My Catalyst to the Castle

In 2019, I took my first trip to Disney. I had a client whose husband owned a thriving travel business, and one day—while doing her manicure—she mentioned they’d be going to Disney in a month. I didn’t think much of it at first, but I was intrigued. This girl traveled at least four times a year—to nice places. I loved talking to her because I’d catch little glimpses into how the “other half” lives. And she was the other half: driving a Porsche Panamera, never worked a traditional job, lived in a custom million-dollar home, owned a condo on the Chicago lakefront, got weekly spa treatments, wore designer everything, and rocked a diamond so big it looked like a burden on her finger.

Needless to say, I wanted the deets. I was living vicariously through her. At that time in my life, places like Disney were just a dream. I was discouraged, still with the narcissist, and by then his mask had started to slip. So, to distract myself from the sham I was living in, I talked even more at work. I needed to know everything: Where were they staying? How long? What was the schedule like?

This particular trip was two weeks long. They were staying at the Four Seasons and had a personal concierge for the parks. Now, I had never stayed at the Four Seasons, so it was impossible not to be impressed. She casually mentioned they had a Golden Pass—meaning lifetime access to the parks. I assumed it was a perk from the travel business.

When I told her I’d never been to Disney, she stared at me, blank and amazed. “I went every year as a kid. Didn’t you?” I could tell she genuinely didn’t know that not everyone grew up vacationing. I just laughed and said, “We weren’t raised in a vacation-type home.” We barely had money for food—let alone the mouse with the most.

Then she asked, “Would you like to go?”

I said, “Maybe one day, I’ll take my grandkids.”

She replied, “You should go now. I’m going to see what kind of deal my husband can get you.”

That conversation planted a seed in my heart. Later that day I joined some Disney groups on Facebook and started to dream. The next day, she texted and asked, “Do you want to do all the parks in one day or one park per day?” I said, “All in one day,” not knowing how big they were—or how much my body would protest… lol.

She told me her husband could get me three-day park hoppers for $100 each. I winced at the price—I thought it was expensive—until I went to the Disney site. LOL. I was getting a deal and was too daft to know it.

Needless to say, I took the offer, picked a date a year out, and started saving. Ladies and gentleman that is how I went to Disney for the first time in my life.

I wrote a review after each park and posted them in one of the Disney groups. Those reviews ended up being the catalyst for my writing. Now, I’m excited to share a new blog mini-series called “The Unpacked Version.” Enjoy!