The "Lack of Imagination Generation"

[skyhawk]

Just back from 8 days at WDW - had a wonderful time, myself 44, DW 42, and two teenage boys 13 and 17. I've been to WDW many times since mid 70s when it was just the Magic Kingdom. After the kids were born, we still went, and always had wonderful experiences. Took about 6 years off before coming this last time in August. The kids enjoyed the trip, but I couldn't help notice they seemed to have a "is that all?" attitude. While they didn't say they were disappointed, it was obvious.

Hmmmmm -now - why is this? Why did they love it 7 years ago, and now it's just "Ho-Hum" . Which brings me to my theory......Over the past few years, we have been to Six Flags, Hershey Park, and Busch Gardens several times- (plus an exciting Disney Cruise). These are all Thrill Ride theme parks - roller coasters, flying rides, bouncing rides - real "in-your-face" stuff. This is not a bad thing, but.....

Pirates of the Carribean , the Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, et al......all require the use of imagination. My kids, unfortunately are not used to having to "work" for their thrills - "work" meaning using their imaginations - Thrills are now thrust at them at other parks.

The point of my post? Not really sure- perhaps to express sorrow that my kids are missing out on enjoying simpler, but still exciting things in their lives. I do feel bad, that they do not feel the eay I felt 30 years ago when Space Mointain had me in awe, and I couldn't get the "Tiki Room Song" out of my head.

Thanks for letting me vent here. Hope I'm not showing my age.

 

[wilma-bride]

I know exactly what you mean. I think, as adults, we are able to appreciate the 'magic' and the effort which has gone into designing/theming the Dsiney parks.

My biggest fear is that, when we take our DDs next year, they will be terribly disappointed with it all - although it will be their first trip abroad and to any sort of theme park (not counting a rubbish little place near where they live) so I hope this will make it more cool for them.

It's a shame that a lot of kids just don't get the 'magic' of the place. But, then, I reckon a lot of adults don't get it either

 

[Frantasmic]

Don't feel bad for your kids. I think you speak for parents of teens everywhere with your post.

My upcoming trip to WDW will the the last one with the "magic" you speak of I think. My daughter will be 11. She can still "earn" her thrills this trip, but future trips would be anywhere from 4-7 years away and I don't think she will enjoy it as much as she does now. My 5 year old son will be ecstatic and this trip will be like Christmas morning for him, I hope.

Disney is for the 3-12 year old in all of us. It is a Neverland: one that we thrill to until asked to "move out of the nursery" and one which we fondly remember, either as adults with kids of our own or as the inner Wendy, if you are lucky enough to capture her shadow...

 

[k5thbeatle]

Great topic! I'm sure there is more to it than this but I also agree with your post except that I also believe there are adults like this too.

People nowdays want everything spelled out for them. Everything must always be pushing the envelope. Look at movies as an example. Years ago a scary movie was scary because it built suspense and you imagined what might happen when the alien or whatever it was got you. Now a scary movie is only scary if it shows the ax going into the victim in super slo-mo with blood and guts flying everywhere (sorry for the description). There is nothing left to the imagination as it is laid out for all to see?

There are plenty of other examples to use but I fear this is a trend that will continue for some time including at Disney. I like roller coasters and thrill rides as much as anyone but I know I would be disappointed if that is all WDW became. After all I haven't visited Universal or Six Flags dozens of times but I have DisneyWorld!

 

[ScoJo15]

I definitely think that there is a gap in age where WDW may not be appealing. The teenage years are the thrill seeking years where time will be spent on the roller coasters, bungee jumps and high intensity rides found in other parks (hmmm, that's why they build IOA...lol). But there will come that time in life (mid 20s maybe?) where the kid-turned-adult will yearn for a trip back to the world to be swept away to that magical place once again. That magic will start all over again once they have children and thus complete the Disney "Circle of Life".

 

[dpratt]

Don't fret, it is called being a teenager. My first experience with a Disney park was Disneyland when I was 16. I didn't think much of it. It was too "childish" for me. My second experience was in WDW when I was 19. I stayed offsite and thought some of the attractions at MK and Epcot were pretty cool (DS/MGM wasn't open yet), but overall I didn't see myself going back.

Since then, I've been there three times and absolutely love it (at 29, 30 and 35 years old). The older I get, the more I enjoy it. I'm going again in 28 days (36 years old)!!!

 

[mmccoy]

I agree with the sentiments of the first poster, but I think we, as parents, have an obligation to "enhance" the experience for teenagers.

Before our last trip we did tons of research into the history, technology, etc, behind the rides and parks. We were able to add another dimension to attractions like Haunted Mansion by talking about ghost stories and strange occurrences that surround the ride.

In addition, we came up with trivia quizzes that we took turns reading while waiting in lines. We also put together some documentation on hidden Mickeys scattered throughout the park.

If you can afford doing the extras, you can also reserve special tours. On our October trip we're going to do the Segway tour at Epcot.

Now, having said that, we still got the "roll your eyes" treatment pretty regularly. And the kids still wanted to ride ToT until they were glassy-eyed, but at least they took the time to admire the theming as they waited in line.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

My younger sister is the same way, we got our annual passes when she was 11 and for about 2 years we would go twice a year and she loved it.

But when we went in Nov. 2004 and then in Mar. 2005 I noticed a difference, she had fun but missed her friends. We did a big 10 day family trip Auf. 19-29 and she seemed bored at times.

So I guess it is just being a teenager not wanting to go away with Mom and Dad. She loved watching Wishes 3 nights in a row!! She even bought the CD!

 

[iwannabeminnie]

Okay, I admit that I am on the "wrong" side of 40. I will admit to belonging to the generation for whom The Wonderful World of Disney was the highlight of the week. A generation who ate three meals a day, everyday, AT HOME around the table. Not at McDonalds, not parked in front of the television, and NEVER in the car. I think a part of the reason our kids don't experience the same wonder at WDW that we do is simply because it IS slow paced (meaning the rides, not getting from one attraction to the other -lol). Our kids race from one activity to the other and when they aren't racing physically they are parked in front of the television or computer game where the action is always going 100 miles an hour. As far as using their imagination, WHAT imagination? We have robbed our children of imagination. In my daughter's English class they read "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", but NOT unti they had seen the movie in class. So much for drawing your own interpretation. She had a preconcieved idea of how each character looked, acted, and spoke because it had been laid out for her in living color. Heck, even girl's clothing leaves nothing to the imagination any more. Maybe the reason our children don't see WDW like we do is because they no longer have imaginations.

 

[JP-STL]

I think this generation is, indeed, the "lack of imagination generation." I think its because they are the "video game and DVD generation." Everything has always been so visual and immediate for them.

I notice this when I try to interest my kids in some of the early Disney movies...the classics. Those movies are so slow-paced by today's standards. The stories unfold with such deliberation...much more dialogue and much less action than today's movies. My kids won't sit all the way through Bambi. Too slow and boring.

 

[LlamaKuzco]

Don't worry to much. When I was 17 we went to WDW for 12 days and to Cedar Point for 1 and a half. I thought CP was so much cooler than WDW and had more fun my 1 day there than my 12 in Disneyworld. Now I am 24 and I would rather spend time in Disneyworld than any other park in the world.

 

[kakiegirl]

I agree with the poster and I also think it is because most kids these days have so much and face it are spoiled. Cartoons are on 24 hours a day, they have video games, CD players, the internet, and all of these high tech gadgets and it seems they get harder and harder to excite. I know my dd 6 does not get excited over the simple things that excited me as a child. She enjoys, going to Disney and the beach and the places we go, but to me she just dosen't get as excited or see the magic as I did as a child and I really think it is in part because she does go and do so much, it is really not big deal to her. Just the other day I told DH it is really sort of sad, she will never know the excitement of Saturday morning cartoons. I remember being her age and that was the highlight of my weekend, the 4 hours or so in front of the TV on Saturday morning (which was really about the only TV I watched). Now with Satelite and cable kids have what about 6 or 7 channels that play nothing but kids shows 24 hours a day.

We went to Disney this summer and I thought to myself she has a good time but she just dosen't get it like I do. It is not magical to her like it is to me and I am 35 years old. Maybe one day she will.

 

[LisaMayTX]

I have to say though that my DD (almost 14) loves to watch the old Disney movies and the Disney Channel is her favorite TV channel. When we went to Disney 2 years ago, she and DS (almost 13) were in awe when we saw the characters. I'm hoping when we go back in 2007 that they'll still feel the magic!

 

[jann1033]

interesting thread. i can see such a difference in how kids today are being raised compared to how my kids( now mid 20s) were raised much less how i was raised!...they didn't have a dvd in the car so they could keep themselves entertained for the 10 mins it takes to get home from the mall , they played or read a book and weren't stuck to a computer or tv all day, every toy wasn't so detailed they just basically sat back and watched the toy like so many do now. i don't know if it's a lack of time so parents want to deep the kids occupied cause they are overly busy or what but it's sad some kids have totally lost that sense of wonder and imagination

at least i'm glad my daughter is a reader and she is teach gbaby to love books( sil will teach her to love tv too! )

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

I've seen this a lot today too. I'm 21, and WDW has ALWAYS had a magical qualtiy to me. I've always had a big imagination, love the Disney movies and read constantly, so I think this has helped. Its sad to me when I hear people complain that they think a lot of the rides are "boring." Personally, to me even these rides are exciting, where else besides the Disney parks can you ride in the middle of a sea battle, complete with cannons and pirates? Its slightly comforting that while Disney does have thrill rides to enable it to compete with other parks, all these rides still have a theme or storyline, even Rockin RollerCoaster

 

[jrjac]

I definitely think that there is a gap in age where WDW may not be appealing. The teenage years are the thrill seeking years where time will be spent on the roller coasters, bungee jumps and high intensity rides found in other parks (hmmm, that's why they build IOA...lol). But there will come that time in life (mid 20s maybe?) where the kid-turned-adult will yearn for a trip back to the world to be swept away to that magical place once again. That magic will start all over again once they have children and thus complete the Disney "Circle of Life".

EXACTLY! YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH, AS THE SAYING GOES. VERY WELL WRITTEN, ScoJo15!

 

[bigmac5]

We just got back from our first trip to Disney and the reaction of my boys was interesting. DS14-is a computer nut and wanted to find a computer to check his emails, had that "is that all there is look" and "can we go to Cedar Point next year?" DS13 is a little more artsy-enjoys drawing and spend more time doing sports than on the computer or PS2 saw the beauty in the detail--was amazed at the tree of life in AK. He also let himself go a little and had his picture taken with a few characters and even got a couple of autographs. DS11 is a shyer child and one not to take risks enjoyed the pictures and autographs of characters. He refused to go on the thrill rides and even refused to go into 3D shows after doing one. One thing they all enjoyed--the free dining and trying new and different places to eat.

 

[Jobie]

It is called advances in technology. Back in the day when Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, etc. they were the most technological advanced rides. They were the most realistic "robots" during that time. Remeber this was before CG graphics and such. Infact, Disney developed the first steel roller coaster, Matterhourn as DL. Any way, as Disney decided to keep these rides, and not advance their technology too much, other parks took what Disney started and advanced it. Just take at IOA's Spiderman. That is this generation's Pirates. 7 year olds nowadays gets the same type of thrills that the 7 year olds in the 70s did with Pirates. It is called progress. Preteens and teens are exposed to more and more technology everyday, so it will take more to impress them. Thoes 7 and under crowd, do not see technology on Pirates, but the original Magic. As kids get older they see more technology than "magic". Does that make sense? I grew up going to WDW, then when I got older I went to Cedar Point every year. It was really hard for me to go to disney and take what they called thrill rides as a thrill. Sure it is fun, but not nearly adrenoline pumping. Then when you go to a newer park, like USF and IOA, they do great theming and tell stories with their rides, just like WDW, but with the updated technology. So guess what, that impresses the pre-teen teenager group a lot more than WDW. I know for the older ones out there this is a hard pill to swallow, but Disney really needs to do a major Re-hab to their parks, especially Magic Kingdom. They need to find out some way to be able to keep the classics or a classic feel, but implement the newer, more thrilling, more adventerious technologies.

So to sum it up:
What you remeber as imigaination, was really you being blown away by the technologies of that era. You were too young to realize it was technology; you thought it was "magic." This generation needs some new "magic," not some 50 year old pixies dust that is loosing its ability to make us fly, but the new stuff that makes us think happy thoughts and makes us rush towards the sky!

Jobie

 

[Jobie]

Oh yeah just to comment about the video games:

TRUST me, as an avid gamer, your kids are using their imiginations as they play games just not the way ya'll used to. Especially in games where you are given choices and create your own character. Many of the newer games requier you to think critically and to fully understand a new and unique that is as deep or more as a novel, seriously. With that being said, kids do need to get up off their ****'s and breath some fresh air, but we can't all be so anti-gamming either. Games have come a long way since pac-mac, as when it comes to graphics and depth, just ask any kid that has played Elder Scrolls III or World of World Craft, how much depth is there and how much of their imigination is being used, and you will be surprised. Oh yeah, this is comming from a guy that used to have 1,000 imginary freinds, liked to "build" forts abd such, as a kid. Rember muppet babies? How in every episode they used their imiginations their entire world changed around them, yeah that was me as a child.

 

[Mrs. Squirrel]

Whatever the reason, it is still a sad moment when this realization happens. We just got back from WDW on a family trip with my parents, DH, DS1, DSis, DBil, and three DNephews -we are all very close. My oldest nephew said to me on our 4th day while waiting for a MK bus, "Aunt Jaynie. . .this is kinda boring!" I assumed he ment waiting in a line, so I said to him, "Yeah, but it will be over soon and we'll be at the park!" His reply, "No. . .I mean the park. It's sometimes boring!" I liked to die right there on the spot! I got that sick to your stomach feeling. The same as I get when I see my infant son maturing when I desperately want him to stay young and innocent and there is nothing I can do to stop it! AHHHH! By the way, my nephew just turned 9 so I think this is happening younger and younger with our young people!