Cranky Mouseketeers Part 1

Online forums are interesting places, often microcosms of our larger society. The negativity at times can be overwhelming. Anonymity equals empowerment for many people, and sadly, many use these bulletin boards to channel frustrations that likely have little to do with the subjects being discussed. Here are two comments from a recent thread about Walt Disney World's Year of a Million Dreams promotion:

"I'm sorry my son wanted a Fastpass! You don't have to worry about it because I won't be going any more during the celebration! More for you guys to win! I'll give it up! We just felt upset ,because I spent thousands and won nothing!
Sorry! "

"Duh! When you get to the bare bones, a WDW celebration is nothing more than a marketing campaign. Nothing more. Just a reason to make more money. Again, remember 100 Years of Magic? Nothing more than an excuse to make money. No new E-tickets, 4 "new" parades, 2 of which were made on the cheap using former junkyard cars and trucks as parade floats, another which was a recycled version of its predecessor, and a new theme park icon which was nothing more than a pin store. WDW is all about making money, not making art, not making magic. Magical Moments at WDW serve nothing more to reinforce the fact that us, as consumers, and the front-line entry level cast have fallen for this ruse. Even with all of the freebies given away with this celebration, I can assure you that Disney is not losing a penny."

Lots of anger there. The latter post is especially disturbing. Personally, I just don’t feel my enjoyment of Walt Disney World is undermined by the fact that it’s a business with a profit motive. Over the years, my family has experienced numerous magical moments, both orchestrated and spontaneous. It is one of the reasons we keep returning year after year. I’m not “falling for a ruse,” I’m just remaining loyal to a company that consistently treats me well as a consumer.