Digital Devices Destroying Disney's Dreamworld

Ah, the digital age. Isn't it wonderful? A whole computer, pocket-sized and ready to cater to your every whim. A world of convenient devices at your finger tips. But what happens when worlds collide?

Walt Disney World is supposed to be a place where you can escape from the real world and its troubles; a place where you can lose yourself in, as the sign at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom puts it, "a world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy." Yet recently, as the digital age has taken a hold of America, it seems the world of fantasy has been injected with a heavy dose of reality.

Cell phones were the beginning, but when they first appeared most of them were too bulky and expensive to really create much of an imposition. Of course, now everybody has one, and as much as they are are handy for keeping track of your family, they are a royal nuisance when you are forced to hear someone else's conversations while eating lunch, waiting for a ride, and yes, even using the restroom. (By the way, if you feel so bold, next time you hear someone in a restroom talking on their phone, make the loudest, rudest noises you can. It may make them think twice about where they hold their "private" conversations.)

In my Guide to Enjoying Walt Disney World Through a Viewfinder, I recommend bringing a digital camera for taking pictures. They can make taking and saving pictures a lot more convenient than conventional film. Consequently, making something more convenient also tends to make people less considerate about it. With the ability to take as many pictures as you want (within the limits of your disc capacity, of course), and delete any that you don't, digital cameras have become a major source of annoying habits around Disney World. People will take pictures of anything, anywhere, with flash, for the unlikely chance to capture something, usually with little to no consideration for the people around them. Take a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean for a perfect example of this. These people are a reason why I created the Guide to Enjoying Walt Disney World Without Annoying or Offending Others.

The third thing that bugs me (though thankfully this is not am imposition on anyone other than the user) are iPods and other music players. Though I admit I wear earphones while I navigate the parks by myself, I never have them on when I'm with someone else. Plus, I have an excuse: I know all four parks inside and out and I am aware of the atmosphere, and that's important. The Attractions are only half of what makes Disney World magical, the other half is atmosphere, and half of the atmosphere is the sound effects and background music. By wearing earphones one denies him- or herself a huge part of the Disney difference. That may not matter to the person with the iPod, but it projects outwardly a lack of interest in what makes the place special.

It's a shame to see Disney losing control of its environment, through no fault of their own. There seems to be no clear solution either, nor do I believe Disney is looking for one. It's one of those problems that only bothers the anal-retentive Disney fanatics like myself, and frankly Disney seems more interested in attracting more new guests than keeping their old and devoted ones. But that's a topic for another entry...

The Nightmare Before Thanksgiving

Someone once asked a friend of mine when she felt the Christmas season begins. She replied, "when someone wishes me a Happy Halloween."

Sadly, this is not a joke. It seems every year Christmas comes just a little bit earlier. All one has to do is take a look at the local shopping mall or department store to understand what I mean. No sooner do the cobwebs and jack'o'lanterns come down than the wreaths and tinsel appear.

Now it is one thing to be surrounded by Christmas while doing some early holiday shopping, but do we really need to be exposed to it while on vacation? If you arrived at Disney World around November 1st - the very day after Halloween - you would have seen all of the parks decked out for Christmas, and Christmas carols being played in various areas around the resort and parks.

I understand that Thanksgiving is an American holiday, and the rest of the world wouldn't understand our association between Thanksgiving (or the day after) and the Christmas season, but is it too much to ask to wait until Advent before we start ringing the silver bells? By the time Christmas Eve arrives, most people are so Xmased out that they couldn't care less if Rudolph saves the day or not.

And the characters? Starting November 1st, most of the characters are dressed up for Christmas. If I took my family to Disney World in early November and all of our pictures with the characters looked like late December I know I'd be really disappointed. I mean, Goofy's dressed up as Santa Claus, for crying out loud!

It could be just me, but I think November is too early for Christmas. Maybe the second or third week at the earliest. The sad part is no matter how much we hate being bombarded by Christmas this early, it's here to stay. So fa la la your heart out and try to keep the spirit. It is, after all, the most wonderful time of the year, no matter how much of the year it takes over.

Where Dreams Really Do Come True...

There is a sense of excitement in the air around Walt Disney World today, more so than usual, and a lot of that excitement is due to Disney's newest global celebration: Where Dreams Come True.

For 35 years now people have been coming to Disney World with the sense that there was something about this place that sets it apart from other amusement parks. Everyone knows that it's the only place where they can meet Mickey Mouse and Cinderella and many other of their favorite Disney characters, and most people are aware of the attention to detail Disney puts into their attractions and environments, but most people seem to have lost touch with what really makes Disney World such a magical place.

Unfortunately, in an increasingly negative and cynical society, a world where everybody seems to think they're more important than everyone else, it's difficult to get that magic across to people who see Disney World as a place where they must be made happy because they say so. Over the past decade or so, I've seen Disney World slip from a place where everybody is happy, to a place where everybody is whatever they want to be, and Disney judges happiness by numbers and profits. The attitude seemed to be to bring as many people in as possible, and if some of them left with magic, great; all the others still came aynway. Well, people got wise, and through all the cynicism came the voice of those who truly believed that Disney World could be so much more than what it was portraying.

Finally, Disney listened. With the Dream Teams roaming through the parks, Disney is poised to start making the magic themselves again, and I've already seen the results. This celebration is exactly what Disney stands for. Surprising people with magic that no one else can offer. Nearly everyone who visits the Magic Kingdom has wanted to live in Cinderella's Castle, if only for one night. Now Disney is offering the chance. You want to visit all five Disney Resorts? Now you can, if you are lucky enough to be chosen as worldwide parade grand marshal. Disney has even gone so far as to reward guests who do magical things themselves with an exclusive pin that commemorates the moment, which itself comes with a pin for that guest to reward another guest's magical moment.

This is exactly the type of positive reinforcement Disney needed. For too long, the squeeky wheels have gotten the grease. Those who complain the most and make the most noise have been running away with all the prizes Disney has to offer. Now, in order to receive the magic you have to become a part of it, and it seems as though most people are discovering this, if only on a subconscious level. It is bringing the best out of people and, most importantly, attracting the types of people to whom Disney has always reached out.

One of the Dream Team members was telling me a story recently about a Magical Moment. A random seat was chosen on Star Tours at a particular time of day and whoever ended up in this seat won a $500 shopping spree. The prize was won by a 9 year old boy. This boy and his father had planned this trip to Disney World together without informing the mother or sister. They didn't even know they were going to Disney World until just before they left.

Upon winning the shopping spree, the boy went through the shop buying presents for his sister first, then his parents individually. He had the presents for his mother and sister (who were on another attraction at the time) mailed to their home as a surprise for when they returned. He commented that he wished he could have won dinner at the Royal Table (a full service restaurant on the second floor of Cinderella's Castle) because his mother and sister had unsuccessfully been trying to get reservations all week. The Dream Team member (who was at this point in uncontrollable tears) made these arrangements for him.

Finally, almost as an afterthought, the boy bought himself a single, limited edition Star Wars watch with what was left over.

I am getting misty-eyed just typing this story...

This is exactly what Disney World is all about: bringing families together, creating genuine happiness, and making dreams come true. This celebration has brought the magic back where it belongs, and I hope to see more excitement in the coming months. With this celebration Walt Disney World has solidified its purpose in society, and has confirmed to even some of the most hardened hearts that it truly is a place "where dreams come true."