New York Times Magazine story on Disney Trip

[woodleygrrl]

Hey all-

Take a look at the story in this weekends NYT magazine, "You Blow my Mind. Hey Mickey!" (it is by subscription only, but I am assuming many of you have passwords to the site or get the paper at home.)

Much of it is laugh out loud funny. I just want to know what "on-line forum" he goes to that tells him where he can go to well, engage in some illegal adult behaviors while at WDW.

Jennifer

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Wow, I didn't think anything in that article was funny, or particularly good. The author spends half the article talking about how to get high on drugs.

 

[manhattan]

There were a couple of parts that made me laugh, but others made me wonder about why the NYT would run it. Still appreciate you sharing the article

 

[woodleygrrl]

Manhattan: agreed. he does mention in the article that now that it is published he expects the "Disney Police" to investigate.

There is another thing that just hits me the wrong way in this article. I know that many of you all have dealt with the following: A friend says to you, "You love Disney? How funny! You must love it in that ironic, hipster way though, right? I mean you don't really appreciate the attractions and shows and stuff right? You like to go there because it is fun to make fun of."

Yeah, no. I am a hipster, I admit it. I am part of a couple with no kids and no plans for them either. We have enough money to have a "money is not an object WDW vacation" once a year. I have to tell you that I am not going to Disney to make fun of everyone at Disney that is having a great time.

That is the part of the article that I resent. I am all about you making a decision to smoke weed. Smoke it up. However, don't make it sound like in order to tolerate WDW you have to be high to do it.

Just my two cents, yo.

Jennifer

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Manhattan: agreed. he does mention in the article that now that it is published he expects the "Disney Police" to investigate.

There is another thing that just hits me the wrong way in this article. I know that many of you all have dealt with the following: A friend says to you, "You love Disney? How funny! You must love it in that ironic, hipster way though, right? I mean you don't really appreciate the attractions and shows and stuff right? You like to go there because it is fun to make fun of."

Yeah, no. I am a hipster, I admit it. I am part of a couple with no kids and no plans for them either. We have enough money to have a "money is not an object WDW vacation" once a year. I have to tell you that I am not going to Disney to make fun of everyone at Disney that is having a great time.

That is the part of the article that I resent. I am all about you making a decision to smoke weed. Smoke it up. However, don't make it sound like in order to tolerate WDW you have to be high to do it.

Just my two cents, yo.

Jennifer

Jennifer,

We are also double income, no kids, money is no object travelers. We're not hipsters, though. And we have a good time at WDW.

 

[woodleygrrl]

Solidarity, sister!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Awww, I wish I could read it!

 

[kellymonaghan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/magazine/a-rough-guide-to-disney-world.html

I believe the Times lets you read an article if you come to it via a link. Let me know.

I found the article extraordinary and fascinating, but I don't mean either of those adjectives in any positive sense.

Extraordinary in that the august New York Times published an article that makes light of, even glorifies, breaking the law. The Times also seems to be endorsing addictive behavior that could have disastrous consequences on the children involved (both families had kids in tow). What would happen if Dad was suddenly facing hard time for violating Florida's drug laws?

Whatever you think about the decriminalization of marijuana, the law is the law.

The publication of the article also raises interesting questions about what sorts of behavior the Times considers "okay." Can you imagine the Times publishing a "funny" article about two dads whose idea of a good time was to sneak off to ogle teenage girls and make remarks about their bodies? Or to engage in binge drinking that left them falling down drunk? Would the Times run an article on how to get around the prohibition from smoking in an airplane lavatory?

I also find the article fascinating fodder for speculation on what the fallout will be.

I think it goes without saying that the author, John Jeremiah Sullivan, will be banned for life from Disney, a prospect that he might welcome. But what about his wife and child? Will his little girl only be able to return when she is old enough to get there on her own steam and pay her own way in?

I also assume that the author made some attempt to mask the identity of the other family by using made up names (although if he says this, I missed it). But it won't take much detective work for Disney to review Sullivan's on-property hotel records and ID the other family.

According to the article the pothead's wife is a true Disney buff who takes the family there twice a year. What will happen their next trip?

If I were in charge of Disney Security, I'd be tempted to let the pothead in, shadow him, catch him red handed and throw the book at him. But let's just say they take the less draconian step of banning him for life. What about the kids?

Will they be prevented from experiencing the Disney magic because of the sins of their father?

I also have a pretty good idea that anyone who tries to use this article as a "How To Smoke Dope at WDW" guide should think twice. The article mentions a dopers' chat room that lists the best places to toke up at WDW. A few minutes of Googling will find it, if you're really interested.

My guess is that Disney Security is interested. I'd expect hidden cameras to be installed in those locations before you can say "bibbity bobbity boo" and followed up by undercover surveillance. The last thing Disney needs is hordes of dopers looking for a little extra magic! And with the publication of this article Disney will be especially eager to demonstrate that this sort of thing will NOT be tolerated.

All in all, I find the whole thing rather appalling.

 

[disneym2m]

I guess I might be on my own, but I didn't see anything wrong with this article. The writer wrote his opinions and his experiences. He wasn't trying to hid anything. Now most of us, who are Disney fans, may not like this article because he is not saying Disney is the greatest thing on Earth. This article was his opinion and every one has a right to their own opinion.

I do think it is sad that a father needs drugs to get through a Disney family vacation but I can understand. My husband is not a fan of WDW, but he comes with me because he knows it makes me happy. But unfortunately, I know he is just miserable. And I KNOW my husband isn't the only spouse who thinks like this. There are other Disers who have spouses that just don't understand why we like Disney.

I think the NYT printed this article because it gave a different point of view. It was an article about a father who as a child didn't have great family vacations. But if you read carefully, you can tell that the writer did his best because he knew it made his daughter happy. The writer didn't grow up with Disney and therefore didn't understand why people like Disney so much.

I wouldn't say this was the greatest article about Disney but I can understand it from a point of view of a non-Disney person. And I understand that not all people like Disney, like we do.