videos

Disney Infinity Dragon Unlocked with MagicBand

22 August 2013 by Suzannah Otis 11 Comments

Reported first here at Zannaland: After hearing some suggestions from Tom Staggs, Chairman, Disney Parks and Resorts, that there just might be some things in store for Magic Bands and the newest Disney video game venture, Disney Infinity, I thought I’d do a little experimenting. Turns out, something pretty cool happens! You may remember talk of the Disney Dragon, an elusive creature, who even had his own blog for a time. He made one appearance, at the press event celebrating the opening of New Fantasyland in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Well, now you can see him whenever you like, if you have a Magic Band.

The new RFID bands are part of My Disney Experience, a next-gen project which allows resort guests to pre-book their FastPasses, and organize tickets, dining and more all on their wrist. I’ll have more on the MagicBands and My Magic + portions of My Disney Experience in a later post, as well as a full write up on Disney Infinity. Until then, please enjoy the game play capture of the special achievement unlocked with the MagicBand. We thought it was fun! *Edit, I realize the quality is less-than-stellar on this Wii video below. I did not know what I was missing until it was pointed out to me. We had an Xbox at home but my son used it upstairs, so I just got this for the Wii, not realizing a lot of the content was missing on this game. So I went out and got a Wii U. The difference was amazing! Check out the 3rd video below to see. I now a new video of Dragon Gate and the Dragons Keep world (not available in the Wii version) up from the Wii U, in HD. We also added some of the background sky and land power discs, so you could see the Dragon’s Keep in lots of different ways!

Disney Infinity is available now on all platforms with more figures and content coming out soon! I also captured the entire opening sequence for the game, after getting a Wii U and realizing a lot was missing from the Wii gameplay that is available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii U. It is simply gorgeous and I had to share it. If this doesn’t make you want to try out the game with your family, I’m not sure what will! (Wait, maybe the Tangled lanterns background sky would do the trick!) I’ll also have an updated Dragon Gate and Dragon’s Keep Toy Box World video coming soon, captured from the Wii U. Keep checking back and subscribe on YouTube for more!

Do you see the Disney Dragon shooting fire?

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

8 May 2012 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Correspondent 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!

Disney’s Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights Canopy Show

22 December 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Yet another family tradition each year and yet another moment to cry tears of joy in a Disney park. My dad loved these lights as well as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I’m always flooded with memories when we first turn the orner and see the amazing sparkling colors. I will have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the crowd control this year, normally we can walk right through from the Writer’s Stop, but this year we were detoured at every turn from left of the Great Movie Ride on, and funneled around to the back of the San Francisco area and Lights, Motors, Action!. Unfortunately, this is a terrible way to view experience the lights, especially for first-time visitors. You are able to SEE the lights as you turn into the New York Street area, but cannot gain access until the back, making for teeming throngs of disgruntled guests, and I was among them this week.

Having visited the Spectacle of Dancing Lights (SODL) each year since it premiered, the overall ‘show’ has always started at the end of New York Street and culminated with the turning Peace on Earth globe, angels and the Nativity. Granted, this route has changed slightly since first opening, when guests would get to walk down Residential Street, but the Peace on Earth was always the ‘finale’ so to speak. As years passed, the lights began to dance to music and more and more interactive elements were added. As a result, I understand that there isn’t any one centerpiece or finale, but the current route with countless detours and barricades made for a very disappointing experience.

In addition, there are many more PhotoPass stations now, making it almost impossible to take family photos, or even photos of just the lights, without a line of guests in front of you, waiting for professional photos. Again, I understand why Disney is doing what they are doing, but from a guest standpoint, it’s not something that benefits most people. How about photo stations outside of the fray of New York Street, where PhotoPass software can add the SODL into the background later? Surely, the photos will look better than a close-up of the base of a giant tree of lights, or building, where you can’t see the immense detail and overall wow factor of the experience. Just my thoughts, as a long-time visitor and someone that heard lots of complaints the night I went, and online too.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights — Still awe-inspiring, each year.

Luckily, the lights and the family memories won out in the end and magic again took over, but I implore Disney to work on a better plan that doesn’t involve so much confusion and frustration. When and if you visit, be prepared for crowds and ask the cast members where you actually enter for the lights so you can head there first. My advice is to go during the week and see the lights later in the night, not when the lights first switch on. Those caveats given, I’d love to share one of my favorite musical portions of the nights’ songs, that I was able to record. If, like me, it’s one of your favorite things at Walt Disney World during the holidays, or you aren’t able to make it down to see the lights, I hope you enjoy the show. This video features the all-new canopy, offering some amazing effects.

VIDEO: LEGOLAND Florida’s First Christmas Tree Lighting

7 December 2011 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

I’ve now visited LEGOLAND Florida twice with my family, and it is quickly becoming one of our favorite places in the Orlando area. Many people try to compare it to Walt Disney World or other local theme parks, but LEGOLAND really is a completely different kind of place. Kids rule there and everything is geared toward them. It is wonderful to see my 3 year-old get to play in life-size Duplo blocks and playgrounds, ride on the safari vehicles and drive his own LEGO car, and to see my older two run from coaster to coaster, spend an hour just looking at all the details in the Minilands, and most importantly – get along! It’s just a wonderful day of family fun.

To celebrate their first Christmas in Florida, LEGOLAND built a 30-foot Christmas tree entirely out of LEGO bricks – 270,000 of them to be exact. The details are so fun, with LEGO paper-chains on the tree and even little elves helping trim the tree in the back. David Oliver, the world’s current American record-holder in 110m hurdles and 2012 Olympic Track & Field favorite was on hand to light the lights and you can see him hurdle on to the scene in the video below, along with general manager Adrian Jones and of course, Santa! Check it out:

LEGOLAND Florida is a wonderful place and really not too far from the Disney area, it took us less than an hour to get there from Celebration. Especially for locals or those that visit Orlando frequently, I think the annual pass is well worth it for multiple visits. I’ll be posting more photos from our recent visit soon!

LEGO President Obama and Family — President Obama and Family are ready for Christmas!

VIDEO: SeaWorld Orlando’s Spectacular Sea of Trees

6 December 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

SeaWorld Orlando recently invited my family out to experience their holiday happenings. I was completely blown away and impressed by what SeaWorld had to offer. I thought maybe the Shamu show would have a Christmas theme to it, but SeaWorld was completely transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, music, special shows and more. As you walk toward the Waterfront area lighted arches show the way and trees drip with twinkling icicles. Live bands perform in various areas around the park, even special holiday meals options are served.

I’ll post more about the wonderful shows offered during this season, including “O Wondrous Night: The Greatest Story Never Told” which was just beautiful, with a surprise ending that brought the audience to its feet in applause. But for now, I’d like to share the awe-inspiring Sea of Trees show. Expanded this year to include 100 massive trees, each sparkling, lighted and choreographed to classic holiday tunes, making a dramatic display around SeaWorld’s center lake. It is just breathtaking! Well, I’ll just show you:

We loved this show so much and my family had a fabulous time enjoying all SeaWorld had to offer for the holidays. It’s definitely going to be an annual tradition for us. Thanks once again to Nicole Siscaretti for creating that video for us. Check back for more updates on SeaWorld’s Light Up the Night holiday festivities!

VIDEOS: Amazing Halloween Light Shows With Music!

27 October 2011 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

As you might be aware, I love Christmas and a major reason for this is all the wonderful twinkling lights on display everywhere, especially at Walt Disney World. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in particular are a highlight of the season for me. I’m sure you’ve heard of talented homeowners doing their own version of dancing lights coordinating with music during the holiday season. Well I’ve just discovered one of those talented folks, who decided to take on Halloween. Check out these AMAZING light and music displays from one man in Riverside, CA.

This is Halloween from Nightmare Before Christmas:

Party Rock (Every Day I’m Shufflin) by LMFAO:

Some videos from 2010 –Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas:

Sandstorm by Darude: (This song always reminds me of playing Dance Dance Revolution left, right, up, up, jump!)

Thriller by Michael Jackson:

Aren’t these amazing?! I for one would LOVE to have this guy as a neighbor! Keep up the great work!

A Closer Look at the New Haunted Mansion Interactive Queue

11 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

I’m sure by now you’ve seen and heard of the new interactive queue that’s been added to Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion. I took these photos about a month ago but you know how it is, things are often as busy in ZannaLand as they are in any other land! Despite the lack of scoop on these photos, I figured I’d share them here anyway, mostly because I know my mom hasn’t seen them yet, so hey, that’s at least one person! 😉

The great part about these new interactive queues Walt Disney World is creating is that if guests want to experience them, they must separate from the regular standby line, thereby essentially agreeing to engage in a more laid back, slower-paced approach to a ride. The interactive queues are also not accessible by the FastPass line since those guests are clearly on a mission.

When I first walked through the new Haunted Mansion queue, it was a strange feeling. You could stop and really explore the details to each section; posing for photos or trying out all of the interactive elements, but what that meant was that you were also willing to relinquish your spot in line if you wanted to wait for a picture while guests behind you chose to move on. It really goes against everything Disney has drilled into us as guests! Keep moving, no line cutting and definitely don’t hold up the line with silly antics like taking pictures or playing with displays!

At first, people were polite and tended to stay within their ‘places’ but once some saw I was taking kind of a LOT of pictures, they went ahead. And…that was okay. It was sort of a zen-like experience to just let people go and know that we were all getting to the same place anyway (which is really my philosophy in the parks anyway, granted this is easier to do when you are a resident, I know). It was also a lot of fun watching other families and children experiencing everything at the same time. All in all, I think the interactive queues are a great addition and will hopefully foster this new type of park-goer that is more mellow and willing to spend longer to get to the same attraction at a more leisurely pace vs. the ever-present Dumbo-or-die mentality.

And now, without further ado, here is a video montage of my photos from my last visit – designed just to give you an overview, so you can discover them in detail on your own. Make sure you watch till the end for a very special part of the new queue. Of course die-hard Disney fans will notice the previous tombstones honoring Imagineers Marc Davis, X. Atencio, and Yale Gracey among others. The new organ also pays tribute to Thurl Ravenscroft, famous for his part in the singing busts at the end of the ride (as well as the voice of Tony the Tiger and the Grinch songs). Be sure to look for these details on your next visit!

Special thanks to Denise from MouseSteps.com and Jeff and JeffLangeDVD.com for letting me use her photo of the wedding ring in the queue. This was added after I took my photos so I haven’t yet seen it in person. If you’d like to see the interaction in action, check out their video of the Haunted Mansion queue. I’m also including their video of the new Hitchhiking Ghost scene at the end of the ride, if you haven’t yet experienced that (with location of the wedding ring at the end of the video!) —

VIDEO: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party-Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

30 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

It is difficult to surpass the wonder that is the Boo to You Parade during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – but if anything can, it’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I was saying just the other day that I think I’m related to Buddy the Elf, because of my intense love for all things Christmas-related. Disney knows better than anyone how to amp up the holiday magic for the season.

Just walking into the Magic Kingdom or any of the parks with holiday decorations up and you’ll be in the spirit. However to really create some magical memories, you simply must head over to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This separate ticketed event runs on select nights in November and December and believe me, it is worth the price of admission.

VIDEO: Disney’s Beach Club Life Sized Gingerbread Carousel Tour

21 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

Last night while visiting Epcot with friends, I took some video of Disney’s Beach Club Resort’s fabulous life sized Gingerbread Carousel. This year the resort also features a little shop that sells the gingerbread houses and other treats. I’m definitely no Samantha Brown or Lou Mongello, but I hope you enjoy my first attempt at actually taking and narrating video! At the very least, I know you’ll enjoy the AMAZING creations from Walt Disney World’s pastry chefs. Stay tuned for more holiday videos from Walt Disney World soon!

Hilarious Disney Tangled Vignette Grounded For Life & Meet the Sidekicks Clip

8 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

Disney just sent over these clips from their new animated feature film Tangled and I actually rushed to update here and share them with you, they are that great!

The first video – a vignette entitled “Grounded For Life” actually made me laugh out loud. This was a great little piece put together by Disney that really endears you to Rapunzel and her plight. I’m sure kids and tweens can relate to their own not-quite-so-severe groundings!