I Hate A Parade
Nov 22nd, 2007 at 12:07 pm by Susie
I had the local Thanksgiving parade on TV playing in the background and was just thinking how much it’s turned into a Disney-style extravaganza - when I realized the sponsor was the local ABC affiliate, and thus, owned by Disney.
Then they did a long segment about how Disney World presents the finest of all forms of entertainment. Well, that settled it.
As someone who’s never been to Disney and has no intention of ever going (no, not even with grandchildren), I thought I’d ask those of you who’ve been there: Do kids really like this kind of Hollywood stimulation, or are they brainwashed into it by parental expectations (who are in turn pressured into the whole “good parents take the kids to Disney World” ads)?
The reason I ask is, when I was a kid, I hated stuff like this and I wonder how typical that is. I found it too overstimulating - I remember crying at the circus because trying to watch the three rings made my head hurt. I hate casinos, too. All those lights and bells…
I wonder if regular exposure to this kind of heavy stimulation doesn’t make ADD more likely.
I was wondering how they’d deal with the writers’ strike during this oh-so-scripted event.
My notion: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/monohedral_cathedral/message/1037?l=1
(And yeah, I’ve long hated Disney.)
screw disney. I’ve never been to disney world and would never go. Feh.
I have never heard anyone young or old say they did not love Disneyworld. It is just a fun place- sure they are great at marketing, etc but people flipping love it.
I have zero desire to go but my wife wants to take our daughter in a year or two, once she’s old enough to “enjoy” it more. It just seems so fake to me, I rather spend my vacation dollars on trips to the real world and parks.
My kids had neurological disorders before they went to WDW. Sam spoke his first three word sentence there (he was 3.25.) Jonah goes bonkers over it, and they are great about accommodating special needs kids (last time, we were given a no-wait pass - essential for Jonah, who will get violent if he has to wait.)
We’re going in a few weeks (DW, not WDW) and I have to admit, I love it too. Perhaps if I had to do it the same way most people do (stand in line for hours on end) it would lose it’s charm. But for our kids, it’s one day in 365 that the world bends for them, not the other way around.
mbw: That’s the first thing I’ve heard about Disney that makes me want to support them. I have an autistic grandson and really appreciate organizations that get it.
Wait - Maybe this is the second reason I’ve heard. Doesn’t Disney host a big gay pride event that makes wing bat heads spin?
Disney World seems like a half-hearted effort to entertain the public. I’m a bit dismayed that is the best we can offer visitors from around the world. Sea World is just down the road and quite an experience.