Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday ~ The Muppets Water Works

Come along and join the fun! Link up your Disney Almost Wordless or Wordless Wednesday posts, make new Disney friends, visit with old friends, see some great pictures at 

































Monday

Muppet Mania Monday


Today, I thought it would be fun to take a break from Cyber Monday shopping and share a few videos on this Muppet Mania Monday!

Why Muppet Mania Monday? In case you hadn't noticed Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppet gang came back to theaters this week with the release of “The Muppets,” directed by James Bobin and starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams, causing a rebirth of Muppet Mania across the web. If you haven't seen the movie trailer a few too many times already, it's in my post here. 

Oh, and before you read any further, this is not a review of the Muppet movie. That would be like asking me to review the Star Wars Trilogy. I'm too much of a fan! All I can say is, if you loved watching the Muppets or you want to share the love and introduce your little ones to them...
Go See It!


Sunday

The ABC's of Disney ~ The Letter V


Today we're focused on the magic of Disney ABC's. Moving right along in the alphabet we have arrived at the letter "V"
It wasn't as tough as the letter U, which I forgot to link up to the hop until today:P 


Via Napoli

Friday

The ABC's of Disney ~ The Letter U

This week we're focused on the magic of Disney ABC's. Moving along we have come to the letter "U". This was a tough one for me...here goes

 Ugly but Good at Via Napoli


Tuesday

Almost Wordless Wednesday ~ Thanks for the Memories

Come along and join the fun! Link up your Disney Almost Wordless or Wordless Wednesday posts, make new Disney friends, visit with old friends, see some great pictures at 
This statue of Roy O. Disney seated on a park bench with Minnie Mouse is located in the Town Square section of Main Street, U.S.A., at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Roy Oliver Disney, Walt Disney's brother postponed his retirement to oversee construction of his brothers dream, Walt Disney World. On October 25th, 1971, Roy dedicated Walt Disney World in a nationally televised ceremony. Roy died two months after the dedication on December 20, 1971. 

Monday

Disney Thanksgiving Meme

While we are all busy preparing for the big feast and for family and friends to gather, a fun Disney Thanksgiving meme just might be the answer for both bloggers and readers.


This is based on a word game our family plays on Thanksgiving. Someone picks a word that's related to Thanksgiving. Going around the table each person says what they are thankful for using the letters in the word chosen.

Here, I'm putting a Disney spin on the words for each letter with pictures.
You can use a different Thanksgiving word in your post if you'd like just keep the answers in a  Disney style. A few words that come to mind: Thankful, Turkey, Pie, Food, Family, Feast, Faith, Friends..you get the idea.


T-h-a-n-k-s-g-i-v-i-n-g

Saturday

Making Magical Memories in NYC

If you're visiting NYC, stop by Times Square for some extra special magical memories! As part of Mickey's birthday celebration a big screen is set up high above The Disney Store on Broadway at 45th St. 
All are welcome to partake, as you can see from this awesome video from Disney Parks!! I might hop on the train tomorrow just to see this!!


The ABC's of Disney ~ The Letter T


Today, we're focused on the magic of Disney with my good friend Heidi at Destination Disney for The ABC's of Disney Blog Hop!
We're moving along through the alphabet focusing each week on alphabet letter inspired posts. This week's letter is "T"


Friday

Happy Birthday 84th Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse, is celebrating his 83rd birthday today. It was on November 18, 1928, when Mickey made his official film debut in "Steamboat Willie". It's still a favorite cartoon of mine. In honor of Mickey's birthday...


Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday ~ M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Come along and join the fun! Link up your Disney Almost Wordless or Wordless Wednesday posts, make new Disney friends, visit with old friends, see some great pictures at 
with me, Debs Dis @ Focused on the Magic   


My Disney Shopping List

When I first read that our topic this month was Our Disney Shopping List, I wasn't sure which way I wanted to go with it. I'm a list maker by nature. If I’m visiting the parks around the holidays that list gets pretty long as I really enjoy bringing home special Christmas gifts. On it I have those things I may want for myself and things that I think my family, friends and fur-babies might enjoy. 

At home, I always have a shopping list with me and sometimes a coupon or two. I like the saving of coupons but I'm not a faithful fan of clipping and organizing them. I'll use one if I have it with me and would have bought the item anyway.  

Discount shopping coupons, although an unusual sight to behold in WDW can be found randomly printed at the bottom of counter service receipts right around the holidays. Some restrictions apply as to where you can use them and the times of day they can be used. 
After accumulating a few coupons I decided one holiday season I would use take the opportunity to shop at MouseGears in Epcot and the coupons I didn't use I would pass along to another guest. MouseGears offered the best selection for items on my holiday shopping list and there was a gift with purchase. How could I not try to fill my Disney shopping list with great savings?
I made sure our touring plans put me in Epcot and MouseGears on the right day and time to allow time to shop and use the coupon. It was extremely crowded with holiday shoppers. I managed to pick out many gifts on my list and get on the long line to purchase about a 1/2 hour before the coupon would expire. As it happened it was also training day for CMs on the register. Oh, how I felt for them!

Fortunately DH wasn't with me as he would never have had the patients to shop, wait on line and use a coupon. Especially in WDW! 

I always bring back tins of Disney coffee, chocolates and cookies. The tins make a great gift and they pack well for travel. Unfortunately, it was only after waiting in line for 45 minutes and finally reaching the cash register did I find out they will not send food items such as  cookies and chocolates to your room or to the parcel pick up at the main entrance! The reasoning was that they couldn't keep it cool in transit and in storage. On top of that my coupon had expired while I was waiting on line! The CM decided to honor the coupon but couldn't help with delivering my food purchases.

This was a huge disappointment for me as these were a big part of my shopping list. I would have to carry them around all day, go all the way back to Saratoga Springs to drop them off or store them in a locker in the park. Even though storing them in a locker wasn't my favorite choice it seemed to please Peter who was waiting patiently to get on with his day at Epcot. 

Well, the lockers were too small for the packages. At this point we were both melting ourselves and ready to leave. Then I remembered that the Camera Center had a bag pick up area many years ago and it might very well be cool. They used it to store film in the old days before digital and film spoils in the heat. It was worth a try! We made our way over to the Camera Care Center and sure enough the CM's there were happy to store my bags for the day in a nice cool storage area.

Peter was happy to finally get on with his day at the park and I was happy I got to check a few things off my holiday shopping list.

The chocolates and cookies were all well received. I even kept one of the tins for storage and a reminder of our shopping adventure. 
The best souvenir from that day was for our fur-baby Einstein. It WAS (there's one piece left) a set of toys in the shape of Mickey body parts. Einstein had a blast carrying Mickey’s hand around in his mouth and cuddling up to it until it fell apart. 

Another favorite gift from that day was an oven mitt which at the moment I can't find to take a picture of so I borrowed a pic from The Disney Store. It's $11.95 which is the same price as it is at MouseGears (without the coupon discount;). 
I’ll be doing my Disney Christmas shopping from home this year. It won't be as exciting as my park holiday shopping experience but The Disney Store is offering a 20% coupon that expires at midnight with free shipping for purchases of $75 or more and I can shop in my pj's:D  


Thanks for stopping by.
Have a Magical Day! 
Debs

Friday

Fall at Washington's Crossing

It's Foto Friday and it's Veteran's Day! Today is a day to honor and remember the men and woman who have served in our armed services and who have fought for our nation's freedom. Since it is also Foto Friday I thought I'd share pictures from a beautiful fall afternoon at Washington's Crossing, PA.


 
On Christmas night 1776 General George Washington and the men of the Continental Army and militia crossed the Delaware River and marched to Trenton, New Jersey.

Thursday

The ABC's of Disney ~ The Letter "S"


Today, we're focused on the magic of Disney ABC's !
We're moving along through the alphabet focusing each week on alphabet letter inspired posts. This week's letter is "S"
 Soldier...





Disneylicious Dole Whips


Greetings Everybody! It’s time for Focused on the Magic's Foodie Friday Fare.

Maybe it’s just because I’m on a diet right now... Dreaming about delicious Disney desserts is calorie free and eating them is reserved for park visits so I haven't broken any diet rules yet:D 
Dole Whips are the #1 topic that people ask me about so even though I've mentioned it before I'm just going to have to say it again...

Dole Whips are one of my favorite snacks in Walt Disney World and my favorite snack location to get one is in Adventureland's The Aloha Isle. This little kiosk in the mist of the Tiki Gods and next to the The Tiki Room offers up sweet, tropical treats and cool refreshments! However, for many Disney fans, Aloha Isle is not just a quick spot to grab a tasty treat, it is home to one of Disney World's most famous snacks: the Dole Whip!

So what exactly is this infamous dessert that everyone is talking about you ask? A Dole Whip is pineapple flavored soft-serve dessert served in a cup. Made with fresh pineapple and assorted reconstituted ingredients that melt in your mouth. The best part for DS is that they are lactose freeThere are a few ways to enjoy a Dole Whip. I like my Dole Whip served straight up in a cup. My DH likes a swirl of pineapple and vanilla in a cup. DSs enjoy a Dole Whip float, which is served in pineapple juices! No matter how they serve it though I've always enjoyed it. Just don't take too long taking a picture of it:)

Aloha Isle also offers other items. You can enjoy orange or vanilla flavored soft serve, Coke or Root Beer floats, pineapple spears, soft drinks, fruit juices, and even hot drinks! This quick snack kiosk has outdoor tables and chairs or you can take your treats and sit by the Jungle Cruise wall and people watch. A fun way to take a refreshing break from hustle and bustle of the Magic Kingdom.

There's another reason I enjoy having a Dole Whip at The Aloha Isle. I like to "pay one forward" for Bawb each trip. By that I mean, I buy one for myself and one for a customer waiting in line. It started In May of 2008 when I attended a memorial/meet for the late Bob Varley  a wonderfully funny witty DIS moderator and DISUnplugged Podcaster. At the memorial we were all talking about Bobs love of Dole Whips and how some DISers (I won't mention who;) weren't big fans of the tasty treat. Someone suggested buying one for someone else in Bob's memory as a sort of "pay it forward" gesture. That night I went to the MK and had a Dole Whip in his honor and bought a Dole Whip for someone on line with me. It felt good and I think Bob would've enjoyed it. If you should decide to try it, take a picture of your Dole Whip and post it on the DISboards thread, A Dole Whip for BawbIt's one way of remembering and paying tribute to a great guy who is sorely missed. 


__________________________________________________________________



Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are having a magical day! 



Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday ~ One Man’s Dream

Welcome to the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop! Link up, meet new friends, network with other Disney bloggers, and see some great pictures! 
Hosted by, Debs Dis @ Focused on the Magic   




This picture was taken of one of my favorite exhibits in the attraction, One Man's Dream. It's a large impressive exhibit piece that shows Walt Disney in the early days of his career. One Man's Dream is an interactive gallery in Disney's Hollywood Studios. It features a timeline display of Disney memorabilia in a self guided tour followed by a short film. It's always a must see for me.

Monday

Tiggerific Tuesday! Blog Hop...or Bounce!

Welcome to Tiggerific Tuesday! Blog Hop...or Bounce!
Link up, meet new friends, network with other bloggers, and have fun!


Rainforest Cafe ~ Rasta Pasta Recipe

You will find numerous Foodie Fare finds for lunch in Walt Disney WorldOne that offers an escape from the heat and excitement of the parks and is almost an attraction by itself is The Rainforest Cafe.

This is a fun and easy going recipe from The Rainforest Cafe that reminds me so much of those relaxed laid back meals we've enjoyed there many times.





It tastes much better than it looks:)



Rainforest Cafe ~ Rasta Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz Farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 t. chopped garlic
2 T. olive oil
1 C. chopped fresh spinach
1 C. broccoli florets
1 medium red pepper, roasted
1 C. grilled chicken, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 C. prepared Alfredo sauce
1/8 C. prepared basil pesto sauce
1 t. Italian seasoning
2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese



Prepare:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and set aside. 
In a 12" saute pan, saute garlic in oil. 
Add spinach, broccoli, green pepper and grilled chicken. Toss to combine. 
Stir in Alfredo and pesto sauces. Simmer for 5 min. 
Reheat pasta if necessary. 
Pour pasta into bowl and top with vegetable/sauce mixture. 
Sprinkle with  Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, please tell me what you think, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by. Bon Appetit!

Friday

The ABC's of Disney ~ the Letter "R"


Today, we're focused on the magic of Disney ABC's !
We're moving along through the alphabet focusing each week on alphabet letter inspired posts. This week's letter is "R"

Royal court



Red Cookbook..

Tuesday

Almost Wordless Wednesday ~ Treats

Come along and join the fun! Link up your Disney Almost Wordless or Wordless Wednesday posts, make new Disney friends, visit with old friends, see some great pictures at 
with me, Debs Dis @ Focused on the Magic   
Treats are a very important part of any Disney trip for me. I'll build our touring plan around a cool break and a treat:) The infamous Dole Whip is at the top of my favorites ... 

What do you say to Mickey?


Guests who visited The Magic Kingdom yesterday were in for a rare and special treat! Mickey spoke his first words to a select few guests visiting him backstage at Town Square Theater! The excitement in the queue must have been palpable! I so wish I was there to experience that magical moment! I wonder what I would say to him?! I'd probably ask him a question...but what? 
You can read all about it on The Disney Parks Blog


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