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

Olaf's Carrot Cupcake

If you remember from the Princess Red Velvet Cupcakes, I used to be quite the cupcake baker.  And when I saw the Olaf carrot cake cupcake being featured at Disney, I knew it was something I was going to have to try my hand at.

The version I'm trying to replicate is from the 24 Hour Rock Your Disney Side event earlier this year (2014) and since then they've updated to a version with a piece of white chocolate for Olaf's head.  If you want to get fancy with the chocolate, you can always try that instead!



For 28 Carrot Cake Cupcakes, you will need:

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups pureed carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
• 2/3 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Begin by mixing the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, together in a small bowl and setting aside.  Next, cream together the sugar and butter, adding the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.  Before combining the wet and dry ingredients, puree the carrots until smooth.  I recommend adding the milk in order to smooth out the puree.  Alternate adding the dry ingredients and carrot puree into the wet ingredients, mixing between each addition.

Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full and bake for approximately 16-20 minutes.

For the cream cheese frosting and face designs, you will need:

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (softened)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• 2-4 teaspoons milk
• Dark food dye
• Carrots
• Chocolate bar

To begin, cream together the cream cheese and butter until the two are completely mixed.  Add the vanilla and mix.  Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  If you add too much powdered sugar, add milk to thin the frosting out a bit, one teaspoon at a time.  I think that the Olaf structure of the icing would be easiest to attain with a stiffer icing, however mine was not and I thought it looked okay, so it's up to you!

Yum!

Allow the cupcakes to cool.  Get the largest round piping tip you have (or cut the corner out of a plastic bag) and create 3 tiers using the cream cheese icing.  Set some aside and color it with black or other dark colored food dye.  Use a very thin piping tip, or a toothpick (that's what I did) to draw on Olaf's mouth, eyes, and eyebrows.

Cut carrots into small points to use as Olaf's nose.  If you want, you could also use an orange taffy or fondant and design the nose using that.  Carefully cut shaving off of the chocolate bar to use for the hairs on his head.  Assemble the face of your Olaf and you're done!

So will you try to make the Olaf cupcake yourself?  Let me know in the comments how it turned out!

Kiss the Girl Cocktail

Sha-la-la-la-la-la-my-oh-my!

I can't stop singing that song while making this drink and while making the post for this drink!

As per request in the comments, I made a Little Mermaid themed drink, based on the blue lagoon scene during the song Kiss the Girl!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 oz. (1 shot) rum
• 3/4 oz. (1/2 shot) blue curaçao*
• Approx. 1 cup lemonade (You can use an alcoholic lemonade like Mike's Hard if you like)
• Raspberries

*I didn't have blue curaçao, but I did have triple sec.  Since blue curaçao is basically the same flavor as triple sec, just blue, I added about 5 drops of blue food dye to the recipe.

To make this drink, add the rum, blue curaçao, and about 5 or so raspberries to a shaker full of ice.  Mix these ingredients well and add to a glass.  Top the glass off with lemonade.  Add a raspberry "kiss" to the side of the glass as a garnish.  And that's it!  Simple!

I had a few friends from work over who helped me make, and drink, this one!

Elisa, shaking things up!

Does anyone have any idea for what they'd like to see next?  I have some plans for about the next month, but I'd love to work in what you would like to see!


Like this cocktail?  Check out some other recipes! 101 Dalmatians: Seeing Spots, Wall-e and Eve: Starstruck Love, I Just Can't Wait to Be Lion King, and The Enchanted Rose






Check out the Young Adult Disney Pinterest page for updates from me, Disney at home ideas, and planning tips and tricks!

And follow Young Adult Disney on Twitter for a daily dose of YADisney and updates from the blog!

New Ventures and Young Adult Disney Updates!

Hey fellow Disney-lovers!

I'm finally done with final exams (with only one more year to go!), which means that, at least for the next two weeks, I'll be doing a lot of things to feature on the blog.

For example:

• The Little Mermaid Kiss the Girl Cocktail
• Recipe for Rice Cream with Strawberry Sauce from Epcot's Norway
• Recipe for Magic Kingdom's Sleepy Hollow Chicken Waffle Sandwich
• Drink around World Showcase (at home) for less than $50
• A cocktail to celebrate the opening of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

These will all likely be posted within the next month, but I'm going to spread them out, because at the beginning of June, I will be starting an internship for the summer.

Also, I wanted to let you know that I am starting an Etsy page!

My page will feature bracelets, earrings, and necklaces based on Disney movies, characters, and parks!

Check out some examples:

1. Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

2. Elsa from Frozen

3. Iconic Mickey Mouse

4. Ariel from the Little Mermaid

5. Custom Order! (Work with me to come up with a design, children's size in all bracelets available)

Other characters currently listed in the shop include: Belle, Tinker Bell, Rapunzel, Pocahontas, Cinderella, and Minnie Mouse

Once again, check out the entire shop here!: Main Street Crystal

And that's it for now, everyone!

In the meantime, be sure to add Young Adult Disney on Pinterest for updates from the blog and other Disney sites!

And follow Young Adult Disney Twitter!

Colors of the Wind Sangria

Pin this to Pinterest to spread the YADisney word!

Today (April 20th) is Easter, and I though that a nice, light sangria would be a perfect addition to an Easter brunch!  I've wanted to make a Colors of the Wind themed drink for a while, and figured this would be a perfect opportunity!

To really embrace the Pocahontas theme, I tried to use only fruits that she would have been able to find in colonial Virginia!  Of course, these fruits probably wouldn't all be ripe at the same time of the year (and oranges/peaches might be a little more southern), but it only adds to the theming of the drink!

For the Colors of the Wind Sangria, you will need the following:

• Dry or semi-dry white wine
• Green apple
• Strawberries (or cherries)
• Blackberries (or blueberries)
• Orange (or Peach)
• Triple Sec
• Brown Sugar
• Sparkling water (optional)

To start, place the blackberries in the bottom of a pitcher.  I cut some of the blackberries in half to release the juices, but left some intact.  Then pour your white wine in the pitcher just enough to cover this layer of berries.  You'll do this after each addition of fruit, and it helps the layers stay unmixed.

Next, add a layer of sliced apples, then sliced oranges/peaches.  (I wanted to use peaches, but the closest grocery store to my dorm is Whole Foods, and since peaches are out of season, they didn't have any.  Not even in a can!)  Pour in wine to the top of the layer after each addition.

Add the strawberries, sliced, next.  Before pouring the wine over this layer, sprinkle brown sugar over the top so that it barely covers the berries.  Then, pour in your wine.  This allows the berries to naturally mix in with the other layers.  You'll see the granules float throughout the drink.

Pour in as much Triple Sec as you like, as it will add to the citrus flavor of the sangria.  At this point, you could also add vodka if you would like to bring up the alcohol content of the drink.  Cover your pitcher, and put in the fridge.  I left mine in overnight, and I would suggest letting it sit for 8-12 hours so that the fruit has enough time to mix with the wine, and the wine to soak into the fruit.

Mini fridge!

After enough time has passed, take your sangria out of the fridge.  You'll want to mix it up to make sure that the flavors of the fruit, and any other ingredients you added in (brown sugar, triple sec, vodka) have been evenly dispersed.

In the original picture, I had sparkling water as an ingredient.  When I added it, I liked that it made the drink bubbly, but it watered down the flavor too much.  If you want to add some bubbles, I instead suggest topping of your sangria with lemon lime soda or champagne.

Here's what the final product looks like!  I thought that even when the fruit was mixed, it still looked really pretty.  Make sure to include some fruit in each glass.  Eating the wine-soaked fruit is my favorite part of sangria!

And there you have it!  Colors of the Wind Sangria!  Let me know if you tried this recipe and if you liked it in the comments!  My roommates were big fans!

Have a suggestion of what movie or character you'd like to see made into a drink next?  Let me know in the comments!

Here are links to some of my other drink recipes: Aurora in the Clouds, I Just Can't Wait to be Lion King, 101 Dalmatians Seeing Spots, and Wall-e and Eve: Starstruck Love

Until next time! <3

Follow Young Adult Disney on Pinterest: Young Adult Disney

And 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



Follow Young Adult Disney on Pinterest: Young Adult Disney
And on Twitter (@YADisney20)

I Just Can't Wait to Be Lion King Cocktail

Pin to Pinterest to spread the YADisney word!

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

Follow Young Adult Disney on Pinterest: Young Adult Disney

And on Twitter (@YADisney20)

Trip Report: Tips Summary

For those of you that don't really want to read through the longest posts basically ever for information about your Disney trip, here are the tips I compiled during my vacation.


Tips!

• Make sure to go to Terminal B, level 1 if you are taking the Magical Express. It's easy to find yourself wandering around Terminal A, with no Magical Express to be found.  When you get to the main area (with the gift shop pictured below) be sure to go to the B side!  If you aren't sure, ask for directions.

This is the outside of said gift shop.

• If you're staying in value/moderate, opt for a preferred room.  The preferred rooms are closer to the main building, and mean less hassle to talk to the front desk and for value resorts mean less walking at the beginning of the day and end of the night.  Your feet will thank you.

• Download the My Disney Experience app to your phone, and bring a charger with you to the parks. We used the times guide a lot, and switched the Fastpass+ more than I expected over the trip.  My phone only died once, but it came close a few times.  Disney is installing charging areas around the parks, and cast members are really good about helping you find somewhere to charge it in a restaurant, for example.

• Remember, anything outside of a standard drink, meal, and dessert costs extra if you are using the dining plan.  This includes alcohol and appetizers.

Be sure to budget for that trip "drinking around the world" in Epcot.

• If you are having dinner at Rose and Crown, opt for a time past 7:30 for a chance to view the fireworks front the restaurant.  And ask for a patio seat.  It was so nice to be able to sit at our table, not stand around for a good spot 45 minutes before the fireworks started.

• If at all possible, sit toward the back of the train on Big Thunder Mountain. The hills of the ride are too small, and the train too long, so when you go over the lift chains still hold on to the back while the front is already half way down the hill.  Because of this, you feel like you're going slower and you don't get the thrill of the drops nearly as much.

• Don't forget to bring sunblock.

• If your wrist is small, remove the outer grey layer of the magic band.  Alex didn't, but I did, and it made wearing my magic band so much more comfortable.  I can't even tell you the number of parents who hadn't done this for their kids, or women who had theirs wrapped around almost an extra time.  It peels off really easily.  Just take it off.

• If you buy Memory Maker, be sure to get the ride photos.  They come with the Memory Maker package, and since it's $150-$200 (depending on if you buy it before you get to Disney or at Disney), you want to be sure to get your money's worth.

• When planning Fastpass+ for Hollywoods Studios, concentrate your ride times for the evening if at all possible. This will make it easier to go see shows like Lights, Motor, Action, Indiana Jones, and Beauty and the Beast, which concentrate show times before 4:00.  Because of this, stand-by lines also seem to be longer in the evenings, and planning Fastpass+ reservations then will help you avoid that.

• Buy a poncho at a local chain store before coming to Disney.  Or, if you did buy one at Disney, save it and bring it for your next trip.  They are needlessly expensive.

• If you are not staying on property and can't make Fastpass+ reservations in advance, come early.  By 3:00, everything was booked up.  I also noticed that the lines were pretty long at the Fastpass+ Kiosks that one-day visitors and those staying outside of Disney have to use at this time.  To have the best chance at getting your picks, be at the park when it opens and head right toward the kiosks.  They are staffed by cast members in blue polos.

•  Disney does not do bussing from resort to resort.  If you have a dining reservation and then want to go back to your room, you'll have to connect at one of the parks.  Unless you are going from one resort on the monorail line to another.

One view from the Epcot Monorail

• Always chose the route with the least amount of transfers when moving between parks and resorts.  If you don't, you'll end up wasting more time than you realize. 

• Realize that Disney transportation takes a little bit of time.  We find it the most convenient, because you don't have to bring or rent a car, then pay for parking and walk to find your car after visit the park.  However, know that you will spend a chunk of time waiting for the bus/monorail/boat you need to arrive.  Usually allow 30-50 minutes to get from one place to another during peak seasons, and 40-60 during less busy times.

• If you're a big Star Wars fan, go listen to the Ewoks at night in the Star Tour queue area.  They laugh and "talk" to each other, and they have little fires burning in their tree tops.  It's something you might not even notice if you aren't looking for it.

• Sit in the "Pocahontas" section for Fantasmic!  It's the section directly in the middle of the theater.

• If at all possible, go to the 10:00 show for Fantasmic!  We had friends that tried to go at 8:30, and the theater was standing room only.  However, for us, the theater was only half full, if that.  We were comfortably seated with plenty of room, even in the middle section and during the peak time that is Spring Break.

• If you can manage to stay up that late, you can ride a huge majority of the Magic Kingdom rides after 11 PM.  A large majority of the parents and kids have left, leaving the lines basically nonexistent everywhere.  I wouldn't suggest rides like Jungle Cruise or Splash Mountain, but anything inside will give you the exact same experience.  It was so fun to go from ride to ride and get right on.

• If you plan on really exploring the countries in World Showcase (or "drinking around the world") give yourself a few hours to do so.  Epcot is huge, and World Showcase takes a while to get around.  To try a drink or some food from each of the countries, go into the gift shops, ride any rides, and just generally explore, you can factor in a few hours, if not most of the time.

• Security at Orlando International always seems to take longer than most. The time of day doesn't really seem to matter.  Just make sure you allow extra time to account for that once you arrive at the airport.

Interested in reading about the entire trip? Here are the links!

Trip Report: Part 1

Trip Report: Part 2

My Fairytale Engagement

Next post: Just Can't Wait to be Lion King Cocktail

Until then <3




Follow Young Adult Disney on Pinterest: Young Adult Disney
And on Twitter: (@YADisney20)