at Downtown Disney/Disney Springs, but bags were spotted at Uptown Jewelers over the weekend, and I found these over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Keystone Clothiers. They were not in Tren-D or World of Disney as of last Saturday, but they may be in other locations throughout the parks as well, so keep an eye out!

According to the Disney Parks Blog,”the Disney Parks online store [affiliate link] will carry a color variation (red and black) of this pattern shown above at a future date.” The color sketch bags will only be released at the Marketplace Co-Op at Walt Disney World, and will be at Disneyland Resort and online at a future date. The bags are the pvc coated canvas and not the lighter-weight nylon that some styles come in.

Disney Dooney & Bourke Street Scene — Large Tote – $258

Will you be adding these to your collection?

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

*DisneyStore.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!

7 Reasons to Love the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

12 May 2014 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

A little over a week ago, I was treated to a sneak peek at the newest attraction in New Fantasyland, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I wanted to take some time to really put my feelings about this new gem into words, and share my thoughts with you. This much anticipated finishing touch on this new land was full of a contradictory mix of secrecy and hype for the last year or so. The Disney Parks Blog would tease us with Imagineer videos, ride vehicles and tiny tastes of what to expect with this next generation of hybrid dark ride and thrill ride, while keeping certain aspects behind walls and under wraps. But would this experience live up to its hype? Would the wait be worth it? And will the standby queue be worth it? My answer to all of those questions is a resounding heigh ho! And here’s 7 reasons why:

1. An Immersive Experience – And no, I don’t mean immersive queues, although this attraction does have a cool one. What I mean is themed lands, which take you out of the “hey, I’m in a theme park in Orlando” experience, and put you in a “wow, I’m in the middle of a fairy tale kingdom with mountains and forests and castles!” New Fantasyland has done that incredibly well, from walking in to an old timey circus with animal prints and peanut shells embedded into the ground, to a Provincial village with a castle looming above a mountain, to a beautiful little town square (that just happens to house some restrooms too). Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has given this new land depth, character and, yes, story. Now when you walk through the castle walls, you see the mountain, but not what’s within it. You are treated to foliage, sounds of wildlife, waterfalls, and the faint melody of miners singing a familiar tune in the distance. You are transported and have left the other lands of the Magic Kingdom behind.

2. Family Friendly Ride – I think many of us were wondering just how family friendly this attraction was going to be…Barnstormer? Big Thunder? What about the inside? What was going to happen in there? Well, I was really surprised by the ride itself. It starts off with an instant thrill, but it’s not too too fast, and the drops are not really steep or high. It is, in a word, fun. It makes you laugh, it makes you look around at all of the wonderful scenery, and it makes you want to ride again. The height requirement is only 38″, so it is on par with the “first coaster” that many little ones can experience. Depending on where you sit, it can be more thrilling or tame, but it’s not as fast or as “scary” as Big Thunder Mountain for those who consider that attraction scary.

3. A Million Diamond Mine! Even though the two couldn’t be more dissimilar, when we first traveled inside the mine, my mind instantly went to Radiator Springs Racers out at Disney California Adventure. It’s just jaw-dropping to see all of this beauty, hidden within the mountain. The animatronics are unique and incredibly movie-like, the colors and the lights of the gems are just overwhelmingly pretty. You’ll be singing along, and not wanting to leave the mine.

4. A Different Ride Every Time – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has a very high re-ride-ability factor. Mainly because, like most coasters, you have a different experience depending on whether you sit in the front, middle, or back section of the train. Other factors include how many people (and how heavy they are) are riding with you. When we first rode, it was pretty much solo, which didn’t do much for the swinging carts, or even the speed of the train. Later, we rode with a full car and the swinging carts was much more noticeable (but nowhere near the movement indicated in the cgi preview videos from back at the D23 Expo) and the train went much faster around curves. It felt like a completely different ride. And, much like riding Big Thunder at night, the experience on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at night is a whole other animal. Seeing the views of both Cinderella and Beast’s Castles at dusk and then at night are spectacular. And the final scene of the ride is much more visible at night too, so make sure you ride at different times of the day to choose your favorite.

5. Views Unseen Since the Skyway – Speaking of views, when was the last time we were able to see this side of Cinderella Castle from up this high? Yep, way back when the Skyway was running (one of my most beloved and missed attractions!). So I am thrilled to be able to see views like this again, even if it’s briefly before a drop on a roller coaster. The views over to Beast’s Castle are equally beautiful, and riding by a waterfall and then high on a straight bridge as if we are the dwarfs marching home, is such an enjoyable experience, it just makes you grin from ear to ear.

6. Interactive Queue – I mentioned above how Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has one, and it’s quite fun. Not quite as big as some of the other interactive queues in Magic Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has the benefit of being under cover of shade, which will be ideal in the middle of summer (or spring, or fall or winter for that matter!). There’s a little something for everyone here, and you can stay as long as you like before moving on to the last part of the queue.

7. Seven Dwarfs Love – One of the enduring take-aways from the Mine Train event was the simple fact that Disney -as a company, and we – as guests, are celebrating, honoring, and shining a light on Walt Disney’s first animated feature film, Snow White, 77 years later. That’s pretty spectacular when you think about it. A testament to the art and artistry found within the film, combined with the newest Imagineering designs and technologies. What a wonderful thing. While at the party that night – all the dwarfs were out for photos, and as I stopped to take photos with some of them, I really got a new appreciation for their individual personalities. It can sometimes be easy to discount older characters, or ones we see on t-shirts all the time. But when you really stop and think about it, we can all relate to one or two dwarfs, and they really do stand the test of time. I left for the evening with a new love for both the Seven Dwarfs as individual characters and Snow White as a movie. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a love letter to that film and its magic.

So to sum up, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a definite hit. It took a bit to grow on me as a ride, but once I experienced it at night, it won me over. The ride is smooth (you can barely hear the trains zooming by), swift, and beautiful with details everywhere and surprises around each turn. Whether young or old, it will be an instant must-do.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will officially open on May 28, but with cast members riding this week, I’m sure soft openings are just around the corner. If you’re visiting the Magic Kingdom this week, I’d keep checking!

Here’s my video of the full dedication ceremony:

Disclosure: As mentioned at the start, I was invited by Disney to preview this attraction. I was provided with special access to the attraction but my opinions and words are my own. All images within this post are ©Disney

Walt Disney World’s Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Preview

28 April 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train we go! The long-anticipated final jewel (pun intended) in the New Fantasyland crown is about to be complete. Local, national and international media and travel professionals will be descending on the Walt Disney World Resort in just a few days, to learn all they can about this new family roller coaster, as well as other news and updates from around the resort. Some of the other topics we may hear about include the latest updates to the My Magic+ system and Magic Bands plus what’s coming up this summer at WDW.

I’ve made a choice not to share too much of the attraction as it has been revealed. I know I will be wowed when I ride for the first time, and want you all to have that same experience first hand. With all of the whirlwind of activities coming up starting this Wednesday night, I thought it would be a good idea to have a landing page where you can find all of the updates from the events, and where to follow along with me. Feel free to add me at the following outlets if you don’t already:

Twitter: @zannaland – here is where my main updating will happen. It’s easiest for me to tweet news and tidbits, retweet other folks who are at the event or official accounts, and it’s also where all of my instagrams will be shared.

Instagram: @zannaland – this is the easiest (and most fun) way for me to share photos and short videos with you all. All instagrams will be shared to twitter and my facebook page as well.

facebook: zannaland – as above, all of my instagrams will be shared here, as well as future blog posts and videos from the events.

YouTube: zannaland – Any videos from the opening will be posted here

Check back here for updates, photos and more – and feel free to share, RT, like, or otherwise share the love that you see here! ♥

See you in the Mine!

Muppetational New Scavenger Hunt at Epcot for Muppets Most Wanted

9 April 2014 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

Over the weekend, I saw a friend on instagram post a photo of a new Muppets Most Wanted-themed scavenger hunt taking place around Epcot’s World Showcase. I grabbed the family and headed over to check it out, because if there’s one thing I love, it’s scavenger hunts, and the Muppets. Oh wait, that’s two things. Actually, there are hundreds of Muppets…so…if there are hundreds of things I love, they’re scavenger hunts and the Muppets! Anyway, I was excited to experience it in person.

We entered through the International Gateway to World Showcase, so I asked at the Agent P. kiosk where to find this Muppet adventure. We were told to head over almost to Mexico, so we did, with some pauses along the way for bunny-checks in Canada’s Victoria Gardens area (we couldn’t find any, so decided they were all inside the tiny cottage) , drooling over the Cronut counter (we were stuffed from Sanaa), and saying hello to Duffy. It’s quite easy to get happily distracted in World Showcase, especially with a 5 year-old in tow. Then we came upon a sign proclaiming it was the MBI – Muppet Bureau of Investigation, and we knew we were in the right place.

Muppet Bureau of Investigation — The sign-up area is located right next to the hydroponics booth for the Flower and Garden Festival, before the bridge to Mexico.

I decided to take photos to chronicle our entire Muppet mission – If you don’t want to read below, let me sum this attraction up for you in a few bullet points:

Easy to sign up for and get started (no waiting for a return time)
Two options for missions so you can choose a side of the World Showcase to cover (same end result)
Only takes about 20 minutes per side (3 country visits per side both ending in America)
Keeps the attention-span of small ones (pre-school through elementary would be perfect)
Perfect amount of interaction with a sense of accomplishment at the end
Muppets!

If you want to be surprised by the clues and the results of our quests, you may want to end your reading now…you’ve been warned! And now, There be spoilers (and evil frogs) ahead!

Okay, now the fun stuff. I LOVED this experience. Unlike the Agent P. adventures, there was not TOO much to do – it is the perfect amount of walking, activity and attention-span capturing for little ones and above. For older kids, sure, they may think it’s kind of easy, but it definitely looks like this temporary quest was some sort of testing to see how it goes. I think it is a great success and hope for more in the future. It is definitely less intrusive as far as beeping, talking cell phones in Agent P’s adventure go. It’s also fun that you have to interact with cast members for this adventure (not sure they appreciate that part, but it’s fun to have to go out of your way to speak to international cast members that you may not have interacted with otherwise).

We started in Germany. You know up front when signing up that your choices are Germany, Italy and America, or the United Kingdom, France, and America. I love that you have the option and that it’s short enough that your whole day isn’t taken over by this adventure.

You look at your MBI booklet and it tells you to look for the world’s oldest and most expensive cuckoo clock. So we headed into the cuckoo clock store and looked around. Soon we discovered the subtle but fun clue. It definitely doesn’t overpower the store taking away from the regular experience of the German pavilion. Once we saw it was a note from Constantine, we opted to read it in his accent (which we have taken to doing around the house anyway, much to the dismay of my 13 year-old daughter). I’m sure the German cast member standing next to me appreciated my excellent Constantine impression.

Muppet Epcot Mission — Go ahead, read it in Constantine’s accent…you know you wanna

We got our sticker and it told us to head to Italy and that we were getting there by train 301. This was important. Our Italy page told us to look for a Gonzo mask in Il Bel Cristalo store. Again, this was subtly done and did not take away from the rest of the store. Italy also had some fun Muppet details. I’m now wondering if we missed any in Germany! There is also now a train schedule posted right next to the Muppet Topiary display between Germany and Italy, showing another reminder of train 301, which you’ll need in Italy.

Now our next clue took us to the American pavilion and the end of our mission, so I’m going to show the other two countries of the U.K. and France before ending in America. (We actually worked backwards from France just to see if we could figure out the clues and get the stickers out of order. Thanks to a helpful cast member in France, we were able to do just that.) But I’ll put the details in the proper order below.

So we went back to France (not really we started there, shhh) to the perfume shop. I spotted the diamond, cleverly shaped like an actual carrot, a very Muppet-like joke. We are then prompted to enter our code again, this time asking how many carats the diamond is.

The cast member in France then told us we had to go to a very scary place – America! We didn’t head back since we already experienced the conclusion of the mission. But here’s how it ends:

The booklet has visual clues like Lady Liberty and hot dogs (Liberty Inn!) but the map shows the check-in point is actually to the right of the American Adventure entrance. There is a kiosk there, where you receive a final sticker, a certificate of completion, making you an official MBI agent, and you are allowed to go behind some landscaping to see…

And that’s that! We had a wonderful time, and even though there weren’t actual Muppets at every turn, it was, I think, perfectly themed and really well done. It will be interesting to see if Gio asks to do the missions again or if it’s a ‘one and done’ kind of experience for him. The MBI Muppet scavenger hunt adventure will be active during the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, through May 18. I’ll update as I get more information. I kept some of the visuals a surprise so you can experience the stickers, the booklet itself, and other details yourself.

I’d love to hear if you’ve experienced this yourself and what you thought. What was your favorite part?

Festival of Fantasy Parade in Words and Pictures

14 March 2014 by Suzannah Otis 7 Comments

As was all the buzz this week, a brand new daytime parade debuted over at the Magic Kingdom. Kicking off on Sunday, March 9, the Festival of Fantasy Parade has been well-received with praise and adoration. I lined up Sunday to see for myself and share some photos and video (see Instagram and Facebook) and was also invited as a guest of Walt Disney World on Monday March 10, to see the parade again and speak to some of its creators. What has struck me overall with Festival of Fantasy is the absolute spectacle that this parade is. I don’t think it’s news to anyone that the daytime parades at Magic Kingdom have been severely lacking in the last, oh, 10+ years. We’ve had several incarnations of basically the same style of float and general parade feel for ages now. And visitors or locals to California’s Disneyland will no doubt evangelize about their Mickey’s Soundsational Parade and with good reason. Soundsational is a fun, unique look at the songs and characters we all love and have come to expect at Disney parks. A lot of comparisons have been made with Soundsational and Festival of Fantasy and I’ll go into a bit of that below. So read on for my thoughts on Festival of Fantasy and enjoy some of my favorite photos from the parade.

First, I must say that Festival of Fantasy is visually stunning. From the unique and sometimes outrageous costumes to the gigantic, kinetic, sensory-overloading floats, this is an impressive parade. After my first viewing, I quickly realized that it is a parade which needs to be viewed multiple times to take everything in or notice each detail. And that makes it a perfect fit for Walt Disney World, a resort catering to tens of millions of visitors each year, many of whom will visit the park just once, or perhaps every few years or so. While Walt Disney World does have a large and dedicated group of locals, it does not begin to compare to that of Disneyland, whose majority of visitors are locals – making the frequent changing of parades and entertainment a wise decision for the most part. Here, in Walt Disney World, if you are planning your yearly vacation, you will probably look forward to seeing this parade again and count on it being there. My point is, Festival of Fantasy is a great repeat-viewing parade, because you will likely see something new each time.

There have been some comments online about this parade being disjointed and just a random mix of themes and floats. And while I agree that, compared to Soundsational, which features a cohesive color-scheme and design element throughout, I don’t think Festival of Fantasy lacking that cohesion is a bad thing. Certainly the design and feel of Soundsational matches, until the very last float, which looks like a completely different style of float and artistry. Festival of Fantasy just happens to do this with each float, I think. This is a parade dedicated to Fantasyland, both its spirit and its presence within the park. Of course there is no “Sleeping Beauty” attraction other than a princess meet and greet, yet an entire float features one of Disney’s most famous animated villains. Snow White, while not having her own attraction any more, will have the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opening up soon, yet all we see of them in the parade are Snow and the Dwarfs themselves. It is not so much a literal definition of “everything in Fantasyland” but more of the essence of what we love about these parts of Disney in film. In a sense, we get eight mini parades rather than one long one.

{Enjoy the gallery of photos below – click to see full-size – more text after the pictures!}

Festival of Fantasy Princess Garden Frozen

A constant throughout Festival of Fantasy are the innovative and eye-catching costumes. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves on this one, but I am in love with all of these designs and love how each set of dancers preceding a themed float seems to represent the elements from each movie, from coral and seahorses, to thorns and ravens, to Pleasure Island treats and circus tents. The costumes and choreography are a show unto themselves. The Lost Boys receive a fun make-over in the style of Broadway’s Newsies with some fun dance moves. Randy Wojcik, Senior Show Director, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Creative Entertainment, likes to call each float a “mini Broadway show rolling down the street.”

I spoke to Randy about the costumes, wondering if they would survive wear and use, 365 days a year and he let me know how extensive the design and testing process was, getting approval for ergonomic wear and support. He’s rightly very proud of both the costumes and floats, especially the jaw-dropping Maleficent, represented as a steampunk contraption of a fire-breathing dragon. When I asked which came first, wanting Maleficent in the parade, or wanting a steampunk element in the parade, he said they always knew they wanted Maleficent, and the steampunk just came about through various pitch ideas and boardroom sessions.

Maleficent is definitely the show-stopper of the parade, but really, so many of the floats can stand up on their own merit. Maleficent, however, is part of a larger scene where Prince Phillip is battling the “thorns” (represented by stilt-walkers) conjured by Maleficent, as stylized ravens circle around. The battle then turns to Maleficent, who rears her head and breathes fire, a sight unparalleled outside of a nighttime spectacular in the parks. If you are looking to catch a photo of the fire, watch for Maleficent to lean her head all the way up, as that’s the only way she breathes fire. It seems to happen twice in Frontierland and twice around the hub turn by the Castle. I’ve yet to catch a perfect fire photo, but I plan to return and get one soon (research!). Be sure to enjoy all of Maleficent though; take note of her moving wings, her eyes and teeth, the thorn-spiked spinning wheel in the center of the dragon, all of it is amazing. It’s quite a detailed and impressive piece at 53 feet in length and 26 feet tall, designed in partnership with Tony Award-winner Michael Curry.

Next up is a float which, despite it being borrowed from Tokyo Disneyland’s Jubilation parade (along with the opening Princess float), is one of my favorites design-wise. It’s such a fun, brightly-colored and unique take on Monstro and the Pinocchio film itself, along with various other early films like Fantasia and Dumbo. The parade ends with Mickey and Minnie, which I think is a great finale. Since Mickey and Minnie aren’t really represented in Fantasyland (aside from Mickey in Philharmagic), they are a good reminder of the rest of the Magic Kingdom and Disney in general. I love Mickey and Minnie in this float and to me, their costumes are very reminiscent of the characters we see in Tokyo at their parades. All of the classic characters have wonderful, fun costumes in this parade, making for some great photos.

As far as the music goes, there is a catchy and familiar-sounding “Festival of Fantasy” theme, composed by Mark Hammond, known for his work on World of Color, Mickey’s Soundsational Parade, Flights of Fantasy Parade at Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland’s Jubilation Parade and Happiness is Here Parade. I am hopeful that soundtrack will be released, and other merchandise too. All in all, I think Festival of Fantasy is a wonderful, vibrant, captivating parade, which actually makes me want to line up to watch it at 3:00! I’d love to hear your thoughts below if you’ve seen the parade – what is your favorite part?

Behind the Scenes Preview of the 2014 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

28 February 2014 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

Today I had the honor of attending a small preview of the 21st annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Hard to believe this is the 21st year, but it is! The Flower and Garden Festival is officially old enough to drink, which is great, because this is the second year that the festival is incorporating food and beverage kiosks and serving unique alcoholic selections amid the topiaries and gardens. More on that later, but for now, let’s discuss rest of the festival, which has really received a reboot this year, in my opinion.

We met with Festival horticulture manager Eric Darden and horticulture manager Heather Will-Browne, who’s also a Disney flower and color palette expert (as well as an *original* opening year Cast Member, celebrating her 43rd year at Walt Disney World!). It was really interesting to hear exactly what goes into the planning, development and construction of the topiaries and garden areas. Eric clued us in about the inspiration for the main entrance topiaries, which he said they have been designing to pay homage to original Disney animated shorts. This year, he said they changed their character looks, basing them on the recent computer animated character designs and making them much more realistic. Rather than having no faces or synthetic facial features, they constructed plant-life faces this year and it really makes a difference in the overall design. The topiaries look sharper, cleaner and much more fun.

New at the Festival this year (that was available for us to see):

Gardener’s Palette over by Innoventions East. This color garden features different plantings based on the four seasons, showcasing the colors available to grow, and when open, will also have a kids coloring station.

Hummingbirds at Home behind Mouse Gear where the tall birdhouses are. Members of the National Audubon Society are hoping to attract at least one nesting pair of hummingbirds this season, by placing feeders and hummingbird friendly flowers around this garden. Society members are currently tracking the hummingbirds migration and will update their current location daily, so be sure to stop by and check in. I’m really excited by this and hope to see these tiny little guys flitting about! You can also hear presentations from the National Audubon Society in the Festival Center, so check your guide.

Mike & Sulley’s Monstrous Garden takes last year’s showcase topiaries of Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan from Monster’s University and placed them in the kids playground area, which was Oz the Great and Powerful themed last year. The entire playground is Monster themed from the jungle gyms to the artificial grass featuring giant monster footprints. It’s a really cute area, and like last year, features shaded seating areas for parents while the kids play. I loved listening to the soundtrack from Oz last year, so I’ll be interested to hear the music selections this time around.

Kermit and Miss Piggy Topiaries in between Italy and Germany, celebrating the opening of Muppets Most Wanted in theatres March 21 – and the all new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs gang have been updated as well. There is also the first ever topiary photo opportunity with Goofy and a topiary soccer ball, in the Donald and Goofy garden between Future World and World Showcase.

There are a few other new areas this year, and of course the food options, or Outdoor Kitchens, which I’ll post about after the official opening of the Festival on March 5. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this little taste of what’s to come. I’m quite excited about the Festival this year and can’t wait to head back, enjoy the flowers, food, and concerts too.

Here’s a gallery of some of gardens we saw today:

Instructions for the kids activity at Mater’s playground

Lightning McQueen in a new location this year

The Goofy and Donald garden topiary photo op

A topiary soccer ball will be by Goofy for guest photos

Check back for more posts and info on the 2014 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival soon!