I love Disney! Do you?

[Figment78]

After reading some really depressing and angry threads on this and (especially) another site that are basically bashing Disney as a company and complaining about the decline of parks/resorts/policies/etc, I just wanted to publicly affirm that I LOVE DISNEY and ask anyone who agrees with me to join me.

I LOVE DISNEY....
...because when I'm there (at WDW) I feel like I'm 12 years old again
...because every one of those animatronic presidents turn and look at the one that is speaking!
...because I can take a monorail to a theme park and a boat back to my resort where I am transported to another time/place to relax
...because I can sample a bit of other cultures without a passport (some people,like me, just won't have the opportunity to travel abroad)
...because I'm inspired to dig out my old art supplies and try my hand at drawing
...because people (not everyone, but many) are friendly and generous (we've even shared bottles of wine on NYE with other fellow diners)
...because I don't have to drive anywhere
...because they play the most wonderful background music in every park
...because even the lines are incredibly themed (Expedition Everest blows my mind)
...because they build a lifesized gingerbread house out of real gingerbread!
...because of the tiki torches
...and the electric water pageant
...because the Hoop dee doo makes me laugh every time!
...because I can pretend that I'm really flying over London (on Peter Pan) or in an out-of-control elevator (on ToT)
...because of dancing ghosts
...because Wishes makes me tear up
...because I beat my DH at Buzz Lightyear - every time!
...because it reminds me that good, wholesome, family fun can still happen in this crazy world.

And before anyone flames me, I too have opinions and feelings about Disney from a business standpoint as well, but I really don't want to dwell on that or debate that in this post. However, if anyone who is planning a trip to WDW is worried about the quality of attractions or cheapening of the parks because of other threads they have read, just go to Finding Nemo the Musical and Expedition Everest in AK and you will find yourselves mesmerized.

[Bringonthemouse!]

Me too, me too!!!!!! Disney truly is my Happy Place.... All the bashing in the world will never change my mind!

[Meerkat]

Very well said. Thank you!

[AHOTE]

[badkitty]

Well said. I have been a director and producer in community theatre for years and I love the shows at WDW and DL/DCA. The quality is outstanding!

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I absolutely love Disney. That's why I work there, and plan to continue working there until they force me to leave or I die.

But I also acknowledge that there are A LOT of severe problems with Disney, that negatively affect both the CM's and the Guests. A LOT.

As a Guest, you probably aren't aware or even notice them. But, trust me when I say they are there and they impact so much.

But does that lower my love and passion for the company? Not at all. It inspires me to bring Disney back to what it used to be, which is what I love. What it stood for.

But I do love Disney. Sooooo much. It just isn't perfect, contrary to what a lot of people think.

[kakn7294]

I know Disney's not perfect and it's a company with all a company's problems felt by it's employees and sometimes the guests but I still love it. It's the one place in the world where I can forget that there is an outside world and just be me, have fun, and not worry about anything else. I don't have to cook, clean, drive anywhere, pay the bills, go to work, or any of the mundane things of life. I prefer to see it with those rose-colored glasses, coated in a layer of pixie dust.

[Claudielou]

Unfortunately there isn't ANYTHING on this planet that is PERFECT. But I would say a Disney trip is going to be pretty close if you want it to be. Where else can you go and forget everything else while you are immersed in the Magic! Even just planning the trip takes your mind off the everyday problems you have to deal with. We have been planning our trip for nearly a year and just have two weeks to go before we leave. Rain or shine we are going as long as we can get on a plane and get there! We are already thinking about the next one!

[BMan62]

I think that you will find that just about everyone that posts on here truly loves Disney. It's because of that love of the Man, the Parks and the Company that we can be vocal about our disappointment when we believe that some of the magic is disappearing - whether by lack of upkeep or by removal/replacement or otherwise.

In a utopian world (which many of us believe Disney, as a whole, to be) the magic would always be enhanced - everything would be bright and shiny and new - all the old favorites would be back as we remembered them as well as all the new that we have grown to love (or not, as the case may be.)

For me, being a relative newbie - only introduced to the parks 5 years ago - there is still so much magic that I rarely see negatives in the parks (although, DW and I were both disappointed at the removal of "Tarzan Rocks!) and what little does not seem so magical is easily overlooked.

But, back to your main point -- YES!! We LOVE Disney, and not just WDW, but rather all the magic Disney brings us through the parks and resorts, movies, television, radio, etc., and hopefully, we will never lose that! (10 days 21 hours 50 minutes until our flight takes off for 7 nights/8 days in WDW!!!)

[SonIsThumper]

My family loves everything about Disney!

[DisneyWhirled]

I know Disney's not perfect and it's a company with all a company's problems felt by it's employees and sometimes the guests but I still love it. It's the one place in the world where I can forget that there is an outside world and just be me, have fun, and not worry about anything else. I don't have to cook, clean, drive anywhere, pay the bills, go to work, or any of the mundane things of life. I prefer to see it with those rose-colored glasses, coated in a layer of pixie dust.

My thoughts EXACTLY!!!

[pdrlkr]

[Jeff G]

I absolutely love Disney. That's why I work there, and plan to continue working there until they force me to leave or I die.

But I also acknowledge that there are A LOT of severe problems with Disney, that negatively affect both the CM's and the Guests. A LOT.

As a Guest, you probably aren't aware or even notice them. But, trust me when I say they are there and they impact so much.

But does that lower my love and passion for the company? Not at all. It inspires me to bring Disney back to what it used to be, which is what I love. What it stood for.

But I do love Disney. Sooooo much. It just isn't perfect, contrary to what a lot of people think.

I wish all CM's had your attitude. I've had some very magical moments because of CM's like you and they've made for great memories over the years. Thanks for going that extra mile Jessica, I'm sure you've helped many families have fond memories of their time at WDW. You have an awesome job and I'm very jealous! I hope we randomly run into you in two weeks so we can experience your positiveness.

As for Disney, I've been posting for 10+ years on Disney sites and every year I here people say how it's going down hill. I think for those of us who go back regularly we have a memory of how perfect Disney is and when we experience even the slightest change it's easy to say WDW is going down hill. Five years ago I remember hearing how dirty the parks were and how poor the service was in many posts yet when I think back now I don't remember dirty parks, I remember a great trip.

I'm sure in two weeks I'll experience a thing or two that has changed or possibly won't be quite the way I remember it but then I'll also experience many new magical things. I choose not to dwell on the negatives but focus on the bigger picture. By most accounts WDW is a perfect place to be.

[Figment78]

I just want to throw one more thing out there and then we can all get back to sharing the moments and things we love about Disney...

To any Disney cast memebers out there, like CaptainJessicaSparrow:

Thank you for the part you play in making our vacations the magical experiences they are. I was in no way trying to say that Disney is perfect, nor was I trying to trivialize decisions they have made that have negatively impacted you. You are the heartbeat of the company and deserve to be treated as such.

To further explain the intent of my original post: I just wanted to start a thread that celebrated what we loved about Disney and WDW, and maybe bring a bit of the warm and fuzzies to anyone reading and remembering... and to asuage any potential anxiety for anyone considering our favorite destination who may have read negative posts and become concerned about their vacation decision.

[grumpyguy]

i'm disney guy too.i took my son to wdw in 2000 and it basically changed my way of life.
i came home from that trip feeling young again and with a new belief in the fact that their is a place that even i can pretend,dream and let myself go.it is sad to me when i hear or read when the negatives that are bound to occur in such a mammoth company are the only thing people get out of their disney experience.walt now inspires me everyday,one way or another.my family,friends even co-workers noticed a difference once i became disneyfied.
often i suggest a dose of disney music or magic to people to pick up their spirits!!
so yes,i love disney too.walt is the man

[FriendsofMickey]

I LOVE Disney too!

* It makes us feel young again. From the moment you get the first glimps of the park. The anticipation of knowing your are almost there. It almost gives you the feeling of a Christmas eve when you were 5. The magic is just so alive!

* I even enjoy the Disney queues. I never gave it much thought, but we visited a park locally last year (there last year open, I came to find out). In line, you stood there...nothing else... no show, no music, no fun, no magic. The paint was peeling from the rides,... it made me appreciate Disney just that much more!

* How about the feeling when you have the chance to hug Mickey! Or Donald! Or Minnie!.... Oh the characters! Or when the grab ahold of you and wave to your dh to leave... they are keeping you.

* CMs - in my opinion, the best of the bunch! - Again, go visit a local amusement Park. Then go back to Disney and give the CMs credit where credit is due! They do a GREAT job.


Well, I could go on and on, but I'll burn my lunch . So, I will quit.

[Jasper]

I am a little older than I care to talk about which means that I am fortunate enough to have visited WDW when the Magic Kingdom was only three years old. in the roughly thirty five-years since my first visit to WDW I have heard every complaint under the sun about the Parks and have heard every naysayer and prophet of doom carry on about how the Disney Company as a whole was about to collapse.

If only a tenth of one percent of those naysayers and distributors of gloom were correct then both the Disney Parks and the Disney Company would have been out of business many years ago. And yet the Disney Parks and the parent company are still going strong! That tells me that Disney must be doing more things right than wrong and like the original poster I choose to focus on the positive and not the negatives!

[SurferStitch]

DH and I are definite Disney lovers!!!!

I loved all of the OP's reasons, and I'll add one more....

....Because I can have my picture taken with any character I want, and not look silly because I'm an adult!! I love being a kid there!!!!!

[3AMommy]

I love seeing the World through a sheen of pixie dust!!

I went to work for The Disney Store when my oldest child was a baby. While I loved working there, it did take some of the magic away.

It was a great job though (I only quit to have another baby). Imagine working with everyone from Intercot!!! That's what it was like.

Anyway, Disney represents everything great in the world!!!

BTW--- Does anyone else cry when they see Mickey for the first time on a trip. I do...I'll admit it. I blubber like a fool. It's just so emotional to be there with THE mouse!!!

3AMommy

[jpH/keD]

I love Disney too! It has become my hobby and my escape from reality! And with sites like Intercot I can have a little Disney any time I want to!!

No company is perfect and I am always saying that they want my last dime, but it is still fun to pretend to be a kid again for just a little while!

And great memories w/ my parents and now w/ my kids! Wholesome family good times! Isn't that what it is all about??