I’m going on a business trip to Orlando this week. The conference I’m attending is at one of Disney’s resorts. I have a love/hate relationship with Disney. On one hand, like most children of recent generations I delighted in the classic Disney animated films and shorts of yesteryear, and was thrilled when I got to visit Disneyworld(tm) as a wide-eyed young’un.
On the other hand, when I became an adult I realized that Disney is nothing more than a money-hungry empire and a Mecca of marketing and consumerism. With such patented tactics as their direct-to-DVD second-rate sequels and their “For a limited time only” releases of their classics on DVD, they’ve mastered the art of parental extortion.
Their films don’t even have the charm that they once did, as hand-drawn and colored cells have been replaced by computer-generated, soulless images. Compare Snow White to Treasure Planet (or Treasure Planet 2: Island Boogaloo on DVD) and tell me they have the same appeal. It’s like comparing “I Walk the Line” to “Achy Breaky Heart.”
And while their hermetically sealed and sanitized theme parks offer a dreamy escape from the outside world, it also gives them license to charge your $13 for a cheeseburger. Which they do.
Still, I will introduce my daughter to some of the Disney classics. And hopefully by saving some money here and there and selling a kidney I’ll be able to afford to take her to Disneyworld someday for a little magic. And a few $13 cheeseburgers.
I recently saw the advert for “Jungle Book” and they say something like “get it for a limited time only” or “your last chance”. It’s pretty sneaky because you know darn well they will release it again later. On my last trip to Orlando we made packed lunches (take THAT Walt) and put them in the lockers then just ate outside the park. It was fine as we had no kids to try and persuade to leave Disney.