My (unhealthy?) Disney obsession

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Here's my deal. Weeks ago, I go on lunch break, right? I never came back. Didn't say anything. Just got in my truck, picked up my things and drove. The next evening, I arrived at the World. Something happened to me. I was just compelled to go. Arranging vacation time wouldn't have been an issue, but I just didn't care. Like Jake Blues, I had seen the light and there I was suddenly hauling butt to my Cook County Assessor's Office on a mission from God.

You guys know the drill: had to marathon ride Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth, Fastpass Peter Pan, sit down front at Muppet Vision to watch the penguins, acquire Pecos Bill's cheeseburger and subsequently create a killer salad via the toppings bar, and of course swig that Florida swamp water!

Now, I am still employed, even though I just shut everyone out during this religious pilgrimage. A recurring thing for me. I have an obsession. Everyone who knows me knows that. I may value Walt Disney World more than my relationships with them. I am only truly happy when I'm there. When you can wake up, jump on a bus and go to the Magic Kingdom? It's heaven on Earth.

Coming back to this cold reality where you're sitting in traffic (notice the Disney antenna toppers decorating other driver's vehicles as well) en route to some job far, far away from central Florida unable to even take regular weekend trips...you try to convince yourself it's okay. You count it down to the next trip. You come to places like this on the internet. You play the EPCOT entrance medleys and other music from the parks every day while driving or working, or at your so-called home. Everything will be alright!

In less than a year, I have traveled to Orlando four times. Three trips to Disney, one to Universal (which even included a totally ill-conceived job interview). I am back in Rhode Island and terribly far away from Walt Disney World. I am seriously considering moving to Florida to be happy again. But I am also considering whether or not there could be something wrong with me. Whether this Disney obsession is a bad thing.

Any thoughts/advice?

 

[rufio]

You sound a lot like me except I would never just leave my job to drive to WDW. I think there's a line that has to be drawn somewhere. My fiance works away from home for moths at a time and yes, Disney gets me through. Planning, listening to the music, watching videos, even playing video games. It gets me through each day. It's basically my religion, as pathetic as that may be. However, I look at my job as a means to an end. It is what will pay for my next trip to the World. I realize that as much as I would love to live at Disney World, that's not reality. Reality is my job, school, my commitments. That's the real world that we all reside in. I think if your obsession is to the point where you will up and leave your job without saying a word, you may need to see someone.

 

[rsoxguy]

I don't know exactly what to say. You seem young. At some point things will become more grounded. Enjoy your youth while it's there, but realize that you do not have the ability to make it last forever, and you shouldn't ever behave as though it will.

 

[John]

I am not so poetic.....Get a grip dude! We all love Disney....thats why we are here. But reality has a special way of slapping the magic right out of you if you are not careful.

 

[luckycharligirl]

why not move there and apply for a job at Disney? i would think they'd love to have an employee who loves to go to work everyday. Life is too short to not attempt to be happy every day.

 

[wm49rs]

Where is it you work that you weren't fired for walking out on your job?

 

[ShookieJones]

well any time you tear off without telling anyone and stay out of contact for a while there is something going on there.
It doesn't matter where you're going or where you went.
Is every trip you take to WDW executed in this manner?
If not and you just took off this one time then eh..I get it. If was young no ties and had a job that didn't give a cr-p if I went AWOL I could think of a few weeks recently I might have done just that...just split.

BUT...if you're disappearing every other week and ending up on the TTA eating popcorn while your boss is waiting for you back at the shop, you might want to reconsider what you're doing for a living and why you keep ended up back at WDW.

With that being said....it could be worse you could be waking up in an opium den...

 

[ddbowdoin]

As a new englander I feel your pain... It sucks up here, period. It's uber expensive, cold, snows, and people are so unfriendly.

I wish I could up and leave, seriously I do. But I've seen those wages at WDW, jeez are they low!

Reality sucks but it's a game we have to play, as crappy as it may be.

 

[muse1983]

Id love to just keep driving past work one morning and head east to wdw

 

[JenniferS]

As a gainfully employed, married, mother of two, what you managed to pull off is just a dream. But oh, what a dream!
Hope you had a great time; and that reality, when it finally catches up with you, is gentle and kind.

 

[Mikester71]

Although my first trip to the World wasn't until I was 35 years old in 2005, I felt like a kid down there and instantly was hooked to the place. We managed to drive down from Canada 3 more times too, every 2nd year with March 2011 being our last trip. Unfortunately it doesn't look like we are going to be able to keep up that pattern here next year and it looks like it may be a few years until we are able to make it back down. But as much as I LOVE the place and have often thought it would be cool to live down there so that we could go whenever we wanted, I also wonder this to myself:

If WDW became my everyday reality and not my escape from reality, then wouldn't I eventually need an escape from it?!

 

[C&D]

I don't know your whole story (or all your particulars) but if you were working for me (you wouldn't be).

 

[real mad hatter]

Where is it you work that you weren't fired for walking out on your job?

Probably Fantasyland.

 

[Skooterkid]

Haha, this is hilarious. I would totally be the same if I didn't live in London. I'm considering moving to Florida when I finish university, buying an annual pass and just visiting every day after work

 

[olinecoach61]

On one hand I admire your ability to just take off and disappear to WDW, on the other it seems irresponsible. But you kept your job so I guess it worked out.

 

[Nemo14]

Here's my deal. Weeks ago, I go on lunch break, right? I never came back. Didn't say anything. Just got in my truck, picked up my things and drove. The next evening, I arrived at the World. Something happened to me. I was just compelled to go. Arranging vacation time wouldn't have been an issue, but I just didn't care. Like Jake Blues, I had seen the light and there I was suddenly hauling butt to my Cook County Assessor's Office on a mission from God.

You guys know the drill: had to marathon ride Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth, Fastpass Peter Pan, sit down front at Muppet Vision to watch the penguins, acquire Pecos Bill's cheeseburger and subsequently create a killer salad via the toppings bar, and of course swig that Florida swamp water!

Now, I am still employed, even though I just shut everyone out during this religious pilgrimage. A recurring thing for me. I have an obsession. Everyone who knows me knows that. I may value Walt Disney World more than my relationships with them. I am only truly happy when I'm there. When you can wake up, jump on a bus and go to the Magic Kingdom? It's heaven on Earth.

Coming back to this cold reality where you're sitting in traffic (notice the Disney antenna toppers decorating other driver's vehicles as well) en route to some job far, far away from central Florida unable to even take regular weekend trips...you try to convince yourself it's okay. You count it down to the next trip. You come to places like this on the internet. You play the EPCOT entrance medleys and other music from the parks every day while driving or working, or at your so-called home. Everything will be alright!

In less than a year, I have traveled to Orlando four times. Three trips to Disney, one to Universal (which even included a totally ill-conceived job interview). I am back in Rhode Island and terribly far away from Walt Disney World. I am seriously considering moving to Florida to be happy again. But I am also considering whether or not there could be something wrong with me. Whether this Disney obsession is a bad thing.

Any thoughts/advice?

Considering the extremely high unemployment rate we have here in RI, I am amzed that you still have a job. Growing up is hard to do sometimes, but one of life's necessary evils if you want to survive. If you're that obsessed that you are willing to jeopardize your career, then you should probably consider moving to Orlando and working for the Mouse.

 

[Redsky89]

I've been going to Disney since I was ten years old and it holds a special place in my heart and always will. I have to go once a year. I love talking about my trips there and how I cant wait for my next one. All the useless knowledge I know bout Disney World I cant get enough of. But at the end of the day when I go to bed the only things on my mind are my family, friends, God, what I'm doing in my life and how I wanna achieve things, and my job. There's a time and place for everything. Disney is special to me but my love for it doesn't interfere with those more important things.

 

[Maerj]

First, don't just walk out on your job to go again. That is very foolish, you are lucky still be working.

Second, try to find a job in the Orlando area. Do you know anyone who lives there? They could help.

Third, call me next time before you go, so you can pick me up on the way. I'm in PA.

My daughter and I get so hard up to visist WDW sometimes that we watch Martin's videos or other WDW videos and smell sunblock! But I think that you might have us beat with your unexpected trips!

 

[Pooh Lover]

I believe, as others have said, you are young and that explains ALOT. Most of us have done things in our younger years we never would do today nor believe we did back then. Enjoy this period in your life (with moderation) because it doesn't last forever. Looking into moving closer to WDW is not a bad idea, if done with consideration into what your needs are in life. Maybe your world doesn't revolve as much around money as your love for WDW and you could accept a lower pay to be happier in life. As long as you aren't racking up a ton of money on credit cards to get your Disney fix, you aren't hurting anyone with your "love" and you still have a job, have fun while it lasts. I envy your ability and your energy!

 

[Kelsybelle]

Here's my deal. Weeks ago, I go on lunch break, right? I never came back. Didn't say anything. Just got in my truck, picked up my things and drove. The next evening, I arrived at the World. Something happened to me. I was just compelled to go. Arranging vacation time wouldn't have been an issue, but I just didn't care. Like Jake Blues, I had seen the light and there I was suddenly hauling butt to my Cook County Assessor's Office on a mission from God.

You guys know the drill: had to marathon ride Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth, Fastpass Peter Pan, sit down front at Muppet Vision to watch the penguins, acquire Pecos Bill's cheeseburger and subsequently create a killer salad via the toppings bar, and of course swig that Florida swamp water!

Now, I am still employed, even though I just shut everyone out during this religious pilgrimage. A recurring thing for me. I have an obsession. Everyone who knows me knows that. I may value Walt Disney World more than my relationships with them. I am only truly happy when I'm there. When you can wake up, jump on a bus and go to the Magic Kingdom? It's heaven on Earth.

Coming back to this cold reality where you're sitting in traffic (notice the Disney antenna toppers decorating other driver's vehicles as well) en route to some job far, far away from central Florida unable to even take regular weekend trips...you try to convince yourself it's okay. You count it down to the next trip. You come to places like this on the internet. You play the EPCOT entrance medleys and other music from the parks every day while driving or working, or at your so-called home. Everything will be alright!

In less than a year, I have traveled to Orlando four times. Three trips to Disney, one to Universal (which even included a totally ill-conceived job interview). I am back in Rhode Island and terribly far away from Walt Disney World. I am seriously considering moving to Florida to be happy again. But I am also considering whether or not there could be something wrong with me. Whether this Disney obsession is a bad thing.


Any thoughts/advice?

I would quit the spur of the moment trips, save some $$ and consider it. But if you think there is something wrong with you, then you need to get your head together before you commit to anything long term. Just sayin...good luck!

As a new englander I feel your pain... It sucks up here, period. It's uber expensive, cold, snows, and people are so unfriendly.

I wish I could up and leave, seriously I do. But I've seen those wages at WDW, jeez are they low!

Reality sucks but it's a game we have to play, as crappy as it may be.

Don't be a hater! I love living in a sea side paradise. Besides, it's going to be in the 90's next week!