I guess I have to agree with you for the most part. It is sort of like the tooth fairy or Santa. Why burst the balloon prematurely? Although I think it would be a far better trip to take the kids to one of the less-visited national parks... like going 600 miles north of Anaheim to Lassen National Forest (Yosemite is way to crowded) and seeing the thermal pools, geysers, and incredible lava formations, and being able to take a short hike up a cinder cone, walk into a lava tube, and see an actual bald eagle as we did when we went. That stuff stays with you forever, and there are no illusions to shatter. But it's a hard sell since there's nothing to buy (unless you stop at the gift shop, and it's not nearly as enticing as any given Disney store), and it requires camping. I visualize a future where nobody ever leaves home, ever, and amusement-park like experiences are fed directly into our entertainment units that are plug-and-play right into our brains. Maybe the Disney corporation will have privatized our national parks by then anyway.