It is a rare day when Disneyland closes for one day, let alone for 18 days! In fact, during its 65-year history of opening 7 days a week, Disneyland has closed on only three days: the day after the assassination of JFK (1963), the day after the Northridge Earthquake (1994), and on 9/11. You know that things are dire, if the Happiest Place On Earth has to close its doors, especially during a time when all could use a little joy and escape from all the current madness.
But all is not lost because we still have our memories of past visits to the Magic Kingdom! Furthermore, everyone stuck at home can even relive and “go” on select Disneyland and Disney World rides via YouTube, including the Pirates of the Caribbean (everyone’s favorite, right?)! While we are isolating and doing our human best to weather these unprecedented times, I would also like to invite you to experience some Disney magic with the Victorian Tea Society, with this recap of Lady MH’s recent tea! 🙂
Tea invitation to a Magical Disney Tea!
Welcome to a magical Disney Tea party! In great Disney fashion, Lady MH (dressed as Mrs. Potts, from Beauty and the Beast–really, she was dressed as a teapot, you had to see it to believe it) welcomed her guests at the gates of her Magic Kingdom with quite the fanfare, including … a technicolor banner! …
… a panoply of flowers (because what is Disneyland without flowers?) …
… Fantasy Land’s whimsical, larger-than-life, flora …
… and lots of Disney memories and memorabilia!
Disneyland monorail: “Please stand clear of the doors!” and 101 dalmatians (photo by Lady MH)
“Please stand clear of the doors ..!” Is there anything that says Disneyland more than the “The Voice of Disneyland,” Jack Wagner? I love that Lady MH displayed this Disneyland monorail playset to welcome us like Jack Wagner’s voice welcomes guests at Disneyland (yes, the monorail playset talks!). I feel happy whenever I recall “The Voice of Disneyand” because it evokes memories of my visits to the Magic Kingdom. As a kid, I always thought that Walt Disney himself was “The Voice of Disneyland!” I was so pleased to learn that Wagner was officially recognized as a Disney legend in 2005.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disney!
“Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disney!” If you’re a Gen X-er, you probably watched the “Wonderful World of Disney” every Sunday night. For me, it was the last little weekend joy before school on Mondays! This wall-sized painting and interpretation of Disneyland was a feast for the eyes, immersing us in spring flowers, and making us feel as if we were in a faraway land, approaching the Magic Kingdom from a forest deep in the woods.
Once inside the Lady MH’s castle, there were many magical things to behold, including an army of teapots, led by Mrs. Potts herself!
“But, as you can see, the lanterns are already burning—with an enchanted flame”–Mrs. Potts, Beauty and the beast
Hey, it’s Lumiere and friends!
A motley crew of Disney characters showed up including 4 Minnie Mouses, Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Anna of Arendelle (Frozen). Sadly, Mary Poppins was not able to attend because of nanny duties but she promised a tea party on the ceiling with Uncle Albert at a future date!
“We love to laugh
Loud and long and clear
We love to laugh
So everybody can hearThe more you laugh
The more you fill with glee
And the more the glee
The more we’re a merrier we.”— “I love to laugh” from Mary Poppins
Mrs. Potts had a grand feast planned for us, starting with Lady B.’s (Anna of Arendelle) “Be my guest” welcome soup (roasted butternut squash soup) and green chile cornbread, courtesy of the Pirates of the Caribbean.
“I won’t grow up! … if it means I must prepare, to shoulder burdens with a worried air … !” With a little help from Peter Pan, Lady S. (Minnie Mouse) created the “I won’t grow up” salad, peppered with dark chocolate and oranges, getting us to eat our greens while satisfying the child within us.
“I won’t grow up” Chocolate orange salad by Lady S
In between courses, we shared our favorite Disney memories. My earliest memory of Disneyland was not necessarily a happy one but a vivid one–I must have been 3-4 years old. I was always a very well behaved child but I threw my first and only tantrum in public at Disneyland! It was the end of a long day and I remember being part of the mass exodus through Main Street, making our way to the parking trams. On the way out, there were hawkers selling Mickey Mouse balloons, big colorful lollipops, Disney dolls, books, Mickey Mouse ears, Disney apparel, view masters (remember those!?), stuffed Disney animals, and basically all manner of Disney souvenirs! I had eyes for only one Disney souvenir: a tiny stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh. I’m not sure why I honed in on that stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh because, at that time, my obsession was Snow White. In any case, my Dad would not buy it for me and I threw a tantrum, made a scene, and cried in public. Much to my shame and humiliation, I recall my Dad scooping me up and carrying me the rest of the way to the trams. All the while, I could see Winnie-the-Pooh getting smaller and smaller until it disappeared from my sight, blurred by my disappointed and angry tears. Years later, I vowed to finally get that stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh bear only to discover that it really wasn’t as cute or adorable as I remembered it! 😀
While the Sorcerer’s Apprentice commanded a broom to whip up some sandwiches for us (quite successfully, I might add! Who can resist the Little Mermaid cucumber sandwiches and Mickey Mouse shaped egg salad sandwiches?!), Lady S. shared a memory of a reluctant visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room (hey, my favorite A-ticket attraction!) while visiting Disneyland with a group of friends. There, she watched in amazement and surprise as her friend sang along word-for-word with the menagerie of birds, flowers, and tiki statues in the attraction! The experience gave her a new appreciation of the Enchanted Tiki Room because of the sheer joy it gave her friend.
Lady J. then regaled us with her memorable visit to Hong Kong Disneyland with her mother and youngest sister. Being the world traveler that she is, Lady J. is the only one of us who has visited more than two Disney parks! Disneyland, Disney World, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea.
Minnie Mouse’s mini pot pies by Lady J. (photo by Lady J.)
Curried Vegan/Vegetarian Cornish Pasties
(from the kitchen of Lady J)
(yield: 15 4″ pasties)
1-pkg. Pillsbury Pie Crust or 2 handmade pie crusts
Filling
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 cloves garlic crushed
½ c. frozen peas
salt and pepper
Gravy
½ c. vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. arrowroot (or flour or cornstarch)
- To make the filling, heat the oil in a large pan over high heat and add the onion. Stir fry gently for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the carrots, potatoes, curry powder, and garlic and continue to fry for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are soft. Add the peas and cook for another few minutes.
- Mix the arrowroot with the vegetable broth. Pour over the cooked filling till the sauce thickens. Keep the sauce more on the light side to avoid making your pastry soggy. Set aside and let cool.
- To use with a 4″ dough press: Unwrap one roll of pie crust pastry at a time. Lay pastry over the press dough and press down. Tear away the excess dough. Fill the dough with a spoonful of filling (do not overfill or the pastry will tear). Repeat until all the pastry dough has been used. Roll the excess dough together until all the circles have been filled.
To fold the pastry by hand: Use a circle cookie cutter and cut out however many circles. Take the excess pastry and roll into a ball; continue cutting out circles until all the pastry dough is used up. Use your hands to fold and press the filling. If necessary, brush a little water around the rim of the pastry and fold it over the filling. Press the edges together to seal. Crimp the edges with your fingers or the tines of a fork. - Cut a little slit in the top of the pasty for steam to escape. Place the pasties on a couple of baking sheets.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place pasties on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes; then turn temperature down to 350 and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Set aside and cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Can brush butter over pasties to give it a nice shine. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
“… the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went, ‘One side (of the mushroom) will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.’
Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it and as it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question … ‘And now which is which?’ she said to herself …”
— Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Who dares to try Alice in Wonderland’s mushrooms? I’m not sure if any of the guests experienced hallucinations, grew taller, or shrunk during this course, but I am quite certain that they all grew a little bigger, after consuming this mushroom delight!
Alice in Wonderland’s mushrooms (by Lady Henni)
Alice in Wonderland’s (vegan) mushroom delight
(adapted from Wizard of Oz mushroom delight)
Serves 8
1 1/2 lbs. white button mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. white miso
Chopped parsley, thyme, and/or basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix butter, olive oil, and white miso together and toss mushrooms in the mixture until coated. Roast the mushrooms at 425 degrees for 1/2 hr. until the juices run. Garnish mushrooms with the chopped herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.
Next up, the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scones!
Blueberry scones from Starbucks, and lemon poppyseed scones from Vons (photo by Lady MH)
“It’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You’ll always sound precocious …”–Mary Poppins
Mad Tea Party Fruit by Lady K.
After the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scones, Lady K. (Minnie Mouse) served her Mad Tea Party Fruit. During the fruit course, things got a bit “mad” as we reminisced about Disneyland “back then” and Disneyland now. Lady MH revealed that she recently stood in line for 4 hours (yes, 4 hours!) just so her granddaughter could meet and greet Elsa from Frozen! I remembered when Disney characters used to roam around the park and it was luck of the draw if you spotted your favorites–it was part of the charm and magic of the entire Disney experience! But now guests have to venture to official “meet and greet” locations and stand in line for a glimpse of their favorite characters. Lady K. pointed out that some characters such as Donald Duck, Goofy, or Chip ‘n’ Dale still randomly roam around the park. Lady ML was shocked, “What do you mean Chip ‘n’ Dale roam around Disneyland?!” Someone politely corrected her, “NO, she means Chip ‘n’ Dale, the chipmunks … not Chippendale, the hunks!” LOL Lady ML was much relieved, if not embarrassed, as she was appalled at the possibility that her little granddaughters could encounter Chippendale’s at Disneyland!
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust. All you need is faith trust and a little bit of pixie dust.”
— J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan
Mrs. Pott’s concluded her tea party with several special sweets including Tinkerbell’s Pink Stuff Delight and her signature Wonderful World of Disney Rainbow Jello-O.
Wonderful World of Disney Color Jell-o
While everyone was enjoying their rainbow Jello-O, Lady K. and I drifted off into our own little world as we became mesmerized by the Jell-O …
Do you see the madness too?
We must have had a few too many mushrooms or a little bit too much pixie dust because we shared a simultaneous WTH moment while admiring Lady MH’s rainbow Jell-O. Do you see something “off” about the Jell-O in the photo? Lady K. and I could not figure out why there were striations across the “grain” of the Jell-O. Obviously, the striations were made by a knife and we understood how the layered Jell-O was made, but what was Lady MH doing when she cut the Jell-O squares?! Everyone looked at us as if we had gone bonkers, with our crazy observations. Nobody could figure out what the heck we were looking at, or what we were talking about. Do you see what we saw? Or were we alone in our madness?? (P.S. We did finally figure out what Lady MH did and she still thought we were crazy for noticing! ;))
Finally, after enjoying Mrs. Potts’ and Chip’s lemon treats, we were ready to live happily ever after!
Tea charm bracelet with Disney charms made specially for Lady MH by Lady S.
It was indeed a magical afternoon, having tea with fellow Disney friends, and sharing our favorite memories of Disneyland. I noticed that everyone’s memories had one thing in common–namely that our memories were special because of the people we shared them with: children, grandchildren, parents, friends, spouses, partners, siblings, etc. Thank you, Mrs. Potts, for a hosting an enchanting afternoon at your Magic Kingdom! It was an honor to be your guest.
Tastes like tea 
Dear Henni–Thank you so much for creating this beautiful pictorial of Lady MH’s Disney tea. Your attention to detail is astounding, the memories you captured (and embellished) are heartwarming and your sense of design is gorgeous. It was a lovely tea and you captured it well! Lady S
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Lady S, thank you so much for your kind words! I had fun reliving my memories of this magical tea party and glad you did too!
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