I'm Coming Back!

I know, I know.

It's been a while.

Which I can explain!

The last time I posted, July 28, over 2 months ago, I was living with my aunt in Texas, and I was really homesick.  When I'm sad or upset or stressed or just about any negative emotion, I go to Disney.  Disney makes me happy.  (I go to Disney when I'm happy too, but I don't need it to cheer me up when I do.)

So I was going a little Disney-crazy to combat my homesickness.

One of my major projects during this time was a pair of Rapunzel-themed pajamas!

I posted this picture to Facebook, and a friend of my mom's (completely jokingly) made a comment about me taking the Disney obsession a little too far.

It broke my heart.

Like I said, I was homesick and I need that as my outlet, but I felt embarrassed and horrified and discouraged, and I needed a break from the pressure of coming up with ideas and posting to the blog.

Fast-forward to now.

A few weeks ago, I was doing some homework and needed some background noise.  I went to my favorite Disney-music site (dcot.com) and on a whim turned on the music to the Festival of Fantasy parade.

It was like the Disney-fire within me relit, and suddenly I felt like my heart was going to burst with excitement.

I looked up a Disney vacation package.

I put on my Disney hoodie.

I called my fiancé and he could just hear it in my voice.



I've missed blogging, and even without posting at all the past 2 months, my blog is still getting views everyday!!  Which is amazing, and I thank those of you viewing it!



So, that means
I'm coming back!

I'm going to start posting on the blog again!

However, just to be clear, this isn't going to be on the same day every week.  It might not be every week at all (though I'm going to try!!)

It's my senior year of college, and I'm looking in to Physicians Assistant school -- as well as keeping up my grades, studying for the GRE, working 16 hours a week, and maintaining a long distance relationship.

I'm busy, but that doesn't stop my love of Disney.

So I will be posting much more frequently, but maybe not every week.



I've missed you all so very much <3




I'm going to try to keep up with my Young Adult Disney Twitter (@YADisney20) and update my Pinterest more often as well!

But, don't forget to check out my Etsy page, Main Street Crystal, for Disney-themed crystal jewelry.  Through all of this nonsense, I have kept up with that!

 (You can even like Main Street Crystal on Facebook and find me on Instagram--@mainstreetcrystal)
SO MUCH SOCIAL MEDIA!






I can't wait to start posting on here again.  It's been too long!
Love, Sarah

101 Dalmatians Seeing Spots

If you're in college or pursuing some type of higher education, there is a good chance that you are about the enter the finals period of the spring semester.  *cringe*

Now, though I don't condone drinking and studying...sometimes a little spike to that evening coffee can help keep you relaxed enough to learn more information than if you're totally freaking out.

Maybe?

I don't know.

But if you decide you want to try (and you want to do it in a Disney themed way), try the 101 Dalmatians Seeing Spots!

This drink in pretty simple, you'll just need:

• 1 1/2 oz. (1 shot) Bailey's Irish Cream
• Milk (Whatever you have in the fridge.  I just used Almond milk because of the lactose issue.)
• Coffee
• 1 tbs. Cocoa Powder (optional, and also not pictured)

Mini ice cube tray!

To make your drink, you're going to want to start by brewing some coffee.  Add about 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, if you want.  I found that it darkened my coffee a bit (added to the 'spots' effect), and added some chocolatey flavor as the drink.  Once your coffee cools to room temperature, freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray.

Once the coffee is frozen, get a small glass and put the ice cubes in.  Pour the Bailey's over the ice cubes slowly to keep them from mixing too much.  You want to try and keep the colors (brown and white) separate, at least at first.  Then, pour in milk until the ice cubes are just covered.

And that's about all there is to it!  If you pour just the amount of milk in, the ice cubes will show through to the side of the class a little better, and look like dalmatians spots.  You can see the effect a little better in the main picture, from the top view.

Two things I want to apologize for:

1. This drink/post should have totally been Star Wars themed.  May the Fourth be with you all!
2. The lightening in these pictures is awful.  I also forgot to put the cocoa powder IN the picture.  Like I mentioned, it's finals. I've started to pack up (my normal lighting set-up is gone) and I was trying to hurry and make the drink so that I could get back to this:
   
   I don't want you sympathy, just your forgiveness. :)

Next cocktail will most likely be Little Mermaid themed, as requested.

...if you have any requests, feel free to comment below!

Also:

I finally caved.  I started a Young Adult Disney specific Pinterest page.

It has links for trip planning advice, ways to bring Disney into your life at home, funny posts from online, and more.

Click here to follow Young Adult Disney on Pinterest!

Until next time <3

Follow Young Adult Disney on Twitter (@YADisney20)

Disney Hangover is Real

It's been about a month since I returned home from Disney.

Between getting engaged and college, I've been pretty busy.

But not busy enough to prevent Disney Hangover.

What is Disney Hangover, you ask?

Disney Hangover [Diz-nee hang-oh-ver]
noun
1. the feeling of dullness of 'real life' compared to the happy and magical feeling of being at Walt
    Disney World.
2. the empty feeling of no longer having a Disney vacation to plan and/or look forward to.


There are many symptoms of Disney hangover, including, but not limited to:

• Inability to focus on work/school because you are thinking about your vacation.
• Frequent "flashbacks" to you being in the park, sparked by a smell, taste, sound, or just general memory.
• Looking at your vacation photos abnormally often.
• Feeling sad as you go through a day, knowing you aren't as happy as when you were at Disney.
• Wishing you had a Fastpass+ for the grocery store, Starbucks line, etc.
• Trying to figure out the next time you can go back to Disney.

It's completely normal to find yourself wanting to sprinkle some fairy dust on everyday life after coming back from a Disney trip.  The fact of the matter is, it's called the Happiest Place on Earth for a reason, and life outside of the resort really just doesn't compare for some of us.

Going through my second Disney Hangover in my adult life, I have a few tips to help ease the pain.

While in Disney:

It doesn't hurt to take pictures
with your treat either.

1. Buy a souvenir that you will or could use every day.  If you drink coffee every morning, get a mug.  If you hit the gym everyday after work, get a drawstring bag or water bottle.  Bring that touch of Disney into something you do every day.

2. Bring home a treat of some sort from the parks.  Get a box of Mickey ear rice krispies in the Main Street Confectionary (because everything tastes better shaped like Mickey!) or a caramel apple from Big Top Souvenirs in New Fantasyland.  Though these treats won't last forever, it'll be a nice treat on a day when the Disney Hangover is especially bad.

3. Take lots of pictures.  Though one of the Disney Hangover symptoms is looking at the photos, you'll be glad you did afterward.  It'll help you relieve all of your favorite memories from your vacation later.

4. Take the extra shampoo/soap from your resort if you're staying on property.  They say scent is the strongest tie to memory, so lathering up with these scents during your daily shower might just take you back to Disney, at least for a moment.  You can also buy their products online here.

When you return home:

1. Look at your pictures.  Edit your pictures.  Upload your pictures to Facebook.  Make a photo album or photo book online.  Preserve your memories in any way you sank.

2. Listen to Disney podcasts and read Disney blogs.  One of my favorite blogs is Disney Food Blog (they also produce a podcast), but I also really like the Disneybound Tumblr.  My favorite podcast to just listen to, not so much for planning, is WDW Radio by Lou Mongello.  There are links to all of these in the Other Resources tab.

3. Watch Disney movies and listen to Disney soundtracks.  I especially like listening to the soundtrack instrumentals when I'm studying.  Recently I've been trying to find park instrumentals too, like the soundtrack for Soarin' and Fantasmic!.  (update 4/28: a really great website for park music is www.d-cot.com)

4. Read books.  Read a Walt Disney biography.  Find a book about the parks themselves.  If you're like me, read the Kingdom Keepers series about kids in the parks at night (they might be written for kids...but I think I've proven I'm a kid at heart!)  Here are some links to some examples:

• The Revised Vault of Walt: Jim Korkis
• Designing Disney: John Hench
• Kingdom Keepers: Ridley Pearson
• The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Trivia: Susan Veness

5. Make Disney themed food and drinks.  Make a pizza in the shape of Mickey ears.  Theme your dinner around a country in Epcot.  Make a cocktail based on a character.  For some ideas, check out the Disney Cocktails tab, or look at Disney Food Blog's list of Disney Park recipes here!

6. Watch YouTube videos.  Search Disney princess character interactions.  Look up videos of the parades.  Bring Disney to you in the best way you know how.

6. Start planning your next vacation.  Hey, it might be a few years before you can next make it to Disney.  But it doesn't hurt to do your research on how to plan even better next time, and to stay on top of your Disney news!  Price check different combinations of dining and resorts - the My Disney Experience site makes it easy.  You never know when you'll find a good deal...and maybe get to visit the parks sooner than you thought!




What do you do to help get over Disney Hangover?  Leave your suggestions in the comments!


Later this week: Colors of the Wind Sangria Recipe



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And on Twitter (@YADisney20)

I Just Can't Wait to Be Lion King Cocktail

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The Lion King is a classic favorite for many individuals, and one of the most colorful and fun scenes is when Simba sings "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."  That's the scene I based this colorful cocktail off of!  Here's how you make it!

You will need to following ingredients, as pictured above:

• 1 oz. Captain Morgan, or other spiced rum
• 1 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/4 oz. cinnamon flavored alcohol, such as Goldshlager or Fireball
• Cinnamon, to taste (a few shakes of the container)
• 2 oz. Orange Mango juice (It would probably be good with pineapple juice, or just orange juice.  Be creative!)
• Brown Sugar, for garnish
• Mixed Fruit, for garnish

To start, mix the Captain Morgan, triple sec, cinnamon alcohol, cinnamon, and juice in a shaker full of ice.  Set aside.  Next, rim the glass in brown sugar.  Use some orange juice to stick the brown sugar to the edge.  This is a bit tricky; the brown sugar doesn't want to stick right away.  You can always skip this step, but I think it's cute because it reminds me of a lion's mane.

The next step is to put fruit on a skewer of some sort.  I didn't have one, and didn't want to buy a whole pack, so I used a straw.  I suggest using some tropical fruit, because they are often the most colorful.  That being said, use what you have!

Put the fruit in the glass, to have something like the picture on the left.  After that, pour the liquid in the shaker into the glass.  I actually doubled the recipe, because my glass was pretty big, then topped it off with the rest of my bottle of orange mango juice.  (Have you caught on yet that I tend to like my drinks a little weaker?)

None the less, this drink was fun, sweet, with just a little bit of spice, like Simba, who Just Can't Wait to Be King!

And there you have it!  The I Just Can't Wait to Be Lion King Cocktail!

Next Cocktail: Wall-e and Eve Starstruck Love

Try one of my other Disney themed cocktails: Olaf's In Summer, The Enchanted Rose, Wall-e and Eve Starstruck Love, and Aurora in the Clouds

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My Trip to Disney...

Hey there!

I know that I've tried to commit to this "posting every Sunday" life, but my vacation to Disney ended Friday.

And I was very busy also on Saturday because...

Boyfriend Fiance Proposed!!

I really want to do a recap of the proposal story,

(as well as a recap of every day we spent at the parks for planning advice)

soon!

However, we had to visit many family members to show them the ring and tell THEM the story on Saturday, and I just got back to school today, so hopefully sometime this week I'll begin posting those.

If not, definitely by next Sunday!

Thanks for understanding :)

Until next time!!

Olaf's In Summer Cocktail

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With the digital copy of Frozen officially being released today, I thought the perfect way to celebrate would be to have a Frozen-inspired drink!

The Olaf's "In Summer" is a fruity and tropical drink that depicts an unfortunately melted Olaf, with the sunshine overhead.  Or at least that's what I was trying to achieve with it.  Here's how to make it!

You will need the following ingredients, as pictured above:

• 1 oz. Malibu, or other coconut rum
• 1 oz. vanilla vodka
• 1/4 oz. triple sec
• 1 oz. cream of coconut and 1 oz. water OR 2 oz. cream of coconut and 2 oz. water*
• Squeeze of lemon (about 1/8 of a lemon), plus some for garnish
• Blueberries, for garnish
• Sugar, for garnish

To start, add the Malibu, vanilla vodka, triple sec, cream of coconut, water, and lemon juice to a shaker full of ice.  Shake the mixture and set aside.

Rub some lemon on the edge of the glass (mine was a wine glass, because that's all I have, but it would look really cute in a martini glass) and use the lemon juice to dip the edge of the glass in sugar and create a pretty, sparkly rim.  It ends up looking like snow packed together.

Add your mixture from the shaker into your glass, and garnish with a slice of lemon on the edge to look like sunshine.  Then, carefully drop three blueberries (mine were frozen, which might have helped them float) into the glass to look like Olaf's coal buttons that are laying in the puddle of melted snow.

Your final product should look something like this!

*About the mixture of water and cream of coconut.  The stuff that I had, Coco Real, was really thick and really sweet.  The first time I made the drink, without adding water, it was almost unbearably sweet as well as really syrupy.  I started again, using equal parts Coco Real to water, and it turned out much better.  I used 2 oz. of both, but if you prefer a stronger alcohol taste, just use 1 oz. of both!  Or, with a different brand this might not even be necessary.  Be aware of the product you are using.

This drink would also be really good as a slush.  If you do this, don't add the water with the cream of coconut, and just blend it up with some ice.  Olaf won't even appear quite as melted!

Check out my other Disney cocktail recipes: Aurora in the Clouds, The Enchanted Rose, I Just Can't Wait to Be Lion King

What movie would you like to see me base my next drink on?  Let me know in the comments!

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And on Twitter (@YADisney20)

TWO WEEKS!

Hey there, followers of Young Adult Disney!

I am so excited that I will be in Disney World for spring break in TWO WEEKS!

Throw back to being in Indiana Jones last spring break! (I'm in pink).

As a small update, I figured I would inform you about some new ideas I'm trying to integrate into the blog.


One.
I've already started doing so, but I am going to try to consistently post once a week, every Sunday between 5:00-9:00 PM eastern time.  In addition to this, I might throw in a post mid-week if I'm not very busy with school or if there is something special and Disney-related going on!

Two.
I am thinking about trying to integrate a video in here every so often.  I'm not very experienced in video editing though, so that's pending.  If I do so, the first will be in about two weeks and will be about packing for Disney!

Three.
I want to try and increase viewership here, so I'm looking for suggestions.  Would you like to see a giveaway?  More social media integration?  More "Disney at Home" type stuff?  A specific topic you'd like me to write a post about?  Let me know in the comments.


Until next time!

Buzzfeed: 18 Reactions We All Had While Watching Frozen.

I just had send this link to the Buzzfeed article "18 Reactions We All Had While Watching Frozen."

Partly because it's all so true.

Mostly because I enjoyed reliving the movie through all the Frozen gifs.

Enjoy! :)

Click me!
^link to Buzzfeed.




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The Enchanted Rose Cocktail

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Hey there!  Welcome to a new type of post on Young Adult Disney!  The "Disney at Home" category.    Since trips to Disney tend to be expensive, and us 20-somethings can't always go for one reason or another, these posts (of various types) will be adult-like ways to still experience our love of Disney, but from the comfort of our own home.

This past Friday I had a few friends over to de-stress from classes and watch Beauty and the Beast.  To accompany our screening, I made this cocktail, which I called The Enchanted Rose.

It's pretty simple, you just need the following:

• 3/4 ounce (half a shot) grenadine (mine was homemade, directions to follow)
• 1 1/2 ounce (one shot) Bacardi, or other light rum
• 1/2 cup Sprite or other lemon lime soda
• Strawberries, for garish

To start, add the grenadine and rum to the glass.  Mix them together (feel free to do this in a shaker if you're making a few at once).  This allows the grenadine to thin out a bit so that it mixes better with the Sprite, and doesn't stay syrupy on the bottom of the glass.  Then slowly pour the Sprite on top of the mixture.

To cut the strawberry into a rose, just thinly slice the edges, working inward, until you are satisfied with the shape.  I watched this video to help me figure it out.  Cut a slide into the bottom of the strawberry and slip it on the edge of the glass, and that's it!  You're done!

I really enjoyed the bubbles in this drink from the Sprite.  It reminded me of the petals falling from the rose throughout the movie.

Also, if you're interested in making a drinking game from this, we were drinking when the following happened:

• The characters sang
• A word was said in French
• Belle changed her dress
• A petal fell

I also wore my Beauty and the Beast tank from Hot Topic.  Theming is everything.

The countdown.

OH!  And the homemade grenadine recipe!  You'll need 100% pomegranate juice (like POM Wonderful) and sugar.  I know, the pomegranate thing is weird, but apparently, though it tastes like cherry, grenadine is actually made with pomegranate!

Anyway, add 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of pomegranate juice and allow to boil until it thickens a bit.  It can be stored for a month in the fridge.

I recommend the homemade grenadine because it seemed to keep the red color pretty dark, whereas store-bought grenadine might leave it looking a bit more pinkish.

And that's it!

Check out my other cocktail recipes: Aurora in the Clouds, I Just Can't Wait to Be Lion King, Wall-e and Eve Starstuck Love, and 101 Dalmatians Seeing Spots

So tell me, did you like this type of post?  Would you like to see more like this?  What movie should I base my next cocktail on?  Let me know in the comments!

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Thanksgiving 2013 (and Frozen!)

Hey readers!

While I'm still in the process of getting this blog up and running, I've been trying to post what I feel is crucial information rather quickly.

BUT since I haven't posted in a over a week, I felt like I wanted to give you some updates about MY life.  (Now: everyone pretend to care!)

Last week was Thanksgiving here in the States, so I had a few days off from college which I used to go home and visit my family and boyfriend.

My vacation began with mom and I decorating the Christmas tree (trying to get some of the decorating out of the way before Thanksgiving passed and we became too busy to really enjoy it).  I never really noticed before how many of our ornaments are Disney, but mom and I laughed about the way that she raised me to be the Disney lover that I am, consciously or not.

Look reallllly closely and you can see my bee Mickey ear ornament I got this past spring on my latest Disney trip.

Naturally, being the Disney lover that I am, I had to go see Frozen that day, since it was the day it came out!  It was so fantastic!!  If you haven't seen it yet, please go.  The animation was magical, the songs are super catchy, and it has the perfect mixture of romance, adventure, and comedy.  As most Disney movies are, it really is perfect for anyone.  Even boyfriend enjoyed it (proof to follow).

The sad little frozen tree outside my house...if only Elsa was around to fix it.

The best part though, was that because Frozen is set in Norway, I was able to convince boyfriend to agree to go to Akershus during our coming Disney vacation this spring (Disney spring break, second year in a row? No shame).  I used the excuse that dining with the princesses would mean not waiting in line for them later, and thus more time doing other things.  Did he buy it or did he just want to make me happy?  Debatable, but I'm not complaining!

Thanksgiving came and went, I spent lots of time with family, ate lots of food, and went shopping (did not spend lots of money, though, thanks to scouting Black Friday deals!)  It was a great, mostly relaxing time, just what I needed during a hectic semester at school.

Saturday marked the 100 days until our trip to Disney this spring, which meant I could officially start a countdown!  I personalized our magic bands, and changed our reservations in Epcot in celebration.

Then Sunday, I had to return to school (finals approach rapidly).  Boyfriend drove me back, and we listened to the songs from Frozen 4 times over the 4 hour car trip.  At least twice HE turned them on, not me.  And he sang along, allowing us to duet "Love is an Open Door."  I was just impressed he knew most of the words!

Meet my chauffeur! (aka boyfriend).  Isn't he cute?

At college, I work at one of the libraries, and helped develop the theme for the poster/book display/etc. for this semesters finals.  We decided on a "Winter Wonderland" theme.  It wasn't my idea, but when it was suggested, did I think of Frozen?

Yes, yes I did.

So paper snowflake making quickly ensued!

Not a bad start!  Again, I think we need Elsa around to really spruce the place up, but we'll make our own magic the best we can!

So as I work on final papers and studying for tests, I will continue to surround myself with all things Disney as I always so.

• "Frozen" decor at work? Check.
• Soundtrack (with instrumentals) to listen to while I study? Check.
• Mini Mickey snowglobe under my baby tree on my desk? Check.
• This blog as well as planning my own vacation to distract me every 10 minutes (because what are finals without a little procrastination??) Check!

To those like me with finals ahead, best of luck!

To everyone, good luck preparing for the holidays!

And to those who celebrated them:

Happy (late) Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah!