Places to Stay

Guest Post: Trick-or-Treating in and Around Walt Disney World

30 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

I would like to welcome guest author Michelle Rise who wanted to share her tips for spending Halloween in Orlando with all of you. Apologies for not posting this sooner, it’s been a busy month here in Zannaland – but this is great planning for last minute ideas this year or working on next year’s Halloween! Thanks, Michelle!

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October is here along with changing leaves, cool breezes and Halloween. Everyone enjoys the costume parties, parades and scary decor but what everyone really looks forward to is Trick or Treating. If you plan to be in Orlando for Halloween, you’re in for a treat. The holiday is celebrated with gusto throughout the month of October and nobody does it better than Walt Disney World.

Halloween at Walt Disney World is delightful. The decorations are colorful with just a touch of not-so-scary ghoulishness for that extra bit of fun. How do you trick or treat while vacationing in Orlando?

MICKEY’S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

Dress up in your favorite costume and attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. Kids of all ages can trick or treat throughout the park and nobody cares if you go through a candy line twice. We counted over 30 different places to trick or treat spread pretty evenly throughout the park and I’ve been told there are actually more than that.

Tip
Bring a bag unless you want to use the plastic one given out by cast members. The plastic bag is cute but a lightweight pullstring backpack works better.

Naturally you’ll see a lot of princesses and pirates which is why dressing as Snow White’s evil stepmother or Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty is so fun. You’ll stand out from the crowd. Your costume doesn’t have to be Disney related. In fact, you may be even more noticeable in something non-Disney. But whatever costume you choose, definitely go costumed! It’s just more fun that way.

Surprise
You probably don’t want to spend all the party hours trekking around trick or treating. Most nights of the Not So Scary Halloween event, there are two parades. Candy and stickers are handed out by cast members during the parade so you’re still trick or treating but without all the tiresome walking.

Fireworks are a big hit during the party with special fall colors in the sparkles and some that are ghost or pumpkin shaped.

Don’t forget the rides and attractions. Many are open and waiting for fun with short lines. As the night goes on, characters come out to play and greet guests for photo opportunities.

TRICK OR TREAT AT YOUR HOTEL

If you can’t make the Mickey Halloween party or don’t want to stay out that late, check with the concierge at your hotel. Many hotels offer activities and events for Halloween, such as ghost stories, character visits, treats and costume contests. Most are held poolside or in the lobby at designated hours but it’s a great way to enjoy Halloween on the go. We enjoyed a s’more night one Halloween and were given a bag of various goodies and small games. After some quick research, Hawthorn Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa has a kids trick or treat through the resort area and the staff dress up every year including the General Manager. The other StaySky Orlando hotels typically have their employees dressed up and a bucket of Halloween candy at the front desk. Depending on the ages involved, a simple event is perfect. Kids still have fun and parents save money and get to bed earlier.

Either way, you’re sure to have fun and create great family memories in the process. Happy Halloween!

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Bio:

Michelle Rise is a homemaker and Mother of 5 and travel enthusiast. With many years of experience trekking through Disney parks with her Family, Michelle has become an expert on navigating families through Disney. She also enjoys travel to most other destinations worldwide and when not writing about her experiences or teaching her children to drive, Michelle can be found chasing the family dog up rainbow mountain with her husband of over 25 years, Ben. You can follow Michelle on Twitter, @Rise7Up, for all of her latest writings.

Thoughts on Glow With the Show at Walt Disney World’s Fantasmic!

22 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

On a whim, I decided to bring my family to the east coast premier of Glow with the Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Fantasmic! It had been quite some time since we’d all seen Fantasmic! since, after 15 years, you feel like you’ve seen it all. Also, my children recently got a taste of Fantasmic! west coast sister out in Disneyland, and it’s hard to argue that that is a better show. With the Sailing Ship Columbia with Peter Pan and Captain Hook swordfighting as they float by, and ending with the Mark Twain full of your favorite characters, along with many other better effects, it makes our little Fantasmic want for something. And I think that something may just be Glow with the Show!

I made a quick highlight video of the opening show at Fantasmic! on my iphone (please excuse any nighttime auto-focusing as a result!) to showcase the Glow with the Show ears effects:

I know Glow with the Show has been running with Disneyland’s Fantasmic! for some time, but I think what makes Hollywood Studios a great match is the stadium seating. If you sit in the back, you can see all of the ears before you, but, if you sit closer to the front, you can choose to look to your right or left and see the full effect of the colors. It really adds to the show, rather than detract. I loved how it looked on opening night and think if the ears are a success, the pairing with the show will be to. Whether guests will bother to pay $24 for, let’s face it, pretty heavy and uncomfortable ears, remains to be seen. I know in Japan, they recently debuted similar technology, but in a handheld wand type of product, which makes much more sense as far as viewing the lights (rather than depending on your neighbors to have purchased ears to really see the effects yourself).

Glow with the Show also began working with Wishes and the Celebrate the Magic castle projection show earlier this week. I will admit, I really had no desire to watch this. I’m not sure why I think it’s okay to work with Fantasmic! but not Wishes, but I do. I guess because for Wishes and Celebrate the Magic, your attention should really be focused on one thing – the castle and the sky, while at Fantasmic, there are moments of darkness where the lights are a good filler, and there is also so much going on at once, that it seems okay for the ears to be a part of that show. It also could be that I’m really ready for a new fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom! Glow with the Show will also work with the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights later this year. I think the ears will be an easy addition because everything is already flashing around you, but I don’t think they are *needed* by any means. I will have to see how things look when the switch is flipped for the lights.

What are your thoughts on Glow with the Show? Which nighttime shows do you think they work best with? I dare say I like them at Hollywood Studios’ Fantasmic better than World of Color, because I just think World of Color is so perfect on its own! Please share your opinion in the comments below, I’d love to hear what you think!

Limited Time Magic: Cinderella Castle Suite Tour

21 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Note: This post was originally written by Joe Morisco as a guest blogger for zannaland back in April of 2013. Enjoy!

As part of the ongoing promotion Limited Time Magic, Walt Disney World has been giving extremely limited tours to lucky winners through an email contest. I was lucky enough to win a spot on a tour for arguably the best tour given out at the Magic Kingdom. The winners of the tour met at the Magic Kingdom at 8:30 AM. What was supposed to be a group of 25 ended up being only 15, with 10 no-shows. The group was then split, with half going to tour the suite, the other half heading over to Be Our Guest at Beast’s Castle.

This tour with an Imagineer was a 1 1/2 hour tour. The highlight of the tour was the Cinderella Suite, since this is not normally accessible to any day guests. The Imagineer that worked on the suite walked us through, pointing out all the tiny details. I included a photo gallery below of everything we saw in the suite. After being in the suite for about 45 minutes, we were brought over to Be Our Guest and through each room in the restaurant. The Imagineer explained the theme for each room as well as details that you may overlook. At the end of the tour, they brought out a dish of “grey stuff” for us. Overall, this was a great experience that we could not normally partake in!

Cinderella Castle Suite Elevator Art Work

Floor going into Cinderella Castle Suite

Stained Glass windows tell the Cinderella Story

We hope you enjoyed the photo tour – keep watching the Disney Parks Blog for future Imagineer Tours as part of Limited Time Magic!

Top 5 Must-do’s at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

21 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of my favorites each year, an annual tradition to kick off the Halloween season. I’ve written about the event each year that Zannaland.com has been around, and enjoying all the party has to offer never gets old. In fact, it only gets harder to fit it all in. If you have a family with varying age ranges, it may be a “divide and conquer” night to make sure everyone sees and does all they want to do. Because of that, I thought I’d write up a Top 5 this year, of my personal favorites.

1. Get there early. While the ticket for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (or MNSSHP for short) starts at 7pm, you can actually enter the park as early as 4pm, to get the most out of your night. The trick-or-treating and official events don’t begin till 7, but you can grab a bite and get on rides beforehand.

2. Get your Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom card. If you are a sorcerer and enjoy the game, there is a special card just for the event. You can pick it up at the Main Street Fire Station or the Liberty Square sorcerer’s desk. You must have both your wristband for the event AND your event ticket to get the card, so make sure your whole party is together for this. There is a limited amount for each party, so this should be first on your list!

3. Trick-or-Treat. This is what most people are here for. They dress up, yes, they see the parades and fireworks, ride on attractions with almost no wait, but this is FREE CANDY! And with over 40 different kinds this year, you are sure to get your fill. You can find all the treat locations on your MNSSHP map, or by looking for the giant light up treat location signs. Don’t forget the Treat Trails over by Splash Mountain’s queue and the walkway between Storybook Circus and Tomorrowland for the most treats per square inch. My favorite is always the Werther’s Caramel Apple candies over at Pinocchio’s Village Haus!

4. Try the event-specific treats too. This year, the food and beverage team really went out of their way to create some delicious treats for MNSSHP. Caramel Apple Slush, Candy Corn ice cream, Pumpkin Waffle Sundae and MORE! These new Halloween treats are so yummy, I wrote a whole post on them. But after trying the Candy Corn ice cream and the Pumpkin Waffle Sundae (which I’ve heard is now available full time at Sleepy Hollow Treats) I was in love. I shared both of these with my family at midnight sitting on the new castle wall area. Perfect ending to a perfect Halloween party.

5. Watch Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade and HalloWishes Fireworks Spectacular! The Boo-to-You parade is many people’s favorite parade at Walt Disney World, and I am no exception. It is hard to top the dramatic entrance by the Headless Horseman as he trots down the parade route while Flight of the Valkyries plays around you. The floats are top notch and the Haunted Mansion ballroom dancers and Gravediggers with their sparks are always a crowd favorite. There are two parades each party night, and the second always has less guests. And don’t forget HalloWishes! This is one of the most exciting fireworks displays of the season, with 360-degree perimeter fireworks around the park and your favorite villains and villainous songs.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party runs on select nights in September through November 1st. A few nights are already sold out, so check with DisneyWorld.com to purchase your tickets in advance. Some nights are available at a discounted rate of $62 per adult.

Disclaimer: I was provided with complimentary tickets for MNSSHP for my family and me, but my opinions are my own.

Cranberries – the Perfect Harvest Ingredient at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival

19 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

Being from Massachusetts, I grew up knowing about cranberry bogs, even visiting the Ocean Spray factory when I was little. But many folks in our country have never even heard of a cranberry bog and have no idea how cranberries are harvested in the five growing states of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. For this reason (and I just love cranberries) I get excited when Ocean Spray sets up their mini bog right inside Epcot each Food & Wine Festival. The bog has been a focal point of the Festival for the past few years now, taking up a portion of the walkway from Future World to World Showcase, where all the countries and their food booths reside.

It makes perfect sense that a food item which has such a rich American history, harvested in the Fall – the time when Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival takes place, would be featured prominently at the park. Ocean Spray is a great partner, similar to many Disney partnerships in the past up to present day, like Carnation and Coca-Cola, so it’s wonderful to see their presence in the park and in various food items throughout the Food & Wine Festival. In addition to its bright red splash of color as you walk by, the bog is also staffed with actual Cranberry farmers, there to answer any questions you may have about the cranberry and its harvesting process. Plus you get free Craisins for visiting the information area next to the bog!

I recently got to experience the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog first hand and try out some truly unique recipes using cranberries and Craisins. Below are some photos from that night, as well as some recipes from the dishes we got to try. You can also find Ocean Spray cranberries and Craisins at the Hops & Barley booth at the Food & Wine Festival, in the bread pudding dessert with Grand Marnier Anglaise. Also at the Cheese booth where an Artisan Cheese Selection is served with Craisin bread. Yum.

Artisan Cheese Stuffed Craisin Mini Brioche

Cranberry and Sea Salt Cured Wild Salmon

English Mustard Dusted Scotch Egg with Cranberry Marmalade

Various media guests roaming in the bog.

Here are two recipes from our special dinner:

Craisin Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients

3 eggs, beaten lightly
1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly, separated

¼ cup diced carrots
5 cups day old cooked rice
2/3 cup chopped dried Craisins

¼ cup green peas
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Kosher salt, to taste
Vegetable oil, for cooking

Preparation

Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add oil followed by eggs when hot. Move eggs around the pan, scrambling them. With a spatula break into pieces and remove from heat when almost cooked. Set aside.

Heat sesame oil in same pan and add the garlic and ginger cooking until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the white parts of the scallions and carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add the rice and cranberries and toss thoroughly until heated through. Add the soy sauce, white pepper and reserved eggs, green peas and toss until heated thru. Remove from heat and garnish with the scallion greens. Serve immediately.

Serves 10-12

Mole Shrimp Quesadilla

Ingredients

¼ cup chili powder

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 lime, juiced

6 large flour tortillas

3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

Preparation

Combine chili, cocoa, salt, peppers, cinnamon and allspice, mixing well. Pat dry shrimp and toss into seasoning. Let shrimp marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add shrimp into hot skillet and cook until shrimp are opaque and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat; stir jalapeno pepper and lime juice into shrimp mixture. Cool shrimp off in refrigerator before assembling quesadillas.
To make quesadillas place half cup of cheese into each tortilla followed by the cooked mole shrimp. Fold the tortilla shell in half creating a semi circle.
Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and place the quesadilla, slowly browning and melting the cheese.
Cut into portions and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Be sure to look for Ocean Spray Cranberries and Craisins during Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival, running now through November 11, 2013. Can’t make it to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? Visit www.oceanspray.com for delicious everyday ideas and seasonal inspirations from around the world. Cranberry lovers eager to share their stories and recipes are encouraged to tweet @OceanSprayInc (they tweet back!) or post on Ocean Spray’s Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram pages.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular Creates Oceans of Family Fun

14 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Pumpkin carving, jumping in raked leave piles, and.. SeaWorld? This marine life theme park may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Fall but SeaWorld has a unique offering for the spooky season. SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, celebrated weekends in October, is an added experience to a regular price park ticket with trick-or-treating, sea characters and bubbles. Lots of bubbles.

Spooktacular feels geared toward the wee ones but my boyfriend and I thought it was a cute addition to a day at SeaWorld. We did a little trick-or-treating ourselves and I really loved the plethora of bubbles that filled the park. It was the most bubbles I’ve seen at once and I told my boyfriend I wouldn’t be surprised if a million bubbles were made and popped there in a day. They are in multiple places around the park and in full swing with lots of machines sending waves of bubbles in and over guests.

Now for the characters. I’d say SeaWorld is mostly known for Shamu. However I was really impressed at the amount of aquatic and Halloween character meet and greets that were around for Spooktacular. Princesses, mermaids, witches, fish and more, all in brightly colored, elaborate costumes with high energy interaction. Every character area I saw was more than just ‘wait in line and take a photo’. For example, the witches and their tiny audience members ‘baked up a Halloween tweet recipe’ in a small area that looked like a kitchen with a cauldron actually brewing. Kids seemed to really enjoy playing a long.

Nicole Siscaretti at SeaWorld Spooktacular

There are also uniquely themed Halloween decorations, featuring the ever adorable pumpkin fish, and lots of interactive experiences for kids. One that grabbed our attention was a button board that squirted fountains in a lake when you pushed different buttons.

This is all in addition to all the attractions, shows and experiences SeaWorld offers regularly. One that really took our breath away was the Blue Horizons show featuring dolphins, divers and aerialists. We also really enjoyed the excellent of the 3D in Turtle Trek. To see more from SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, watch this video:

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular takes place weekends in October: 5-6, 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27, from 12 to 8 p.m., leaving the littlest of trick-or-treaters wide-eyed for all of the fun-filled activities. Halloween Spooktacular is included with park admission.

Spooktacular Highlights Include:

NEW this year: Spooktacular Dance Party

Princess Penelope and her undersea friends invite guests to join the Spooktacular Dance Party, where children can dance along to a Spooktacular mix of line-dancing favorites as clouds of bubbles fill the evening air. The party will kick off at the front of the park every event night an hour before SeaWorld’s park closing time.

Waves of Trick-or-Treat Fun

Offering more than two million pieces of sweet treats, costumed youngsters can trick-or-treat “under the sea.” Each trick-or-treat station features an assortment of ghoulish goodies including Tootsie Roll, Jelly Belly jelly beans, Airheads and other candy favorites.

Penelope’s Party Zone

Located at SeaWorld’s Bayside area, this dynamic underwater environment comes to life each day with a live DJ, a variety of interactive crafts to choose from, countless bubbles floating overhead and colorful pumpkin fish gliding around!

Sweet Treat Decorating

Kids and parents alike can have a “splash” creating their own sweet treats at the cookie decorating station. Kids will be able to decorate and devour their spooky cookie when they purchase a kit that comes equipped with a cookie, frosting and toppings.

Jelly Belly® Bean Art to Come to Life at Spooktacular

Jelly Belly artist in residence, Kristen Cumings, will use more than 10,000 Jelly Belly jelly beans to create a portrait of rockhopper

penguins, reflecting SeaWorld’s all-new, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. Guests can watch as this handmade jelly bean creation comes together in front of their eyes during the final weekend of Halloween Spooktacular, Oct. 26 and 27. Kids can join in the fun too, with the opportunity to decorate a Halloween Spooktacular mural with a variety of Jelly Belly jelly beans.

For More SeaWorld Halloween Fun:

Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast

1-2-3… Dine with me! Don’t walk around on an empty stomach, stay 1 step ahead of hunger! What goes great with your 2 morning eggs? How about infinite hugs from Count von Count, Elmo and his furry friends! Featuring a delicious buffet sprinkled with the hottest characters in town, the Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast is a fun-filled experience sure to delight kids and parents alike. You can “count” on it! Adults $24, Child (2-9) $14.

Disclaimer: Zannaland.com was provided with free tickets to SeaWorld to experience Spooktacular, but Nicole’s opinions are her own.

NEW Ghoulish Delights at Be Our Guest Restaurant and Magic Kingdom for Halloween

10 September 2013 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

An instagram friend (@wibblywaffle-Rueben Gutierrez), who just happens to be a pastry cook at Be Our Guest restaurant, shared a photo this afternoon that I thought was good enough to get a whole post devoted to it. The enchanted chefs at Be Our Guest have come up with some sweet spells for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – a “Poisoned Apple Cupcake” and a “Blood Orange Cream Puff” and they sound delicious!

The Poisoned Apple Cupcake is yellow cake with green apple mousse filling, topped with buttercream, apple pie filling, crispy pearls and a chocolate witches hat. Spooky!

Be Our Guest "Poison" Apple Cupcake — Be Our Guest “Poison” Apple Cupcake photo by Reuben Gutierrez

The Cream Puff is chocolate with blood orange mousse, which sounds right up my alley. We’ll have a photo of that up soon! Guests visiting the Magic Kingdom for the Halloween Party should note that Be Our Guest restaurant IS open, so check for walk-in availability just in case. According to our chef above, they are not seating past 7:45 but would love to show off their new offerings!

In addition to these special event-only desserts for their dinner service, Be Our Guest is adding a new dessert to the regular menu…The Grey Stuff! A brand new lunch-only cupcake form of the Grey Stuff is available starting today. The cupcake is the same chocolate cupcake offered in the Triple Chocolate Cupcake, with Grey Stuff filling, Grey Stuff on top and silver crispy pearls.

A different dinner form of the dessert is also available now, which uses Grey Stuff on the tarts the restaurant previously made. Thanks to @wibblywaffle for the photo below:

Be Our Guest Grey Stuff cupcake – photo by Reuben Gutierrez

Are you heading to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? These new desserts have me excited to dine at Be Our Guest again during one of the party nights.

There are also some other Halloween treats available around the Magic Kingdom during the parties – thanks to DisneyLifestylers.com for the use of the photos below:

Pumpkin ice cream waffle sundae at Sleepy Hollow. Photo ©DisneyLifestylers.com

Candy Corn soft serve ice cream at Storybook Treats. Photo ©DisneyLifestylers.com

Hatbox Ghost Mickey popcorn bucket. Photo ©DisneyLifestylers.com

Disney’s California Grill Re-opens With a Delicious Flair

8 September 2013 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

A flair of Mary Blair that is. Cheap rhyme aside, I was so pleasantly surprised by the newly re-imagined California Grill, which pays tribute to the art and artistry of Disney Legend Mary Blair, famous for the Grand Canyon Concourse mosaics found within Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The color scheme on the upholstery, carpets, art and more all honor the original colors found when the Contemporary first opened. It is a wonderful mix of mid-century modern aesthetics, with sleek state-of-the art accompaniments found throughout the restaurant.

The now floor-to-ceiling windows offer even more incredible views than before, streaming in light from all around. On the night we arrived, a thunderstorm had just ended, providing an incredible rainbow right over the resort. When we got upstairs, we could see not only the gorgeous sunset but also the storm in the distance; an unrivaled panorama of Walt Disney World Resort scenery.

Mixed in with the regular tables and booths are now long tables which seat 10 over on one side of the restaurant. There is also seating at the bar, where a special sushi menu is offered for guests seated at that location. The private rooms are also still available as well and offer even more tributes to Mary Blair with reproductions of her artwork. I just can’t express enough how wonderful it is to see Mary Blair and her work in such a special location.

New color schemes at California Grill are a tribute to the original Contemporary Resort

The food we sampled was incredible, from the Pacific halibut with parsnip silk, roasted heirloom beets, arugula, macadamia vinaigrette and beet syrup, to updates of longtime favorites, such as Pork Two Ways, now grilled tenderloin and lacquered pork belly with goat cheese polenta and mushrooms – my favorite! The oak-fired filet of beef is served with heirloom tomato risotto, marinated baby vine tomatoes and basil was just perfect. Sonoma goat cheese ravioli returns in a tomato fennel broth with crispy shiitake mushrooms.

And don’t forget the sushi! The Grill’s popular sushi menu expands with a 12-course omakase menu that includes a tasting of the restaurant’s freshest ingredients (not just fish and seafood). Omakase means “to entrust,” and there’s no menu. “You just let the chef prepare fresh sushi dishes for you, perfect for sushi fans who want to try new tastes,” says Executive Chef Brian Piasecki. The menu might include ama ebi (sweet shrimp) tempura, lobster sashimi, crunchy Japanese bone marrow with sesame beef tartare and red onion marmalade, and spicy-crusted oysters.

I cannot wait to get back and try full-size portions of some of these, at which time I’ll offer a full review of my experience. The mix of side items and the presentation really live up to California Grill’s existing reputation – and surpass it. This will now be a must-visit for a special occasion dining experience, date night, or just a wonderful gourmet meal. While I love trying new things, I’m not a food reviewer, and certainly didn’t have the old California Grill menu memorized, so for a ‘first-timer’ so to speak, I was really satisfied and impressed with what I tried. Hopefully based on the photos below and descriptions of ingredients above, you can decide if the California Grill will work for you and your guests. Dessert descriptions are listed in the gallery below.

The wall of wine immediately catches your eye when you step off the elevator; 1600 bottles on display, with 250 wines on the list, 80 by the glass. There also are 10 varieties of sake, eight kinds of craft beers and ciders, and signature cocktails created just for California Grill, such as the sake martini, which I sampled and really enjoyed. I am not usually a fan of sake on its own, but this was a light, sweet, tropical drink and a great way to enjoy sake.

For more scenes from the new California Grill, see the gallery below, and click to enlarge any photos:

California Grill desserts — A sampling of the desserts – clockwise from top left, the lemon meringe, which was like a cheesecake consistency with a nice shortbread crust and hardened meringue topper, the strawberry basil sundae is part of the trio pictured below, then the chocolate pudding cake described a few photos down, the banana fritters with house-made marshmallow and caramel. This was really unique, like fried banana bread, dense and moist with a nice caramel complement, and the caramel corn pot is also part of the trio in the next photo.

Sunday Sampler — California Grill Sundae Sampler: caramel corn, Coca-Cola float, and strawberry and basil.(Jimmy DeFlippo, photographer)

Wishes from California Grill — Wishes from the California Grill viewing platform

The refurbished California Grill has instantly become my favorite new spot in all of Walt Disney World. Perfect views and ambiance, wonderful Mary Blair touches for Disney fans to appreciate, and wonderful food to complement the entire experience. Truly a jewel in the Walt Disney World crown. I hope to get back sooner than later! Speaking of, reservations are now available (if you can find any) to book at 407-WDW-DINE, online or using the My Disney Experience app.

What do you think of the new look?

Disclaimer: I was invited to preview the new California Grill and its food at a press event. I was not asked or required to post in any way and my opinions above are my own. It’s just THAT good!

NEW Disney Dooney and Bourke HAUNTED MANSION Handbag

4 September 2013 by Suzannah Otis 10 Comments

This just in from the Disney Parks Blog. Disney Dooney & Bourke and Haunted Mansion Fans rejoice! This newest design is sure to bring out lots of ghouls to line up and bring home this bag! It’s definitely the kind of ghost I’d like to follow me home! Ok, enough Haunted Mansion puns, on to the bags! Here’s the official scoop from the Parks Blog (all photos ©Disney):

I think Disney Design Group artist Mark Seppala did a wonderful job capturing the essence of the attraction with this new bag. I love the subtle details on the bag, including the spooky grey and black color palette with red interior, the infamous wallpaper pattern, and even the hang tag with the attraction logo.

The bag will have a retail of $330.00 (plus tax), and will be released at the following merchandise locations starting September 13, 2013.

Walt Disney World Resort:

Tren-D and the World of Disney Store in the Downtown Disney Marketplace
Uptown Jewelers in Magic Kingdom Park
MouseGear at Epcot
Keystone Clothiers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Summer Lace at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disneyland Resort:

Disney Vault 28 and World of Disney Store in the Downtown Disney District
Disney Clothiers at Disneyland park
Elias & Co. at Disney California Adventure park

The Disney Parks online store will also carry this bag later this fall. See other new Dooney and Bourke Arrivals Exclusively for Disney Parks Now Available at DisneyStore.com! Shop Now!*

So, who’s in?? I know I’ll be adding this to my collection for sure!

*Affiliate links – same Disney Store destination and shopping experience, with a small portion of any purchase going back to zannaland.com. No additional fees to you.

Disney Infinity Dragon Unlocked with MagicBand

22 August 2013 by Suzannah Otis 11 Comments

Reported first here at Zannaland: After hearing some suggestions from Tom Staggs, Chairman, Disney Parks and Resorts, that there just might be some things in store for Magic Bands and the newest Disney video game venture, Disney Infinity, I thought I’d do a little experimenting. Turns out, something pretty cool happens! You may remember talk of the Disney Dragon, an elusive creature, who even had his own blog for a time. He made one appearance, at the press event celebrating the opening of New Fantasyland in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Well, now you can see him whenever you like, if you have a Magic Band.

The new RFID bands are part of My Disney Experience, a next-gen project which allows resort guests to pre-book their FastPasses, and organize tickets, dining and more all on their wrist. I’ll have more on the MagicBands and My Magic + portions of My Disney Experience in a later post, as well as a full write up on Disney Infinity. Until then, please enjoy the game play capture of the special achievement unlocked with the MagicBand. We thought it was fun! *Edit, I realize the quality is less-than-stellar on this Wii video below. I did not know what I was missing until it was pointed out to me. We had an Xbox at home but my son used it upstairs, so I just got this for the Wii, not realizing a lot of the content was missing on this game. So I went out and got a Wii U. The difference was amazing! Check out the 3rd video below to see. I now a new video of Dragon Gate and the Dragons Keep world (not available in the Wii version) up from the Wii U, in HD. We also added some of the background sky and land power discs, so you could see the Dragon’s Keep in lots of different ways!

Disney Infinity is available now on all platforms with more figures and content coming out soon! I also captured the entire opening sequence for the game, after getting a Wii U and realizing a lot was missing from the Wii gameplay that is available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii U. It is simply gorgeous and I had to share it. If this doesn’t make you want to try out the game with your family, I’m not sure what will! (Wait, maybe the Tangled lanterns background sky would do the trick!) I’ll also have an updated Dragon Gate and Dragon’s Keep Toy Box World video coming soon, captured from the Wii U. Keep checking back and subscribe on YouTube for more!

Do you see the Disney Dragon shooting fire?