Disney

Adding Pixie Dust to Social Media at Walt Disney World

29 January 2010 by Suzannah Otis 14 Comments

Followers on twitter, facebook, or even readers here of my posts on Solo-parenting tips and First-timer tips have probably heard of the upcoming Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Having dipped its toes into the ocean of social media and mom bloggers for a while now with Magical Mom Blogger trips and cruises, Disney has now decided to venture into the world of social media conferences.

walt-disney-world2 — Walt Disney World knows how to CELEBRATE!

Walt Disney World will play host to over 100 mom (and dad) bloggers on February 10-12, 2010. Lucky attendees will be treated to what Disney does best – celebrate! Even the name reveals it is not just another blogging conference – celebration is right in the title. And as if simply being on Walt Disney World property for the event was not enough, Disney went the step further to host guests at one of its Deluxe properties, the Polynesian Resort, add in amazing social media speakers who are the top in their field, AND allow attendees to bring family members as part of the conference fee. The value for this event is just mind-boggling since staying at the Polynesian for even one night is close to the cost for the entire 3-night event (including up to 3 guests) with park tickets, some meals and who knows what other surprises Disney has in store. When I first saw the event invitation, I knew I would do whatever it took to be able to attend. This is simply a once-in-a-lifetime event (which I hope happens more than once as I’m sure this is only the beginning of Disney’s social media conference hosting!). I’ve come to the astute conclusion that this taking part in once-in-a-lifetime events thing is a good habit to have. That’s a good plan, right?

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It’s Time to Get Things Started…Why Don’t You Get Things Started…

5 January 2010 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

Children of the 80’s will no doubt recognize the lyrics to the Muppet Show above. The Muppets are now giving back, along with Disney, with their new promotion for 2010 – Give a Day Get a Disney Day. Now the the new year is here the volunteering has begun! The response to the promotion has been huge, based on the website traffic and buzz on twitter. Just to illustrate: I signed up on January 1st, for an opportunity on the 3rd, and when I checked back for more after I volunteered, there were none available! I’m hoping and assuming that as the days go on, Disney and the HandsOn Network will reveal even more positions, however Disney has said from the start that ticket quantities for this promotion are limited – so don’t delay!

In an effort to get the word out to even more volunteers, the Muppets, mascots of this promotion have put together a very special video for you!

So get out there and volunteer! Personally, I donated blood for my first effort. It was so motivating that I’m going to head back to Florida Blood Services soon and donate platelets which can save 3 lives with one donation. I hope to sign the rest of the family up as well to take advantage of the many kid-friendly volunteer options in my area. If you aren’t seeing anything available in your area or the site is giving you issues, keep checking back!

Disney Dooney & Bourke Black Wonder Multicolored Mickey Bags

22 December 2009 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

PART TWO in the Disney Dooney & Bourke Handbag series:

If you have been following the mania that is Disney’s collaboration with Dooney and Bourke with its first foray into Disney park-themed designer handbags, you’ll know by now that there’s a new kid on the block – and his name is Mickey.

Dooney & Bourke has now come out with a new style and color for the winter – PVC-coated black cotton design with bright multicolored Mickey Mouse silhouettes and black leather straps.

Take a look at the new designs –

Sneak Peek at the New Rayovac Commercial Set in Disneyland!

18 December 2009 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

Did you know Rayovac is the preferred battery of Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts? I didn’t! They have just completed a new commercial set in Disneyland, seen through the eyes of a little princess visiting the park, and all the magic that appears as she makes some wishes. It’s a really sweet video and I was given the opportunity to share it with you all before it debuts on Good Morning America on Monday, December 21, 2010.

Wasn’t that adorable?! I just came *back* from Walt Disney World and it makes me want to run right back. (I’d buy all those light up wands and spinners if I could too those never get old!) I loved the song too!

In addition, Rayovac is offering its Facebook fans a $3 off coupon on their new Facebook page. Just become a fan, click the coupons tab and enter your email address to receive the coupon. That’ll be helpful to stock up for batteries this holiday season!

*Rayovac asked me to share this with my readers, but I have not been compensated in any way or provided with copy to post here. I received the video and coupon link from Rayovac, not from the Walt Disney Company or any of its employees.

WDW Moms Panel 2010 Training – Part 1 of Many!

18 December 2009 by Suzannah Otis 14 Comments

Alright, I’ve waited long enough for this update! The truth is, in addition to heading back to Disney World 2 days after returning from training, and then getting sick and having a sick baby to take care of, the thought of trying to put back into words all the the amazing sites, experiences and emotions I felt during the 5 days of training was just a tad overwhelming! But I’m finally here and figure if I break it down into days, I can tackle it. It’s just too good not to share, right?

On the day I was supposed to drive up, I got cold feet. I know, most people would have killed to be in my shoes, both being close enough to drive to Walt Disney World and being picked to be on this amazing panel…but I still got nervous. You see, there’s a reason why I write a blog and don’t host a pod cast or web cast or anything else involving face-to-face interaction. I am in fact, pretty shy. There, I said it. I wasn’t always this way, my 1st grade report card lists me as a “Social Butterfly” and as a result I was separated from my best friend for 2nd grade. It isn’t even because of all the moves my family made over the years, deeming me the eternal ‘new kid’ – I actually had no problem making friends and keep in touch with many of them from all the way back to grade school. This really started in college but is also a combination of being nervous about speaking in front of people. Let me digress a bit…

continue reading about WDW Moms Panel Training…

What I’m Looking Forward to at Disney Moms Panel Training!

3 December 2009 by Suzannah Otis 13 Comments

a pic I took for my friend Amanda Tinney's blog seemed to fit today's post! Click the pic to see her cool project!! — a pic I took for my friend Amanda Tinney's blog (DisneyEveryDay.com) and it seemed to fit today's post! Click to see her cool project!!

You may have noticed I have not been blogging much lately. Part of it is because I’ve just been in this sort of limbo of anxious anticipation which is causing me to have nothing to say! I know, shocking – enjoy it while you can! 😉 I’ve almost felt guilty about my leaving on Friday to attend what I imagine might rank up there with marriage and childbirth as far as life-changing memories go – Disney Moms Panel Training. Then today, less than 24 hours away from when I’ll arrive, he received a call this morning that he has a job once again! Thank you ALL for your support and prayers during this difficult last month. The guilt is now transforming to excitement again and I thought I’d write a little list of what I’m anticipating the most during the next 5 days.

Of course, this is all just speculation about ‘hoped for’ activities – we will not get our itinerary until we check in tomorrow. There are trip reports and blog entries accounting for past year’s training events, but I have successfully avoided reading any of them – on purpose. I didn’t want to have any expectations going in and risk disappointment by thinking ‘hey, they did that last year!’. That is not to say I’m expecting to be disappointed – of course not! Anyway, I just thought I’d note a few things I’m hoping we get to experience.

Riding Expedition Everest – even thought we live an hour away and have annual passes, I still have not gone on this ride! I’m not a roller coaster enthusiast, but I’ve done all the other coasters at Disney, so I’m sure I can handle this one, and it looks so scenic and exciting too!

Seeing inside the new Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. I’ve seen tons of pictures of this newest DVC offering, but it’s one of the few resorts I have not been able to tour yet. I’d love to see it in person!

Heading back into the Tunnel (ok, the Utilidor) under the Magic Kingdom. I have no clue if there would ever be a need for the Disney Moms Panel to tour the Utilidor, but I have to admit, I kind of miss it and would love to see my old stomping grounds again.

Checking out Pirates League or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Ok, so this is probably a long-shot because I doubt they are going to take the time to make-over all of us as pirates or princesses, but I think it would be SO cool to do!! I’ll probably do this with my daughter when we make it back for our girl’s day out trip at some point soon.

Touring the Cinderella Suite in the Castle. Again, longshot maybe because this suite and staying in it are no longer part of the current Disney World promotion to visit the parks…and there are way too many of us to stay overnight IN the suite, so I’m not even asking for that, but just to be able to walk inside – see the twinkling lights in the ceiling over the bathtub…sigh…every princess’ dream!

No matter what we see or do (or eat) I have no doubt it will be an amazing trip of a lifetime. I have not been without family on a trip since my junior year trip to Europe in high school – and even then, I had my best friend with me – this time it’s ALL new people! Luckily I feel like I know many of them already and I know we’ll be into trouble in no time. 😉 I have never been away from my kids – they’ve had sleepovers but that’s it, and the baby, well…I really hope he remembers who I am when I return!! I will miss my husband and kids so much but I know they are wishing me well and so excited for this new adventure. I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get back!

La Cava del Tequila – A New Way to Experience the SPIRIT of Mexico

7 November 2009 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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Now that Epcot’s 14th Annual International Food & Wine Festival is coming to an end (November 8, 2009 is the last day), you may fear that your chance to sample international spirits is gone for another year. This is not the case because a new little spot opened up during the festival – La Cava del Tequila inside San Angel Inn at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion. Here you can experience an endless array of tequilas from rare to common as well as beers and specialty margaritas. In addition you can enjoy tapas-style food items as well, to form the perfect pairing to the spirits available. The full menu is available at The Disney Food Blog, who’s updates on twitter first informed me of the margarita I wanted to try – the Aguacate.

Continue into La Cava de Tequila>>

Disney’s A Christmas Carol: The IMAX Experience-Twitter Party & Giveaway!

4 November 2009 by Suzannah Otis 16 Comments

Walt Disney Pictures and Robert Zemeckis proudly present Disney’s A Christmas Carol in Disney 3D opening this Friday, November 6, 2009. IMAX wants you to experience this amazing new film in IMAX 3D and is giving away prizes all this week on their facebook page.

Just by being a reader of ZannaLand, you can also enter to win a prize pack consisting of one Disney’s A Christmas Carol movie poster and one Disney’s A Christmas Carol: Movie Storybook. To enter simply become a fan of IMAX on Facebook and let me know by leaving a comment here on this blog entry. That’s it!

In addition, IMAX and Resourceful Mommy are hosting a Twitter party this Thursday from 9:00 – 10:00pm ET. Just log on to Twitter at that time and join in the fun conversations using the hashtag #xmasIMAX. Be sure to follow @IMAX and @ResourcefulMom to keep up with the giveaways! I’ll be there too, feel free to say hello – @zannaland

There will be more than a dozen winners during the Twitter party on Thursday night so be sure to RSVP for the Twitter party, EDIT: The Twitter party was a great success, but has now ended. The contest for the prize from participating blogs will end on 11/11, so you can still enter! Become a Facebook IMAX fan, and comment here!

See you Thursday night when we’ll turn those Bah Humbugs into Woo hoos!! 😉

Grim Grinning Ghosts, Come Out to Socialize!

31 October 2009 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

“When hinges creak, in doorless chambers. And strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker, where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present. Practicing their terror, with ghoulish delight!

…Your cadaverous parlour, betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis.”

With these famous lines from one of Walt Disney’s greatest attractions, the Haunted Mansion, I thought I’d celebrate Halloween in ZannaLand by sharing some photos of our family during our visit to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. Don’t forget to check out my other Halloween posts showcasing the Headless Horseman ride, part one of the Boo to You Parade, part two featuring the Villains, and the Halloween Castle!

Our darling Cereal Killer, Coraline, my ghoulish "Scare-ista" costume, and Spider-Mickey! — Our darling Cereal Killer, Coraline, my 'Scare-ista' costume, and Spider-Mickey!

This was the sign I made to go with my costume, hope some Disney fanatics get the jokes! — This was the sign I made to go with my costume, hope some Disney fanatics get the references!

Continue for more pictures >>

Chapter 2 of the Cinderella Story-Disney Moms Panel Round 3

29 October 2009 by Suzannah Otis 6 Comments

You know how some blogs or websites have ‘Tag Clouds‘ where they list the words entries are tagged with, and the words used most often are bigger and bolder than the others? If my life had a Tag Cloud, the biggest, boldest words would be Disney Moms Panel. I swear it’s like those words are just hanging in the air above me everywhere I go, like some human Sims character or the “I’m Thinkin’ Arby’s” commercials. It’s become a part of me now, and pretty much everyone I know realizes that. I don’t personally think that’s a bad thing…just the way it is!

I wasn’t kidding when I wrote back in July that I was going to Do What I Loved and make it my goal to be on the Disney Moms Panel. My determination was strengthened in August when my family was able to enjoy the Mickey Moms Club Illuminations Party, put together by the Moms Panel cast members. My excitement then bubbled over as the date to apply approached and the 2010 Disney Moms Panel search began.

The funny thing was, in all that talk and excitement and hoopla, I never really thought my chances of making it into the Moms Panel were any greater than anyone else’s. In fact, so many others seemed to have such a huge online following as well as the knowledge and passion Disney was looking for. Still, the dream was there, the wishes and hopes were always with me. So of course when I first heard I hadn’t made it to the second round, I was crushed. The thought of having to wait an entire year to begin this quest again seemed so insufferably long, and heartbreakingly sad.

Then, as in all good fairy tales, something magical happened. A single glass slipper appeared on my foot, in the form of the email from the Moms Panel telling me I was meant to receive the “Congratulations, you made it to the second round” message all along. I had now become a part of something amazing – my very own Cinderella Story. If you recall, all of Cinderella’s family were already AT the ball when her Fairy Godmother arrived…just like what happened with me, it felt as though all my friends had already gone on to the ball without me.

The next few days seemed like a dream as I composed my answers, took my headshot picture, and hit ‘submit’. My friends and I waited patiently (and not so patiently) for news of when the next round’s finalists would be announced. Detectives all across twitter were scouring for significant tweets that might give us some clue we could go on. Of course at the end of the day, it’ll happen when it happens and no amount of willing it otherwise will help – but excitement and speculation are just part of the fun, I think. Thanks to twitter we all came to the conclusion that the finalists had been chosen in a big team-wide meeting held at Disney World on October 22nd. Then we all had to wait on pins and needles for the 27th to arrive, the date we had been told we would be notified about the next round.

I kept busy with my son’s 1st birthday party on Saturday, the 24th. Family and friends joined us for the fun-filled day full of frosting and presents. Sunday my good friend came over and decided to cook Beef Wellington! Who am I to say no to that? None of us had ever attempted to make it but it made for a fun night as she tried to figure it out (and succeeded!). I made super easy appetizers that don’t require worrying about beef being cooked enough! 😉 Monday, the 26th was my 13th wedding anniversary, so again, I was distracted by that celebration. Before I knew it, it was Tuesday the 27th.

Continue Reading the Cinderella Story >>