Tuesday

Walt Disney World - Mouse of Zen


For this week's post we have chosen a Disney-inspired Haiku from the Mouse of Zen that meant something to us. When I read this particular haiku, I immediately thought of all the wonderful experiences I've had with my family at The Boardwalk in Walt Disney World. 

The BoardWalk Resort Watercolor with Mouse of Zen Haiku


The Boardwalk Resort
boardwalk all silentcaptivated by starlightin ripples of time
We've stayed at Disney's BoardWalk Villas (BWV) many times since becoming Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members in 1997. Disney's BoardWalk complex is made up of Disney's BoardWalk Villas Resort (BWV), Disney's BoardWalk Inn, a convention center and Disney's BoardWalk dining, shopping and entertainment area. 

The BoardWalk is located between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios on 25 acre Crescent Lake, styled after the Atlantic coast resorts of the 1930s.
Disney's BoardWalk Resort lights at night
When the sun goes down the carnival lights come on and the mood of The Boardwalk turns festive. There are turn of the century games of chance, entertainers, and ragtime music can be heard wafting in the air from Jelly Rolls, the piano bar. 
The BoardWalk Resort at night

One of my favorite pastimes is strolling the Boardwalk arm in arm with my husband, enjoying the charming atmosphere, watching the boats, taking it all in. Much the same way couples in the 1930's would have. The most romantic time of the night to stroll is after the guest have retired, the entertainers have gone and the BoardWalk is silent.


miniature display in the lobby of The BoardWalk Resort



Have a Magical Day.
Deb
  

Sunday

Week in Review ~ 1/29/12

Welcome back to another Week in Review of Focused on the Magic!  We've had a really busy week, so let's take a look at the roundup of posts from this past week.
  • On Sunday we Revisited the Writer's Stop in Disney Hollywood Studios. Great cup of coffee and carrot cake, Yum!
  • Monday's post was Happy Chinese New Year with pictures of the beautiful China Pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World and my taste for Chinese beer!
  • Our Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop the theme this week was wildlife, and I shared pictures of the majestic tigers on the Maharaja Jungle Trek in Animal Kingdom!
  • On Thursday I shared 5 fun things from My Disney Bucket List!
  • On Photo Flashback Friday we flashed back to 1997 with a memorable picture of the first E~night & Buzz Lightyear's soft opening and a few fun factoids.
  • Saturday was Foodie Fare day with a DIY Disney Park Apple Strudel Recipe, detailed pictorial instruction and made complete with a Disney Parks video!

From around the web...
I read a very interesting and candid interview with John Lasseter on TotalFilm.com. Ever wonder about those Hawaiian shirts? Loved this quote from the article..
 I try and stay focused on what is important; the stories, the characters and the audience. Our role is to entertain people, and I hope, to make people laugh.  John Lasseter
New this week on Focused on the Magic...
In an effort to always improve Focused on the Magic, I introduced new blog bling this week: 
  • New linked social media Mickey head buttons for Google+ and Pininterest were added this week. Now we can stay even more connected:)
  • A new button was introduced for the Photo Flashback Friday Blog Hop. What do you think? Your feedback is always appreciated..
  • I brought back the weekly roundup button. Goofy's review button will return after I go through my recent Toy Story faze;) YeeHa!
  • All in a name: If you follow me on Facebook you may have noticed my name change to, Debra Ann. In an attempt to keep my kids, who are on Facebook and Twitter, from having to *friend* their mom and all her Disney friends, I have tried to avoid using my last name. I chose Deb -short for Debra. S - for my last name. Dis - which I thought at the time was Disney enough for my friends and obscure enough to make my kids happy. It has caused no end of confusion as a name, with messages asking me for my real name. On the boards I'm usually DebºoºS but that didn't convert to Facebook or Twitter well. So, I am now officially Debra Ann...or until the kids catch up with me;)  
    Coming up next week...


    Focused on the Magic
    Get you February Calendar shots ready for next Wednesday, 2/1/12! The theme for the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop is your Calendar Shot! Check out this link for ideas.


    I Hope you have a great week and stay focused on the magic. 
    Till next time!

    Saturday

    Disney Parks Apple Strudel Recipe



    Today I'm happy to share one of my favorite Disney Recipes ~ Disney Parks Apple Strudel
    Preparing and enjoying foods found in the Disney Parks is a great way for us to stay focused on the Disney magic in between trips!
    Apple Strudel, is a Foodie Fare find from the German Pavilion in Epcot. 
    Served with Karamel Sauce and Vanilla Sauce, it is delicious! 
    The recipe can be found in the fabulous Cooking With Mickey Volume II. It is the recipe from Cafe Villa Verde in the Disneyland Hotel using filo dough. 
    In addition, I've included a fun Disney Parks video demonstration of the recipe below. 

    Apple Strudel with Filo Dough


    Yield: 1 strudel
    Preheat oven to 400º


    Ingredients:


    1 pound apples, thinly sliced
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
    5 sheets filo dough
    1/2 cup butter, melted
    Whipped cream or custard sauce
    *optional ingredients:
    1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
    1/2 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice


    Peel and core fresh apples. Cut each into wedges, then into thin slices.
     


    Combine cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle with two thirds of the cinnamon and sugar mixture and mix lightly. Mix in Apple Pie Spice and cranberries or raisins. Set aside.


    On a clean kitchen towel, put a single layer of filo dough. Brush with melted butter.
    Place another sheet of dough on top and repeat, until all five have been layered with butter.
    Keep filo dough under a moist kitchen towel after the package is opened and while working.
    Place apple mixture on upper third of filo dough layers.
    Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture and roll dough, using the kitchen towel to lift the dough as tightly as possible around the apples.



    Place rolled dough, seam side down on a buttered baking sheet and brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and sugar on the top of the roll.


    Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
    Serve hot with whipped cream or custard sauce.


    Now for the video demonstration courtesy of Disney Parks...


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     Focused on the Magic: Foodie Friday Disney  Food  Fan  Pinterest  Board

    Friday

    Photo Flashback ~ E-night & Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

    It's Photo Flashback Friday!  
    Time to once again dig through our old Disney pictures for a photo flashback. Today's picture is of my son and husband riding Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin when it first opened. I always like this picture because it's such a candid shot. The other thing that makes this a memorable photo for me is that it was during the first E-night in the Magic Kingdom. We had the Magic Kingdom almost all to ourselves that night. I'll post more pictures from that great E-night experience when I find them! Someone has absconded with the pictures! Kids!!


    A Few Fun Facts & Factoids:



    • Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin soft opening date was, October 7, 1998. The official opening date was November 3, 1998.
    • The official Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin sponsor is Mattel.
    • Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, opened in the old If You Had Wings  ride building. 
    • "If You Had Wings" was  sponsored by Eastern Airlines from 6/5/72 through 6/1/87. From 6/6/87 through 1/3/89, it was named "If You Could Fly".
    • Delta Dreamflight replaced "If You Could Fly" on 6/6/89 and was sponsored by Delta Air Lines.
    • After Delta ended its sponsorship (they were busy then sponsoring the Olympics) on 1/1/96 it was renamed "Take Flight". 
    • On 1/5/98 "Take Flight" closed to be replaced by Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
    • You can still spot Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin during the TTA ride and vice versa. 

    I hope you enjoyed my Friday Flashback Photo and Fun Friday Factoids! 
    Would you like to join me & link up your 
    Disney Flashback Photo Post?
    New to our Blog Hops? Questions? Here's a link to the 411 on our blog hops. Feel free to email me with any questions. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think of the new button at the top of the page.



    Focused On The Magic
    ºoº


    ºoº

    Have a Disney Day!  



    Thursday

    My Disney Bucket List

    Today's theme for the Babes in Disneyland Blog Hop is your "Disney Bucket List". I've written (never shared here) many bucket lists in the past, and as time goes by I've had to break them down into categories. 
    I have big bucket lists! Rides, Restaurants, Cruises, Parks, Resorts, Photography. Most of the lists consist of wishes, but that hasn't stopped me!  

    Here are 5 from my lists:

    1. Dive in Epcot's, Living Seas. I almost did it with DS once, but at the last minute something came up and we couldn't. I don't care what I look like in a wetsuit either, I'm doing it!

    2. Drink my way around the World Showcase backwards. We always start in Mexico and tire out by Germany. I'd like to start in England and work my way around the World Showcase through France, Morocco ending in Mexico. I don't mean strictly adult beverages. Slushies and alcohol free drinks are good too.

    3. Have a cupcake day. Taste as many cupcakes in one day as my eyes can behold:)

    4. Sleep in Cinderella Castle. They'd have to have to lock me as I'd probably escape and run around the park all night playing.;)

    5. Cruise to Aulani with the family!

    There you have it, a few adventures from my bucket lists. Do you have a Disney Bucket List?

    Have a Disney Day!  

    Tuesday

    Disney Wordless Wednesday ~ Wildlife

    Welcome to  
    The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop 
    hosted by Debs Dis Focused on the Magic  
    Where your Almost or Wordless Wednesday Disney-related photo posts are always welcome to link up! 
    Come along and join the fun
    Make new friends, visit with old friends, see some great pictures as you blog hop. Each week we have a theme that you can follow if you'd like. On Saturday it is announced in my weekly review, on the Focused on the Magic Facebook Page and Google+. 
    This week's theme is...
    Wildlife!

    Tiger on the Maharaja Jungle Trek in Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World
    taken with a Nikon D200 and a Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom Nikkor Lens


    What could be more wild for Wildlife Wordless Wednesday than the beautiful Asian tigers in Disney's Animal Kingdom? I've posted these before and I even feature one of the tigers in my banner. So, you may be tired of seeing them. I just love looking at them and had to share them again. 

    These shots were taken on a very hot afternoon in August so there wasn't much playing going on. Occasionally this tiger would swat a beach ball in the water. Or play in the fountains.
    The temperatures and humidity kept most folks out of the park that day. Even my camera fogged up with humidity that day! 
    Animal Kingdom always feels hotter than the other parks because the paths are more narrow and there's no breeze. It makes for a very good time to visit though. If you can handle the heat!

    We take it very slowly and drink a lot of water. Stopping for ice cream before hitting the Maharajah Jungle Trek. After the parade and toward the end of the day the tigers are more active.Tiger on the Maharaja Jungle Trek in Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World

    Monday

    Magical Moments Monday ~ Happy Chinese New Year

     Today starts The Chinese New Year and The Year of the Dragon. I know this because I read it on the Disney Parks Blog last week. They always have the most interesting blog posts. I'm always up for a celebration and Chinese New Year seems like a good one to me. 


    So, for the fun of it, I'm having tea today from my favorite Figment mug and tonight we're having a stir fry dinner with Zhujiang Chinese beer. I'm not a big beer drinker but ever since I tried Chinese beer in the World Showcase, I've been a fan. If you've never had it, give Chinese beer a try the next time you're in Epcot. Nine Dragons restaurant is the place to find Tsingtao and Yanjing. It's delicious!

    Sunday

    Week in Review ~ 1/22/12


    Thanks for stopping by our weekly recap. It's been a fun and at times wild week at Focused on the Magic! We had our first snowfall of the year, turning the landscape into a winter wonderland. As beautiful as it was, the ice made it more difficult to hit the streets to burn up calories. I took to the dreadmill and watched Disneynature: African CatsThe movie takes you into the wilds of Africa and wreaks havoc on your emotions. While running or walking on the dreadmill, I like to envision myself in the movie setting. I really enjoyed running across Africa with the lions. Check back for my movie review. I have thoughts and concerns about the African Cats.

    We were busy:
    • On Monday, I spent way too much time on Pinterest sharing pics, adding pins and visiting friends boards. It's addicting!Follow Me on Pinterest
    • Tuesday I wrote an article for the Magical Blogorail.We all shared our Favorite Disney Snacks. Hop aboard and check out our faves.
    • Water, Water Wordless Wednesday was a huge success. Mine was a sunset picture from a Disney Caribbean Cruise on The Wonder ~ Check out all 32 Great Bloggers who linked up their picture posts.
    •  Photo Flashback Friday was my tribute to the Kodak company with a Kodachrome Day . Please join us and link up your Disney Photo Flashback post next Friday. We'll leave the light on for ya'.
    Coming up next week:
    • The theme for next week's Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop will be: Wildlife
    • The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop theme for the week of  2/1  is: February Calendar Shot!  Choose one of your Disney pictures to represent the month of February.
    • I'm looking forward to reading part #4 of Pursuit of  Pirates  at  Pursuing The Magic next week.
    Thanks for stopping by!




    Keep moving forward and stay focused on the magic!  

    The Writer's Stop Revisited

    Today we are going to revisit one of my favorite Foodie Fare hangouts in Disney's Hollywood Studios The Writer's Stop for my Disney friends blog hop. 
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