Category Archives: Disney at Home

Disney at Home – Mary Poppins Art

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Mary Poppins ArtBack in the fall, when Christmas was looming large, I started trying to help Joseph pick out a gift for Raymond.  Joseph is…well, he’s….picky.  And opinionated.  Huhn…wonder where he gets that from?  Best to get started early, ’cause at the last minute the two of us would be locked in an epic battle of wills over finding the perfect gift.  We take holidays very seriously here at Living a Disney Life.

I started looking around at some of my favorite online shopping sites and throwing out ideas via text message or during the occasional phone call.  Have you tried recently to communicate by phone with an 18 year old male away at school?  If not, let me tell you there’s a lot of silence and monosyllabic answers.

So, anyway, I described a wide variety of gift options and put them to the test:  “Well? what Mary Poppins Artabout that one?” – every question was met with a grunt (or no reply at all by text).  I took that as a no and kept looking.  Purely by coincidence I stumbled upon some interesting art.  Disney art – well, technically, art based on Disney, but one picture in particular caught my eye – a Mary Poppins movie-themed print that was appealing in its simplicity.  Hmmm – could I have found THE gift?  After so much rejection I was about to tell Mr. Picky-pants to go it alone and shop solo for his Dad’s present.

Mary Poppins on the WallScreen shot included in the next text – I waited for yet another rejection…what?  Could it be?  He loved it!  So, knowing better than to hesitate during such a moment, I placed the order.  Joseph was home for semester break when the package arrived and we carefully opened the box and slid out the contents – even better in person than it was in the picture.  The colors are muted, but match our décor perfectly.  We both just stood there staring at it for a moment – then I noticed Joseph was smiling and realized he was imagining how happy his dad would be with this gift.  And Raymond loves the picture every bit as much as we’d hoped he would.  The Mary Poppins picture now hangs prominently in our foyer.

What do you buy the hard-to-shop-for Disney fan? What’s one of your favorite Disney gifts?

Magical Memories – The Magic Store in Downtown Disney

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Magic Masters in Downtown DisneyGone but not forgotten!  The magic store (Magic Masters) in Downtown Disney was, hands down, one of our top must-do’s on every Walt Disney World vacation.  Easy to find along the West Side shopping district, the giant top hat and magic wand on the store’s front were iconic.  When we heard that the store would not be renewing their lease and would leave forever in September, 2011, we were crushed.  Oh, the fun times we’d had in that store!

Designed to look like the library one might find in a magician’s home (Houdini’s to be exact) – complete with fireplace and bookcases, and enchanted tools of the trade, this store was…well…magical.  No matter when we visited, a magician was on hand to demonstrate sleight of hand.  Those magicians were true showmen.  Not only would they flawlessly amaze and astound onlookers with their magic, they were true performers…drawing audience members into their show skillfully and cleverly until Magic Masters in Downtown Disney 3every single person in that tiny, crowded space was breathlessly hanging onto the magician’s every word and gesture.  Then…presto!  The line at the cash register would form…as if by magic!

So many tricks and tools of the trade could be purchased in the confines of that enchanted store!  We never, ever left empty-handed.  The beauty of the whole setup was that you could see a real magician perform a trick flawlessly – then learn the secret!  When you purchased tricks, you received coaching right then and there on exactly how to get it right.  With a little practice at home, friends and family would be genuinely impressed by your skills in prestidigitation.

Magic Masters in Downtown Disney 2After TEN years, Magic Masters in Downtown Disney closed its doors.  Of all the things that have come and gone at Walt Disney World, this one shop, which had meant so much to our family during each of our visits, was one that had a huge impact on us.  We miss it still and will certainly reminisce about the happy times we had there for many years to come.

Do you remember Magic Masters?  What former Walt Disney World store or attraction is the one you miss the most? 

Disney at Home – ‘Ohana Cheesy Potatoes

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'Ohana Cheesy Potatoes DoneGone, but not forgotten…Once upon a time, in addition to the delicious Brazilian Barbeque-style fare you can enjoy at ‘Ohana (Walt Disney World’s Polynesian), there were these potatoes.  Oh, man – you want to talk about tasty!  These potatoes were, y’know, unbelievable.  I looked forward to those babies every time we went to Walt Disney World.  When ‘Ohana dropped them from the menu, my heart broke.  Oh, I’ll still eat at ‘Ohana – the food, the atmosphere, the service are all fantastic, but the loss of those potatoes still hurts every time.

If you’ve been reading along here at Living a Disney Life, you may recall the top-10-list of Disney New Year’s Resolutions I put together back in January.  #8 on the list was to try three specific Disney recipes at home.  The first of the three was Maui Scalloped Potatoes – recipe courtesy of allears.net. The perfect mix of cheddar and onion made these creamy potatoes a perfect match with the parade of skewered meats served at ‘Ohana – the centerpiece of the dining experience.

These are no average scalloped potatoes.  These are spectacular!  And very easy to make.  Yes, there’s cheese and heavy cream – let’s not play the “I’ll doctor this recipe up and make it low fat and healthier” – sometimes, a splurge is in order.  I followed the recipe exactly (except I doubled it) and, in the absence of an enormous open fire pit on which to prepare giant skewers of assorted meats, I opted to serve the potatoes with some baked tilapia and sautéed green beans.  Perfection.

Recipe Maui Scalloped Potatoes ‘Ohana Polynesian   'Ohana Cheesy Potatoes in Process 2             

Ingredients

1 pound Russet potatoes (washed and sliced)

1   cup heavy cream

1/4   cup cheddar cheese

2   tbsp parmesan cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onions

1   tsp kosher salt

1/4   tsp black pepper

'Ohana Cheesy Potatoes in Process 4Combine all ingredients in a greased baking pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.   Let stand five minutes before serving.

Doubled, this recipe worked perfectly in a 9″ X 13″ baking dish.  The potatoes are a guaranteed crowd pleaser – really, what’s not to love!

Do you remember these ‘Ohana potatoes?  What former menu items from your favorite Walt Disney World restaurants do you wish you could enjoy again?

 

Captain America The Winter Soldier Review

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Captain America The Winter Soldier 1While I’ve seen all the Marvel movies released by Disney, I’ve been a bit variable about how much I’ve liked each one.  First Thor and third Iron Man – didn’t like those so much.  Second Thor?  I liked that movie a bunch.  I also thought The Avengers was just fantastic.  The previews didn’t give much away about the newest Marvel installment released on April 4th.  Personally, I tried to stay away from reviews and spoilers before I went to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so I would be a blank slate, so to speak – with no pre-conceived notions about whether the movie would be good or not.  Raymond, who’d read quite a bit about the movie before we saw it Sunday afternoon, was very careful not to give anything away.

Before I get to the mini-review, let me say that I did like Captain America (the original) very much.  It had an Indiana Jones vibe to it and, honestly, since Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my most favorite movies of all time (released when I was in high school) the connection gave Captain America an advantage to me.

It’s hard for a sequel to be better than the original, but with Marvel movies, it seems almost common.  Such was the case with The Winter Soldier.  I don’t want to give anything away, so no spoilers here, but this was a great movie!  Saw it in 3D (which we don’t usually choose) because that was the time we wanted – the 3D effects were good.

If you’ve been on the fence, here are a few reasons to see the new Captain America:

  • Robust plot chock full of surprises, twists and turns.Captain America The Winter Soldier 2
  • Plenty of action without sacrificing the flow of the storyline.
  • Excellent villains.
  • Beloved characters from previous Marvel movies remain true to themselves (this is important to my enjoyment of any sequel).
  • Introduction of new characters that work very well in developing the story and join seamlessly with the existing cast – this was a particular plus for The Winter Soldier with me.

There were thrills, laughs, shocks, and edge-of-your-seat excitement – everything you’d hope for in a Marvel movie plus just a little bit more.  I adored Captain America: The Winter Soldier and I think you will too.  As always, stay ’til the very last credit has rolled.

Have you seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier yet?  What did you think?