Have a Magical Day!

[Amor de Cosmos]

I've just returned from four days at Disney World. If you triangulate dismay, despair and disgust it lies precisely in the centre. You can't miss it, it's about the size of Belgium.

[Incandenza]

Have a Magical Day!

Went to Disneyland three weeks ago; it was our daughter's first time there, and it was great just to see her reaction to everything. That's the nice thing about living near it, though--we know we'll be back, so we don't feel like we have to do everything in one day, or spread it out over multiple days.

Four days? Good god, why?

[Amor de Cosmos]

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An academic convention (yes, really.)

Those lucky souls who'd experienced both claimed that Disneyland is indeed less damaging to child development than its bloated Floridian cousin. I will move heaven and earth to make sure I'm never in a position to compare.

[WOM]

Have a Magical Day!

What was so awful, Amor?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Have a Magical Day!

Kids simply love Disneyland/world//reich.

Every child should go. Just the once. The parents get the joy of seeing their incredulous faces, dancing through the shops with the magic castle on the horizon, and then cuddling the poor minimum wage students who are employed to dress up as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger all afternoon.

And the evening parade! That is actually very, very, good.

Then you can go away and explain , for the rest of your lives to your upset children, why uber-capitalism is bad, and no they're not going to get every single accessory in the Cinderella castle range simply because they really, really, wished for it under a waterfall.

Disneyland breeds hardened, cynical, snub-nosed socialism among pre-teens. It's a good thing.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Have a Magical Day!

I'm still processing...I'll have a complete list in a day or so.

But for now, I guess one the main issues is that rather than being "Where Dreams are Made" as it says over the gate, its actually "Where Your Child's Imagination Goes to Die." It is a place where everything is predigested (including the food, which is appalling) and shat out in a debased form, one where curiosity has no value and sensation replaces sensitivity. Frankly I'd be happier If I found my kid watching Japanese bondage sites.

Every child should go. Just the once.

Maybe. That would be the Rousseau response. But I'm not sure.

[West End Zuma]

Have a Magical Day!

The spinning teacups are ace, though.

[EIM]

Have a Magical Day!

I love Disney World. I mean, really love it.

Which is odd, as it's everything I hate concentrated in to one area.

[De Geas Clean Linen]

Have a Magical Day!

I've never been.

Which is a shame, really...

[linus]

Have a Magical Day!

I went to Disneyworld a few years ago. One of the main draws was a pavilion (tomorrowland?)which consisted of corporations like Monsanto demonstrating how they were saving the world with their technology. This isn't even an exaggeration.

There was a Monsanto pavilion with little exhibits and some of their cheerful handlers/propagandists who told you how genetic engineering is saving the worldfrom hunger. This, once again is not an exaggeration, it's literally what went on there. It seemed like most people bought their propaganda wholesale, the visitors having their guards down in such an environment. Highly effective corporate propaganda, which isn't surprising considering Disney is a media megacorp whose clients are other corporate giants.

The rest of the stuff -restaurants, rides and so forth- is just OK. Overall this was a pretty crap destination, save your trip for parks like Coney Island or other classic amusement parks instead.