I grew up about a mile from Disneyland in Orange County, and eventually worked there for a few summers. Growing up, we visited there frequently, often as much as once a month when the weather (and our working class budget) permitted. As a child, I thought it was a bit overwhelming; although my favorite memories were made there (we even saw Walt himself waving from the balcony of the firehouse at the end of Main Street, USA). I have a few of the old paper ticket books in my memorabilia collection, a set of mouse ears with my name embroidered on it, and a hefty collection of pins, pennants and other ephemera from my Disney-fied upbringing. But I have to agree; as an adult, Disney leaves me cold. I guess being able to go "backstage" as an employee gave me a unique view of what Disney is really all about... aggresive and overpriced retail punctuated by restaurants and an occasional ride. It's all about separating American families from their money. Not that they don't get some of what they're paying for (an entirely fictionalized experience that we're told is actually better than the real thing). Epcot is preferable to messy, dirty, dangerous world travel, and you're far less likely to get your wallet stolen. Roller coasters allege to give you the real formula one or outer space experience without the danger and expense, and animatronic animals don't have rabies, don't ever poop or try to bite you. A friend of mine who worked as a street entertainer while I was employed there used to walk around with a roll of scotch tape and tape fallen leaves back onto the real trees when they dared to shed them. His sarcasm was lost on our Stepford supervisors, needless to say. Inside Disney, things don't die because things aren't real. It's a cute idea, but it does wear thin. And really folks, it's all about buying things. The rides are just a minor distraction, just like at the Mall of America. Don't fault Seth for travelling there alone and seeing this because without children screaming and crying and demanding things, you have the luxury of using your adult brain to see things as they really are. Maybe adults shouldn't travel there alone. I don't care if I never visit another Disney property again in my life. There's only so much unreality a person can take... and trying to kiss your elbow to make it seem okay just doesn't work in the long run.

I admit that I enjoy all things Disney (primarily because of I see them from my 6 year old son's point of view), but I have never worked in a Disney park. In my early 20s, I DID work at the local amusement park (then independent, now a Six Flags) and had my illusions destroyed about that place. Once you get a peek at the man behind the curtain, the fun is never the same.

But isn't that true of any amusement created for us? If you see what has to go into making a movie or into producing a theater production, you've lost your innocence. You can point out "that's not real, it's plywood" and "you wouldn't believe how long the director had to coach that guy to get a decent performance out of him" -- it ruins your enjoyment of the end product. So, while I have no doubt that Disney managers are micromanaging petty tyrants, that the Mickey costume is itchy and smells of mold and old farts, that Disney "cast members" are urged to be more like timeshare salesmen to the nuclear family (buy, buy, buy!), or that 90% of what you see in the Magic Kingdom is molded from petroleum products instead of grown -- I prefer to keep my innocence and see what my son sees. A playground (albeit, an expensive playground) for kids like him to escape his everyday world and enjoy some magic. He'll become a cynic soon enough -- who am I to hasten that process?

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.

My son has been many other places on vacation -- Sedona AZ, the Grand Canyon, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard. the Berkshires, and New Hampshire (in the fall). I plan to take him many other places, including Europe (if it ever becomes affordable again). We don't plan to take another Disney vacation for several years (and the next one will probably involve a Disney cruise again), but it's the one rvacation that he wants to talk about and relive. That's not a bad thing -- it just shows that he really enjoyed himself the last time, and wants to repeat the experience.

I'm not saying that I won't expose him to new and different experiences involving nature and natural wonders, but right now Disney is the one vacation we can all enjoy in our own different ways. Maybe it's the hype, maybe it's illusion, but there is something we all find special in visiting the Mouse in Orlando.

I'm currently an Orlandan and have to agree with the Stevenson interpretation.

And I disagree w/ Ambercromb, world travel is superior to the Disney fabrication. Actual travel exposes one to real culture, real antiquity, real people. Disney offers commercial fabrications of these.

In fact, Disney has attempted to define culture for Americans, making them a mass of consumers living life like that character Jim Carey played in an artificial world where even the weather was human controlled and the community was nothing but paid actors.

Disney has even created its own artificial town with REAL mortgages: Celebration. Inflated property values presented as a cost for the 'small town life' of an artificial small town.