Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World’s Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Preview

28 April 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train we go! The long-anticipated final jewel (pun intended) in the New Fantasyland crown is about to be complete. Local, national and international media and travel professionals will be descending on the Walt Disney World Resort in just a few days, to learn all they can about this new family roller coaster, as well as other news and updates from around the resort. Some of the other topics we may hear about include the latest updates to the My Magic+ system and Magic Bands plus what’s coming up this summer at WDW.

I’ve made a choice not to share too much of the attraction as it has been revealed. I know I will be wowed when I ride for the first time, and want you all to have that same experience first hand. With all of the whirlwind of activities coming up starting this Wednesday night, I thought it would be a good idea to have a landing page where you can find all of the updates from the events, and where to follow along with me. Feel free to add me at the following outlets if you don’t already:

Twitter: @zannaland – here is where my main updating will happen. It’s easiest for me to tweet news and tidbits, retweet other folks who are at the event or official accounts, and it’s also where all of my instagrams will be shared.

Instagram: @zannaland – this is the easiest (and most fun) way for me to share photos and short videos with you all. All instagrams will be shared to twitter and my facebook page as well.

facebook: zannaland – as above, all of my instagrams will be shared here, as well as future blog posts and videos from the events.

YouTube: zannaland – Any videos from the opening will be posted here

Check back here for updates, photos and more – and feel free to share, RT, like, or otherwise share the love that you see here! ♥

See you in the Mine!

Festival of Fantasy Parade in Words and Pictures

14 March 2014 by Suzannah Otis 7 Comments

As was all the buzz this week, a brand new daytime parade debuted over at the Magic Kingdom. Kicking off on Sunday, March 9, the Festival of Fantasy Parade has been well-received with praise and adoration. I lined up Sunday to see for myself and share some photos and video (see Instagram and Facebook) and was also invited as a guest of Walt Disney World on Monday March 10, to see the parade again and speak to some of its creators. What has struck me overall with Festival of Fantasy is the absolute spectacle that this parade is. I don’t think it’s news to anyone that the daytime parades at Magic Kingdom have been severely lacking in the last, oh, 10+ years. We’ve had several incarnations of basically the same style of float and general parade feel for ages now. And visitors or locals to California’s Disneyland will no doubt evangelize about their Mickey’s Soundsational Parade and with good reason. Soundsational is a fun, unique look at the songs and characters we all love and have come to expect at Disney parks. A lot of comparisons have been made with Soundsational and Festival of Fantasy and I’ll go into a bit of that below. So read on for my thoughts on Festival of Fantasy and enjoy some of my favorite photos from the parade.

First, I must say that Festival of Fantasy is visually stunning. From the unique and sometimes outrageous costumes to the gigantic, kinetic, sensory-overloading floats, this is an impressive parade. After my first viewing, I quickly realized that it is a parade which needs to be viewed multiple times to take everything in or notice each detail. And that makes it a perfect fit for Walt Disney World, a resort catering to tens of millions of visitors each year, many of whom will visit the park just once, or perhaps every few years or so. While Walt Disney World does have a large and dedicated group of locals, it does not begin to compare to that of Disneyland, whose majority of visitors are locals – making the frequent changing of parades and entertainment a wise decision for the most part. Here, in Walt Disney World, if you are planning your yearly vacation, you will probably look forward to seeing this parade again and count on it being there. My point is, Festival of Fantasy is a great repeat-viewing parade, because you will likely see something new each time.

There have been some comments online about this parade being disjointed and just a random mix of themes and floats. And while I agree that, compared to Soundsational, which features a cohesive color-scheme and design element throughout, I don’t think Festival of Fantasy lacking that cohesion is a bad thing. Certainly the design and feel of Soundsational matches, until the very last float, which looks like a completely different style of float and artistry. Festival of Fantasy just happens to do this with each float, I think. This is a parade dedicated to Fantasyland, both its spirit and its presence within the park. Of course there is no “Sleeping Beauty” attraction other than a princess meet and greet, yet an entire float features one of Disney’s most famous animated villains. Snow White, while not having her own attraction any more, will have the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opening up soon, yet all we see of them in the parade are Snow and the Dwarfs themselves. It is not so much a literal definition of “everything in Fantasyland” but more of the essence of what we love about these parts of Disney in film. In a sense, we get eight mini parades rather than one long one.

{Enjoy the gallery of photos below – click to see full-size – more text after the pictures!}

Festival of Fantasy Princess Garden Frozen

A constant throughout Festival of Fantasy are the innovative and eye-catching costumes. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves on this one, but I am in love with all of these designs and love how each set of dancers preceding a themed float seems to represent the elements from each movie, from coral and seahorses, to thorns and ravens, to Pleasure Island treats and circus tents. The costumes and choreography are a show unto themselves. The Lost Boys receive a fun make-over in the style of Broadway’s Newsies with some fun dance moves. Randy Wojcik, Senior Show Director, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Creative Entertainment, likes to call each float a “mini Broadway show rolling down the street.”

I spoke to Randy about the costumes, wondering if they would survive wear and use, 365 days a year and he let me know how extensive the design and testing process was, getting approval for ergonomic wear and support. He’s rightly very proud of both the costumes and floats, especially the jaw-dropping Maleficent, represented as a steampunk contraption of a fire-breathing dragon. When I asked which came first, wanting Maleficent in the parade, or wanting a steampunk element in the parade, he said they always knew they wanted Maleficent, and the steampunk just came about through various pitch ideas and boardroom sessions.

Maleficent is definitely the show-stopper of the parade, but really, so many of the floats can stand up on their own merit. Maleficent, however, is part of a larger scene where Prince Phillip is battling the “thorns” (represented by stilt-walkers) conjured by Maleficent, as stylized ravens circle around. The battle then turns to Maleficent, who rears her head and breathes fire, a sight unparalleled outside of a nighttime spectacular in the parks. If you are looking to catch a photo of the fire, watch for Maleficent to lean her head all the way up, as that’s the only way she breathes fire. It seems to happen twice in Frontierland and twice around the hub turn by the Castle. I’ve yet to catch a perfect fire photo, but I plan to return and get one soon (research!). Be sure to enjoy all of Maleficent though; take note of her moving wings, her eyes and teeth, the thorn-spiked spinning wheel in the center of the dragon, all of it is amazing. It’s quite a detailed and impressive piece at 53 feet in length and 26 feet tall, designed in partnership with Tony Award-winner Michael Curry.

Next up is a float which, despite it being borrowed from Tokyo Disneyland’s Jubilation parade (along with the opening Princess float), is one of my favorites design-wise. It’s such a fun, brightly-colored and unique take on Monstro and the Pinocchio film itself, along with various other early films like Fantasia and Dumbo. The parade ends with Mickey and Minnie, which I think is a great finale. Since Mickey and Minnie aren’t really represented in Fantasyland (aside from Mickey in Philharmagic), they are a good reminder of the rest of the Magic Kingdom and Disney in general. I love Mickey and Minnie in this float and to me, their costumes are very reminiscent of the characters we see in Tokyo at their parades. All of the classic characters have wonderful, fun costumes in this parade, making for some great photos.

As far as the music goes, there is a catchy and familiar-sounding “Festival of Fantasy” theme, composed by Mark Hammond, known for his work on World of Color, Mickey’s Soundsational Parade, Flights of Fantasy Parade at Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland’s Jubilation Parade and Happiness is Here Parade. I am hopeful that soundtrack will be released, and other merchandise too. All in all, I think Festival of Fantasy is a wonderful, vibrant, captivating parade, which actually makes me want to line up to watch it at 3:00! I’d love to hear your thoughts below if you’ve seen the parade – what is your favorite part?

Behind the Scenes Preview of the 2014 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

28 February 2014 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

Today I had the honor of attending a small preview of the 21st annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Hard to believe this is the 21st year, but it is! The Flower and Garden Festival is officially old enough to drink, which is great, because this is the second year that the festival is incorporating food and beverage kiosks and serving unique alcoholic selections amid the topiaries and gardens. More on that later, but for now, let’s discuss rest of the festival, which has really received a reboot this year, in my opinion.

We met with Festival horticulture manager Eric Darden and horticulture manager Heather Will-Browne, who’s also a Disney flower and color palette expert (as well as an *original* opening year Cast Member, celebrating her 43rd year at Walt Disney World!). It was really interesting to hear exactly what goes into the planning, development and construction of the topiaries and garden areas. Eric clued us in about the inspiration for the main entrance topiaries, which he said they have been designing to pay homage to original Disney animated shorts. This year, he said they changed their character looks, basing them on the recent computer animated character designs and making them much more realistic. Rather than having no faces or synthetic facial features, they constructed plant-life faces this year and it really makes a difference in the overall design. The topiaries look sharper, cleaner and much more fun.

New at the Festival this year (that was available for us to see):

Gardener’s Palette over by Innoventions East. This color garden features different plantings based on the four seasons, showcasing the colors available to grow, and when open, will also have a kids coloring station.

Hummingbirds at Home behind Mouse Gear where the tall birdhouses are. Members of the National Audubon Society are hoping to attract at least one nesting pair of hummingbirds this season, by placing feeders and hummingbird friendly flowers around this garden. Society members are currently tracking the hummingbirds migration and will update their current location daily, so be sure to stop by and check in. I’m really excited by this and hope to see these tiny little guys flitting about! You can also hear presentations from the National Audubon Society in the Festival Center, so check your guide.

Mike & Sulley’s Monstrous Garden takes last year’s showcase topiaries of Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan from Monster’s University and placed them in the kids playground area, which was Oz the Great and Powerful themed last year. The entire playground is Monster themed from the jungle gyms to the artificial grass featuring giant monster footprints. It’s a really cute area, and like last year, features shaded seating areas for parents while the kids play. I loved listening to the soundtrack from Oz last year, so I’ll be interested to hear the music selections this time around.

Kermit and Miss Piggy Topiaries in between Italy and Germany, celebrating the opening of Muppets Most Wanted in theatres March 21 – and the all new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs gang have been updated as well. There is also the first ever topiary photo opportunity with Goofy and a topiary soccer ball, in the Donald and Goofy garden between Future World and World Showcase.

There are a few other new areas this year, and of course the food options, or Outdoor Kitchens, which I’ll post about after the official opening of the Festival on March 5. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this little taste of what’s to come. I’m quite excited about the Festival this year and can’t wait to head back, enjoy the flowers, food, and concerts too.

Here’s a gallery of some of gardens we saw today:

Instructions for the kids activity at Mater’s playground

Lightning McQueen in a new location this year

The Goofy and Donald garden topiary photo op

A topiary soccer ball will be by Goofy for guest photos

Check back for more posts and info on the 2014 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival soon!

Sneak Peek at the New Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade

10 February 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Now *that's* a dragon! (Kent Phillips, photographer) — Now *that’s* a dragon! (Kent Phillips, photographer)

Today, Disney invited select media to view a few of the parade floats and costumes for their all-new Festival of Fantasy Parade, to debut this Spring at the Magic Kingdom. They later released video, photos and this press release below to share. I can’t wait to see this parade in person, it’s truly gorgeous. It looks like the costume and float designers hit a home run here. Official press release follows, with video of the costumes:

This March, Walt Disney World Resort guests will feast their eyes on some of the most extravagant and elaborate costume designs in Disney Parks history when the cast of Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade dance through the streets of Magic Kingdom.

A new daytime parade, Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade is a celebration of New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. The parade will bring beloved characters found in this enchanting land to Main Street, U.S.A. with innovative parade floats; a new soundtrack featuring classic favorites from Disney films and an original theme song; and an impressive array of stunning costumes.

From first sketch to final stitch, the production process took almost a year to complete. The creations transpired in 10 different costume houses across eight cities and two countries, with the Creative Costuming facilities in both Florida and California among the mix.

Costume designer Mirena Rada is no stranger to Disney Parks, as her body of work includes design projects for Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. But when she was brought on to create costumes for Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, Rada reached a new milestone – designing for a Walt Disney World Resort theme park.

“This was a personal first and it turned out to be a very different experience from other projects,” said Rada. “Everything here at Magic Kingdom is done on a considerably bigger scale and the resources are aplenty. I took every opportunity to avail myself of these specialties.”

From the Swing Thugs aboard the “Tangled” unit’s massive longship to the troupe of Scottish dancers announcing Merida’s arrival in the “Brave” unit, Rada carefully planned and executed the detail of each piece. Visual cues such as color and texture choices were taken from each float and incorporated in the costume designs. Additionally, she closely studied the style guide of each film for whimsical details and fabric patterns to capture the essence of each story.

Putting a modern spin on classic elements is a theme that resonates throughout Rada’s designs. From the swan neck collar and iridescent feathers on the Princess Garden unit’s Swan Court ball gowns to the sculpted conch shell headpiece and shimmering pastel dress that comprise “The Little Mermaid” unit’s Seashell Girl, the old and new are blended seamlessly – a trend that is ever present in today’s fashion world.

The production process mirrors current fashion trends, utilizing new technology to design and print custom fabrics in house. Rada partnered with Walt Disney World Resort costumers to select fabrics that would withstand the central Florida climate while also accommodating the needs of each performer.

After gathering the materials, she and a Creative Costuming graphic artist worked together to create almost 40 custom fabric prints. This includes the spandex swirls on the Finale unit’s bright and beautiful Bubble Girl, expansive fins of “The Little Mermaid” unit’s regal Lion Fish and furry plaids and tweed stripes worn by the “Newsies inspired” Lost Boys of the “Peter Pan” unit.

An innovative 3D printing technology brought to life even Rada’s most intricate concepts, with the hauntingly elegant beaks of the Ravens in the “Sleeping Beauty” unit being a prime example. Using a 3D origami program, a paper beak was created and placed on a performer’s head to obtain the initial scale and shape. A digital sculptor then worked on the filigree beak design, which was printed, fitted and refined to produce the final shape. Each piece was base coated, bronzed, lacquered and gilded with fiery Swarovski stones to complete the finished look.

In the true spirit of fashion, each look was not considered complete until complemented by the perfect hair, makeup and accessories. The Finale unit’s Cha Cha Girl is the queen of head-to-toe ensemble with her big top inspired fit and flare dress, bolero jacket embellished with sequins, star spangled tights and hair reminiscent of pulled taffy exuding the essence of Storybook Circus in New Fantasyland. However, simple touches that might elude guests, such as the elegant gold tones incorporated into eyelashes on the female Swan Court members, and in the custom socks worn by the Lost Boys were not overlooked – a testament to Disney’s attention to detail.

When the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade steps off this spring, Rada will see her creations truly come to life. This perfect collaboration between artists, craftsmen and engineers is what she calls “a designer’s dream.”

The Lost Boys (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

Ruffians from Tangled (Todd Anderson, photographer)

The Steampunk-inspired Maleficent Dragon has been designed in partnership with Tony Award-winner Michael Curry and stretches 53 feet in length and 26 feet above the parade route. (Kent Phillips, photographer)

Below is a video, shot by Disney, of the parade of costumes (pun intended) today:

What do you think? Are you as excited as I am? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Behind the Gates at Disney’s Golden Oak: Private Resident Clubhouse

31 January 2014 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

Continuing in the Golden Oak series, today we take a tour of the rest of the Summerhouse private resident clubhouse. Well, most of it. I’m saving the best for last. With Tyler’s lounge and Markham’s restaurant taking up most of the right side of Summerhouse, the left side contains the entertainment and recreation area and fitness center.

Golden Oak Summerhouse — The Resident Services office

As you enter Summerhouse, to the left is the Resident Services area, and straight ahead a little reception area with refreshments. Then to the left is the impressive great room style entertainment area and behind that, the locker rooms and gym. Let’s take a stroll…

[flickr_set id=”72157640323256244″]

What are your thoughts? Ready to move in? More soon, including the Golden Oak grounds and the impressive Triple R room. Don’t forget to check out the review of Markham’s restaurant if you missed it.

Disney’s Golden Oak Summerhouse Tour: Markham’s Restaurant

30 January 2014 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

Each time I’ve driven past the entrance signs for Golden Oak, Disney’s multi-million dollar residential home community, I’ve thought “I wish I could just drive around in there…”. Well that desire came true last weekend as a good friend invited us to experience lunch at the resident-exclusive restaurant at the clubhouse. I was quite impressed with the grounds and attention to detail, and the food was some of the best on property. I was given the green light to share some of the photos from our personal tour here with you. After reviewing my photos, I decided to separate this into a four-part series, giving each section of our tour proper attention. Let’s start with the good stuff – the food!

Summerhouse is the resident-only clubhouse located in the center of Golden Oak’s property. Inside is a resident reception area, where residents can get assistance with everything Walt Disney World Resort related, as well as generic concierge-type services for the rest of the Orlando area. Also inside are an entertainment/recreation room, a fitness center with locker rooms, a meeting room, and Tyler’s Lounge, attached to Markham’s restaurant. It is a lovely place to walk around and enjoy, with well-purposed outdoor areas as well.

The Tuscan feel of the Summerhouse lends itself to a luxurious setting without being too conservative. This extends to the dining options as well. I did not feel out of place at all, as a day visitor and not a multi-million dollar resident. As we heard that day, the restaurant has the ability to become a white linen fine dining establishment; creating the ultimate in elegant private dining in the blink of an eye if requested. Staffed by hand-selected Walt Disney World cast members, who have earned their ears at places like Victoria and Alberts, and have completed a separate interview process to be placed at Summerhouse. There is no question that residents will be receiving the best attention possible.

As far as the food itself, Markham’s chefs create things like aged sausages and charcuterie on-site, with the benefit of an herb garden right outside the kitchen. It is one of only 3 restaurants on Disney property designated as Signature Plus (Victoria and Alberts and California Grill being the other two); an internal designation which allows the chefs and leaders more creativity with ordering, creating menus and hosting events, less hindered by operating partners involvement.

Summerhouse herb garden — Summerhouse herb and vegetable garden with lemon trees

I am no food critic, but I do appreciate culinary adventures, and Markham’s does not disappoint. Each dish seems to be carefully hand crafted and created to expose the ultimate in flavor combinations. It was very difficult to choose just one thing to try as it all sounded unique and enticing. In addition to the dishes, they also make their own lemonades and lemonade/tea drinks as well as sodas. Again, it was hard to choose just one thing to try.

If you’re wondering about the names chosen for the Summerhouse lounge and restaurant, as with other areas of Golden Oak, they derive from Disney heritage. Toby Tyler was the 1960 Disney movie about a 12 year old who ran away to join the circus, while Marty Markham was the city kid from the Disney TV serial which ran for one season in 1956 on the Mickey Mouse Club: “The Adventures of Spin and Marty.” You can find more nods to Disney past in the street and neighborhood names, which we will explore in the next post in this series.

Tyler’s Lounge features some artwork celebrating Tokyo’s Hotel MiraCosta as well as some concept art for Epcot’s Italy pavilion in World Showcase. The bar offers pretty much any potent potable you could desire and is staffed by bartenders whose knowledge extends far beyond the “standard drink menu” at any other Disney lounge.

Markham’s is a rustic yet light environment, with reclaimed brick and thick wooden beams throughout. Leather banquettes complement contemporary chairs and decor, mixing old world and modern style. Large windows let the natural light in, keeping it airy and not a bit stuffy, while offering views of the grounds. There are a few nods to Walt Disney within the dining area, but nothing over the top. If you were a resident, and wanted to enjoy each meal here, you could do so comfortably and without pomp. But if you wanted to plan a private event for family or friends and use the dining room, you could do that without hesitation or disappointment. I felt quite at home, and as I write this, I’m missing the lunch I enjoyed that day and wishing for more!

Enjoy the gallery below of Tyler’s Lounge, Markham’s restaurant, and our food choices that day:

[RFG_gallery id=’2′]Stay tuned as I’ll be sharing more from our Golden Oak visit, including a tour inside the rest of the Summerhouse and the unique Triple R meeting room, bursting with treasured Disney artwork.

NEW Minnie Mouse LeSportsac and Disney Bags Celebrate Minnie!

1 November 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

We mentioned on Zannaland in our last LeSportsac post that the “it’s a small world” designs would not be the end of LeSportsac + Disney and it looks like we were right! LeSportsac recently announced on their blog a few weeks back that they were bringing out a whole new line featuring Minnie Mouse. The Celebrate Minnie print is now available for pre-order and, like all LeSportsac bags, super cute with a size for just about every need and look! Check out the official info below from LeSportsac:

Though the popular Disney It’s a Small World collaboration came to an end with its final collection this Fall, LeSportsac is teaming up with Disney once again to look back at Minnie Mouse through the decades with Celebrate Minnie print.

Minnie has been reinventing her look for close to 90 years, and now you can witness her transformation (and ever so glamorous wardrobe) through the years in one fun print! In the 1920′s Minnie was classically chic in black and white, while the 30′s introduced a more colorful look when she first started sporting her iconic polka-dot outfits. The 40′s brought her signature bow, and she stayed on trend throughout the fashion revolutions of the 50′s, 60′s, and 70′s – including a flower-power mini-dress with platform shoes! In the 80′s she was working out in her sneakers and sweatshirt, during the 90′s she rocked a ruffled skirt and denim jacket, and the new millennium brought her back to her polka-dot roots. Today Minnie is an inspiration and muse for fashionistas around the world!

LeSportsac Minnie Mouse — Now I don’t recall 1970 Minnie Mouse at all, but I LOVE her! I really liked when Minnie had different outfits all the time rather than her now signature red with white polka dots. What is your favorite time-period?

Offered in 18 Classic styles, the Disney Minnie Mouse for LeSportsac Collection is set to hit LeSportsac.com and LeSportsac Boutiques in mid-to-late November but you can pre-order now by calling 1-877-397-6597!

Here are examples of some of my favorite LeSportsac styles – but you can see them all at the Minnie Collection page.

Can’t get enough LeSportsac + Disney designs? I’ve actually got a giveaway going on *right now* on Instagram only, giving away a Kasey bag in the Polynesian Paradise print. Head to instagram.com/zannaland to find the giveaway instructions, and be sure to use the hashtag #zannalandgiveaway when you re-post it on Instagram. That giveaway ends 11/13. Good luck! And that’s not all – I’ll be doing THREE more giveaways from the Small World collection, both here on the blog and elsewhere, so stay tuned!

LeSportsac Zannaland Giveaway — Re-post this on Instagram only to enter! 🙂

Thoughts on Glow With the Show at Walt Disney World’s Fantasmic!

22 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

On a whim, I decided to bring my family to the east coast premier of Glow with the Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Fantasmic! It had been quite some time since we’d all seen Fantasmic! since, after 15 years, you feel like you’ve seen it all. Also, my children recently got a taste of Fantasmic! west coast sister out in Disneyland, and it’s hard to argue that that is a better show. With the Sailing Ship Columbia with Peter Pan and Captain Hook swordfighting as they float by, and ending with the Mark Twain full of your favorite characters, along with many other better effects, it makes our little Fantasmic want for something. And I think that something may just be Glow with the Show!

I made a quick highlight video of the opening show at Fantasmic! on my iphone (please excuse any nighttime auto-focusing as a result!) to showcase the Glow with the Show ears effects:

I know Glow with the Show has been running with Disneyland’s Fantasmic! for some time, but I think what makes Hollywood Studios a great match is the stadium seating. If you sit in the back, you can see all of the ears before you, but, if you sit closer to the front, you can choose to look to your right or left and see the full effect of the colors. It really adds to the show, rather than detract. I loved how it looked on opening night and think if the ears are a success, the pairing with the show will be to. Whether guests will bother to pay $24 for, let’s face it, pretty heavy and uncomfortable ears, remains to be seen. I know in Japan, they recently debuted similar technology, but in a handheld wand type of product, which makes much more sense as far as viewing the lights (rather than depending on your neighbors to have purchased ears to really see the effects yourself).

Glow with the Show also began working with Wishes and the Celebrate the Magic castle projection show earlier this week. I will admit, I really had no desire to watch this. I’m not sure why I think it’s okay to work with Fantasmic! but not Wishes, but I do. I guess because for Wishes and Celebrate the Magic, your attention should really be focused on one thing – the castle and the sky, while at Fantasmic, there are moments of darkness where the lights are a good filler, and there is also so much going on at once, that it seems okay for the ears to be a part of that show. It also could be that I’m really ready for a new fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom! Glow with the Show will also work with the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights later this year. I think the ears will be an easy addition because everything is already flashing around you, but I don’t think they are *needed* by any means. I will have to see how things look when the switch is flipped for the lights.

What are your thoughts on Glow with the Show? Which nighttime shows do you think they work best with? I dare say I like them at Hollywood Studios’ Fantasmic better than World of Color, because I just think World of Color is so perfect on its own! Please share your opinion in the comments below, I’d love to hear what you think!

Limited Time Magic: Cinderella Castle Suite Tour

21 October 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Note: This post was originally written by Joe Morisco as a guest blogger for zannaland back in April of 2013. Enjoy!

As part of the ongoing promotion Limited Time Magic, Walt Disney World has been giving extremely limited tours to lucky winners through an email contest. I was lucky enough to win a spot on a tour for arguably the best tour given out at the Magic Kingdom. The winners of the tour met at the Magic Kingdom at 8:30 AM. What was supposed to be a group of 25 ended up being only 15, with 10 no-shows. The group was then split, with half going to tour the suite, the other half heading over to Be Our Guest at Beast’s Castle.

This tour with an Imagineer was a 1 1/2 hour tour. The highlight of the tour was the Cinderella Suite, since this is not normally accessible to any day guests. The Imagineer that worked on the suite walked us through, pointing out all the tiny details. I included a photo gallery below of everything we saw in the suite. After being in the suite for about 45 minutes, we were brought over to Be Our Guest and through each room in the restaurant. The Imagineer explained the theme for each room as well as details that you may overlook. At the end of the tour, they brought out a dish of “grey stuff” for us. Overall, this was a great experience that we could not normally partake in!

Cinderella Castle Suite Elevator Art Work

Floor going into Cinderella Castle Suite

Stained Glass windows tell the Cinderella Story

We hope you enjoyed the photo tour – keep watching the Disney Parks Blog for future Imagineer Tours as part of Limited Time Magic!

Disney’s California Grill Re-opens With a Delicious Flair

8 September 2013 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

A flair of Mary Blair that is. Cheap rhyme aside, I was so pleasantly surprised by the newly re-imagined California Grill, which pays tribute to the art and artistry of Disney Legend Mary Blair, famous for the Grand Canyon Concourse mosaics found within Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The color scheme on the upholstery, carpets, art and more all honor the original colors found when the Contemporary first opened. It is a wonderful mix of mid-century modern aesthetics, with sleek state-of-the art accompaniments found throughout the restaurant.

The now floor-to-ceiling windows offer even more incredible views than before, streaming in light from all around. On the night we arrived, a thunderstorm had just ended, providing an incredible rainbow right over the resort. When we got upstairs, we could see not only the gorgeous sunset but also the storm in the distance; an unrivaled panorama of Walt Disney World Resort scenery.

Mixed in with the regular tables and booths are now long tables which seat 10 over on one side of the restaurant. There is also seating at the bar, where a special sushi menu is offered for guests seated at that location. The private rooms are also still available as well and offer even more tributes to Mary Blair with reproductions of her artwork. I just can’t express enough how wonderful it is to see Mary Blair and her work in such a special location.

New color schemes at California Grill are a tribute to the original Contemporary Resort

The food we sampled was incredible, from the Pacific halibut with parsnip silk, roasted heirloom beets, arugula, macadamia vinaigrette and beet syrup, to updates of longtime favorites, such as Pork Two Ways, now grilled tenderloin and lacquered pork belly with goat cheese polenta and mushrooms – my favorite! The oak-fired filet of beef is served with heirloom tomato risotto, marinated baby vine tomatoes and basil was just perfect. Sonoma goat cheese ravioli returns in a tomato fennel broth with crispy shiitake mushrooms.

And don’t forget the sushi! The Grill’s popular sushi menu expands with a 12-course omakase menu that includes a tasting of the restaurant’s freshest ingredients (not just fish and seafood). Omakase means “to entrust,” and there’s no menu. “You just let the chef prepare fresh sushi dishes for you, perfect for sushi fans who want to try new tastes,” says Executive Chef Brian Piasecki. The menu might include ama ebi (sweet shrimp) tempura, lobster sashimi, crunchy Japanese bone marrow with sesame beef tartare and red onion marmalade, and spicy-crusted oysters.

I cannot wait to get back and try full-size portions of some of these, at which time I’ll offer a full review of my experience. The mix of side items and the presentation really live up to California Grill’s existing reputation – and surpass it. This will now be a must-visit for a special occasion dining experience, date night, or just a wonderful gourmet meal. While I love trying new things, I’m not a food reviewer, and certainly didn’t have the old California Grill menu memorized, so for a ‘first-timer’ so to speak, I was really satisfied and impressed with what I tried. Hopefully based on the photos below and descriptions of ingredients above, you can decide if the California Grill will work for you and your guests. Dessert descriptions are listed in the gallery below.

The wall of wine immediately catches your eye when you step off the elevator; 1600 bottles on display, with 250 wines on the list, 80 by the glass. There also are 10 varieties of sake, eight kinds of craft beers and ciders, and signature cocktails created just for California Grill, such as the sake martini, which I sampled and really enjoyed. I am not usually a fan of sake on its own, but this was a light, sweet, tropical drink and a great way to enjoy sake.

For more scenes from the new California Grill, see the gallery below, and click to enlarge any photos:

California Grill desserts — A sampling of the desserts – clockwise from top left, the lemon meringe, which was like a cheesecake consistency with a nice shortbread crust and hardened meringue topper, the strawberry basil sundae is part of the trio pictured below, then the chocolate pudding cake described a few photos down, the banana fritters with house-made marshmallow and caramel. This was really unique, like fried banana bread, dense and moist with a nice caramel complement, and the caramel corn pot is also part of the trio in the next photo.

Sunday Sampler — California Grill Sundae Sampler: caramel corn, Coca-Cola float, and strawberry and basil.(Jimmy DeFlippo, photographer)

Wishes from California Grill — Wishes from the California Grill viewing platform

The refurbished California Grill has instantly become my favorite new spot in all of Walt Disney World. Perfect views and ambiance, wonderful Mary Blair touches for Disney fans to appreciate, and wonderful food to complement the entire experience. Truly a jewel in the Walt Disney World crown. I hope to get back sooner than later! Speaking of, reservations are now available (if you can find any) to book at 407-WDW-DINE, online or using the My Disney Experience app.

What do you think of the new look?

Disclaimer: I was invited to preview the new California Grill and its food at a press event. I was not asked or required to post in any way and my opinions above are my own. It’s just THAT good!