penguins

It’s ICE ICE Baby! – Top 5 Favorite Scenes From Gaylord Palms Merry Madagascar

19 November 2012 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

One of my favorite parts of living in Orlando are the wonderful holiday events and happenings. Gaylord Palms is an absolutely gorgeous resort and it becomes a sparkling jewel for the holidays. My family and I love making ICE! an annual tradition, where over 2 million pounds of ice are carved by skilled Chinese artisans, with a new theme for each holiday season. This year, it’s “Merry Madagascar” and all of your favorites are there; King Julien, Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, and of course, MORT! There are SO many amazing things to see at ICE!, I think I took over 100 photos. However, rather than show you everything, I want to share my top 5 scenes, and hopefully entice you to get over to Gaylord Palms and see the rest in person!

My Top 5 Favorite Scenes at Gaylord Palms ICE! – Merry Madagascar

5. Frozen Coconuts!

4. Sparkly Penguins!

3. Pink Eiffel Tower and pastel St. Basil’s!

2. Super Slides!

1. Frozen Waterfall!

But there is much more to the holidays at Gaylord Palms than just ICE! Within the ICE! area, there are also special character greeting photo ops and Gingy’s Gingerbread Decorating, as well as a huge selection of holiday and themed merchandise and a cafe serving holiday treats. In addition, the main atrium lobby has breathtaking Christmas decorations and a nightly Christmas show called Luminescence – featuring The Edge Effect, and the Polar Bear Pursuit Scavenger Hunt. Below is a gallery of some more highlights from Gaylord Palms holiday happenings – click any photo to view as a slideshow:

Gaylord Palms holiday lights — Such a beautiful resort all the time, even more so at the holidays!

Gaylord Palms Holiday decor — The lights and tree in the atrium lobby are just gorgeous. The holiday show is wonderful too.

Gaylord Palms ICE! — Gingy with two of my little Christmas elves.

You can see the rest of my photos on my ICE! 2012 flickr set.

The best way to see all of the wonderful holiday offerings is of course, to stay right at the Gaylord Palms. Guests seeking a complete Christmas experience can purchase special “Christmassy DreamWorks Experience” packages starting at $189.99 per room, per night (for a three night stay)! Packages include unlimited visits to ICE! and a number of other activities, including a ShrekFeast Interactive Character Meal, and more!

ICE! is open daily from Nov. 10, 2012 through Jan. 1, 2013, including holidays. Ticket prices for children start at $9.99, and adult ticket prices start at $18.99. Florida Residents — Save an extra $4 per ticket. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.christmasatgaylordpalms.com. ICE! is presented by Coca-Cola.

Disclosure: I was provided tickets to attend a media preview of ICE! but my thoughts and opinions are my own.

New Video Takes Us Behind The Scenes At SeaWorld’s Antarctica

25 October 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

SeaWorld Orlando is working on an amazing new attraction called Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, opening in 2013. If you haven’t seen the construction in person or heard what it’s all about, SeaWorld has released a series of YouTube videos with behind-the-scenes info on Antarctica.

The second Behind The Freeze focuses on the stars of our 2013 adventure — the penguins! SeaWorld’s top animal expert, Mike Boos, showcases the species of birds that will make their home at Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin when it opens at SeaWorld Orlando next spring.

Get ready for an epic exploration into an icy world like you’ve never seen before. Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, the most immersive mega-attraction ever created by SeaWorld – is coming in spring 2013. Set in the majestic grandeur of the icy South Pole, this exhilarating ride will glide, slide and transport your family to the penguins’ surprising world where you can brave a blizzard. Be dazzled by ice and lights. Then it sets you free to explore a one-of-a-kind penguin colony in an expanse that brings you above and below their icy world. It’s an awe-inspiring penguin attraction only SeaWorld could create.

The Antarctica Website provides a way to stay tuned to Behind-The-Freeze webisodes that will continually take fans behind the scenes with the designers and animal experts as they create Orlando’s coolest, must-see 2013 experience, even revealing icy secrets along the way.

After having walked past construction of Antarctica a few times, I’m super excited to experience this attraction in person. It looks like it will be an unforgettable adventure!

Club Penguin’s Annual Halloween Party Visits the Haunted Mansion!

23 October 2012 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

Club Penguin is such a popular and fun site for kids to play games, create their own characters, and even better, get some Disney-exclusive costumes and settings for their games. I’m consistently impressed at the crossovers Club Penguin has with Marvel and now Disney’s Haunted Mansion too! Check out the official news below:

Ghosts and ghost hunters have taken over Disney’s Club Penguin, the #1 virtual world for kids, in its annual Halloween Party. With over 6 million penguins taking part in last year’s event, Club Penguin’s Halloween Party is the biggest Halloween event online for kids. The fun and fright continues in this year’s event, where players will need to solve the mystery of ghost-researcher Gariwald VIII’s disappearance and uncover the secrets behind his Walt Disney Parks and Resorts-inspired haunted mansion.

While solving the spooky mystery, members can turn into ghosts and haunt the Island, and all players will have the chance to become ghost hunters and catch rogue ghosts. Players can also listen to the latest Club Penguin single, “Ghosts Just Wanna Dance” and take part in two new spook-tacular scavenger hunts. The Halloween Party will begin on October 18 and run until November 1.

Some haunting highlights of the 2012 Club Penguin Halloween Party include:

Spooky Island Transformation: The Island will be overrun with ghosts and it is up to players to protect it by becoming ghost hunters.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts-Inspired Haunted Mansion: This year’s party will feature a new haunted mansion, inspired by the Haunted Mansion attraction found at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. By exploring the 9-room mansion, fans will discover numerous nods to the infamous ride, like the maid and butler costumes worn by Haunted Mansion cast members.

Ghost Goggles and Ghost Lab: Once they find the Ghost Goggles hidden in the haunted mansion, players will be able to see the ghosts that are haunting the Island, as well unearth the Ghost Lab.
Spook-tacular Scavenger Hunts: Players can complete the “To Boo” list during two new Halloween Scavenger Hunts, giving them the chance to unlock a secret chest and earn new igloo items.
Brand New Song: Penguin Band featuring Cadence has released a haunting new song for Halloween – “Ghosts Just Wanna Dance,” that members can play in their igloo when throwing the ultimate Halloween party.
Cool Costumes: Players can dress their penguins in the coolest Halloween costumes yet – ghost catchers, ghosts, slices of pizza, ninja robots, creepy cats and more!
Famous Penguin Visits: Lucky players will be able to interact with Gary the Gadget Guy during the Halloween party, helping him solve the mystery of his great uncle Gariwald’s disappearance.
Igloo Contest: Club Penguin is holding their annual igloo contest, encouraging players to decorate with their most fearsome furnishings for the chance to win huge in-world prizes.

Penguins are invited to put on their spookiest or silliest costumes and join the fun at: clubpenguin.com!