Disney Landed...

I've written before about loving Disney. WAY back when I was micro blogging on Facebook before they stopped supporting that, and then had to move it over to Blogger the old space for these things. Here's the link.

And the general thing about it hasn't changed. I love Disney for all of those reasons. It's such a mix of people, and people who are there to have fun. It's nostalgic for me, from being there as a kid and as a teen and as an adult before we had Katie to being there with Katie when she was little and then with her as an adult on to being there with just the two of us again. Disney has been a constant.

Now...am I sure it always will be? I don't know. For now I still get more joy than stress out of it, but with the constant price adjustments and now their cost cutting I'm not sure the center will hold.

The thing we noticed this trip was the lack of cast members. Instead of being greeted at the entrance by a person who scans your ticket, you scan your own. There is one attendant for like 5 or 6 lanes. There were fewer people in the park cleaning and running the stores and the stands. All of those missing people took something away from the park experience.

It's expensive to go. Feeling like you are being taken care of, and more importantly, that there are people there genuinely happy to see you, is part, was part, of the experience. It's part of the cost benefit ratio. Even if you don't realize you are making one, you are. Is this expense worth it? And we go big. We stay on park, we eat at the breakfast buffet on park, we buy souvenirs. We want the full experience.

And they are whittling away at that. By letting people go, and by not paying the people they are keeping enough. You can see it in their boredom. In their lack of connection to the job. It's a job now where before it was a JOB AT DISNEY! That is going to end up hurting the park eventually. Nostalgia will only paper over the cracks for so long.

And then the people...

People, we need to talk. We've lost something over the years. Some sense of civility. Some sense of politeness. We saw it the last time we were there but wrote it off to a moment. We went in November of 2024 right after the elections. There were red hats and MAGA shirts all around. We were in line for Toy Story Mania with a family Mom, Dad, 3 boys and a daughter, who all had shirts with his face on them. With the "Daddy's Home" or "Spankings Begin" slogans on them.

Do you remember that oddness? When they all called him Daddy and wanted him to spank people? So fucking weird.

But anyway, there they all were. And I thought, you got up this morning and dressed your family like that to piss people off. To own the libs. Instead of thinking I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND! You thought, I'm going to drink liberal tears! Of course, they were two election cycles off for liberal tears. That was 2016, 2024 was met with liberal fury. So instead of tears they got dirty looks and backs turned to them. Which I'm sure they thought was great. TRIGGERED! But it was rude. And you all know I cannot abide by rudeness.

And that's what we saw more of this time. Not the red hats, not this time. Though Brent thought the abundance of Ohio State fan hats and shirts counted, and before the election I agreed but though they are still crimson they are a lot less red.

Anyway...

A lot more rudeness.

Not a complete breakdown in society. I think the stroller parking at Disney is one of the main examples of an upheld social contract. People leave their strollers with their snacks and diaper bags and such and ride the rides then come back and it's all still there. The fact that things aren't just taken is always a good sign to me. Now that could be because nobody is in there for free and there is the understanding (at least I think there should be) that we are all under surveillance while in the parks but still...

But more pushing in lines, or cutting into lines. More crowding around and blocking things out. We were waiting to see a parade on Thursday and Brent made a point to move over so a family could put their stroller where he had been so the child could see and the wave of thankfulness from them was a lot. Like, yes, say thank you, but that shouldn't be the exception, that should be the rule. Are you shorter than I am? Stand in front of me. Not you, 6'5" dude trying to push your way ahead.

And the rides that don't have real lines at points? Like Haunted Mansion and Rise of the Resistance. No need to push me out of the way, we are all going to the same place. You'll get the same view if you are ahead of me or behind me when we board the actual ride cars. But this walking area? Just fucking walk instead of trying to push ahead of everyone else.

I'll give really excited kids some grace, but the parents? Nah, bruh, you need to back out of my bubble or I will pop.

Then the other part we had to reckon with this time is...

I'm old. Like I know I'm old. But I'm pretty fit. I even lift bro. But I'm fit (sigh) for my age. And man, a few days walking around Disney really showed that. And even at the much slower pace than we used to do it. We've hit 10 miles in the parks easy before. Now it was like, hey, how about we get a water and take a break? Or what about instead of grabbing a snacky dinner and eating it in line we actually go back to the hotel and eat at the restaurant and then go back to the park for fireworks later?

It was slightly embarrassing. But necessary.

I am old. And I'm not really bothered by it. And I am in good shape, for my age. But because I'm older we need to do it differently now. A lot more breaks vs breakneck speed.

So all of that aside, it was still great, and as long as I leave the park thinking it was great I'll keep going. Hopefully that won't change. Though I'm afraid it will.

I'll write about the actual trip tomorrow and drop in a few photos with that.