Search Results for: ICE!

Hidden Details in Storybook Circus in the New Fantasyland

14 March 2012 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

View approaching from Fantasyland Station

I was able to make it over to Storybook Circus yesterday and experience it firsthand, after sharing others’ photos of the opening day fun. If I may make a recommendation, I advise you to arrive in Storybook Circus via the WDW Railroad, which pulls up at the new Fantasyland Station, now named Carolwood Park. It is the best way to see the new area, where you immediately see new details and the attractions, rather than construction walls where the other parts of the new Fantasyland are busily being built. As you know, much of Disney’s magic is in the details, and this new area has no shortage of its own magical details.

I was ridiculously happy when I saw the new areas. The Carolwood Park station is just lovely. It fits right in to the 1940’s American snapshot that the traveling circus we see featured in the animated film Dumbo creates. The atmosphere is set right from the start, where the ground itself looks like a dirt road, well-traveled by trolley cars, horses, and circus animals alike – without actually being, you know, dirt.

One of my favorite parts of the Storybook Circus area is the actual train station. Around the back, you’ll find a brand new set of restrooms and the entrance area back onto the train. It is around the corner from the restrooms where we see stacks of luggage waiting to be boarded on the arriving and departing trains. Much in the vein of the amazingly themed Town Square Theatre, the details are here to discover for those who do more than just pass by on their way to attractions.

I’ve gathered some photos here of my favorite details. Be sure to look for them on your next visit, and maybe discover some more on your own! Click to enlarge.

The gorgeous detail of Carolwood Park Station restrooms entrance

Carolwood Fire Dept. sign - love this detail.

Azusa sticker — My favorite luggage sticker: Azusa Californa - Drink your OJ!

Chicago luggage sticker — Wonder who in Imagineering is from Chicago? 😉

You can see more luggage sticker close-ups here on flickr.

Storybook Circus — Bear tracks! And monkeys too! Behind these walls is where the new Casey Jr. Splash and Soak Station will be located. I wonder if that's where all these animals are headed to cool down?

Storybook Circus trashcan - can't wait to see the others in the new Fantasyland!

UPDATE! At the recent Orange Bird unveiling, my friends and I wandered over to the Storybook Circus area again, since one friend had not been yet. I was surprised to see these new props out on display and wanted to share them with you all!

Storybook Circus elephant tubs — Check out the new water tubs with some familiar elephant names...

Storybook Circus details — More new details - "Melody Time Brass Horns - Always in Toon" and "Property of Hyacinth Hippo - the most exquisite sensation of the big top"!

Hyacinth Hippo trunk and"The Big Bad Wolf - Balloonologist Extraordinaire - He'll huff and he'll puff and create the animal of your choice!"

I could post a hundred more photos, but for now I’ve created a Storybook Circus set on flickr and you can see the rest of my photos there. Including lots more of Dumbo and the Barnstormer. Enjoy!

FIRST IMAGE: Johnny Depp as Tonto in The Lone Ranger

8 March 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Exciting! Check out this first view of Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger – aka John Reid. It will definitely be interesting to see how this film plays out. My initial impression is that Johnny looks like a cross between Brandon Lee in The Crow and Captain Jack Sparrow. Eep. Of course, I have hope, as always, that Disney will do the film justice! The Lone Ranger is set for a May 2013 release.

Things To Do With 24 Hours At Disney-One More Disney Day!

28 February 2012 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

Tomorrow is the day we’ve all been waiting for – One More Disney Day, where both the Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be open from 6am Wednesday, February 29 through 6am Thursday, March 1. It sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it? But then you may stop and think, well, what am I going to DO for 24 hours? I thought I’d put together some ideas to ensure the day, and night, and day again, is a memorable!

…

Find 24 Hidden Mickeys – look around, they’re everywhere!

Ride an attraction 24 times – not all attractions will be open for the full 24 hours so check before you head over.

Play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – you know I will be!!

Create your own scavenger hunt – look for certain items (a crown, a star, a squirrel!), see who can find the most yellow things – the sky’s the limit!

Count the ghosts on Haunted Mansion – play in the queue!

Have 24 different snacks – popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, egg rolls, you can come up with 24, right?

For the hardcore snacker – have 24 Dole Whips! (or Mickey Bars, or snack treat of choice!)

Check out the cool One More Disney Day merchandise commemorating the momentous day.

Buy 24 Disney Dooney & Bourke purses? (Just seeing if you were paying attention – but if you have the means, be my guest – and let me know, I’ll post about you!)

Take 24 Disney Photos! Friends and followers of mine on twitter know of my addiction to Instagram. There have been several photo challenges on there, just for fun, with prompts of things to capture and post. Now friend and fellow blogger ThemeParkMom has come up with a #Disney24 photo challenge for those of us spending the next 24 hours surrounded by endless photo opportunities. Check it out and post your photos to instagram, twitter, with the hashtag #24DisneyPhotos, or publicly on facebook. ThemeParkMom will be sharing her favorites on her blog, so check back there.

Castle with balloons — One of my many Instagrams - balloons are a favorite of mine

In addition to these fun ideas, here is the official entertainment line-up for tomorrow, from the Disney Parks Blog:

Two performances of the Main Street Electrical Parade, at 10 p.m. and midnight

Four showings of “The Magic, The Memories and You!” at 7:45 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. (March 1)

The Frontierland Hoedown near Country Bear Jamboree, at 2:45 a.m., 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.

Disney’s Dance the Night Away Party at Cinderella Castle, from 1 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.

Character greetings throughout the night, including:

Phineas and Ferb in Tomorrowland

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Fantasyland

Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Town Square, wearing their pajamas for the party in Florida before heading out west to visit guests at Disneyland park

Finally – have fun! If you are in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World – look me up on twitter @zannaland. I’ll be there off and on throughout the day and I’d love to meet up!

Experience Cold and Snow in Florida at Gaylord Palms ICE-Shrek the Halls!

16 November 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

My family first visited the Gaylord Palms and its ICE! event back in 2007. We loved it back then and I’ve been lucky enough to attend the last two ICE openings at a media sneak peek. This year was the first time I brought my littlest guy, now 3, to experience the fun. I wondered what he’d think of the extreme cold temperatures, but despite his initial resistance to wearing the puffy blue parkas the hotel provides for ICE visitors, he was excited to see everything!

As you enter the Gaylord Palms convention center, you are greeted by the “Holiday Halls” where ICE!, Snow, Gingy’s Gingerbread Decorating, and the DreamWorks Experience are held. In addition to the free elements of the Gaylord Palms holidays, the special ticketed events include ICE! with over 16,000 square feet of 9-degree weather – quite the contrast to the 80 degree temperatures we are experiencing.

This year, ICE! is Shrek-themed with perfect representations of your favorite characters including Shrek, Fiona, Puss in Boots, Donkey and more. It is amazing how much the huge blocks of colored ice look like their animated counterparts. Also within the experience are the slides made entirely of ice, which my big kids (and my friend and I) loved sliding down! It’s such a fun way to experience winter in central Florida!

Shrek in Ice — Donkey, Puss in Boots and more in ICE!

Shrek characters in ICE — An overview of some of the characters from Shrek

ICE slide — This slide in ICE is so much fun (and cold!) to do!

Kung Fu Panda Awesome SNOW is another play area with a separate admission. Inside there are more slides and playground equipment and 130 tons of freshly made snow. No parkas are needed in here, it’s around 50 degrees, but snowball fights abound as you play in a courtyard themed to the Valley of Peace from Kung Fu Panda. The whole family loved making snowballs and playing in the snow – without the shoveling and scraping ice off your cars!

New this year is Gingy’s Gingerbread Decorating. This area was not open last night but will be now. There guests can purchase and decorated gingerbread houses, cookies or a tree ornament cookie and meet with Gingy himself!

The DreamWorks Animation 3D Theater Experience is also now open, where guests can walk the red carpet with Puss in Boots and enjoy gourmet theater food and beverages with Shrek and Princess Fiona before enjoying Puss In Boots on the big screen, in 3D!

Ticket prices vary by date and you can also look into a one or two-night DreamWorks Experience package to stay at the Gaylord Palms and get some amazing amenities, including interactive Character Meals, Meet & Greets and more. Check out pricing and more info at ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com Be sure to check in on foursquare for a special treat too – free hot chocolate! Those on twitter can follow the action using the #GPICE hashtag and you can upload your photos to the group flickr account too. Speaking of flickr, for more photos from me check out my Gaylord Palms ICE set on flickr. As you can see below, photographers are on hand to capture your family’s experiences and allow you to bring home memories to last a lifetime.

ICE photo — Group shot of the family and Amanda Tinney's family too in our ICE! parkas!

Some of the free events within the hotel include Luminescence, a musical journey into the spirit of Christmas, Christmas Wonders and Majestic Christmas Tree Lighting and Visits with Santa. I can’t wait to bring the family back again and check out all of these beautiful events in person.

This Saturday, 11/19, Gaylord Palms is teaming up with the amazing local kids charity Give Kids the World, for 50% off admission to ICE! Be sure to use promo code: SEGKW when purchasing tickets!

Pirates of the Caribbean Costumes for the Whole Family!

29 October 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

With the recent release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray Hi-Def Combo Pack, there will probably be quite a few swashbucklers ringing your bell for candy treasure in a couple of days! Disney was kind enough to send me some Pirates of the Caribbean Costumes to outfit my own crew, so I thought I’d share some of our fun photos here to show what a great option these costumes are for the whole family. I must add, if I could get my 12 and 11 year old to not only agree on costumes, but actually wear them too, you know these are a great choice! With so many fun pirate-themed days and activities throughout the year, you never know when you might need a great costume like these.

Ladies, boys and girls Pirates of the Caribbean costumes

If you need to get more inspiration, check out this clip from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides –

Thanks again to Disney for sending these costumes out. Can’t wait to answer the door on Halloween and give out arrrr candy. (Had to say it!)

Disney on Ice Dare to Dream Ticket GIVEAWAY for Orlando!

18 August 2011 by Suzannah Otis 12 Comments

Cool off with a Special Ticket Offer to Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream
And a chance to win four free tickets!

Get tangled up in the newest thrilling show to hit the ice, Disney On Ice
presents Dare to Dream – the first Disney On Ice show to play the new Amway Center. Experience Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths! Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from The Princess and the Frog, in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss.
And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime! Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit when Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream comes to your hometown!

Just for you, we can offer a special $11 ticket price (good for ALL
performances) on opening night, Friday, September 9 at 7:30 pm; Saturday,
September 10 at 3:30 and 7:30 pm; and Sunday, September 11 at 1 and 5 pm.
Simply visit the Amway Center box office or ticketmaster.com and use promo
code “MOM11” at check out! Note, this price isn’t good for Front Row or
VIP seats, limit 6 ticket per purchase. For more information on the show,
visit www.disneyonice.com.

We’ll see you at the show!

But wait .. there’s more! Here’s your chance to win four ticket vouchers good for select performances of Disney On Ice!

~~GIVEAWAY RULES:~~

~~Giveaway runs from now until August 26, when a winner will be announced here.~~

CONTEST CLOSED – Congratulations to comment #11, chosen from random.org as our winner – goofyames, I will forward your information to Feld Entertainment! Thanks everyone for participating!

~~To Enter:~~

~~Comment below to be entered to win.~~

~~Extra entries –~~

~~LIKE ZannaLand on facebook~~

~~LIKE Orange Blossom Moms, our sister site, on facebook~~

~~Tweet about the giveaway:~~

~~“I just entered to win a 4 pack of Disney on Ice Tickets from @zannaland and you can too! bit.ly/qN8w46”~~

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. However, as always, my opinions and reviews are 100% my personal thoughts.

Disney on Ice Toy Story 3 in Tampa Opening Night Giveaway!

3 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 14 Comments

A few months back, I posted about Disney on Ice Presents Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 3 coming to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. Now opening day is approaching and I’m able to offer TWO sets of tickets to giveaway for the show!! It’s sure to be a fun evening as characters from “Toy Story 3”, the record-breaking movie, take to the ice! An award-winning creative team and a cast of world-class skaters are bringing Woody the pull-string cowboy, space ranger Buzz Lightyear, Jessie the yodeling cowgirl and the rest of the gang to your town!

I have TWO family 4-packs of tickets to the May 19^th show to giveaway!

Here’s how to enter (I’m going to make it simple this time!):

Just comment below with your favorite Toy Story 3 character to be entered in the giveaway.

Additional entries may be earned by sharing this giveaway on twitter or facebook.

Please only tweet or post to facebook once daily and be sure to include @zannaland on the tweets so I can track it.

Comment here separately for each tweet or facebook update to make sure your entries are counted!

Giveaway ends on Mother’s Day, May 8, 2011. Remember, these tickets are for the May 19th opening night show – in TAMPA at the St. Pete Times Forum, so be sure you can actually attend before you enter! Thanks and good luck! Winners will be announced Monday, May 9th.

If you don’t win, or you’d like to attend on a different day, here is an amazing discount code to use for tickets: Experience Disney On Ice presents Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 3 for just $13 per ticket*! Just use the special promo code MOM at checkout when you purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com. Offer is valid on these select performances: May 20^th at 7pm, May 21^st at 7pm and May 22^nd at 5pm. Don’t miss out, get your tickets today!

*Offer not valid on Rinkside Dining or VIP Seats.

Toy Story 3 On Ice — The Claaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!!!

Mickey, Minnie and the Princesses Move in to Town Square Theater

15 April 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

The same day we checked out the Easter treats in the Magic Kingdom we also ventured over to the all-new recently opened Town Square Theater. The theater is the new home for the character meet and greets that were taking place over in Mickey’s Toon Town Fair before it closed. Formerly Expo Hall, Town Square Theater is adjacent to Tony’s restaurant, to the right as you enter the Magic Kingdom park. There are some lovely details to this new area, so I thought I’d share some photos below:

Character greeting sign — Mickey's hand points out that character greetings are this way! (and crushes that lady's head 😉 )

Wait time for Mickey — When we were there, the wait time for Mickey was only 5 minutes

Princess wait time — While the Princesses wait was 30 minutes

Town Square Fast Passes — Around the corner from Tony's, to the right of the Chapeau, is the Fast Pass distribution area for Town Square Theater

Town Square Theater entrance — Atrium inside Town Square Theater leading to the queue

Tony's Town Square — Looking over to Tony's from the atrium of Town Square Theater (construction was still going on on the low walls)

Town Square queue — The extensive queue area, leading to either Princessess or Mice!

Mickey wait time — Inside is another wait time board for Mickey

I’ll leave the rest of the experience inside Town Square Theater as a surprise for when you are able to visit but until then, I leave you with some friends, posing with our favorite rodents –

Thanks to pals and all-around awesome folks Nicole, Cade, and Mike for letting me share their photo with you all!

Meet Your Walt Disney World Moms Panel – Dad Chris G

19 May 2010 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

We are now at week 11 of our Meet Your Moms Panel series here on ZannaLand and get to meet another dad – this time our first new dad from the 2010 panel, Chris G. These informal interviews are meant to be a jumping off point from the bios that appear on the DisneyWorldMoms.com site where you can learn about every panelist’s background and experience with Walt Disney World, and see their personal videos as well. Once you check them out there, you can get to know the panelists a little better here!

The Walt Disney World Moms Panel {image ©Disney}

If the 2010 Moms Panel training trip were to have an official mascot of sorts, it would be Chris. I don’t mean that in a ‘he’d look great in a chicken-suit’ kind of way. Rather, he is someone I’d nominate for class president if we had such a thing. He was actually the first person I met at our reception when we were all nervous and excited to meet one another. He came right over and introduced himself (and to my surprise knew who I was) and was just such a wonderful, positive, exuberant presence in the room. This presence continued throughout training. He had not a bad word to say about a single person and was such a great storyteller we were all captivated by his words. His love of Disney AND his family was ever-present throughout training. It was easy to see why he was chosen to help others in a Disney capacity, since he is a teacher by profession and helps guide children on a daily basis. I was left with the knowledge that his students are very lucky indeed, as am I to know him! Please meet Chris —