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SeaWorld Orlando Christmas Celebration 2021

14 November 2021 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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SeaWorld Orlando hosts a delightful array of offerings to celebrate the holiday season. SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration for 2021 takes place on select dates from November 12th through January 2nd with lights and decorations, holiday foods and treats and entertainment the whole family can enjoy together. This is one of the best values when it comes to seasonal events in Orlando. SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is included with the purchase of a regular ticket or annual pass. Let’s take a look at some highlights of SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration 2021 event.

SeaWorld Christmas Celebration

SeaWorld Orlando Christmas 2021

The Sesame Street Christmas Parade will delight kids from one to ninety two with classic characters like Big Bird and Elmo. The floats in this parade are colorful, creative and entertaining too. This parade is the kind that rolls through, pauses and puts on a stationary show. The performers are high energy and the original music is extra festive. Sesame Street provides an entertaining and inviting atmosphere for all on television and in the park.

SeaWorld Christmas Sesame Street parade

Rudolph’s ChristmasTown offers more family fun with photo ops featuring some of your favorite Christmas characters. Here you can meet Rudolph from the 1964 Rankin Bass stop motion, classic film Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. You may also find the Bumble in this storybook setting! If you love jolly attire and accessories, this is the place to look for merchandise.

New to SeaWorld Orlando Christmas 2021 is The Sounds of the Seasons Concert featuring musical acts in the indoor Nautilus Theater. Check the schedule as the featured talent rotates through the duration of the event. If you enjoy live music, SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration has lovely atmospheric shows you should add to your plans. There is an a cappella group that sings favorites from classic holiday movies and a reindeer band alternating on the small stage at Rudolph’s ChristmasTown. This little venue is outdoors and on the water with lights and decorations all around.

Sea of Trees is a nighttime wonder with lit Christmas trees floating, twinkling and reflecting on the water to music. You can see this dazzle throughout the night. One of the best viewing places is on the bridge in the middle of the water with the trees all around you.

Sea of Trees SeaWorld Christmas Celebration

Winter Wonderland on Ice is an ice skating show featuring songs of the season and glitzy costumes. Guests can enjoy the work of these talented artists as they dance on ice in this beautifully crafted show. It’s truly a spectacle as the water behind the stage is illuminated with the Sea of Trees and colorful, gushing fountains.

SeaWorld Christmas skating

You can also experience wintery fun like snow flurries and ice skating at SeaWorld for the holidays. Ice skating is an additional charge and has a couple of requirements so look into it before you go if that is of interest to you.

Finish your night at SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration with a sky full of sparkles. Holiday Reflections Fireworks can be seen from many places around the park but the best viewing is from the Winter Wonderland On Ice venue or around the lake where Sea of Trees floats. If you’ve enjoyed Halloween at SeaWorld you’ve seen the unique tie in of SeaWorld’s aquatic theme with the spooky season. As fun as that may be, SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration takes a more familiar approach celebrating with classic characters, decor and music, and food.

HOLIDAY FLAVORS TO SAVOR

The Christmas Market, nestled along Bayside Pathway, features festive entertainment and delicious culinary delights. At this bustling market, guests will discover one-of-a-kind gifts and snack on scrumptious holiday treats. Relax near the warm glow of the fire pit with a holiday craft brew and experience a wonderful view of the vibrant Sea of Trees or sing along to musicians who bring the sounds of the season to life on the gazebo stage.  Find the tastes of the season throughout the park with the return of fan-favorite beverages, including the decadent Butterscotch Hot Chocolate or try something new like the Peppermint Berry Julep or the Mistletoe Margarita.

MORE TO CELEBRATE

Take note of this additional events added to celebrate other holidays during the season:

  • Hanukkah Celebration Celebrate the festival of lights at SeaWorld! From November 28 through December 6, gather with your friends and family to view the traditional lighting of the menorah in Sesame Street Land™ throughout Hanukkah.
  • Kwanzaa Festivities Join SeaWorld’s celebration of Kwanzaa! Taking place December 26 through January 1, guests can enjoy a joyous time of reflection and celebration of African heritage with the nightly lighting of the kinara in Sesame Street Land™.
  • New Year’s Eve Spend the final day of 2021 enjoying SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration then ring in the New Year as vibrant fireworks fill the night sky at midnight on December 31.

Best Way to Enjoy the Holiday Cheer for SeaWorld Christmas 2021

The best way to experience SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration and New Year’s with family and friends is with a SeaWorld Orlando Annual Pass. For a limited time, Florida residents can become a Pass Member for as low as $12.75 per month. Pass Members can receive park benefits and rewards like priority access to new attractions, FREE parking, in-park discounts and much more.

For more information, park hours and to purchase tickets, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com.

Thank you SparklyNicole of SparklyEverAfter.com for providing us with this review and guide for SeaWorld Orlando Christmas in 2021. We’ll have a video coming out soon that will showcase the food and other fun from the event, so be sure you’re subscribed to Zannaland on YouTube!

Disclaimer: Zannaland.com was provided with free tickets to SeaWorld.

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Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Guest Authors, Parks, Sea World Orlando, Things to Do Tagged With: guest blog, SeaWorld, SeaWorld Christmas, SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando Christmas, SeaWorld Orlando Christmas 2021, SparklyEverAfter, SparklyNicole

Guest Post: Disney-LEGO Studios?

9 September 2011 by Ryan P. Wilson Leave a Comment

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Here’s another fun post from Ryan P. Wilson of the Main St. Gazette. A truly dedicated Disney and LEGO maniac! 😉
…
I’ve been working on a personal project for the past couple of years, a labor (literally) of love that combines two of my favorite passions, Walt Disney World and LEGO. For years now, LEGO has been developing building sets based off of popular franchises, the longest of these collaborations being Star Wars. In 2008, with the introduction of Indiana Jones LEGO sets I had a thought, what if I could build my own Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or a variation of, out of LEGOs?With the spark in my heart and mind I set out to create a park brick by brick. Early on I made the decision that while I could cannibalize various sets and Pick-A-Bricks (LEGO’s online service that allows you to purchase only the bricks you want) to construction spots such as the Hollywood Tower Hotel or Chinese Theatre, that I really wanted to stick to sets everyone could pick up. After years of collecting and assembling, here is the current, though I doubt final, version of LEGO Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Should I dare to call it Disney-LEGO Studios?).

LEGO Studios from Ryan P. Wilson
The Main Street Gazette edition of LEGO Studios!
While I may have purchased and built the entire sets, I did not always include the entire set, occasionally this was due to the fact that the entire set couldn’t be seen inside the Studios. So, what do we have? Representing Star Tours We have the Endor bunker, speeder bike and AT-AT Walker, hosted by R2-D2 and C-3PO (I will admit, Threepio came from a set not listed here, but it felt wrong not to include him). Pixar is embodied by meet and greets for Buzz and Woody, their ship and sheriff’s office respectively, the Green Army Men, and Mater and Lightning. While several scenes from Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular could be utilized, I picked the Cairo scene, for its charm and for the fact that it is the scene that extras (like myself) get to jump into the action. Last, but not least, I’ve included the Pirates of the Caribbean cannibal cage, which can be seen along the Studio Backlot Tour.There are additions or substitutions that could be made. For instance either the Indiana Jones Temple Escape or Flying Wing could be used in place of the Cairo set. Similarly, Jabba’s Sail Barge comes complete with a skiff that could also be used for the Studio Backlot Tour. Also, LEGO has just released an Ewok Attack set whose Endor trees could be used to shelter the AT-AT Walker.

Is it perfect? No. Is it a complete picture of Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Absolutely not. Does it make me smile to have found a way to combine two of my favorite things? You’d better believe it! And yes, yes I am the boy who never grew up.

Sets Utilized:
Pirates of the Caribbean The Cannibal Escape 4182
Indiana Jones Ambush in Cairo 7195
Toy Story Buzz’s Star Command Spaceship 7593
Toy Story Woody’s Round-Up 7594
Toy Story Army Men on Patrol 7595
Star Wars The Battle of Endor 8038
Star Wars AT-AT Walker 8129
Cars Classic Mater 8201
Cars Radiator Springs Lightning McQueen 8200

Supplemental Sets:
Indiana Jones Fight on the Flying Wing 7683
Indiana Jones Temple Escape 7623
Star Wars Ewok Attack 7956
Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge 6210

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Filed Under: Guest Authors Tagged With: Guest Authors, guest blog, LEGO, LEGO creations, Main St Gazette, Main Street Gazette, Ryan P. Wilson

Disney’s D23 Expo 2011: A Primer for All You Need To Know

15 August 2011 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

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I’ve been so busy lately with projects that I haven’t even had a chance to share the news that I’ll be attending the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California this week! (So if you’ll be there too, be sure to stop and say hello!) It is not only my first trip to Disneyland, but my first trip further west than Chicago and my first plane trip since 1997 (crazy, I know!). So I am, in a word, overwhelmed! I figured if I was overwhelmed, there were probably lots of other people wondering “What exactly IS this ‘D23 Expo?’” and even those attending might be a little confused by all the events, presentations and more. To help, I’ve enlisted Carrie Hayward, who I had the pleasure of meeting this year at the Disney Social Media Moms event. Carrie is not only the most famous Disney bride I know, she’s also an amazing writer. She attended last year’s Expo, so I knew she’d have all the ins and outs to help us newbies out. I’m honored to have her as a guest author here on ZannaLand. Without further ado, here’s Carrie —

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Billed as “The Ultimate Fan Event,” D23 Expo 2011 takes over the Anaheim Convention Center Aug. 19-21. Falling somewhere between the chaos of Comic Con and the intimacy of the All Disneyana Show & Sale, this official event is a chance for Disney to connect with fans and showcase the new and forthcoming products in all its business lines, from film, television, and radio to theme parks and consumer products. Whether you were at the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009 or this will be your first time, here is an overview of everything you need to know about D23 Expo 2011.

Anaheim Convention Center in 2009

D23 Expo Show Floor

Located in Halls A, B and part of C, the D23 Expo Show Floor is where you’ll go to see Imagineering’s handiwork in the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Pavilion, track down rare items in the Collectors’ Forum, purchase official Expo merchandise in the Dream Store, and visit the booths and exhibits of Disney’s various business lines. The show floor is open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm daily, with a one-hour head start for D23 members beginning at 9:00 am.

Welcome Center
In addition to acting as an information booth and membership desk, the Welcome Center will host meet-and-greets with artists, authors, actors, filmmakers, and Disney celebrities including Don Hahn, Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence, and Dave Smith. Note that these take place in the Talent Round-up area across the aisle, not inside the Welcome Center itself.

Welcome Center in 2009

Disney Consumer Products’ Disney Living Pavilion
This is where you’ll find a showcase of the latest Disney merchandise, appearances by celebrity designers and artists, story time with Disney Publishing, and a performance by American Idol‘s Constantine Maroulis and Rock Star Mickey. This massive pavilion, which spans the lower quarter of Hall A, also houses “pop-up” locations of the Disney Store and A Small World Village (more information on these in the Shopping section, below). Additionally, there will be toy demos, mini-beauty treatments at the Disney Beauty Lounge, and party ideas at the Disney Celebrations exhibit.

Disney Channel & Radio Disney Pavilion
You’ll hear this pavilion before you see it because it’s the site of a nonstop series of dance parties, concerts by Radio Disney favorites, appearances by Disney Channel stars, and meet-and-greets with Disney characters. This is also the place for “Perry-Oke” sing-alongs at the Phineas & Ferb Platy-Bus.

The Platy-Bus at Comic Con 2011

Disney Interactive Media Group
Check out the latest Disney videogames and meet Epic Mickey game designer Warren Spector on Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Walt Disney Studios In-Home Entertainment
This is the place to see Blu-ray 3D in action and learn about movie-viewing on mobile devices.

Inside Tides – Pirates of the Caribbean Film Prop Collection
Located next to the Walt Disney Animation Studios booth, this collection of props and costumes from the fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise offers the rare opportunity to actually photograph items from the Walt Disney Archives.

Disney Corporate Citizenship
The hub for Disney’s charity and environmental initiatives offers the opportunity to volunteer just a few minutes of your time at the Expo to make a big difference in the community.

Disney Corporate Citizenship booth in 2009

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Carousel of Projects Pavilion
Probably the most entertaining area of the show floor, this pavilion spotlights the work of Walt Disney Imagineering at the parks around the world. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the work on Disney California Adventure’s Cars Land and the Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom and have a chance to talk to real-live Imagineers about the projects they’ve worked on. There will also be exhibits on the inner workings of Audio-Animatronics, and last time there were meet-and-greets with advanced AA figures Wall-E and Lucky the Dinosaur. Elsewhere in the pavilion, you’ll find displays by Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club and Adventures By Disney.

Radiator Springs model and Lightning McQueen Audio-Animatronic at D23 Expo 2009

Collectors Forum
This area serves as a catchall for independent vendors of Disney art and collectibles, fan sites and message boards, and Disney travel agents. It’s also the place to meet Disney celebrities like Bill Farmer (Goofy), Paige O’Hara (Belle), Margaret Kerry (Tinker Bell), and Susan Egan (Megara, Belle on Broadway) at the Disneyana Fan Club booth. An outlet of the United States Postal Service will be handy for those who’ve gone on a D23 Expo shopping spree.

Disney Desk – Park Ticket Sales Center
Disney will be selling Expo attendees discounted “Twilight” tickets to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure that are good after 4:00 pm or 4 hours before the park closes, whichever comes first. Rates are $55 for a 1-day, 1-park Twilight ticket (vs. $80 for a full day) or $70 for a 1-day Twilight Park Hopper (vs. $105 for a full day). A full-day Park Hopper can be purchased at $8 off the regular adult or child price. Disney will also sell multiday Park Hoppers for $25 off the 3-day price, $30 off the 4-day price, or $35 off the 5-day price for adults and children.

D23 Arena

The 4,000-seat arena hosts all the major Expo events, from the Disney Legends Ceremony and 3-D screening of The Lion King to the presentations by Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. The Studios presentation is the one to hit for celebrity sightings, with Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, Willem Dafoe, Kelly Macdonald, Jennifer Garner, Sarah Silverman, and cast members from Marvel’s The Avengers on tap at press time. Fans of the Disney princesses will want to check out Friday morning’s 2011 Disney Legends Awards Ceremony, which honors the women who provided voices for Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Tiana. The Walt Disney Parks & Resorts presentation will provide a look at upcoming projects at Disney parks around the world, although last time the promised surprises were the same information that had been floating around the Internet for weeks or months already.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts presentation in 2009

You only need to wait in the ginormous arena queue if you absolutely have to get a seat in the first few rows. Also, attendees will be required to turn over their cell phones, cameras, and other recording devices on the way in to the Walt Disney Studios presentation. This creates long lines before and after the event; allow extra time or find another place to stash these devices so that you can skip the check-in lines.

Second Floor

You’ll need to travel upstairs to see the various seminars, panels, and events with Disney celebrities, plus the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives. For a complete schedule, click HERE to download the official D23 Expo 2011 Guide Book.

Stage 28
The majority of the historical and Imagineering seminars at D23 Expo 11 will take place inside Stage 28. These are the kinds of presentations found at D23’s Destination D events at Disneyland and Walt Disney World: in-depth examinations of the development of parks and attractions, plus interviews with the people who were there. Stage 28 was frequently packed to capacity at D23 Expo 2009, so be sure to get in line early.

Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives
Located in the middle of the second floor is the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit. This year’s will be twice as big as it was at the inaugural D23 Expo, packing in 12,000 square feet of costumes, props, artifacts, photos, and memorabilia from Disney films, TV shows, theatrical productions, and Walt Disney himself. Also inside the exhibit this year is the D23 Fan Art Gallery, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the movie 101 Dalmatians. (Shameless plug: My husband created the winning art piece, Tiki de Vil!) Note that photography and videography are prohibited inside the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives.

Outside the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit in 2009

D23 Expo Live Auction Preview Room
If you don’t want to pay $45 for a ticket to the D23 Expo Live Auction on Saturday night, you can preview the lots on the second floor of the convention center. Up for live auction are original attraction vehicles, props, art pieces, tours, and experiences—a complete list can be found at HERE. To see a few of the silent auction lots, click HERE.

Kevin Kidney & Jody Daily's Hatbox Ghost for the D23 Expo 2009 Live Auction

Third Floor

There’s only one venue on the third floor of the convention center, and that’s…

Stage 23
Not to be confused with Stage 28, this theater hosts mostly screenings and events for the first two days of the Expo, including the Pixar shorts collection, the Dick Van Dyke & The Vantastix concert, the Ultimate Disney Trivia Tournament and the D23 Expo Live Auction. On Sunday it becomes home to the kinds of theme park history and Imagineering seminars found on Stage 28, like “Imagineering Cars Land” and “The Making of Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.” Although it can hold 1,500 people, Stage 28 (then known as Walt Disney Studios Theater) was often packed to capacity in 2009, so get in line early for hot-ticket presentations featuring popular names.

Shopping

Disney provides numerous “shopportunites” at the expo, including plenty of limited-edition and exclusive merchandise.

D23 Expo 2011 Dream Store
This is the place for limited-edition Expo merchandise, theme park products, jewelry, ACME art, and autograph sessions. Each day will see the release of items themed to a specific Disney classic: 101 Dalmatians on Friday, Dumbo on Saturday, and Alice in Wonderland on Sunday. Last time, Disney handed out tickets to those in the pre-opening line that allowed them to return at any time that day to pick up the limited-edition items they wanted. While certain products remained available throughout the Expo, others sold out to those at the front of the line, so be sure to get there early if these are important to you. A partial list of D23 Expo merchandise can be found HERE.

D23 Expo
D23 Expo 2009 Dream Store

Mickey’s of Glendale
Although it has been a fixture at the Disneyana Fan Club’s All Disneyana Show & Sale for a few years, Mickey’s of Glendale makes its D23 Expo debut in 2011. This satellite location of the employee store at Walt Disney Imagineering will be inside the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Carousel of Projects pavilion selling WDI-exclusive apparel, accessories, pins, and art, plus merchandise inspired by the projects on display in the pavilion. Pin collectors, take note: There will be several limited-edition D23 Expo pins sold only at Mickey’s of Glendale. Also, they usually have a few bins of $4 and $5 WDI pins that make great traders.

Disney Store
The Disney Living Pavilion is the site of a 1,500-square-foot pop-up Disney Store, which will kick off its 25th anniversary celebration with a D23 members-only presentation at 9:00 am on August 19. The first 25 people in line will receive a commemorative pin. Additional members-only opening ceremonies will be held at the same time on Saturday and Sunday. Note that only 500 of the Disney Store 25th anniversary Vinylmation figures will be sold at the Expo, but 2,000 more will be available to D23 members online.

There were plenty of limited-edition Vinylmation figures left on the last day of D23 Expo 2009

Walt Disney Archives Treasure Trove
Adjacent to the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit is the Walt Disney Archives Treasure Trove, which will sell reproductions of and pieces inspired by items in the archives, limited-edition merchandise from the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World and 20th anniversary of The Rocketeer, and assorted other leftovers from previous D23 events.

A Small World Village
This pop-up shop features apparel and accessories for children, toddlers, and babies inspired by Mary Blair’s concept art for the “it’s a small world” attraction. Sponsor Nordstrom will also offer Basq NYC skincare for new moms and TOMS shoes for kids.

Dining

All concessions are handled by Aramark, whose food you may recognize from arenas, convention centers, and stadiums across the country. If you have special dietary requirements or are just a fan of fresh food, you may want to explore the options right outside the convention center in an area known as CenterWalk.

A complete list of dining locations and menu items can be found in my article “Dining Options at the 2011 D23 Expo” on The Disney Food Blog.

Touring Tips

  • It’s a Disney convention, but it’s still a convention. Disney may have reinvented the amusement park business, but its approach to conventions is strictly by the book. Expect many of the less-than-thrilling aspects of a theme park visit (lots of walking, long lines, overpriced food) combined with familiar convention touchstones like counter-programmed seminars, bad fluorescent lighting, and huge corporate booths shilling the latest and greatest products.

 

  • It may feel crowded. In 2009, D23 Expo drew almost 40,000 people over four days. This year, they’re expecting 45,000 people over three days. This may be especially noticeable at the two counter-service restaurants around lunchtime, so you might want to eat at off hours.

 

  • Expect to wait in line. Unfortunately, Disney’s FASTPASS does not extend to D23 Expo. Lines form hours in advance for popular seminars (especially the ones featuring Imagineers), the sale of limited-edition merchandise, and presentations in the arena.

 

  • Know when to get in line. Although D23 Expo officially opens to D23 members at 9:00 am (10:00 am for the general public), Disney is expecting lines to begin forming out front by 5:00 am. These will mostly be people waiting to line up for merchandise vouchers from the Dream Store and those who want floor seats in the arena. The first group will be ushered into the lobby at 6:45 am, with the rest entering by 7:00 am. At 8:00 am lines will be divided into one for the store and one for the arena, and at 8:30 am the latter will be allowed into the arena. There is no need to wait in either line if you’re not interested in limited-edition merchandise or don’t care where you sit in the Arena.

 

  • You can’t see it all. D23 head Steven Clark has said that the Expo is scheduled so that fans will feel like there’s too much good stuff to see and do. This means that popular presentations are often counter-programmed so that it is impossible to see them all. Be prepared to make tough decisions between certain panels and presentations, especially those that require a long wait in line.

 

See you at the Expo!

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Carrie is the author of PassPorter’s Disney Weddings & Honeymoons, a guidebook and bridal organizer for weddings and honeymoons at Walt Disney World and on the Disney Cruise Line. You can read her account of the inaugural D23 Expo in D23 Expo The “All-Lines, No-Rides” Disney Experience! and follow her adventures at D23 Expo 2011 as @lurkyloo on Twitter.

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Filed Under: Disney News, Disney Planning, Disney Special Events, Guest Authors, Walt Disney World Tagged With: anaheim california, anaheim convention center, Carrie Hayward, D23, D23 Expo, D23 Expo 101, D23 Expo 2011, D23 Expo Primer, Disney D23, dream store, expo, Guest Authors, guest blog

GUEST POST: Easy Living Comes Easy For Bears

30 June 2011 by Ryan P. Wilson Leave a Comment

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If your childhood was anything like mine, then you spent a good deal of your allotted television time watching VHS of Walt Disney Home Videos. You know, the white plastic-cased movies sporting Sorcerer Mickey on the cover. My absolute favorite of these VHS tapes, the one I had memorized the spot of in the video rental store, was Yellowstone Cubs.

Yellowstone Cubs 01 (1963)

The feature followed around two bear cubs, Tuffy and Tubby, who had become separated from their mother, Necomas, after a family decides to feed the family of bears against the park’s warnings. Throughout the tale the cubs provide the comic relief, in the form of crashes, smorgasbord feedings and even a runaway motorboat. Meanwhile, the mama bear tugs on your heartstrings during her journey to find her cubs, a quest that leads her across the park and even labels her a dangerous bear. The feature also sought to inform viewers not just about the habits of bears, but also about the natural wonder that is Yellowstone. In the end, the family is reunited at Old Faithful Inn and sent on about their business.

Yellowstone Cubs 02 (1963)
In the incarnation of the video I watched so often, it was a double feature with the 1961 Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color segment, Flash the Teenage Otter. Flash is great in its own rights, but in my heart, it’s no Yellowstone Cubs. But the double feature concept was not new to the Yellowstone Cubs. Due to its short length, only 48 minutes, the film was paired up with Savage Sam for their June 1, 1963 debut.

Aside from the antics of the bears themselves, the narrator was one of the more memorable elements of Yellowstone Cubs. In all likelihood, that voice narrated a great deal of all of our childhoods, as it was none other than Rex Allen. Aside from narrating a selection of Walt Disney wildlife documentaries and films, he also narrated the Shaggy D.A. and Charlotte’s Web. He was well known as a singing cowboy, which came in handy for Yellowstone Cubs’ Easy Living, and often played a cowboy who may not have shared his profession, but definitely shared his name.

Yellowstone Cubs 03 (1963)

I hope you enjoyed wandering down the trail and reminiscing with me today, and I hope these photographs of Tubby sucking down a bottle, Necomas rummaging through a trailer, and Tuffy and Tubby stuffing themselves in the kitchen of Old Faithful Inn brought back some memories for you.

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Filed Under: Disney Past, Guest Authors, Movies & Books Tagged With: Guest Authors, guest blog, Main Street Gazette, Rex Allen, Ryan P. Wilson, Tuffy and Tubby, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Yellowstone Cubs

Winner of Kevin Dundon Cookbook Giveaway and ZannaLand News

22 June 2010 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

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First things first, I must announce the winner of the “Great Family Food” by Chef  Kevin Dundon giveaway. After inputting the number of entries into random.org, #14 was chosen – Jennifer P. Congratulations, Jennifer! I’ll be emailing you for your info to send the book your way. I wish you many happy hours of delicious cooking with it! Thank you so much to everyone that entered, tweeted, re-tweeted and spread the word about the giveaway and ZannaLand.

…

Some other news – I am now an official contributing author at TampaBay.com’s Whoa, Momma! blog. I know I mentioned I was writing articles for them before, but now I’m all permanent-like and my name’s on the header and my author bio’s on the side. Yee haw! 😉 Pretty darn cool and I am extremely grateful and honored that the fine ladies over at Whoa, Momma! for taking a chance on me. You can read my latest post on Activities Off the Beaten Path at Disney there now, with more to come in the coming weeks. Some pieces may even be picked up by the St. Petersburg Times and in turn their news wire and show up in your local paper.

I’ve mentioned on twitter but I know not everyone is there – I have also written a couple of guest posts for Mr. Hidden Mickey Guy himself, Steven Barrett. Again, the honor was mine and if you told me a year ago I’d be doing either of these things, I’d have laughed and said “yeah, right!” I’m so very grateful. You can read my post on Disney After Dark and Staying Cool in the Summer at Disney over on his site.

And of course, you can find me over at DisneyWorldMoms.com where I’ll be answering questions for a few more weeks. I’d love to get a question from a reader to answer on the panel! Just click on the “ask Suzannah a question” link on my WDW Moms Panel bio page.

If you are looking for other ways to stay connected, you can find me on twitter @zannaland, or the facebook page for the site: facebook.com/zannaland (close to 500 members now!) over there you can post comments or questions on the wall, interact with other Disney fans, add pictures to the group photo album and keep up with all the blog entries as well. I’d love to see more of you!


Thank you so much for reading!


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Filed Under: Family Memories, Giveaways Tagged With: Chef Kevin Dundon, facebook, Giveaways, guest blog, guest writing, Hidden Mickey Guy, Steve Barrett, twitter, woah momma!, zannaland

Disney Parks Discovery Series – Disneyland Paris Review from Erin Foster

8 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 6 Comments

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Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is our first stop in our Disney Parks Discovery series

Readers will have of course noticed that my primary focus here at ZannaLand is the Walt Disney World Resort. It is where I have enjoyed countless memories from childhood through present times. As much as I love everything about it, I also write about it because I have not had the good fortune to experience any of the other parks and resorts Disney has to offer. I hope to remedy this sad state of affairs as soon as I can but until that time, I figured I should not in turn, deprive you of the wonderful experiences out there. That’s where my friends come in.

I asked for some help in bringing an overview of the non-Disney World parks to my readers and first up is the lovely and intelligent Erin Foster, from the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, a self-admitted Disney Geek and in my opinion, a veritable font of Disney knowledge. Erin recently returned from her family’s first trip to the Disneyland Resort Paris. Once I got over wishing I could somehow stow away in their luggage, I asked her to share her experiences here with us. Je vous présente avec plaisir, Madame Foster!

[Read more…] about Disney Parks Discovery Series – Disneyland Paris Review from Erin Foster

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Filed Under: Disneyland Resort Paris, Guest Authors, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney parks, Disney Parks Discovery Series, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Resort Paris, DLRP, Erin Foster, EuroDisney, France, Guest author, guest blog, guest post

Diana, Princess of Wales in Disney: A real Princess in a Magic Kingdom

31 August 2009 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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In August of 1993, my mom and I had planned a little vacation to Walt Disney World. We were living in Massachusetts at the time and I had probably just come to the conclusion that I wanted to work at Disney World. This wasn’t our ‘recon’ mission when we went looking for houses, rather more of a getaway from the grind of school and work, of which we were both a part. What we didn’t plan for was a royal companion during our visit to Disney World – Princess Diana had also decided to take her boys on vacation there during the same time.

We heard the news reports once we got there, and the rumors from cast members about her reserving an entire floor of the Grand Floridian and the special security needed to escort her throughout the parks. We also managed to serendipitously follow her around almost her entire visit.

Princess Diana at the Magic Kingdom-August 1993
Princess Diana at the Magic Kingdom-August 1993

We first saw her in the Magic Kingdom, in Mickey’s Starland as Mickey’s Toon Town Fair was called back then. At that time the “Judges Tent” then held a live-show with Mickey and friends. We were all ushered into the hall and completely shocked when we realized the Princess of Wales was sitting two rows in front of us! Prince William and Prince Henry were with her and each had a friend or two as well. She was so elegant and gracious, smiling and laughing at all the appropriate times. I can’t remember one single thing about the show that was on the stage, but I remember her smile in front of me as if it were yesterday.

You can see Prince Harry better here
You can see Prince Harry better here

After that we thought that was the end of our amazing luck with Princess-viewing. Nope, the next day we both happened to be at the then Disney-MGM Studios at the same time. We had just finished up the Backstage Tour and were walking over to the Inside the Magic Special Effects Tour and saw her group being escorted back behind the main buildings at the end of foot of New York Street (where Lights, Motors, Action! now stands). I tried to take a picture then, but it didn’t show the Princess.

Princess Diana at the Disney Studios
Princess Diana at the Disney Studios

Later we stopped for lunch at the Backlot Express over by Star Tours – a favorite counter service spot for us. Wouldn’t you know, Princess Diana stopped in to use the restroom here! You would’ve thought she was royalty the way everything stopped…oh, wait. Yes, it was quite amazing seeing both the special treatment given to such an elegant Princess, and how down to earth and relaxed Princess Diana seemed. She was just in Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt, nothing ridiculously over-the-top. She was clearly enjoying her time with her sons and making sure they didn’t miss out on anything.

I had always held a fondness for the Princess of Wales, having watched her wedding on T.V. and her appearances in the media throughout the years. After this trip though, I had a new respect for her as a mom too. I wasn’t anywhere near being a mom yet in 1993. However, I knew from living with my own mother just how important those special times can be, especially in one of the most magical places on earth. It was truly an honor to witness a real Princess amid the fairy tale ones all around us.

We were living in Orlando, Florida when we first heard news that late night of her car crash. We stayed up the entire night watching the news reports and my mom and I definitely shed some tears. Such a beautiful life, cut so short, so senselessly. Watching her funeral services was heartbreaking.

On this anniversary of her passing, I thought I’d share some of the magic she unwittingly shared with a mother and daughter, as we all enjoyed a little bit of pixie dust. May you rest in peace, Princess…and thank you for all the good you did here on earth.

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Past Tagged With: Diana Princes of Wales at Disney, Disney, Disney past, Disney's Hollywood Studios, guest blog, Magic Kingdom, Princess Diana, Princess Diana at Disney, Princess Diana at WDW, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World in the 90's

Cast Member Memories…

10 July 2009 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Hey everyone! I have a few blogs in the works, I need to scan in some old photos to add to them first, but in the meantime, I’ve written a guest blog over at http://afterthemouse.com! It’s a really great site put together by @afterthemouse, full of cast member stories and other cool features. I had a great time writing it and reminiscing about my time with the Mouse. Check it out and leave me a comment leave me a comment there or here telling me what you think! 😀

Thanks everyone, have a great weekend!

Z.

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Filed Under: Disney Past Tagged With: Disney, guest blog

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