There is truth in the power of numbers, subliminal messages, and great marketing. Have you ever found yourself craving something and desperately wanting to have it suddenly? I pride myself in not being susceptible to traditional ads, reading the fine print, considering the source, and being able to decipher through B.S. when making my own decisions about fashion, trends, and my lifestyle; or so I thought.
Last year my friend and I decided to take a girl’s trip to the famous Orlando, Florida. I should have known that vacation wasn’t going to be like most Orlando vacations because we made a conscious decision to NOT visit any theme park. I know, I know, who goes to Orlando and doesn’t go see Cinderella and her magic Kingdom?! This chick that’s who, LOL! Again, me being my own woman and going against the norm, I of course had no interest in standing in long lines or being surrounded by sticky, loud children.
This trip was the perfect combination of care free, spontaneous, and relaxing. On one of our exploratory days we decided to visit Orlando City Walk. As soon as we arrived we felt the energy of the attraction. So many people buzzing about, live music being performed, and the smell of delicious food filled the air! As we walked around allowing our senses to be overtaken we noticed a family walking with a large pink box. We continued exploring on our path and saw a group of friends with a pink box. The more we walked, the more we noticed that every other group of people had this same large, bright pink box; people in the groups even had their own individual boxes. So by now we are intrigued. We notice that these owners of the large pink boxes are excited, happy, and seem to know something that we don’t. I then realized I definitely have FOMO and it became my mission to get my own pink box!
Now at this time, I still had no idea what was in the box, I just knew I wanted to be just as excited, happy, and be in the know! We aborted our original path and followed the direction where the bright pink boxes seemed to originate. And then, there it was! I never knew a neon sign could evoke so much joy! As the daughter of my parents, I have inherited a ‘sweet tooth’ that has sometimes caused me to get dressed, get in my car and drive across town for a slice of cheesecake; so imagine my excitement when I read “Voodoo Doughnuts!”
We were elated and thought the Lord truly does answer all prayers, big and small! What is better than fried dough covered in sugar?!?! As we moved closer to the neon sign our excitement intensified exponentially! You know something is better than GOOD when there is a line inside and outside of the restaurant, with several designated employees whose sole employment is to direct the line and prevent ‘cuts!’ We were guided to our designated spot in this snake of a line, and the longer we waited the more we were convinced that these donuts were going to create an outer body experience! These donuts were going to touch our soul in a way that nothing and no one had ever done!
There was a professional systematic progression to the line that enticed our humor, playfulness, and even sensuality. Once we made it to the line inside, I burst into laughter at the sign that read “The Magic is in the Hole!” The decor coincided with the name of Voodoo and was dark but lighthearted, because after all, donuts are happy! As I’m chuckling to myself I see people pointing and hear, “Oh hell yeah!” “Look at this one!” “I’m getting 1 of each!” “It’s so big!” Twisting my neck and maneuvering my body I see a rotating display case with donuts galore! My friend and I look at each other and proclaim, “This is going to be EPIC!”
FINALLY, we reach the clerk. I order traditional yeast doughnuts with peanut butter and jelly and strawberry icing flavors. It then became like Christmas day. You know the feeling of having a gift but you can’t open it just yet or play with your new toy. We had to create an entire mood for this momentous occasion. We paid for our doughnuts and exited onto the City Walk looking for the PERFECT spot to savor and devour our doughnuts. After several unsuccessful locations we settle in- on the overpass looking at the crowd below. The lighting was perfect, the noise was low, and there was just enough privacy to make a mess eating with your hands and not care if you had to lick your fingers. We sat down, used our hand cleansing wipes, involuntarily held our breaths, opened our boxes, and I swear I heard angels singing and harps playing! This was it! This was the moment we’d been waiting for, for the past 45 minutes!
I picked up my peanut butter and jelly doughnut and to my surprise it was heavy. They had filled and topped this doughnut to the MAX! It was still warm as it was freshly made for me and the scent of the fried dough, peanut butter, and jelly hit me in the face and I loved every sniff. After examining and sniffing my doughnut like a delicious Pinot Noir, it was time to taste. I took the most purposeful and delicate bite of this doughnut, closed my eyes and let my taste buds takeover. Simultaneously, my friend is having her own intimate experience and after allowing the doughnut to linger for a few moments I open my eyes and see my friend has spit out her doughnut and has a scowl of disappointment. My head drops, I finish my initial bite, take another for good measure, and then feel the same measure of heartache as my friend.
How could this be?! How is it possible that both of our doughnuts are ….sub par, extra basic, less than mediocre and dare I say, almost flavorless? At this point we preferred a Little Debbie honey bun! Unable to accept my current reality I take a bite of my strawberry iced doughnut; but as you may have guessed it, I was met with the same letdown. Am I the only one that has ever had a taste for something so strong and then when you finally get it, if it’s horrible you want to use all of the expletives known to man, return to the company and demand not only a refund but interest for your pain, suffering, annoyance, waste of time, and then file a lawsuit for false advertisement? Am I the only one like that?
We were extremely upset and more so just confused at the turn of events. My friend threw her doughnuts in the trash and I forced myself to take mine back to the resort, thinking maybe tonight once the flavors have settled and marinated a bit more, they’ll taste great. I was wrong, LOL! I can laugh at how this all turned out but in those moments we had ‘drank the koolaid’ as the young folks say. We were fully committed and convinced that we needed those pink boxes and it was going to be glorious.
We were fortunate to have experienced the hype and excitement of Voodoo Doughnuts and perhaps the magic is in the buildup. This experience really taught me to enjoy the journey and not just the destination. We had so much fun tracking down the restaurant and just being in the moment. That entire ordeal added so much value to our vacation and we enjoyed every second. I also learned to stay true to myself and that it’s ok to stand apart from the crowd. Sometimes everyone will want to go Right and you will want to go Left, and that’s ok!
So the next time social media or television bombards your page with ads of the latest diet fads, beauty treatments, designer clothes, travel photos, or latest gadget, remember don’t believe the hype, and make your own decision to not be pressured by what everyone is doing or has. Your journey is YOURS, and yours alone.
Side note: I am aware that Orlando theme parks are just as much fun for adults without children and I suppose it could be a possibility that 1. the other doughnut flavors offered were amazing; however, I highly doubt that as it was the dough that was horrible, not the toppings, 2. everyone has their own preferred palate and perhaps my friend and I have faulty tastebuds, LOL! 3. the people walking around with the boxes were paid to do so to create a buzz and sell more! LOL! 4. it was an ‘off’ day and I should try them again. But most importantly no offense to anyone who loves this brand.
