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Friday

Flashback Friday ~ Venetian Mask Shop

It'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 from vacations past.

If you are new to the Flashback Friday Hop, Welcome! I hope you enjoy your visit. For those returning, Welcome Back!
Would like to join in on the fun? You'll find out how to at the end of this post. I would love to have you share your flashback photos with us.

Today is a quick flashback to my solo trip. Quick, because we're having a pretty big thunder storm and the power may go out any minute.

A visit to The Italy Pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase for me always includes a trip to the Venetian mask shop. It's a tiny little shop packed to the rafters with ornately decorated masks. Sometimes you can see the Venetian mask artist Giorgio Lurcotta painting beautiful paper mache masks in the shop.

On this solo trip I was able to spend as much time as I wanted to. That alone is fun enough for me. I truly enjoyed the feeling of stepping back in time while I wandered around *Italy*.

Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday ~ Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular!

Come along and join the fun! Welcome to our happy hop!
I'm very glad you could join us today for the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, where all Disney related photo posts are welcome to link up. I hope you'll enjoy your visit and make new Disney friends, visit with old friends, see some great pictures at The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop with me, Debs Dis at Focused on the Magic

The theme this week is Adventure!

Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney Hollywood Studios

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!

Our Requests:

1. On GFC, Networked Blogs, Twitter or Facebook, please follow all three Hosts

2. Follow who you like and be sure to let them know that you are from "Tiggerific Tuesday! Blog Hop...or Bounce!"

3. You are not required to, but we'd greatly appreciate it if you could grab our button and write a post about this hop and/or display the button on your sidebar.

4. Every week we will pick someone to Guest Host the hop with us.

get the InLinkz code

One of my favorite days of the week here on Focused on the Magic is Wednesday, when we host
The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!

The reason I like this hop so very much is because it's one day when bloggers from around the internet come together, link up and share their Disney pictures.

Each week is a different theme, tomorrow the theme is Adventure!

You don't have to follow the theme to link up. You can link up any of your Disney picture posts. We set up a FAQ page HERE if you'd like to see more. I invite you to stop by tomorrow and check it out!

Thanks for stopping by, and special thanks to my friend Jodi at the Magical Mouse Schoolhouse for having me here today!

Have a Magical Day!

Friday

Flashback ~ Flower and Garden Festival Fairy Houses

It's Photo Flashback time 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 from vacations past.

If you are new to the Flashback Friday Hop, Welcome! I hope you enjoy your visit.

This week I am continuing my Epcot Flower & Garden Festival theme. It's such a great festival and I always enjoy looking back at all the pictures I have of the Flower & Garden Festivals. I can't wait to see the new displays for this year!

Today's pictures are of the fairy houses that were displayed in Pixie Hollow. I enjoyed all the creativity that went into each and every one. It must have taken a long time to design them. The detail is incredible! Each fairy house is displayed nestled in amongst plantings of vines and flowers which gives the appearance that they really are well established residences of fairies.

Wordless Wednesday (Almost) ~ Hats

Welcome to our happy hop!

Where all Almost or Wordless Wednesday

Disney-related Photo Posts are always welcome to link up !!

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

The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop

with me, Debs Dis @ Focused on the Magic

The theme this week is in celebration of Spring, Easter and April Fools Day.

It's Hats, Caps, Bonnets & Bows.

I've picked out two very different pictures of hats from the parks to share.

The first photo is from the Beauty & The Beast Stage Show in Disney Hollywood Studios. The show is filled with fabulous costumes and some over-the-top hats!!

This hat just screams Happy Easter, Spring & April Fools to me!!

Cupcake or a cake, do you think?

Weekly Roundup 3/31

Welcome Disney friends to the 3/31 edition of Focused on the Magic's recap!

Since last I recapped I have suffered from a severe case of Disneyitis resulting in Disney dementia and a high spring fever complicated by computer malfunctions... April Fools:D
As Goofy as it sounds, some of it rings true. My computer did crash. Good news is I'm writing this on my new laptop:) I really am in a constant state of Disneyitis. CLICK HERE to see if you are too. The Disney dementia and spring fever diagnosis is probably from the new computer smell;)
Ok, enough of the foolishness, I'll save the rest for tomorrow;)

On to highlights of pixie dusted postulations from the past 2 weeks...

The most exciting news for me was announced on the first day of Spring! I became a Disney InsidEAR!! CLICK HERE to read all about it.
One of the perks of being an InsidEAR is having access to some great Disney news stories which we are encouraged to share with our online friends. The stories are first released to us hot off the press then to the Disney community a week or so later. Since becoming a Disney InsidEAR I've shared a few of the news stories and here they are:
*Disney InsidEARS News: Vinylmation Christmas in March
*Disney InsidEARS News: Trader Sam’s Schweitzer Falls Cocktail Recipe
*Disney InsidEAR News: Walt Disney World Resort Horticulture Fun Facts
On Sunday I joined my friend Mike at My Dreams of Disney in his "Disney in Pictures" series. The theme was "Parades" and I shared a picture of Cinderella in her royal coach from the Spectro Magic Parade.

You may have noticed a new blog button for a new feature, Deb's Daily Dose of Disney. As the title implies I am sharing a daily dose of Disney magic through tips, pics, interviews and reviews with just enough pixie dust to give you a Disney fix for the day.
The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hops were awesome! The Sorcerer's Hat (Icon Theme) had 29 bloggers linked up and April Flowers (Flowers & Gardens Theme) had 25 bloggers linked in. Thank you all for linking up and making it a success!!
Photo Flashback Friday took us back in time once again, to a great family trip and a Flower & Garden Festival. I would love it if you would join us as we take a Disney trip back in time. Linking up your photo flashbacks is a fun way to share your favorite pictures and to meet new Disney friends.

Stop by and visit my friends for the 20 Days to 20 Years series, a fabulous daily celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris.

Hosting Bloggers are:

Didi Marie (@DISTherapy) of :DISTherapy
Beth (@disneymom2jhe) of Pursuing the Magic and The Magical Blogorail
Manda (@mandadisneyblog) of Mandas Disney Blog!

Coming up next week ...

In honor of Easter, Spring and April Fools Day

The theme for the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop 4/4/12 is ......

Disney Hats, Caps, Bonnets and Bows

Silly, saucy, big and small, we all wear them.
Let's share them!
I hope we'll see you at the hop!

Till next time!

Stay focused on the magic!

Unrelated articles

Thursday

Are You Ready for the next Disney Mom's Contest?

It's coming soon...

Did you have as much fun as we did with the last big giveaway, with the Dooney & Bourke Purse?! Well then, we have a surprise for you -- or maybe not, based on a poll we ran earlier in the month!

Our readers voted, and starting on Sunday, April 1st, 2012 -- and this is NO April Fools Joke -- we will be giving away one $100 Disney Gift Card to a very lucky fan!
The contest will run from Sunday, April 1st, 2012 starting at 12:01 AM until Monday, April 16th, 2012 at 12:01AM. We debated whether or not to run it until April 15th, 2012 -- the traditional Tax Day in the United States -- but decided to run it until April 16th so that you could have that mad rush of getting your entry in at the last minute on April 15th, just like many of us used to do when we mailed our tax returns to the IRS at the last possible moment!

Look for the official kick-off post on Sunday and good luck everyone!

Have a Disney Day!

Thanks for stopping by Focused on the Magic.com

Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday ~ April Flowers

Welcome to our happy hop!

Where all Almost or Wordless Wednesday

Disney-related Photo Posts are always welcome to link up!!
Come along and join the fun! Link up your Disney Almost Wordless or Wordless Wednesday posts to the hop, make new Disney friends, visit with old friends, see some great pictures at

The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop

with me, Debs Dis @ Focused on the Magic

If you were to make a 2012 calendar, which one of your Disney pictures would you use for the month of April? That's the theme this week. It was a tough choice for me again this month. I couldn't decide if I wanted to go with a cherished family photo, an Easter picture or a photo from The Flower & Garden Festival.

Well, it's time for April's Calendar Shot!

Epcot Flower and Garden Entrance Display ©Focused on the Magic.com

After you've decided on a picture for your calendar you may want to check out this link to a site where you can create and print your own free photo calendar.

http://www.calendarlabs.com/photo-calendar.php

Disney InsidEARS Recipe: Refreshing Drink from Trader Sam’s-Enchanted Tiki Bar

How about a refreshing drink from Trader Sam’s―Enchanted Tiki Bar to cool you off in preparation for spring break? If you can’t get to the tropics, bring the tropics home to friends and family with this fun drink recipe for Trader Sam’s Schweitzer Falls non-alcoholic cocktail. Enjoy!

Schweitzer Falls (Non-Alcoholic)

4 ounces Sam’s “Gorilla Grog” (a blend of pineapple, orange, guava, and passion fruit juices, fresh lemon juice, and falernum*)

4 ounces Sprite

Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Pineapple wedge, for garnish

Mint sprig, for garnish

Build in a Collins glass over ice, roll into mixing tin, and back into glass.
Garnish with maraschino cherry, pineapple, and mint.

* Falernum is a sweet syrup used in Caribbean and tropical drinks. It contains flavors of almond, ginger and/or cloves, and lime, and sometimes vanilla or allspice.

Source: Disney Parks InsidEARS News

Have a Magical Day!

Monday

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop Theme for 3/28

If you were to make a 2012 calendar, which one of your Disney pictures would you use for the month of April?
That's the theme for this week's

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ....

I hope we'll see you at the hop with your ~

April Calendar Shot!

All Disney-related Photo Posts are always welcome to link up!!

After you've decided on a picture for your calendar you may want to check out this link to a site where you can create and print your own free photo calendar.

http://www.calendarlabs.com/photo-calendar.php

Questions? We have a whole page dedicated to answering all your questions:
The Disney Wordless Wednesday 411 page.

Just a reminder! Each week we host a Flashback Friday Blog Hop.

Come join us as we flash back in time with photos from our past Disney adventures on Photo Flashback Friday.

It's free to link up, it's fun and a great way to preserve precious Disney travel memories.

Happy Snapping!

Sunday

Walt Disney World Resort Horticulture Fun Facts

Spring is in the air, flowers are blooming here at home and soon at the annual Epcot Flower and Garden Festival which will be held this year from March 05 - May 18, 2014 , so let's talk horticulture today!

Well-trimmed trees and clean-cut lawns grace Walt Disney World Resort property year-round (not just during the annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival but it’s no easy task. Take a look at these fun facts to get a better idea of the Disney magic that goes into making Walt Disney World Resort the best groomed place on earth:

Nearly 12 percent of Walt Disney World property — an area equivalent to nearly 3,000 football fields — is devoted to gardens and maintained landscapes. (That’s 4,000 acres worth of beauty.)

Each year the Walt Disney World Horticulture team plants 3 million bedding plants and annuals, and maintains millions of other plants including more than 4 million shrubs, 13,000 roses and more than 200 of the famous topiaries that have become synonymous with Disney Parks.

The “Liberty Oak,” which is the focal point of the Liberty Square area in Magic Kingdom park, is the proud parent of more than 500 young trees. They all started out as acorns harvested from the majestic oak.
Horticulturists use 8,500 interior plants each year and add 6,000 trees to the exterior landscapes throughout Walt Disney World Resort . . . and they maintain some four million shrubs in landscapes.

If you are looking for some help in keeping your grounds green, head to the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival to see one of the many sessions dedicated to helping you build a better garden.

Versailles comes to mind at the perfectly manicured parterre garden accented with geraniums at the France pavilion in the World Showcase during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.

________________________________________________________________

What is your favorite part of the Flower & Garden Festival?

Have a magical day!

______________

Now it's time to hop aboard the magical Blogorail and see what my friends on the Magical Blogorail are sharing.

Thursday

Photo Flashback ~Flower & Garden Butterflies

It's Photo Flashback Friday! Time to once again dust off our Walt Disney World photo albums and take another look at some of our favorite photos from vacations past.
Continuing the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival theme from the last two weeks, I am sharing photos today that were taken in Bambi's Butterfly House. Many you've seen here before but they are oldies but goodies to me.
I've also included a few fun butterfly facts because a trip to The Butterfly House is also an educational experience.
This attraction is exclusive to The Flower & Garden Festival each year. I always try to plan enough time to see all the displays and to snap a few (dozen;) shots.

There are over 1,000 native butterflies representing up to 10 species.

Wordless Wednesday (Almost) ~ The Sorcerer's Hat

Welcome to our happy hop!

Where all, Almost or Wordless Wednesday

Disney-related photo posts are always welcome to link up!
Come along and join the fun! Make new Disney friends (DFs), visit with old friends, see some great pictures and share yours at the hop!

The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop

is happily hosted each week by myself, Debs Dis of
Focused on the Magic

Disney has launched a new site, Disney Parks InsidEARS , which is still in Beta form right now. It will be a site where Disney Park enthusiasts can connect, share insights and information on Disney travel.
I am thrilled to share with you that I have been invited to be part of the group!!

The Disney InsidEARS magical email arrived at just the right moment for me. I had been so down in the dumps for days over my computers St. Patricks Day crash that I just couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it. Instantly, my mood went from Eeyoresque to over the top Tigger-ific!

After finishing my registration and quiz (about Disney World) I received this: