Funny thing happened yesterday...I booked a Disney trip! Yep, you read that right, me, little Miss can't go to the store, go through a drive-thru, eat take-away food, barely go to the gas station, booked a Disney trip! Granted, it was just a hotel outside of Disney Springs and a planned shopping trip, but in less than 24 hours, I'm already thinking about adding days, possibly getting an Annual Pass, and potentially planning the dreaded park days! How did all this happen, you ask? Well, as per usual with me, it's kind of a long story (but I'll try my best to shorten it...yeah, right).
I have been struggling with my birthday this year. I wanted to take that Massachusetts trip, the trip with my Sister, but that got cancelled because of COVID. We were afraid that certain states wouldn't "approve" of our Arkansas license plate and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to travel to multiple states anyway. Besides, we also couldn't agree on most of the trip, so it was better off it got cancelled. I've been really bummed about that. Then there was the matter of my b-day dinner. Most of you guys know I always cook myself a fancy dinner and bake myself a cake or something else to go along with it. Possibly sad that I do that for myself, but it's just what I do. I don't have anyone else and I HATE parties (not that I have anyone to throw a party for me).
I first thought I wanted a red velvet cherry cake (a concoction of my own making...that I haven't made yet), so I bought the ingredients. Then I decided on the ruby cacao pavlova, so I bought the ingredients. Then I decided on nothing. For the meal, first I thought about bangers and mash, but I can't make that (plus I'd have to go to the liquor store, which I can't do). We do have an Irish pub here (or whatever Arkansas calls an "Irish pub"), but I can't go in, so I'm SOL there too. Then I decided on goulash, so I ordered Hungarian paprika. Then I changed my mind again and decided on nothing (again).
Then yesterday, it hit me...even in my darkest days when I couldn't go to the store before, I could still go to Disney World, and Disney World has an Irish pub (Raglan Road) and an amazing 7 layer red velvet cake at Amorette's Patisserie. Before I knew what hit me, I had texted my Sister to see if she would be mad at me if I booked a shopping only trip to Disney (since both those locations are at Disney Springs, which means I wouldn't have to go into the parks, which is what I have been afraid of all these years). My Sister has been begging me for MONTHS to go with her on her Disney trip next month and I've been refusing because I was too scared. I was afraid she would be furious, but she was super excited! She even said now we could go back in February to the Festival of the Arts (seeds being planted...this would haunt me later).
Initally, I had decided I needed to talk to my therapist before I did anything, but that decision lasted all of ten minutes! Before I knew what had happened, I had booked two nights at Saratoga Springs (one of the resorts I've never stayed in, but always wanted to), booked Raglan Road for my b-day, called the vet to board the boys, booked an extra night in Ocala so I wouldn't have to leave too early and could drive back the next day (and $400/night versus $120/night is a vast difference), and that was that! It all went down so fast, I couldn't even think about it last night, so I didn't. I just zoned out in front of the TV.
Then I woke up this morning, and my gears started turning...thoughts of annual passes (another $1400 mind you, but there is a method to my madness), so I could go to the parks if I wanted to (a three day park hopper pass was going to add $900 to my trip alone, and that's just park tickets, APs do SO much more), With an AP, I could go a couple days with my Sister in October if I wanted to, and it would cover February (plus, anything I buy is 20% off, that alone, especially the way I spend in Disney, is worth it). I did decide to go ahead and call the vet and tack on another day for the boys in case I don't make it back in time since they close early the day I was originally planning to come back, but that got me thinking about cancelling the Ocala ressie and tacking on two days at one of the value resorts (that I hate with a passion, but I could still pick one I've never stayed in before so I'm still checking off the list) and it's only $150/night, $30 more than Ocala, still in Disney, and I could leave early a day later and still make it home in time to pick up the boys.
I've been numb all day. I spend an entire year planning a Disney trip, but now I have literally a bit more than a week! There is no time to get my hair done, I can't get my nails done (because I can't go in to a nail salon), and a million other things I do before I go. At least I'm driving, so I can take full bottles of shampoo and stuff, since I can't go inside and get trial sizes (those are too hard to buy online for pickup). Then there is ALWAYS the possibility that I'll get there and not be able to leave the room. Thank goodness Saratoga Springs is a DVC resort (basically a timeshare), so if I can't leave the room, then at least I can sit there and eat chips, jerky and licorice for my b-day, since it has a mini kitchen! I think that's why I'm holding off on booking anything too advanced, there is always the possibility I can't follow through. I have until Monday before I'm locked into the Ocala res, but I think that decision will be made by end of day today, one way or the other.
Then there is the issue of the actual shopping. So much for my debt paydown! I literally will be charging the equivalent of a iMac by the time all this is said and done, not to mention the damage I can do with purchasing! I'd like to say I've learned my lesson with spending, but that's BS, I know myself better than that. I'll be grabbing everything and anything I can get my hands on! After all, I haven't stepped foot in a Disney park since 2016, I've got some catching up to do! And here I go talking like I can actually leave the room...but I have the feeling that, once I get there, I'll be my old Disney self again, and, who knows, maybe this will fix me altogether?
So, that's the news so far...definitely more to come in the next couple of days! I doubt I'll be able to film video of my trip, I'm so not there yet of filming myself in public, but, as per usual with me, there will be pictures galore!
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