Academics at WDW/DL

[jmysticsea]

Are there any academics/higher ed people floating around out there? I'm a huge Disney geek (love the movies, characters, and have a premier AP) but I'm also a college professor who often feels self-conscious opening up about my pop-culture and vacation interests to my friends and colleagues in casual conversation. Mostly, I struggle with academic types who can't see past the social critiques thrown towards Disney (which admittedly, are valid) but visiting the parks and loving the movies is so much more to me than just handing over cash to another capitalist enterprise.

Anyone out there have similar thoughts and experiences?

 

[Derry Wade]

Yes! I work in higher ed and get many eye rolls / smirks from both faculty and professional staff if I mention an upcoming Disney trip, or anything at all Disney related unless it’s about Disney’s marketing structure or stock value (I work in a business school). This is despite being the parent of two elementary aged kids, which one would think explains a lot (though really I’m the not-so-secretly biggest Disney fan in my family). There seems to be an attitude at work that only a sucker would pay so much for vacation. I’ve learned to keep it on the down low! On the bright side, fewer people competing for FP+

 

[Arielfan98]

From a college student's perspective, most college students are jealous that I go to Disney often. Perhaps it's a generation thing since most millennials grew up with great Disney animation in the 80s-90s. Yes, I think most people my age are aware of Disney's financial power, but they look past it. In today's society there are arguably larger fish to fry in the eyes of most millennials.

 

[brad813]

Are there any academics/higher ed people floating around out there? I'm a huge Disney geek (love the movies, characters, and have a premier AP) but I'm also a college professor who often feels self-conscious opening up about my pop-culture and vacation interests to my friends and colleagues in casual conversation. Mostly, I struggle with academic types who can't see past the social critiques thrown towards Disney (which admittedly, are valid) but visiting the parks and loving the movies is so much more to me than just handing over cash to another capitalist enterprise.

Anyone out there have similar thoughts and experiences?

I am an academic in training(anthropology to be exact). I would just tell people that I am running a social experiment that requires me to immerse myself in the population in question to properly observe them. Anthropology of Disney....lol.

 

[brad813]

From a college student's perspective, most college students are jealous that I go to Disney often. Perhaps it's a generation thing since most millennials grew up with great Disney animation in the 80s-90s. Yes, I think most people my age are aware of Disney's financial power, but they look past it. In today's society there are arguably larger fish to fry in the eyes of most millennials.

Agreed. Those that grew up in the 80s and 90s(and to some degree 2000s) seem to have our hands full as is, and we do tend to do what we want.

 

[jmysticsea]

I am an academic in training(anthropology to be exact). I would just tell people that I am running a social experiment that requires me to immerse myself in the population in question to properly observe them. Anthropology of Disney....lol.

Awesome! I'm an anthropologist as well and I have given that exact reasoning myself in regards to my Disney interests. Every now and then I will throw in a Disneyland reference in my lectures and it helps appear more relatable to students but I tend to tone it down or do what you do and contextualize my visits to the parks among colleagues. Glad to know I'm not the only anthropologist on here!

 

[jmysticsea]

Yes! I work in higher ed and get many eye rolls / smirks from both faculty and professional staff if I mention an upcoming Disney trip, or anything at all Disney related unless it’s about Disney’s marketing structure or stock value (I work in a business school). This is despite being the parent of two elementary aged kids, which one would think explains a lot (though really I’m the not-so-secretly biggest Disney fan in my family). There seems to be an attitude at work that only a sucker would pay so much for vacation. I’ve learned to keep it on the down low! On the bright side, fewer people competing for FP+

More FP+ indeed! I am reasonably lucky to have a boss in my department who is also a Disney geek but since she has more power than I do I feel like she has more of a right to be out and proud about it, I still go the DL route most of the time. Since I'm in the social sciences and not business, folks in my corner of the world tend to take their valid critiques to a whole new level of cynicism towards Disney in particular while indulging in other corporate franchises without comment. I just wish they could be consistent...

 

[jmysticsea]

From a college student's perspective, most college students are jealous that I go to Disney often. Perhaps it's a generation thing since most millennials grew up with great Disney animation in the 80s-90s. Yes, I think most people my age are aware of Disney's financial power, but they look past it. In today's society there are arguably larger fish to fry in the eyes of most millennials.

I agree. There are definitely less responsible corporate giants out there than Disney. For many 20-30 somethings in North America, Disney is more than a company, it's an integral part of how we relate to the world.

 

[brad813]

Awesome! I'm an anthropologist as well and I have given that exact reasoning myself in regards to my Disney interests. Every now and then I will throw in a Disneyland reference in my lectures and it helps appear more relatable to students but I tend to tone it down or do what you do and contextualize my visits to the parks among colleagues. Glad to know I'm not the only anthropologist on here!

Still working on my bachelors, but I plan to do interdisciplinary studies with focuses in anthropology and religion(don't ask, but going the comparative route with this). I have had a smattering of psych courses as well. Trying to figure out how to use my degree to help people once I complete it.