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New Disney Podcast! Up the Waterfall

3 September 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Hello! Well, it’s all finally happening. If you’ve been following along these recent Zannaland.com changes, we’ve been talking about all the things that were coming up. With the addition of our video producer-extraordinaire, Christian (my son, who’s basically grown up with Zannaland), we’ve added more videos, vlogs, and now, a project I’ve been wanting to do basically ever since getting married to @otisney and realizing the amount of Disney history we wanted to discuss and share, a podcast! Since podcasting has grown and changed and morphed over the last 15 years, we have decided to share ours as both an audio and video podcast. We aren’t doing any fancy effects at this point, but if you want to follow along and see our faces while we talk and any props we may use as an example along the way, feel free to watch vs. just listen.

Up the Waterfall logo I explain this in our first episode, but we will go into it more in the future too, but the name, “Up the Waterfall” comes from Walt Disney’s Tencennial show for Disneyland’s 10th birthday. And seeing him explaining things to Julie Reihm, the first Disneyland Ambassador, just always made me instantly smile…even just watching the clip at the end of our first show put a smile on my face again. So that’s the sort of feel I wanted to have with our podcast. It’s not just a historical podcast, it’s not a news podcast, it’s a combination of all of our experiences, thoughts, and yes, knowledge (which I will admit is mostly on Scott’s side of the desk!) about Disney parks and all the made them what they were and are today. We hope you’ll listen in on our journey as we explore this podcasting path.

We’re no podcasting or even broadcasting experts, so keep that in mind as I say “um” 27 times 😛 But we’ll keep figuring things out and hopefully make a great show that keeps you wanting more.

You can listen to the podcast right here on Zannaland, there is a Podcast tab at the top of the site now, or you can (eventually, it’s not quite searchable there yet but it is there!) search “Up the Waterfall” on iTunes, or you can watch on Zannaland’s YouTube channel. You can also visit UpTheWaterfall.com for the latest show too, but everything will be shared here as well. Thank you so much for supporting all of these updates and new ventures that we’ve wanted to do for so long, and a HUGE thanks to Christian for making it all happen and pushing us to just do it, and of course Scott for his patience when it took me 5 years to get it going. 🙂

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Top Stories Tagged With: D23 Expo, D23 Expo podcast, Disney history podcast, Up the Waterfall, Up the Waterfall podcast, zannaland, Zannaland changes, Zannaland YouTube

Ch-ch-changes…Big Changes Coming to Zannaland!

3 May 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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You may already know if you’ve been here from the start, or follow me on social media, that Zannaland is about to turn 10! I first started blogging on this site back in April of 2009, but it took a couple of months to realize writing about Disney was what I should be focusing on, on June 25th, 2009. And then 10 years happened.

So much has changed since 2009, in the world, in my life, with my children and even here on Zannaland. I’ve gone through my ups and downs and have even struggled with keeping Zannaland because I felt, once I started working full-time again, that I couldn’t devote the time I needed to to keep up with all the changes in the social media and theme park/travel worlds. I’ve never been one to hustle enough to be “first” and certainly not best by any means, but I always had a passion for sharing my own thoughts and commentary on the topics of Disney, theme parks and travel in general. It took a long time, but as it turns out, I grew my own assistant to help reignite my passion and excitement for Zannaland.

Enter my now 20 year-old, Christian. You have seen him recently writing movie reviews here on the blog. Along with his interest in writing, he also has a love for film-making, recording and editing videos, and creating graphics as well. He’s actually done the last few updates of the Zannaland logo, but now he created a whole new look. I’m not making these changes just because he’s my son and I’m letting him take over; rather, he has me genuinely excited about the updates and “putting myself out there” even more than writing here. We’re having fun, and I hope that fun is contagious.

Christian is taking over the YouTube channel for Zannaland, and will be making and sharing several different weekly videos. Some will be vlog style, featuring him and various other family members. The other two will be news updates, with commentary by Christian and me, maybe some special guests, who knows. Lastly, something that’s been in my mind for the past FOUR years to do is a Disney history podcast with my Disney bibliophile husband, Scott. We’ve had a name, we’ve had an amazing logo that a friend of ours was gracious enough to create….we just didn’t make the time to DO it. So now that we’ve whispered that into the universe, maybe it’ll actually happen.

We are a silly bunch. We joke, make dumb comments, and certainly aren’t the most reverent of Disney fans, so I hope our new entry into the world of video and podcasting etc. will be welcomed and appreciated. I will of course still be blogging and taking photos to share on instagram, most of the new videos will be all Christian. The parts that do include me will usually just be commentary, all the editing and graphics will be his handiwork. You have to start somewhere so our first video jumps right in to the news of the past week at Disney and while I’m sure things will only improve over time and we know it’s not perfect (I noticed a spelling error, and we used a lot of b-roll just to get this first one posted today) we threw it up there anyway and we know we’ll only improve over time. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and put yourself out there, and I’m glad my own son was able to remind me of that.

Thank you ALL for your support over the years, I hope you’ll stick with me and follow along on as we start these new chapters! If you aren’t already, please subscribe to zannaland on YouTube and click the bell to get notified of a new video (and would of course love if you could share videos too). We’d love to hear your comments and feedback too! What would you like to see more of? Let us know and thank you again for the past 10 years of magic in Zannaland.

https://youtu.be/LBAOqHH8u3g
Be gentle, it’s our first attempt! 😉

 

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Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: last week in disney, zannaland, Zannaland news, zannaland videos

The State of Zannaland 2014 – Lessons Learned

12 February 2014 by Suzannah Otis 51 Comments

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Hello, Faithful, or Casual, or even Never-Been-Here-Before Reader. I am about to embark on something I haven’t done for quite some time here on Zannaland.com – write. Sure, there have been updates, some fun photos to look at, videos to watch, and of course, purses to scramble for, but it has been ages since I actually sat down and shared my thoughts in this format, with you. What follows is me, totally raw, honest, baring my blogging soul. You’ll either learn something about me, or fall asleep trying.

Zannaland

Almost 5 years ago, I began this journey of “blogging.” I instantly wanted a better name for that act, but I haven’t found one yet. When I started out, my heroes were The Bloggess and Dooce. After sharing my family adventures and antics, triumphs and tragedies on LiveJournal from 2001 on, I wanted to do it publicly. I’m witty, I thought. My kids are cute, I thought. My life seems like one April Fools joke after another some days, I thought. Surely *I* can do this too. Well. I did. Back in May of 2009, I decided to write up my frustrating experience at a Bath & Body Works. Hilarious, I thought. I felt pretty proud of myself. Even if no one read it but me. Then, I started to do some research into blogging. I saw blogging networks that The Bloggess and Dooce were a part of and figured that’s how I had to go about things to be a success. I joined quite a few in hopes of getting my site out there and getting more views. Most importantly, I discovered that I needed to write product reviews, to, well, get more products to review. Maybe they’d send me a car to drive! Maybe a new set of kitchen appliances! So I reviewed something I bought on my own, to get started. What did I choose? Shaving cream. Genius. I’m not sure why the free offers weren’t piling up in my inbox. Then, nothing happened. I didn’t have anything else funny to say. I felt such pressure to come up with witty, interesting, shareable things to write, that I got overwhelmed and let the site sit while I continued with caring for my then 7-month old, 8 and 9-year old and, our Chihuahua.

During this time, I discovered the Disney twitter community. Wait, there are other people as obsessed with Disney as I am? I thought. It was true. I followed and followed and read and discovered that there were even – get this – Disney BLOGS! People that wrote exclusively about Disney, or theme parks. The giant pixie-dusted light bulb flashing in my face was spotlighting the obvious. I should be writing about Disney. I already had “land” in my blog name, it made perfect sense! (Believe it or not, I’ve actually owned Zannaland.com since 2004, when I first wrote a self-published ‘zine’ and later made jewelry and sold it through the site. It had zero to do with Disney back then, but it’s as if the site name was just waiting for its true purpose – I think all of this is in my About section, but I am reminiscing here, so cut me some slack.)

I got back on the blogging saddle and wrote my first Disney-related post about this revelation I’d had. Then, Michael Jackson died. It hit me pretty hard, being a child of the 80’s that grew up with his posters on my wall and a painters cap full of buttons with his face on them. Realizing the Disney connection with Captain EO, I wrote up another post, through tears, sharing my memories of Michael. And from there, I took off. I shared my memories as a Cast Member, I wrote about my obsession to be on the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (Now the Disney Parks Moms Panel) and other experiences here and there. But the most important part was I was writing about me, my thoughts, opinions, and experiences. And for those of you that have been with me from the start, I think that’s why you’ve stuck around. You can get Disney news anywhere. You can get instant photos and videos from those in the parks every day. Rumors, sneak peeks, I’m sure you know where to find those. But I got into this because I loved to write, and I loved Disney. I wanted to share that love with anyone that felt a connection enough to keep reading.

Main Street Electrical Parade Then somewhere along the way, I got lost in the shuffle, as did my original intent for this site. I branched it off into a second site (Main Street on Zannaland -now absorbed back into the main site) to cover non-Disney things, recipes, family stuff, etc. I quickly realized that wasn’t for me and it was way too hard to promote two different sets of posts to the same people. Everyone told me to just be me, do what I love and not worry about the rest. So I kept trying. I also got chosen to be on the Moms Panel, so that dream was fulfilled. I was a part-time panelist, and my time didn’t start until I believe October of 2010, so I just kept blogging away. Soon, I got invited to my very first Disney event as “media.” It was the Summer Nightastic Preview. This was probably because of the Moms Panel connection, but other friends who had since gotten into blogging too were invited as well, so who knows. I was just thrilled at the opportunity. And thus began the double edged sword that is being “local media.”

Let me begin this section of our story with a huge, mammoth, giant, flashing-with-sirens-DISCLAIMER: I am so unbelievably grateful for every.single.invite I’ve ever gotten from Disney and every other theme park, resort, and restaurant. Seriously. The fact that people with the power to bestow the gift of a special experience, or hotel stay, or meal look at my little blog and say, “yes, let’s invite her” is mind-boggling to me. 6 years ago, I was a boring stay-at-home mom who’d taken to working at Starbucks to fill my time. If you googled my name, you came up with the acknowledgements page in my (now ex-)husband’s technical books, nothing more.  I’ve gotten to do, go, and be a part of amazing things. Amazing. If I had to give all of this up tomorrow, I’d be content in the unforgettable journey I was able to be a part of. I am in NO way about to complain about being a part of the “media” (which I will continue to put in quotes because I acknowledge that I am not a legitimate member of the professional media).

All of that said… my voice, my thoughts, my opinions, started to get lost in the shuffle. Over the course of the next 3 years, it became increasingly easier to upload the pictures, give a little description and hit post. I actually thought that maybe that was what people wanted. No one cares what I think, I’d tell myself. They just want the news or update.  I was trying to be everything to everyone, and make sure all of their stories got covered by me. It was a very rare thing when I would actually sit down and write something. It got to the point where I was posting lots of press releases and I felt any real posts I was doing got lost in the noise. That’s when I created my “Favorite Posts” section on the main page of the site. That was me trying to justify doing what I was doing. Over the past few years, people would come up to me and say “I love your blog!” and I’d be embarrassed, wondering if they’d read it lately. I wanted to quit and give up the blog altogether many times.

And at the same time, despite knowing I wasn’t living up to my potential, I would get frustrated when I wouldn’t get invited to something I really wanted to cover. And let me tell you, when you get to that point, embarrassing doesn’t begin to cover it. I never wanted to feel entitled. I never wanted to whine about what I wasn’t invited to. But as any blogger (I think moreso Disney bloggers because we are such a tight-knit community) will tell you, it’s hard not to compare and want what other people are getting to do. There, I said it. Sure, if everyone got to do it, then it’s not special or report-worthy any more…but these are tough lessons to learn. I struggled with getting labeled a “mommy blogger,” with trying to be legitimate enough to cover the events news sites were, and with still being a personal blog. Yes, I’m a mom, and I blog. But I don’t always want to talk about my kids. Sometimes I want to talk about theme park history or a really great adult beverage, or a weekend getaway. Where do I fit in?

Fortunately, I’ve met some of THE most amazing people along my 5 year journey. Some I consider my closest and dearest friends. Others, I’ve been lucky to work with and share their information on my site, but they’ve become friends too. I’ve gone to them for advice, they’ve given me support, we’ve shared a drink or a cupcake along the way, and they are now a part of my life. But, unlike many of my friends, I didn’t get into blogging to make a living at it, or even a profit. You won’t see 42 ads on my site, or linked words, or sponsored posts or paid product endorsements. I never wanted that. Sure, I could’ve gone a different way and done it. And there is nothing wrong with the sites that do, more power to them; they made a true success of their site and brand. But I always just wanted to share my thoughts. I know that sounds cheesy and simple, but it is completely true. On my site right now, you will find one google ad, one Disney Store banner, affiliate links to the Disney Store on my purse posts, and Amazon on my movie reviews. The banner at the top is there because my day job is with them, I make no commission or fee from that. That’s it. I didn’t start a blog to get paid for it. Yeah, that would be a cool side-effect, but it’s just not what my goal ever was. However, I realized that by not sharing me in my posts, I’m selling out just the same.

If someone reads a blog about something I experienced at a theme park or restaurant and goes there to do the same thing, because of me, then that is payment enough for me. Sharing common experiences, good and bad, commiserating with other moms trying to get through a day in a theme park with 3 kids…figuring out what a picky eater would enjoy at a particular place…experiencing the joy on your child’s (or your) face when you see something so magical, you just have to share it with the world…knowing you’re going through the same tough time I am, and isn’t it great we can talk to each other about it…that’s why. Not for page views or follower counts or RT’s or shares. Because I wanted to share me, with you. Whoever you are. I  now know that I can’t be everything to everyone. I’ve learned that not everyone is going to like me, my blog, what I write or how I write it. They may think my photos are silly or I talk about my kids too much or not enough. All those old sayings about pleasing people are old sayings for a reason. They are true.

Incredibles mask Which brings me to my next point. The last two years have been pretty rough for me, personally. Normally, it’s easy to share triumphs online: new jobs, moving, new baby…but it’s harder, or less accepted anyway, to share the failures. I’ve written about my dad who passed away quite a bit online, mostly for selfish reasons, because I don’t want him or his memory to be forgotten, but also because things weren’t always perfect, and if someone else going through what I or my family did can relate, or someone hugs their dad a little tighter because he’s still around, then all the better. Other than that, though, I kept things pretty upbeat in my online life. It’s much easier to hide behind a mask of sparkles and sunshine, than admit you are struggling. No one really wants to post updates like “Fighting with the husband again…” or “Crying in Epcot on the 4th of July…” and no one really wants to read them either. Or so I thought.

When I finally began posting on my personal Facebook page about my marriage being over, the amount of support I received was overwhelming. It’s amazing how many of us have truly “been there, done that…” but kept it inside too. It took many years for me to get to the point of knowing my marriage of 16 years was ending. I went through the motions for years and years, not knowing there was any alternative. But the funny thing about changing your life, whether it’s blogging, going back to school, or just getting a job, is that it opens your eyes to what you are truly capable of. Independence. Confidence. Happiness. We all deserve all of those things, and it took me a very long time to see that. Once I realized it, and knew things were not going to change at home, I still had to spend the next year living together as we’d just renewed our lease. Then came the waiting for the official paperwork to be complete. In that time, I got a part-time and then full-time job, moved out, paid my own way for things, kept my children happy, and yes, started dating again. To say it’s been a roller-coaster of stress, emotions, ups and downs and everything in between is an understatement. But at the end of the day, it was all worth it. During that time, the support I had from online and real-world friends and family was amazing. Working more and making sure everything was taken care of took me away from writing even more, and it’s just now, almost 2 years later, that I’m figuring it all out. I still have a lot of work in the whole balancing act of family/work/blog/social life, but I am working on it, and that feels great.

So with all of this time to reflect on priorities and goals and happiness and what’s truly important, the nagging in the back of my mind to get away from phoning it in and get back to writing from the heart has gotten louder and louder. So this is me, answering that call, opening that door, and letting the real me, the real zannaland, back out to play. It would be so easy to give up right now, to say, there are now 5347 more “Disney blogs” out there than when you started 5 years ago. Many of them that report just the facts, great photos, great videos, no personal input – and people love them. But then I think of the people I’ve met over the years who have said, you inspired me to start a blog…you inspired me to apply to the moms panel…you inspired me to share my story…and I think of me, 5 years ago, and what I wanted to achieve here and why I started at all. And I can’t give up on that lady back there in 2009. I can’t let her down. She’s in for the ride of her life, and I’m not going to be the one to end it.

So now, with tears in my eyes as I finally conclude this epic ramble (to the sound of grateful sighs that it’s over, I’m sure) – this is my promise to you, whoever you are reading this – this site will share my thoughts and words, my likes and dislikes, my triumphs and tragedies from now until there’s just no more to write about, or we ALL have a blog. To the mom looking for opinions or recommendations, I’ll give you mine. To the single person or couple looking for kid-free ideas or opinions, I can do that too. For the purse maven looking for the latest releases, don’t worry, I’ve still got you covered. For the PR person wanting me to share your news, if it’s something I’m passionate about, I’m on it, with all my heart. Wanna geek out over 1980’s EPCOT or Diagon Alley at Universal? I’m your girl. In short, I’m not going to label or limit myself  but rather give you more of the reason you started reading me in the first place – I hope. 🙂 THANK YOU, for being here with me on this journey. It may have changed courses or had extended layovers along the way, but it’s still going and I’m more excited than ever to be taking you all on the next turn.

Sunset

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Filed Under: All blogs, Commentary Land, Top Stories Tagged With: Blogging, blogging truth, changes, divorce, doing the right thing, following your passion, new beginnings, not giving up, not phoning it in, personal blog, why I blog, why I write, writing, writing from the heart, zannaland

It’s A Zanniversary! Happy 3 Years to Zannaland

25 June 2012 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

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Three years ago today, I made the decision to write about my Disney memories and experiences here at Zannaland. I can honestly say my life has changed drastically since that time, in a million wonderful ways. The old saying “do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” rings true every day. I certainly don’t consider what I do here a “job” but it’s something that’s given my family and I so many wonderful opportunities and experiences we’d never have otherwise. I’ve met so many amazing people, because of the site and through twitter and other social media outlets. In addition, I’ve connected with other bloggers and writers and been to some wonderful events where I’ve learned even more to share here with you.

I just want to take a moment to reflect on all of the fantastic people and experiences the last three years have brought into my life. I am so very grateful for every moment. I’ve learned so much about myself in the process as well. I’ve gone from a very shy person who chose to write so she didn’t have to speak to people in person, to someone who isn’t afraid to take risks and step outside her comfort zone. And that’s all thanks to YOU! Your support, comments, re-tweets, links, questions, and suggestions have kept me going and it propels me to keep looking forward to the next great thing I can share with all of you, while enjoying the present at the same time. (I’m still working on the shyness 😉 )

Thank you so much for reading my silly thoughts and memories here at Zannaland and for being the reason I hope to be writing here for many more years to come!

Happy Zanniversary from me to you! I’d love to hear from you below if you could drop me a comment just to say hi!

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Filed Under: Disney Movie News & Reviews Tagged With: 3 year anniversary, 3 years, 3rd anniversary, blogging milestone, blogiversary, grateful, gratitude, thank you, zannaland, zanniversary

Chef Robert Irvine Loves Helping Others, Meeting Fans and DISNEY!

24 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 10 Comments

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Chef Robert Irvine and Suzannah DiMarzio As you may have seen on twitter and facebook, a few friends and fans of Chef Robert Irvine of Dinner: Impossible fame were treated to an informal and cozy little meet up at the Crew’s Cup Lounge inside Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. I have to thank Amanda Tinney for informing me of this hush-hush event, put together in part by Marc Bigbie and another facebook fan of the Chef. The meeting was kept quiet for the purposes of not having the chef mobbed by fans, camera flashes and questions (otherwise you can be sure that with three local bloggers in attendance – myself, Amanda, and Leigh Caldwell from ThemeParkMom.com – we would’ve spread the word!).

At first there was question as to whether the chef would make it over, as he was still filming and I guess had been stopped by many fans along the way. A man of his word, Chef Irvine did indeed show up and was extremely kind and appreciative that all of us had waited for him. So often you hear stories of celebrities having a different personality in real life or being too ‘big’ to bother with fans but that couldn’t be further from the truth here. Robert Irvine is as funny and warm-hearted in person as he is on his show. It would’ve been all too easy (and understandable!) for him to say, after a long day of shooting, “Sorry, I can’t make it”. Obviously he didn’t say that and we were so grateful for his time!

[Read more…] about Chef Robert Irvine Loves Helping Others, Meeting Fans and DISNEY!

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Filed Under: Disney Special Events Tagged With: Chef Robert Irvine, Crew's Cup Lounge, Dinner Impossible, Epcot, facebook, twitter, Yacht Club, zannaland

Show Me Your Disney Dooney Photo Contest – Win a Wristlet!

25 September 2010 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

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If there’s one thing most ZannaLand readers are passionate about (in addition to love of Disney of course) it’s the exciting Disney’s Dooney & Bourke collaboration. My good friend Amanda of DisneyEveryDay.com had the fabulous idea that I should ask people to show me their Disney Dooneys! I agreed that this would be a fun thing for fans to take part in – and thought I’d sweeten the deal by giving away a Disney Dooney & Bourke wristlet to the contest winner!

Disney Dooney and Bourke Zannaland

ZannaLand Disney Dooney & Bourke Photo Contest Info:

  1. Take a picture of your Disney Dooney & Bourke – your favorite, your whole collection, by themselves, with people or pets – the ideas are endless and you are only limited by your creativity! Don’t have a Disney D&B? What about a pic of you with a sad face? 😉 Get creative!
  2. Email me your best shot (one per person please), I’ll post all of the entries here, then readers will vote on a winner.
  3. The contest winner will then get to choose what color wristlet they receive (of available wristlets in Walt Disney World up to $49 in value – sorry I can’t produce a Disney Cruise Line or Disneyland wristlet!).

Send one photo entry to [email protected] by Thursday, September 30 2010. I will then post the entries and voting will commence (info to follow on voting). Help spread the word on twitter, facebook and anywhere else you’d like – the more pictures the more fun we’ll have!

Ready to hit me with your best shot? Go!

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: Disney Dooney & Bourke, Disney Dooney and Bourke, Disney Merchandise, Giveaways, photo contest, zannaland

Blogiversary Giveaway! It’s ZannaLand’s Anniversary But YOU Get the Gifts!

25 June 2010 by Suzannah Otis 51 Comments

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Have I mentioned I love celebrations? I really do. It’s part of why I love December so much, it has my birthday AND Christmas 2 weeks after that. I’d celebrate something every day if it meant balloons and decorations and lots of pixie dust too of course. (I did briefly consider becoming a wedding planner just for the joy excitement of planning amazing parties…then I watched Bridezillas. ;))


Anyway, my friend and fellow Walt Disney World Moms Panelist Doug Ingersoll has been generous enough to donate not one but TWO codes to download his all new Walt Disney World Complete Travel Guide app for the iPhone or iPod Touch!


But wait, there’s more! (Sorry, no steak knives) The incomparable Lou Mongello of WDW Radio and Celebrations magazine fame (as if he needs an introduction?) has graciously given me a prize pack featuring some of his amazing theme park Audio Guides, issues of Celebrations Magazine AND his Walt Disney World Trivia Book. How cool is THAT??

How do you get a chance to win these fabulous prizes you ask?

Quite simply, just comment below and you’re entered to win!

Additional entries may be earned by:

  • RT’ing about the contest on twitter (be sure to use @zannaland in your tweet so I can see it)
  • Sharing on facebook or anywhere else – message boards, email groups, the possibilities are endless! 😉 Just link me to it here
  • “Liking” the  ZannaLand facebook group
  • Joining Networked Blogs on facebook
  • Joining Google Friend Connect (join in the box to the bottom right of the main site)
  • Subscribing to our RSS feed or via email (box on the right of the main site)

If you’re already a member or subscriber, just let me know in a comment and I’ll count that too.

I only ask that you leave a separate comment for each entry, because that’s really the only way I can track entries and give you credit for each item. I apologize to my Canadian and International readers but this giveaway is only open to US mailing addresses.

I will be giving away 2 codes for the Walt Disney World Complete Travel Guide app, 1 set of all 3 Lou Mongello Audio Guides, 1 set of two Celebrations magazines, and 1 Walt Disney World Trivia Guide, for a total of FIVE prizes to win.

Giveaway ends July 9, 2010 at 11:59pm.

Thank you again for all your support and readership this past year, and special thanks to Doug and Lou for providing the prizes you are hoping to win!

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: anniversary, blogiversary, Doug Ingersoll, Giveaways, Lou Mongello, zannaland

Once Upon a Blog…ZannaLand is a Year Old!

25 June 2010 by Suzannah Otis 12 Comments

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Exactly one year ago today, I made my very first post regarding Walt Disney World after deciding to theme the blog to discuss all things Disney. A lot has happened in that year. A LOT. I will admit more often than not I’ve thought about giving up the blog – not because I don’t want to write, but I either can’t find the time to write the things I need and want to say, and then worry no one wants to read them anyway, and then fear by not writing I’ll lose what few people I do have reading my updates (thanks, Mom). It’s quite the vicious cycle. Remember when I talked about not being a professional journalist? Now would be one of those times. Most people wouldn’t be discussing this sort of thing, but I guess that’s what makes this a personal blog and not a news and information site. I do tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, both on and offline. For those that have stuck with me despite that trait, thank you. In honor of today’s anniversary, I thought I’d take a stroll down ZannaLand’s memory lane…

It’s no secret that ZannaLand has changed since its inception. In fact, when it first started there was nary a mention of Mickey and his Florida home. Originally this was a place where I sold a zine I wrote, entitled, “Zanna, Do!” all about my life as a slacker and how I was still searching for my dream job. That was in 2004, right after the sudden death of my father, after I had just turned 30 a couple of months prior. It had been my dream to be a writer since I could first put sentences together. I still have some very funny stories I wrote in grade school, summer camp, and high school which, while embarrassing to read now, bring me back to a time when I wasn’t afraid of failure or rejection. I just wrote. Then I got to college and decided to major in Creative Writing for Children and was suddenly hit with this daunting fear of “What if I fail?”. For a long time, that’s all I thought about, and decided if I didn’t try, I couldn’t fail. I then moved on to Travel & Tourism Management and living in Florida: briefly working for Disney and moving up from travel agent to manager of an Orlando area agency. I got married, had two of my children, and my dream of writing faded even further into the distance. Suddenly I was a mom first and any other ambitions went out with the diaper genie trash.

As I mentioned above, I turned 30, and two months later, my father was gone. Suddenly the little voice I’d tried to silence for so long in the back of my head was screaming at me – “Do something!”. So I wrote that zine. It seemed like a failure-free way to start out. I was publishing it myself, mailing it out to people online that wanted to read it, and even getting some independent book store distributors to sell it. It led to me writing an essay for a book that was published in 2005 entitled “If Women Ruled the World.” My piece was very fluffy and tongue-in-cheek and published alongside serious commentary on women in the world. It was exciting nonetheless. Anyway, life took over and I once again left my writing behind to carry on as a mom first and foremost. A few years passed and we relocated to Tampa, I had our third child, and as you most likely are aware, discovered twitter.

My story from that point on is well known; embracing my dreams of writing and being involved with Disney has been the best risk I ever took. Truly, I could not have been as ambitious as I was without the almost-instant support of everyone I came in contact with online. Rather than hearing “Don’t bother, there are a million and one Disney blogs out there…” I heard “Go for it, you can do it!”. Rather than hearing “The odds are against you getting on the WDW Moms Panel…” I heard, “You’d be perfect! Good luck!” And yes, my application experience was a little different because I thought I didn’t make it to the 2nd round but then I did – but sometimes technology is unreliable. Even Laura Spencer herself thought she didn’t make it to the phone interviews until right before they happened.

There will always be those that say I was picked because I was so vocal about my dreams on twitter and my blog – and yes, I was obsessed. I don’t recommend it to anyone because it truly was a 1 in 20,000 chance that I would get chosen and the odds were against me. I thought I hadn’t  made it and yes, I was crushed. I learned during those few days that it’s great to have goals, but you have to be able to adjust them if they aren’t within your power to achieve. I couldn’t *make* Disney pick me, no matter how bad I “wanted it”. I had done my best and had just gotten to the point where I was able to move on (great thanks to everyone that I leaned upon during that time, I will never forget how you all tried to lift my spirits), when I got the 2nd email telling me there was a mistake. It wasn’t a 2nd chance – it was a mistake. Obviously, my emotions were all over the place at that point and I truly can’t say how I wouldn’t handled it if I made I then didn’t make it to round 3 or the finals. But fate had different plans and I did make it to round 3, on to the phone interviews and (obviously) the panel.

As thankful and grateful as I was after getting off that phone call, a part of me never really stopped to realize what an accomplishment it actually was and to soak that in. Part of me always had my own sense of self-doubt that I had ‘bugged’ my way onto the panel. Logically though, even I can see how ridiculous that is. Why would a multi-billion dollar company choose me out of tens of thousands of entries just to ‘shut me up’? The simple answer is, they wouldn’t. The team behind the Walt Disney World Moms Panel application process doesn’t enter lightly into their choices. And while I’m never going to be the one to say, “yeah, I’m pretty awesome” the fact that Disney thought I was worthy enough to be welcomed onto this panel, is an honor to be celebrated. It has, in fact, been an amazing journey and the friends I’ve made along the way have made it all the sweeter.

Now lets get back to the blog! Once I made the panel, I was kind of in a place of limbo with the blog. Will writing it interfere with my role on the Moms Panel? Should I step away from Disney topics and attempt to be a “mom blogger”? I chose the latter and soon found out it wasn’t for me. I have great respect for mom bloggers and the real-life topics they share with all of us trying to be successful parents. I have even greater respect for those that can be completely real, dirty laundry and all, all with amazing wit and wisdom thrown in. I tried to be involved in networks and ‘get myself out there’ as much as I could. However, I soon found that blogging the same giveaways 100 other moms were posting was not for me. I had built my community of readers up by sharing my experiences and love of Disney, and now I was trying to tell them about this exciting new product. I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself. So I again returned to Disney-centric posting.

Then a funny thing happened, my adorable little baby that was crawling around suddenly started walking and talking and running and wanting to get into everything all.the.time. My older kids had a lot going on at school too and my time to blog was suddenly reduced to maybe two hours a day…and in those same two hours I had to take a shower, keep up with laundry, clean the house and once April came around, answer questions on the Moms Panel. I know thousands of women do all this and more daily, but I just couldn’t keep up and actually get any writing done. There were (and are) multiple days in a row when I just can’t update the site. Then, of course, I get anxious. “OMG everyone’s going to delete my site from their feed, stop reading, move on, and forget about me!” And yes, I am admitting that I fear that. I am not making any money from this site and I’m not in it for ‘fame’ or ‘celebrity’ in fact it makes me cringe when I see pictures or video of myself, even though I love the opportunities that take place to hang out with the other people in those pictures and videos. What I was and am in it for is to fulfill my dream of writing. I’ve made some strides there and have been incredibly grateful for the breaks I’ve been given to be a guest author and now a contributing author at Whoa, Momma! Being on the Moms Panel has also been amazing and every time I log on to answer questions, I get a smile on my face.

So, where does that leave me? Well, I’ve never been an “information only” blog. I will share news or reviews but 99% of the time I still throw my personal spin on it. The thing about blogging is you want to share your stories with others. You want people to read and connect and interact. And once you get a little of that, it does become a little addictive. It’s hard not to think, how can I reach more people? How can I get more readers? And as noted, I do have down days where I want to give it all up. This blog will always be a personal blog for better or for worse. There are 100’s or even 1000’s of blogs and sites that will tell you the latest and greatest Disney news – and they are wonderful. ZannaLand will never be one of those sites.

What I will do is tell you how walking down Main Street, USA looking up at Cinderella Castle at night still gives me chills. I’ll tell you about my interactions with Dreamfinder in 1983 and how he and Figment wanted to connect the dots on my freckles. I’ll tell you about my when my two oldest children were little and their faces lit up at the ‘snow’ and lights at the Studios or how my youngest ran to the window of Animal Kingdom Lodge and yelled out “RAFFE!” as he saw his first live giraffe through the windows. In between, I’ll share some tips and other experiences that may make your vacation more enjoyable. Maybe I’ll give some things away. Maybe I’ll share some other bloggers with you, or other travel destinations I think you may enjoy. My point is, you’ll get me, my personal experiences and then some. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hopefully, you’ll find something you can identify with and share back with me, because we’re just getting started.

Thank you for reading.

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Filed Under: All blogs, Family Memories Tagged With: blog anniversary, blogiversary, Disney, Disney Moms Panel, Family Memories, zannaland

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

Interview With Celebrity Chef Kevin Dundon of Raglan Road plus Giveaway!

10 June 2010 by Suzannah Otis 22 Comments

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Those of you regular readers here at ZannaLand know that I’m not exactly the pinnacle of proper journalistic procedure and format. I did not come to this blog by way of a former career in the media, any official training, or degrees to back me up (unless you want to count writing for the high school newspaper and those two semesters of public relations in college). This is, I’m sure, more than evident in the casual way that I share my thoughts and views here with you. I do this to connect with readers and hopefully speak to them on the same level. So it is in that same vein that I share the following pre-amble to the amazing interview I’m about to post —

If you’ve met me in real life, you also know that shy and socially awkward are probably the first two impressions that come to mind. There’s a reason I write! However, after several meetings or perhaps an adult beverage, I do mellow out and relax. That said, hanging around my fellow bloggers and media mavens, I finally get that concept of:  “What’s the worse they can say? No? Then you move on!“

So it was channeling one of those very bloggers that gave me the confidence to approach Chef Dundon after meeting him at the Raglan Road Signature Dinner and ask for an interview. As soon as I had the thought, the confidence was there and I knew I could do it. Even if he blew me off and said he was too busy, or was polite and said yes but later blew me off, I was going to DO it. So I did. And guess what? (not hard to guess reading the title of this post!) He said “That would be wonderful!” I spent the rest of the night on cloud 9, if for no other reason than I had made that next step in my new life as a purveyor of fine social media. (Like that title? I just made it up.)

Anyway, now you know the story behind the story and it is with great pleasure and honor that I present the following interview to you, my readers, and hope you enjoy it. Here’s a little more about Kevin Dundon’s background:

dunbrody house Kevin Dundon is the Chef/Proprietor of Dunbrody Country House Hotel & Restaurant, located in Ireland’s sunny South East. Dunbrody was established in 1997 by Kevin and his wife Catherine and has very quickly become a must-see for all foodies. It is now considered to be one of Ireland’s Premier Hotels & Restaurant. Kevin’s runs a cookery school at the hotel as well which already recognised as one of the most respected in the country. (source: KevinDundon.com)

In addition Kevin is the Chef/Patron of Raglan Road which has two locations, Downtown Disney in Orlando and Kansas City, MO. Given that Chef Dundon has cooked for none other than Her Majesty, The Queen and Bono, I think it goes without saying that Raglan Road will not disappoint. He is also author of two cookbooks: Full on Irish: Creative Contemporary Cooking and Great Family Food. Is there another in the works? Read on…

[Read more…] about Interview With Celebrity Chef Kevin Dundon of Raglan Road plus Giveaway!

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Filed Under: Disney Dining, Giveaways, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Chef Kevin Dundon, Disney Dining, Dunbrody House, Giveaways, Great Family Food, interviews, Raglan Road, Walt Disney World, zannaland

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