How do you respond when someone disses Disney?

[madelinesmum]

A relative of mine recently had a smart remark about Disney saying that Disney always takes stories and changes them. So what? How do you defend people that are always downing Disney?
Mind you this is someone who has NEVER been to Disney World and when she recently got back from her vacation to Yellowstone she commented to me that Walt Disney could never create anything close to what she saw.
I think she's jealous because her parents never took her as a child.
I just get tired of hearing negative things about Disney.

 

[sticker231]

Some people just don't get and and never will. You can't change them, sad souls that they are. Just shake your head and smile.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

My mom is always saying things like, why do you always go to Disney? Don' you get sick of going there? That type of stuff. She has never been there either so I just say maybe if you want to go sometime you will understand

 

[LaraK]

I'd just say "glad you don't like it...one less person in front of me in line"

 

[betsywdw]

I think people are jealous. It seems like the people making the comments are the ones who have never been there. I used to argue but now I just say, sorry that you're missing out on one of the happiest places on earth!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

I just duck the whole issue with those people if possible. We know who they are, don't we?

 

[ransom]

I'm in an awkward position, since I haven't been to a Disney park in 18 years and have never been to WDW. It's hard to defend something on which you are perceived as having no credibility.

I have one friend at work who has been to WDW every other year from the late 1970s through 2003. He's obviously a big believer in the Disney parks. But he's not so much a big fan of the animated features, strangely enough. To him, that's pretty much kid stuff. And as for DLR, he's like many WDW fans and sees it as something that's not worth the time.

Another coworker has been to WDW recently, but to him it wasn't all that special. He was much more excited by Universal, but even that isn't something he has any desire to do again. To him, laying on the beach somewhere is a far better vacation.

There are a few others who have been to WDW, but for them it was a "done it once, don't need to do it again" experience as well.

When I talk about Disney parks around the lunch table, there's just not much enthusiasm from anyone about it. The fact that I plan to spend 8 days at WDW this year, then go to DLR next year, is seen as something strange for a grown man and his wife to do.

And as for discussing the newly (to me) discovered joys of Disney and Disney/Pixar animated features -- forget it!

So, at this point, I'm just keeping mum about most of it, other than my daily announcement of the number of days left before I go.

But after I get back, I'll hopefully be able to spread the magic a little better.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

This recently happened to me this weekend. My friends husband commented: Why do you always go to Disney? There are so many other things to see. As my DH and I both realize this, both our kids are still little and really love WDW. We will do other things as they get older.

But this is also coming from someone who has been on 1, four night cruise in 17 years and spends $1,000 a month on dog shows.

 

[MeghansMommy]

Some people "Get it." Some people don't. Some never will, and that's fine by me.

I prefer to be one of the ones who do.

We're going on our first trip to Disney, and I have to say, it's this board that has gotten our family all pumped up. Everyone here spreads the magic like crazy.

Maybe they don't have any magic in their lives and that's why they don't get it.

 

[tinkersmama]

Just tell them..."It's a Disney thing. You just wouldn't understand." I really just try to ignore the people. They know I love everything Disney and if they don't that's their choice.

 

[Cass]

Don't be mad at them, pity them for missing out on our magic

 

[puddleduck]

Different people like different things. My sil and her family went a few months after we did and she said she wasn't impressed. Of course, they went right in the middle of spring break and didn't take any of my advice, but oh, well. To be honest, she is the kind of person that if we had not liked it she would thought it was the best place ever.

We leave next week with my parents, my brother and his wife and daughter and my sis, her bf and 2 boys. Now, after all the build up my dh and I have given I truly hope that they love it half as much as we do.

The funny thing about my addiction w/ WDW is I never really gave it a thought until I started planning last years trip. I always figured we would take the kids on the obligatory childhood Disney trip and that would be that.
Not . I somehow got hooked.

The biggest thing we hear is, "How do you afford to go 2 years in a row?" It is all in our priorities. I don't see my kids 20 years from now saying, "Mom, I really loved all the electronic devices and expensive shoes you bought us as kids." But, I do see them remembering all our time spent on family vacations (WDW and others).

 

[careens]

I am so tired of explaining/defending my love of Disney that when they don't accept the happiest place on earth type answer or they start with mean spirited teasing I tell them they are dead inside and couldn't possibly understand. Harsh, I know. This got my best friend's husband so riled up he pulled out pictures of himself dressed up from previous Halloweens (not Disney of course) to try and prove he wasn't... LaraK I am using your comeback from now on. It's Perfect!

 

[blondeheroine]

A relative of mine recently had a smart remark about Disney saying that Disney always takes stories and changes them.

Well, technically, every film studio does that. If you go by the Joseph Campbell philosophy, there is only one real story: the hero's journey just remixed time and time again.

Yes, Cinderella is different. They didn't include the stepmother forcing her daughters to mutilate themselves in order to fit into that slipper. Pity. She does realize that almost every culture has their own version of Cinderella, right?

As for the rest, different strokes for different folks. Someone mentioned jealousy and for some, that's true. When I was growing up and I would come back from our trip with a MM t-shirt, kids would rag me. This one girl in particular. What's funny is YEARS later when we were both grown, she got a job working at a department store where I knew one of her co-workers. The co-worker told me that she STILL hated me years later. And her reason? That I got to go to WDW and she didn't. Talk about childish. Some people just never catch that maturity virus.

 

[WillCAD]

A relative of mine recently had a smart remark about Disney saying that Disney always takes stories and changes them.

So does Spielberg. In the novel Jurassic Park, John Hammond was eaten.

 

[Blondie]

I've found that the people usually dissing Disney are the ones who have never been! Isn't that a crock!

 

[rie'smom]

I was tell them:"Whatever floats your boat and Disney floats mine."

 

[jarestel]

I guess it doesn't bother me very much. I like Disney movies and vacations but don't much care if everyone else in the universe does or not. To each their own as someone already said.

 

[cgcruz]

I usually smack em upside the head and tell em "What the **** is wrong with you?!"

That's just me though. Some might say its a little too harsh, but you insult Disney, you insult me!

 

[Step]

So does Spielberg. In the novel Jurassic Park, John Hammond was eaten.

I love that part of the book.

Seriously though, I have a friend who I've discussed my trip with and he asks: "Was it really fun?" "I would never go" etc.

He tried to convince me I didn't really have fun.

I'm hoping to save up enough to go two years in a row myself.