• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About | Press
  • Up the Waterfall
  • Media Kit

ZANNALAND!

Magical Adventures & Memories

  • Latest News
    • Top Stories
    • Disney News
    • Disney Movie News & Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • Places to Explore
    • Walt Disney World
    • Universal Orlando Resort
    • Disneyland Resort
    • Orlando Area Resorts
    • Disneyland Resort Paris
    • Disney Cruise Line
  • Things to Do
    • Disney Dining
    • Disney Special Events
    • D23 Expo
    • RunDisney
    • Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts
    • Florida Theme Parks & Attractions
      • Universal Orlando Resort
      • Medieval Times
      • LEGOLAND Florida
      • Busch Gardens
      • Sea World Orlando
    • Orlando Area Resorts
    • Central Florida Family Entertainment
  • Up the Waterfall Podcast

Guest posts

Gift Guide: Disney Magic for Your iPhone!

25 November 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

It’s holiday time, and that means it’s time to pick up some Disney swag for the main Mouse in your life. But what should you wrap up in pretty paper and put under the tree this year? Jen from MickeyFix.com has put together a quick list to help you select the perfect protection for your giftee’s ever-present iPhone.

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Epcot Nerds

What do all Epcot nerds love more than a geodesic sphere? A retro-styled geodesic sphere! This Spaceship Earth iPhone case will not only protect your holiday honey’s precious device, it’ll also allow him to show off his unrelenting love of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

epcot-case

 

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Haunted Mansion Spooks

If the thought of damaging her iPhone gives your Mouseketeer hot and cold running chills, we have the perfect gift for her: this perfectly disquieting Haunted Mansion iPhone case. There’s no turning back now …

mansion-case

 

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Star Wars Geeks

This is not the case you were looking for … it’s so much better! The Force is strong with this one, and your Star Wars geek will carry the Mickey Ear Death Star iPhone case with pride.

deathstar-case

 

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Disney Dreamers

If thoughts of Pixie Dust and Neverland make her heart skip a beat, let her enjoy it on a daily basis with this Peter Pan iPhone Case. Just make sure she avoids that Hook…I hear he’s no good. 😉

Peter Pan Case

 

Which of these cases is right for the Disney obsessive in your life?

 

About the author:
Jen S. spends her free time chronicling v. cool Disney things over at MickeyFix.com. If you don’t see something you like here, check out other Disney Gift Guides on Mickey Fix!

 

 

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Filed Under: Disney Merchandise, Guest Authors Tagged With: death star, Death Star iPhone case, Disney artwork, Disney designs, disney gift, Disney Gift Guides, Disney iPhone covers, Disney magic, Disney Merchandise, Disney shopping, Disney shopping guide, Epcot, Epcot iphone case, experimental prototype community of tomorrow, geodesic sphere, Guest Authors, Guest posts, Haunted Mansion, Haunted Mansion iPhone case, iPhone covers, Mickey Fix, MickeyFix.com, peter pan, Peter Pan iPhone case, pixie dust, Spaceship Earth, star wars geeks

VIDEO: Disney’s Wild Africa Trek-A Passage to Africa

8 May 2012 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Wild Africa Trek rope bridgeCorrespondent Nicole Siscaretti rounds out her coverage for us with a personal tour of the Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As you may recall, I was able to preview this trek before it opened to the general public, and shared the Wild Africa Trek Facts and Figures. It remains one of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World, because it is simply so unique. It is worth every penny, and the experience is one you will remember for a lifetime.

I never shared the video I took that day, but it’s good I didn’t because the tour has been improved since I saw it. You now get to hang by a harnessed cable over crocodiles as well as hippos, and the safari truck tour at the end is covered. I feel like the tour narration was much more in-depth on Nicole’s video and you learn so much about the animals on the trek!

Let’s go on safari with Nicole:

 

 

To recap from the Facts & Figures post, the Wild Africa Trek is a 3-hour group tour held at various times throughout the morning and afternoon at Animal Kingdom. You are also served an African-inspired breakfast or lunch, depending on the time of your tour, and given a PhotoPass CD of the experience. Pricing varies seasonally but right now you can save $50 on tours at or after 11:45 a.m. from 5/29/12 – 8/25/12. Call Disney for pricing details and to book at (407) WDW-TOUR or (407) 939-8687.

I would like to take a moment and thank Nicole for her amazing coverage here on the site and twitter and facebook, giving Zannaland readers all the latest with great photos and videos. Nicole has a new site she’s creating as we speak so keep an eye out for her magical new venture! Asante sana Nicole!

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Filed Under: Disney Planning, Disney Tours, Guest Authors, Walt Disney World Tagged With: african animals, Animal Kingdom, animals, Disney tours, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Wild Africa Trek, Guest posts, Nicole Siscaretti, safari, safari tour, safari trek, videos, Wild Africa Trek

Guest Post: Guide For Bringing First-timers to Walt Disney World

8 November 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Today brings another great guest post, this time from Scott Gustin, a Senior Web Producer at MyFox8.com in North Carolina, and major Disney fan. You can find Scott on twitter @scgustinwdw and writing for his tech-savvy site, TheSocialMouse.com, where he discusses Disney’s social media forays and use of technology. I love his blog and tweets and am so happy to share his post here today. Below he shares his tips – from personal experience – about visiting Walt Disney World with guests who’ve never experienced the wonder before.

…

10 Tips for Taking Newbies to Disney World

 

At some point in your Disney-filled life, you will accept an incredibly scary challenge: taking someone to Disney World for the first time.

Now, let me begin by stating I will primarily focusing on adult touring. While taking a child to Disney World for thefirst time is likely one of the greatest things you will ever do, taking another adult that doesn’t quite appreciate Disney the same way you do can be a real challenge.

A few years ago, my wife and I took two of our best friends to Walt Disney World. We have been dozens of times and go several times each year. After hearing us rave about Disney, they decided they wanted to tag along for a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. Our friends, also married, flew down to Orlando and met us for the second half of our vacation. They were both making their first-ever visit to Walt Disney World. During this trip, I learned some valuable lessons for making the trip enjoyable for you and the first-timers.

1. Lower your expectations of your friends.
The bottom-line: your friends will never love Disney as much as you do, no matter how much you want them to. Despite gathering dozens of fastpasses, buy them free Dole Whips and locating the perfect spot for fireworks, it’s likely not going to happen. Instead of expecting your friends to reach your high level of Disney fandom, just do your best to show the first-timers the “best of the best.”

Celebrate a Dream Come True parade2. Take it slow!
One mistake I have made is feeling obligated to show the first-timers EVERYTHING. While it is well known being at the gates at 8 a.m. is the best way to get the most out of your day, your friends don’t know this. You can recommend getting up early by mentioning shorter wait times, but ultimately, I would leave it up to the first-timers to decide if you will be at the park for rope drop.

 

3. Do the parades!

We have seen most of the parades several times. However, with first-timers, you must hit the parades. While I’m not a huge fan, I know that parades are a big part of the Disney experience and what people expect when they visit the parks.

 

4. Make a list of the “best of the best”

I always write down the must-do attractions for each park. Then, before the trip, I go over the list with the first-timers and find out what they are most interested in. If your friends don’t ride roller coasters, there’s no need to have them speed walk to Everest at 9 a.m. An itinerary is also a good idea when planning the trip. While your friends will likely make fun of you, I find it necessary when taking first-timers.

 

5. Know the first-timers   

Before the trip, talk to them about their expectations. You should have a clear understanding of what they expect, their knowledge of Disney, dietary expectations, cost limitations, etc. Talking before the trip will help you avoid unnecessary stress while at Disney World.

 

6. Be knowledgeable

I find that first-timers really appreciate those little “secrets” about the parks. Share your knowledge!

 

7. Be cliché

Buy the Mickey hats, get your first-timers the “first visit” pins, ride ‘It’s a Small World.’ Do all the cliché things to help fulfill the first-timers’ expectations of the Disney experience.

 

Cinderella Castle Dream Lights8. Pick the perfect time of year

If possible, be sure to pick a time of year that is best for the first-timers. If possible, pick a time of year that has low crowds and cooler temperatures. If the first-timers are less about rides and more about the experience, consider going after Thanksgiving so they can see the Christmas decorations at Disney World.

 

9. Bring snacks into the parks  

While this seems like an obvious tip for everyone, I find that first-timers always have a hard time with the cost of food inside the parks. By packing snacks, it can help offset that frustration when the first-timers realize food inside the parks can be expensive.

 

10. Don’t stress out!

Planning a trip for other people is always stressful. However, if you clearly understand the first-timers’ expectations, you can better plan a trip that is fun for all. If you get stressed out, so will everyone else. As always, never forget – you’re at Disney World!

…

What are your top tips for traveling with newbies? Share them below! Big thanks to Scott for sharing his thoughts with us today. Be sure to follow Scott on twitter ( @scgustinwdw & @thesocialmouse ) and check out TheSocialMouse.com.

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Filed Under: Disney Planning, Guest Authors, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney planning, Disney tips, First-timers at Disney, First-timers at WDW, Guest author, Guest Authors, Guest posts, Scott Gustin, The Social Mouse, TheSocialMouse.com, Top 10, WDW Tips

VIDEO: Fun Overview of LEGOLAND Florida on Opening Day

26 October 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

I had some friends along with my family at the Grand Opening of LEGOLAND Florida back on October 15, and my good friend Nicole recorded some of our experiences that day. This is just one short example of the many sights to enjoy at LEGOLAND. I’ll still be spotlighting a few of my favorites in the coming days here on Zannaland but until then, enjoy this video from Nicole!


Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Guest Authors, LEGOLAND Florida Tagged With: Guest posts, LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND Florida, LEGOLAND Florida Grand Opening, LEGOLAND theme park, Nicole Siscaretti, Polk County FL, video, Winter Haven FL

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to Our Up the Waterfall Disney History Podcast

Up the Waterfall podcast

Get Some Park Candy!

Park CandyUse code ZANNA at checkout for 10% off your entire order!

FAVORITE VLOG

https://youtu.be/jUQvxcguh9o

Click below to SUBSCRIBE to our latest Vlogs & LIVE Shows!

Recent Posts

  • D23 Events for 2023 – Destination D23 Returns to Walt Disney World
  • Hocus Pocus Cottage in Salem, MA Airbnb – Book this Unique Stay for October 20, 2022
  • LIVE Updates from the 2022 D23 EXPO in Anaheim California
  • Walt Disney’s Grumman Gulfstream I Airplane Makes its West Coast Return for D23 Expo 2022
  • Lilly Singh and Raven-Symoné To Host ‘Disney’s Epic Entertainment Showcase: The Musical: The Extravaganza!’
  • ICE! To Return to Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando for 2022
  • DIS Con 2022 Fan Expo Will Take Place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
  • Disney+ to Highlight Upcoming Content Throughout D23 Expo Panels
  • D23 Expo 2022 Full Schedule Lineup – Including Muppets Christmas Carol
  • LEGOLAND Florida Brick-or-Treat presents Monster Party

Zannaland Archives

Recent Vlog

https://youtu.be/aRB70OJelLc
DisneyStore.com

Subscribe to our podcast

Free Shipping on New Kate Spade Collection now at shopDisney.com!

Copyright Zannaland © 2023