Hello all! It’s that time of the year for students – FINALS!!! I’m in the process of writing a TWENTY page final for my Tourism Attractions class at CSU Fullerton. This paper focuses on the Marketing and promotional techniques used by a local attraction – Glen Ivy Hot Springs. Part of the paper requires me to conduct a survey, which you will find below!
Please click HERE to take my super short survey & help me finish this paper!!
Thank you to all who participate, you are amazing people!
Today America celebrates Veteran’s Day so this post is dedicated to all of those that have bravely served our country!
I’m including some links below to posts about Charity work I’ve done with a military focus & a post about some shirts you can buy to support military charities. Hopefully this will encourage you all to show some support to these wonderful companies that are striving to help our military members and their families.
Happy 4th of July! @TAPSOrg @Macys @GotYourSix
Event Recap – @Macys #ChandlerFashionSquare supports @GotYourSix & @TAPSorg
Featured! Miss Al-Leigh on TAPS News
Event Recap – Charity! TAPS at the Disney 1/2 Marathon
Veteran’s Day: Shirts to show your Support!
I’ve also included a little playlist of “inspired” songs for this Veteran’s Day – fair warning – some of these are TEAR JERKERS!
What do you think? What charities do you support? Any other songs I could’ve added to this list? Please let me know, thanks for reading!
Happy December!
I can’t believe 2016 is almost over – thank goodness! It’s been a weird year for all of us it seems, so let’s hope 2017 brings some much needed positive change. Speaking of which…I posted about something on social media earlier – @MissAl_Leigh on Twitter & Instagram – that I also wanted to mention here.
I have been accepted to Cal State Fullerton’s Graduate School where I will earn my Master’s Degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Tourism & Entertainment!
I’m really nervous for this new adventure, but I’m excited to be going back to SoCal. While it seems like I would be even busier, I anticipate having MORE time to spend on the blog/vlog as I will only be in school two days a week with no job YET. I’m sure that will change as I find work & school picks up, but we’ll climb the hills & valleys together as always 🙂
Thank you for the continued support & stay tuned for upcoming vlogs like Food Friday & a Winter Haul! As always, please FOLLOW, COMMENT, SHARE, & LIKE!
Hi everyone!
As many of you know, I was a Cast Member at the Disneyland Resort for about 3 years. During that time I grew quite fond of certain foods served around the Resort. Now that I’m no longer a CM, I obviously don’t have access to those foods whenever I want – so when I’m able to make a trip to the park I make a big MUST EAT List! Read below to see what items are on my list & what new snacks I tried on my most recent Disneyland trip!
My Must Have Snacks
Disneyland
1. Clam Chowder Bread Bowl from Royal Veranda in New Orleans Square – Yes, the Bread Bowls from Boudin Bakery on the Pier in Disney California Adventure are fresher. However, I enjoy the atmosphere in NOS way more!
2. Jalapeño Pretzel with Spicy Banyan Sauce from Bengal BBQ in Adventureland – I used to work at this location & this was one of my favorite snacks to eat for lunch!
3. Caramel Apple from Main Street – Caramel Apples are available in many locations in many fancy flavors. I like the plan ol’ regular Caramel Apple & I usually get one on Main Street as I’m leaving the park for the day.
4. Funnel Cake from Stage Door Cafe in Frontierland – Another location I used to work & the only location you can get a Funnel Cake! They come in a few flavors, chocolate brownie, powdered sugar, strawberry, & this holiday season – peppermint. I prefer the Strawberry with whipped cream & I always eat it while watching Fantasmic. Sadly, this tradition has ended now that they’re closing Fantasmic due to the construction of the new Star Wars Land. If you plan on squeezing in a Disneyland trip before the construction begins make sure you get in line for your Funnel EARLY. Many Guests share this tradition with me & the line can be extremely long, sometimes resulting in a 15-20 minute wait for a Funnel Cake. Although waiting is the name of the game at Disneyland, if you’re not a fan of that, you can always go after Fantasmic. SDC is one of the few locations that stays open after Fantasmic, so you can still get your sugar fix without the long wait.
Disney California Adventure
1. Chili Cone Carne/Dipped Ice Cream Cone from the Cozy Cone area of Carsland – Not something I MUST eat, but if I’m going to eat in DCA, these are my preferred food choices.
2. 21+ Drinks at Mad T Party – The drinks at Mad T are a tad expensive for my taste at $11 & up, but I always have to make a visit to this area & what Party is complete without at least one drink!? My last visit I had “The Queen’s Red Rose” – Rum and Hawaiian Punch, & my mom had the Mudslide. It might have had a Disney name, but I can’t recall. Both were excellent but for $11+ next time I’d go with the Mudslide because $11 for some Rum & Punch is a little wild. This is my FAVORITE place to people watch & SnapChat, haha!
Downtown Disney
1. Beignets from Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen – These are also served in New Orleans Square, but I think they’re fresher & tastier at Jazz Kitchen.
Tigger Tail from Pooh’s Corner, Jalapeño Pretzel with Spicy Banyan Sauce from Bengal BBQ, Rose & Raspberry Macaroon from Jolly Holiday Cafe
New Treats
Disneyland
1. Tigger Tail from Pooh’s Corner in Critter Country – This is the only location in the park to get one of these sugary treats! A Tigger Tail is marshmallows covered in caramel & white chocolate with orange sugar & a chocolate drizzle. While this was tasty, I won’t be adding it to my list of favorites. It was just like eating a candy bar, not a huge thrill for me.
2. Raspberry & Rose Macaroon/Macaron (?) from Jolly Holiday Cafe on Main Street – I’m never sure the difference between a Macaroon & a Macaron, but whatever the case, this was delicious. The raspberries gave the Rose Macaroon an extra kick. I’ve also heard these are called Matterhorn Macaroons/Macarons, but the sign at the bakery just said Raspberry & Rose Maca…whatever, so I’m not sure about the Disney name.
Disney California Adventure
1. Lobster Nachos & 21+ Drinks at Cove Bar on the Pier by Ariel’s Grotto – This is somewhat of a hidden gem right now as the Pier is undergoing some construction that’s blocking the entrance to Cove Bar. I’ve heard the Lobster Nachos get hyped up for a LONG time now, but honestly they were just okay. The drinks on the other hand!!!! YES PLEASE. We ordered off the “Secret Menu”, the “Neverland Tea”, “Zombie”, & “Earthquake”, all of which were Long Island Iced Tea type drinks, so LI/Tokyo Tea/AMF lovers – these are the drinks for you. They were priced around $11 which seems like a fair price to me for a Long Island based cocktail.
Cove Bar in Disney California Adventure – Lobster Nachos, Neverland Tea, Zombie, & Earthquake
Of course there’s corn dogs & churros & Mickey Mouse ice cream – but what do you think of my list? Am I missing any of your favorite snacks? Please let me know in the comments below what treats I should try on my next Disneyland trip! Thanks for reading 🙂
Happy (Belated) National Friendship Day!!!
Watch the video below for a quick recap of how I spent Friendship Day with my two buddies, Jeri & Jeremiah! Hint, hint – it involves a LOT of sugar!!
As promised, here’s a quick Recap of the two bakeries we visited.
1. Zombee Donuts & Bake Shop
802 E. Chapman Ave, Fullerton, CA
Instagram Twitter Yelp Facebook
OH MY GOSH – beyond delicious! I’ve seen reviews complaining about how sweet these donuts/pastries are & I don’t understand. Why are you upset/surprised that pastries taste super sweet?! Don’t get me wrong, I agree these things are gonna give me diabetes, I’m just not upset/surprised by that. I purchased the “Monster” and the Fruit Loop “Cereal Killer”. I ate the “Monster” but only ate a few bites of the “Cereal Killer” because I was in a sugar coma. However, I don’t see anything wrong with that. Let’s be honest, donuts aren’t great for us. Should we really be eating more than one a day? Nope! So it didn’t bother me that one donut satisfied my sugar cravings & I had another left over for the next day…okay, again let’s be honest, I ate it later that day! The “Monster” was literally the best donut I’ve ever eaten. I’m not usually a fan of cream filled items, but I had to take a chance because the filling is made with Monster Energy drink & I was highly intrigued. It was so light and fluffy! I would go back just for that! The “Cereal Killer” was good, but a tad dry & nothing could compare after I’d eaten the “Monster”. The decor of this place is adorable & the girl that helped us was incredible! She let us film & take pictures (obviously), & helped us decide what donuts to order. Zombee offers a vegan donut of the week, plus an amazing assortment of delicious “dark” themed treats – I highly recommend this shop & can’t wait to go back!
2. Hapa Cupcakes & Cakes
105 W Amerige Ave, Fullerton, CA
As great as my experience with Zombee was – that’s how negative my experience at Hapa was. You may have noticed I did not include information to their social media as I did with Zombee because I don’t feel like they’re worth promoting. I was so disappointed with their treats & customer service. The girl behind the counter was extremely rude, sighing heavily when we asked questions, rolling her eyes, & even leaving the counter & telling us to ring a bell when we were ready to order. I understand it can be frustrating when guests don’t know what they want, but 1. We’d never been there & told her so, 2. There was no one behind us so we weren’t creating a line, & 3. Pricing was not clear & if your guests don’t understand the options, how can they make a decision? We were trying to split one box between the 3 of us & every time we picked items, we were told our combination didn’t work. I could’ve forgiven Hapa for bad customer service because maybe the cashier was having a bad day, however, I can’t forgive their inedible treats. I had the Vegan Potato Chip & Chocolate Cupcake, the Captain Crunch Cupcake, and a Strawberry & Champagne Truffle (not shown in the video). They were all disgusting. I felt like they had been sitting out on the display way too long. The cakes were dry & the frosting was hard yet had a greasy texture – you can see in the video the icing is sliding off the cupcake but maintaining it’s shape. I took mine home to share with my family, took one bite of the Potato Chip/Chocolate & spit it out. Captain Crunch had no flavor, & the Strawberry/Champagne Truffle had a weird mushy/gooey texture. I was living in a house with 3 teenage boys at the time & after sampling the treats, even they wouldn’t finish them. You know it’s bad when teenage boys won’t eat something! I would only recommend this place to someone that’s never been because maybe I just had a bad experience, but I would definitely warn them about what I experienced. I would not return here unless brought by someone else that really wanted to go.
So there you have it! A celebration of Friendship & sugar! Have you been to Zombee or Hapa? Will you try out either of them now that you’ve read my review? Obviously you know which one I’d recommend more, haha! Please let me know of any more delicious treats you think I should try out! Thanks 🙂
Miss Al-Leigh 