Friday

Sweet Treats on Epcot's Food and Wine Festival Opening Day

Photo courtesy of Disney(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
 From left to right: Dark chocolate mousse with chili and salted caramel; yogurt panna cotta with orange cake, raspberries and pomegranate; and lemon custard verrine with blueberry compote. 
We're at the opening day of the 17th Annual International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot. At some point during the foodie festivities I will seek out one of these sweet treats from the Desserts & Champagne marketplace. I'm not quite sure which one as yet but it will probably be the lemon custard verrine with blueberry compote. Yum! I'll be sure to snap a few pictures and report back with my thoughts as soon as the sugar rush burns off or I get back to my resort;) 
The 17th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival runs from Sept. 28 - Nov. 12, 2012 at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Will be trying these sweet treats at The Food and Wine festival?

Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday ~ " E "


Welcome to the latest edition of the The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop here at Focused on the Magic.com where each week Disney Bloggers gather to blog hop, link up and share their Disney Wordless Wednesday or Almost Wordless Wednesday Disney related picture posts.

It's a fun blog hop for sharing your Disney memories and pictures. There's a theme each week that you can follow if you wish. Facebook pictures, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, Flickr or video posts are all welcome. You can even email your pictures and I will be happy to add them to this page. 

The theme for this week's Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, 9/26/12 is

brought to you by the  Disney Letter "E"


EEEK!!

Monday

Must Do's at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival

It's almost time! The ever popular Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in Walt Disney World is about to start. I've planned my itinerary, packed my bags and we are ready to go. We'll be there for the first-week tasting our way around the World Showcase. I can't wait to share our experiences here and on Facebook. So, what am I looking forward to? Here are a few of things on my must do list...

Saturday

Autumn ~ Disney Style

Today is the first day of Autumn. What a great time to be going to Disney World! Fall decorations can be seen everywhere, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is underway with 23 nights of happy haunts, the Food and Wine Festival starts serving up tasty tidbits, Epcot's 30th Celebration, Disney online group meets, marathons. What an eventful exciting season this is going to be!
Let's kick it off with a look at some of the decorations you might spot in the Magic Kingdom.
Pumpkin and scarecrows greeting guests as they enter Main Street, U.S.A.


Pumpkins, Scarecrows and fall decorations create magic but not fright in the hub.

Maybe we'll see you? We'll be gathering with other ghouls and goblins for the bewitching Halloween spooktacular, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on Sept. 28th at the Magic Kingdom. Festivities willing, I'll be reporting live and posting pictures on Facebook and Twitter. 
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The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop theme for 9/26 is "The Disney Letter "E" and the theme for 10/3 is "Your Calendar Shot for October". See you at the hop!

Friday

Photo Flashback

Flashback FridayIt's time for Photo Flashback Friday here at Focused on the Magic! Time to once again dust off our Walt Disney World photo albums and take another look at some of our favorite photos and memorabilia from vacations past. 

Today we are sharing a picture of Spaceship Earth taken during the 15 month long Millennium Celebration. What's interesting about this picture is that there is a crane poised next to the hand and wand to take it down. You could almost hear guests chanting "Take it down! Take it all down!" as they walked past.



Remember the wand? Did you love it or hate it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Have pixie dusted day!
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Thursday

Destination Disney Quote | Focused on the Magic

This week in Destination Disney we are posting our interpretations of Disney quotes. 
Disney Quote | Focused on the Magic





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Tuesday

Almost Wordless Wednesday ~ Foodie Fare at The Liberty Tree Tavern


Welcome to the latest edition of the The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop here at Focused on the Magic.com where each week Disney Bloggers gather to blog hop, link up and share their Disney Wordless Wednesday or Almost Wordless Wednesday Disney related picture posts.

It's a fun blog hop for sharing your Disney memories and pictures. There's a theme each week that you can follow if you wish. Facebook pictures, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, Flickr or video posts are all welcome. You can even email your pictures and I will be happy to add them to this page. Email your picture to Deb at focusedonthemagic@gmail.com. I'll make every effort to get them posted right away.

The theme for this week's Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, 9/19/12 is

  Disney Food

Epcot's Food & Wine Festival starts September 28th and I am so looking forward to tasting our way around the World Showcase again this year. In addition to sampling the Food & Wine Festival fare we have a few dining reservations to look forward to. One of my favorite places to have lunch is The Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom. This is a picture of my go-to drink in Disney, pomegranate lemonade with a touch of ice tea. The mugs make great souvenirs too:)
For dessert Peter was treated to the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake -- vanilla cake with a gooey toffee filling and caramel sauce.

Lunch Menu is here : allears.net/menu/men_lttl.htm

I was treated to this birthday cupcake and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday 
from our favorite server Craig & friends:D


Focused on the Magic

Time to link up...


My Refurbishment Wish List


One of the many things that keeps me coming back to Disney for the past 20+ years is that the parks and resorts are always being freshened up with a coat of paint 
to maintain Walt Disney's very high standards or being re-imagineered to stay ahead of the times.
When I'm in Disney I focus on the positive (magic) experiences and try to overlook the negatives. There are times that even my rose colored glasses can't hide those things that need a bit of refurbishment. 



►Carousel of Progress debuted at the New York World's Fair in 1964 which was where I first experienced it as a 14 year old. I think that's why it's always been one of my favorite attractions in Disney World. I've brought my children to see Carousel of Progress many times over the years and they've enjoyed it as well. It's wonderful to relive those happy memories over and over, but it's time for a refurbishment. I'm not suggesting a tear down but at least take care of the squeaky turn table stage, reupholster the seats and replace the carpeting. Oh and maybe while they're in there they could add a new vignette.

►The Imagination Pavilion formerly known as The Journey Into Imagination Pavilion is also in need of a refurbishment. There's a whole floor of unused space that's sitting in disrepair. During the early 90's my kids loved making movies and experimenting along with all the other kids with the latest technology. As a photographer I enjoyed the Kodak part of the experience. Captain EO really needs to go. The comeback show is fun and campy. I enjoyed seeing it again with my kids but the technology is dated and the storyline was always convoluted. 


There's good news for the Imagination Pavilion. Rumor has it that there will be a new sponsor, ColorVision to bring a spark of imagination back into the pavilion. Dr. Nigel Channing and his Imagination Institute can finally retire. Just leave Figment alone, please!

Is there an attraction that you think needs a refurbishment? Leave it in the comments below, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Have a magical day,





Friday

Epcot's Food & Wine Festival Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe

Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir fry Recipe from Disney's Top Chefs
©Disney

Chef Ming Tsai from Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival shares his easy Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry in this video. The DIY Disney recipe (below) is easy and fast to prepare. Faster and less expensive than ordering Chinese take-out for the family too! More savings for your next trip:)


Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry
Serves 4
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 pound of dark chicken meat (from the legs and thighs), cut into 1/2-inch dice
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
3 celery stalks cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red onion cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup Ocean Spray Craisins
White and brown rice, for serving
4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
Tamari or soy sauce, to taste
Heat wok or sauté pan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil and swirl to coat the
pan. When oil is hot, add chicken and stir-fry, separating pieces, until chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to wok and swirl to coat pan. When oil is hot, add ginger and garlic; stir-fry until softened, about 30 seconds. Add celery, red onion and peppers; stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add pineapple juice and bring to a simmer. Add chicken back to pan and toss to combine. Add Craisins and toss to combine.
Serve with Chef Ming’s “house rice” (50 percent brown and 50 percent white). On a serving platter, make a bed of rice, then top with chicken. Garnish with scallion greens and season with soy sauce.
 More Magical Recipes and Reviews

For more information on this year’s festival go to Epcot's Food & Wine Festival. You also can call 407-WDW-FEST.


Tuesday

Almost Wordless Wednesday ~ Magical Memories

Welcome to the latest edition of the The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop here at Focused on the Magic.com where each week Disney Bloggers gather to blog hop, link up and share their Disney Wordless Wednesday or Almost Wordless Wednesday Disney related picture posts.

It's a fun blog hop for sharing your Disney memories and pictures. There's a theme each week that you can follow if you wish. Facebook pictures, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, Flickr or video posts are all welcome. You can even email your pictures and I will be happy to add them to this page. Email your picture to Deb at focusedonthemagic@gmail.com. I'll make every effort to get them posted right away.

The theme for this week's Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, 9/12/12 is

  Magical Memories

I've posted this magical moment before but I just had to share it again, it's that magical for me.
Peter 
just let his AS disabilities go and stepped up all by himself for his very first pin trade in 2000. The Boardwalk greeter was so kind and patient with him. I could here him talking to her quietly.  We had discussed pin trading often, picked out a few pins to trade and he had watched his brother trade many times on previous trips. I guess all the preparation worked.  That was a magical moment!



Here's another magical memory for you. This picture is only a representation of the actual experience since my camera batteries died and I don't have a picture from it.
One night we were headed to Epcot for Illuminations. Rushing from the Contemporary platform I asked the operator if we'd make it to Epcot in time to see Illuminations. The CM just shrugged. He showed us to the second or third car, all by ourselves. The monorail ride was quiet and seemed slower than usual. Just as we passed in front of Space Ship Earth the monorail glided to a stop. I immediately thought it was broken and that we'd be stuck there for awhile, high up in the air with the World Showcase on one side and Space Ship Earth on the other. I remember saying to DH, we are going to miss the whole thing because something is wrong with the monorail.

Just then the fireworks started. All of us sat there in shock and awe as we watched Illuminations perched high above the World Showcase.
Focused on the Magic

Time to link up...


We'll never forget 9/11, its victims and its many heroes and heroines. Never. NEVER.




We Will Never Forget!!



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