Hard as it may be for some us to believe, there are a lot of people who there who really do not like Disney and what they feel it stands for (“a commercial machine built to sell tickets, overpriced toys and a stereotype of girls as princesses.”). Whichever side you fall on, I think you’ll find this article and interesting read. A few good quotes:
- That’s the Rev. J.C. Mitchell, who will be heading to Orlando, Florida, this year for a work conference but will not be taking his family with him, even though his job will cover most of the costs of his trip. “We do not enjoy Disney,” wrote Mitchell, who went to Disney World as a child, via e-mail. “We believe it symbolically represents the excesses of our extremely individualistic society.”
- “Disney does such a wonderful job of representing American culture, they’re almost synonymous with America,” said Pettit, who teaches a three-week course, “Disney and American Culture,” that includes a Disney World site visit. “They are master storytellers, and they have the narrative business down pat.” And behind the magic, “Disney is a capitalistic corporation bent on consumerism, and that’s what drives our economy,” he said. “It brings out people’s opinions about our society and culture in general. You can love them or be very critical of those aspects of our culture and society because it portrays them so well.”
- “For us as parents, it’s a chance to connect back to our own childhood and brings back happy memories,” wrote Yu in an e-mail. “Now that we have kids, it’s priceless to see their reactions as they experience the parks/rides/shows for their first time. Words can’t describe the preciousness of seeing our little ones thoroughly enjoying themselves on Disney attractions.”
- “I grew up going to Disneyland, and that’s the original park,” she said. “I’m a Disney conservationist. Walt Disney World looks so big, and it’s not him (Walt Disney). I think you lose the intimate magic that happens at Disneyland. It’s way more corporate. Disneyland feels like being at home.”
- “While I am not averse to my daughters exploring fantasy worlds, I find that Disney and Disney products present children, especially girls, with a very limited fantasy world — one in which a prince will sweep them off their feet so that they can then live happily ever after,” wrote Guntren in an e-mail. “I want my daughters to be confident as individuals, not to grow up thinking there is a prince out there waiting to save them.”