Can there be too much happiness in the land of happiness?
Just find a viewing spot and watch it unfold for yourself.
Enthusiastic parents only wishing to make their children
the happiest children on earth,
tow them from attraction to attraction--ignoring the
warning signs until disaster strikes.
Happiness overloads lead to dramatic meltdowns.
Vesuvius could take lessons
from the molten wrath of a furious three year old.
“Oh, my God!” the parents say with their eyes as they stare at each other, bewildered.
"Who is this child?”
The child is so angry he can’t articulate his needs,
his glassy eyed frenzy stuns them.
They can’t begin to guess the cause of his flailing fury.
What is this Magic Kingdom anyway?
There is organization seldom seen in our everyday world.
Keep things moving, amuse, distract, amaze.
And all the while billfolds leak money.
A bottle of water costs $2.50.
That’s a bargain with temperatures in the 80’s.
Themed park wear tempts with hats, shirts and key chains.
We need these things to confirm we were there.
Everyone has a camera. Sometimes two or more cameras. Hundreds, maybe thousands of cameras recording
every activity so that later we can see what we saw
and remember what we did.
Cuisine? No, afraid not. Instead we have expensive
institutional food served up with extreme efficiency
in exotic looking food courts and restaurants.
Somehow it all tastes much the same no matter the setting.
Rides excite and make the most jaded adult gasp and scream,
a child again for a few minutes.
All is coordinated to facilitate maximum traffic flow.
Indifferent audiences clap and file out to hurry to the next attraction
on their intense program of calculated delights.
All perfectly orchestrated to preserve the theme and deliver
lessons in
recycling,
conservation,
ecological responsibility
and sensitivity to all creatures great and small.
All good things, of course, but does the cost of running the park and
staging giant pyrotechnic shows seem ironic to anyone? Anyone?
Each area exists free of religion, strife or worship
except for a brief “Namaste” at the beginning of the bird show.
Here the African Kings and Queens get to sing and dance together.
Genocide? Never heard of it. Why would we do that?
God, Allah, Yahweh all absent.
Unless you count the tourist shirts that say
“Jesus Rocks” or “Birmingham Baptist Convention”
Visitors are captured forever in their happiest moments of gaiety and celebration.
Parades, spontaneous songfests, mandatory smiles, giggles optional.
Disney characters meeting and greeting captivated fans of all ages.
Color, music, sounds all synchronized to heighten the experience.
Is this a better place?
Could Disney solve our differences?
Control traffic?
Improve attitudes?
Quite probably he could.
Would we be better for it?
Or would we, like the overloaded children, suffer a breakdown
from too much of a good thing?
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Ode to Disneyworld
Can there be too much happiness in the land of happiness?
Just find a viewing spot and watch it unfold for yourself.
Enthusiastic parents only wishing to make their children
the happiest children on earth,
tow them from attraction to attraction--ignoring the
warning signs until disaster strikes.
Happiness overloads lead to dramatic meltdowns.
Vesuvius could take lessons
from the molten wrath of a furious three year old.
“Oh, my God!” the parents say with their eyes as they stare at each other, bewildered.
"Who is this child?”
The child is so angry he can’t articulate his needs,
his glassy eyed frenzy stuns them.
They can’t begin to guess the cause of his flailing fury.
What is this Magic Kingdom anyway?
There is organization seldom seen in our everyday world.
Keep things moving, amuse, distract, amaze.
And all the while billfolds leak money.
A bottle of water costs $2.50.
That’s a bargain with temperatures in the 80’s.
Themed park wear tempts with hats, shirts and key chains.
We need these things to confirm we were there.
Everyone has a camera. Sometimes two or more cameras. Hundreds, maybe thousands of cameras recording
every activity so that later we can see what we saw
and remember what we did.
Cuisine? No, afraid not. Instead we have expensive
institutional food served up with extreme efficiency
in exotic looking food courts and restaurants.
Somehow it all tastes much the same no matter the setting.
Rides excite and make the most jaded adult gasp and scream,
a child again for a few minutes.
All is coordinated to facilitate maximum traffic flow.
Indifferent audiences clap and file out to hurry to the next attraction
on their intense program of calculated delights.
All perfectly orchestrated to preserve the theme and deliver
lessons in
recycling,
conservation,
ecological responsibility
and sensitivity to all creatures great and small.
All good things, of course, but does the cost of running the park and
staging giant pyrotechnic shows seem ironic to anyone? Anyone?
Each area exists free of religion, strife or worship
except for a brief “Namaste” at the beginning of the bird show.
Here the African Kings and Queens get to sing and dance together.
Genocide? Never heard of it. Why would we do that?
God, Allah, Yahweh all absent.
Unless you count the tourist shirts that say
“Jesus Rocks” or “Birmingham Baptist Convention”
Visitors are captured forever in their happiest moments of gaiety and celebration.
Parades, spontaneous songfests, mandatory smiles, giggles optional.
Disney characters meeting and greeting captivated fans of all ages.
Color, music, sounds all synchronized to heighten the experience.
Is this a better place?
Could Disney solve our differences?
Control traffic?
Improve attitudes?
Quite probably he could.
Would we be better for it?
Or would we, like the overloaded children, suffer a breakdown
from too much of a good thing?
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The confounding thing is that people (including some of us) choose to submit themselves and their families to these experiences rather than be responsible for our own memories. Having someone else do it is the mantra of our times. It's the 'anyone but me" attitude of paying for what we desire - whether we call it recreation or entitlements - carried over to our private lives. What sense of need, desire or loss suggests that someone else can entertain, educate or please our families better than we can? When did that become Mr. Disney's responsibility? When did a week on crowded rides supplant a week on a stream, campground, at grandma's or just together as family? I think I missed that moment, although it must have happened long ago. As a great-grandparent, I would rather host a jacks tournament, BBQ and sleepover than substitute momentary manufactured electronic thrills for enriching experiences that might bring a family closer together. But theme park attendance figures suggest that I am in the extreme minority. That's nothing new and I think I'll remain there, along with the antiquated notion that love isn't the giving of money, it's the giving of self. My hat is off to those who choose and sponsor a group experience where everyone contributes their time and effort towards enrichment for all, something like a family and friends "SuperCamp", and reap the rich rewards of simply sharing the moment with those they love.
ReplyDeleteOther, sounder minds than mine will surely disagree. But in the meantime, would anyone care for a jacks tournament and some hot dogs?
Be careful what you wish for. I may have to start shopping for jacks and hot dogs. Which, by the way, is not such a bad idea! Way to go Grandpa Chuck!
ReplyDeleteBy the way I think the founder and creater of Super Camp (our son Jim) would agree that the rewards are rich indeed.