Well, well, well. What have we here? The last post about my May WDW trip? Oooh, I’m really scared! (And yes, you may as well strap in for a bunch of Oogie Boogie song quotes now.)
CAST CONNECTION: I CAN’T BELIEVE MY EYES!
I touched on this in my trip report, but during my last Disney trip I had the honor and privilege of checking out Cast Connection. For those unfamiliar who are also not prepared to slog through one of my famously wordy trip report posts, Cast Connection is essentially a Cast Member-exclusive Disney outlet. Members of the public are permitted, but entry is only possible when accompanied by a CM.
It is a wonderful, heavenly place. I could spend hours there just nosing around. The array of merchandise is vast, with prices from ranging to hey, not bad to !!!!!!!! (I’m not missing a word there; the only way I can properly convey my feelings when picking up this piece is with a million exclamation points.)
What piece, you say? Well…
MR. OOGIE BOOGIE SAYS THERE’S TROUBLE CLOSE AT HAND
I almost left it on the rack.
While idly sorting through an assortment of Disney clothing items in the women’s section, I came upon a unicorn: a dress from The Dress Shop on Cherry Tree Lane, that most magical store in Disney Springs. The dresses there are retro, adorable, and NOT cheap. They all retail for north of $100, for sure.
This particular dress was themed to Oogie Boogie and his gambling wheel from my beloved The Nightmare Before Christmas. The retro style was predictably desirable, and it was the only one on the rack. The price tag said – wait for it – $34.99. $34.99!!!! Retail price $128!!!!!!
BUT. It was an extra small.
Now, I find Disney clothes are often cut a little big, and I in fact own a Dress Shop Dress in an extra small. However, that dress includes smocking on the sides for a more custom fit. This dress did not. So I left it behind and moved on.
And inevitably circled back, of course. How could I not? It was so dang tempting. Like, it could fit. It could. If I recall correctly the dressing rooms were closed thanks to COVID, but eyeballing it, maybe…
While I was standing there, my dibs implicit with one hand holding the dress, an older woman came up behind me. “Excuse me,” she said, her stance plainly covetous, “are you going to buy that?”
“YES,” I said, and pulled it completely down from the rack. Oogie Boogie’s dice had been cast.
“Well,” she replied, visibly saddened, “if you change your mind, let me know.”
But I never did.
I MIGHT JUST SPLIT A SEAM IF I DON’T DIE LAUGHING FIRST
Obviously one of the first things I did that night in our hotel room was try the dress on properly. And whaddya know: it fits! It’s form-fitting, but it definitely does fit.
However, I noticed a problem in the cut that has occurred in the other two Dress Shop dress I’ve owned: the waist is cut too high for me. It puffs out before it needs to and makes me look wider from the side.
That’s all right, we can fix that – with the magic of a good belt! I tried a couple options, and settled on this wide corset-style number. Black and brown can be tricky, but I think it picks up on the mauve-y tones of the wheel nicely.
Look, when your black cat wanders into your Oogie Boogie photo shoot, you make her participate. There’s a black cat on the gambling wheel, okay? Rules are rules.
So yeah! Obviously I am freaking thrilled with this purchase, and I can’t wait to wear this dress on my Next Disney trip. Let this be a lesson to us all: if you see something you want at Cast Connection, BUY IT. Don’t think. Buy. Do it!
Mr. Oogie Boogie, play us out.
Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Twitter @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!