We just returned from a few days at Disney World. Neither Karen or I had ever been there and we had a wonderful time. But we couldn't help but notice that where ever we went, we were literally in a land owned and ruled by Disney. Anything bought was Disney-approved and the money pocketed by Disney. A Coke, bought here in Detroit for a buck and a quarter, cost nearly $3.00 there. The price of bottled water was just as bad. We were prisoners - we had no choice but to pay up. Every worker we saw (and didn't see - which was creepy in itself) - and the number had to be astronomical - was owned by Disney. From the time we arrived (and loaded onto a Disney bus) and crossed the boarder into the huge place on Thursday until we left (again, on a Disney bus), we never left land owned by Disney. Everything we touched, everywhere we walked, was owned by Disney and planned to the smallest detail by Disney. The hotel included. We ate Disney food, showered in Disney water with Disney soap, breathed Disney air. Every one of the hundreds of gift shops and gift kiosks sold only Disney stuff. And after the first dozen, they all looked alike. There was no other world outside of Disney World. Nothing you could buy or see. I was a bit surprised we could still use our cell phones or watch network television - apart from the Disney Channel, ABC and ESPN, that is. Cults have nothing on Disney. Cuba has nothing on Disney.
I imagine if I had a DreamWorks t-shirt on or a Bugs Bunny hat on, security would have escorted me to the border.
4 comments:
What kind of watch were you wearing?
Hahaha Mike, this is the exact experience i had about 17 years ago and the overwhelming aspect of it does boggle the mind. The original Disneyland has a slightly more cozy feel, which i still prefer...
Nice to see Karen here!
So...did you *enjoy* your time there? For everything you described about being "in" Disney...that's exactly what we love about it. We love being immersed in all that is Disney. Yeah, we know it's all contrived but we just go with the fantasy... and take lots of money. ha-ha
Can't wait till we go back!
Hey...you should have been inspired by everything there being started by a drawing of a mouse! May you can start Earth Pig World!
Post more pictures! And I agree wit Will Finn...it's nice to see Karen too!
..I HAD a Mickey Mouse watch some year's back... but then I also HAD a Looney-Toon watch too. The watch I have now is a very nice one from eldest daughter for Christmas. But no licensed characters.
I will have to post more pics later - right now I am heading off to a caricaturing gig! I took a bunch.
But yeah! My (our) mind was boggled with the thought. And as I pointed out to Karen, this (as I waved my arm in something slightly less than three-hundred degrees) is all because of a CARTOONIST!
And yeah, it was a TERRIFIC time - we hated to come back into the real world. Much like, as a matter of fact, we feel after a weekend of Civil War reenacting... the world of 1863! I enjoyed most especially the different period countries in EPCOT - England and Germany especially. And the past in Main St. USA in the Magic Kingdom. We laughed that we didn't have to leave, we could just not get on the bus back to the airport... and could live in some of the second floors on Main St. or in Europe. God knows the places are self-sufficient and with places enough to eat. I could do caricatures for spending money. No one would catch on we never leave!
I don't think my cartoon stuff will ever make a fantasy world... I expect Will Finn's stuff will - "Finnland"!
You all will enjoy this. As you know, Karen doesn't make with the funnies much. Humor isn't logical or with much purposefulness. But at one point she looks around and with a dead-pan look on her face asks, "I don't see Scooby-Doo? And where is Bugs Bunny!" I was aghast and appalled - and then she busted into wonderful laughter. (Our kids were the only pre-school children who could name the studios where each cartoon character was from...)
May 4, 2008 8:40 AM
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