Disney: The Loneliest Place on Earth

Ah, the Magic Kingdom. The happiest place on Earth, where families travel from afar to bask in the wokeness of Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and a bunch of dwarfs that now find themselves politically incorrect -- all to relieve stress and the pressure of reality. Right now, Disney in Orlando is about the dullest place on Earth, and ticket holders amble about the park wondering aloud if they missed the “closed” sign at the hotel or while riding the monorail.

Yes, some folks are raising alarm bells, blaming a poor economy on a lack of visitors. Others say the folks at the park overstepped their bounds, becoming politically active against Governor Ron DeSantis. But could it be a mixture of timing, political action, and lack of family vacation dollars? Probably a healthy concoction of all the above.

Cinderella Turns Activist

Progressives fueled by LGBTQ+ activists launched an attack against Florida’s state government after it passed the Parental Rights in Education act. The legislation states, “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur.” Liberty Nation explained the situation recently:

“And in keeping with made-up content that becomes suddenly real, Ron DeSantis did not say, ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ no matter how catchy the slogan may be – nor does not saying ‘gay’ have anything to do with the Parental Rights in Education legislation, which prohibits teachers from instructing k-12 students on any sexual orientation, sexual acts, or anything related to transgender.”

LGBTQ+ made enough noise nationally that Disney felt the need to put the colored pencils down and stop creating new transgender characters and get into politics. Politics: a decidedly stressful and unhappy discussion to have if you want other than LGBTQ+ families to visit the $81 billion-dollar corporate enterprise each year. Someone must keep the Seven Dwarfs in porridge.

What would Walt Disney himself think of all this hullaballoo? He was a pretty buttoned-up guy who once told the iconic Saturday Evening Post that his park would have “No liquor, no beer, nothing. Because that brings in a rowdy element. That brings people that we don’t want, and I feel they don’t need it.” Can they do shots in the afterlife? Because Disney was a conservative family man, some might think he’d be appalled at the political battles his namesake now enters on behalf of a small minority community. Oh, and they are adding all sorts of new cocktails at the Magic Kingdom this month.

Perhaps the dust will settle on this turn of events at the once Happiest Place on Earth. But if it all quiets down, will the people who really need a break be able to afford the ticket?

It’s The Economy, Disney

A Smart Water is $5, a bottle of Coke $4.50 at myriad street stands if you are out in the park, sun-fazed, and parched. Or for fine dining, perhaps at the heavily Beauty and the Beast-themed restaurant, Be Our Guest, it’s a set price for lunch and dinner per person, one should save up for:  $62 for adults and $37 for children under ten years of age. If you take in the hotel and the bells and whistles, a Walt Disney World vacation in 2022 costs around $7,435 for a 5-day stay for the average family of four.

Who in this country suffering from this economy, insanely high inflation, and gas prices through the roof of the prince’s palace can afford such a trip?

And Then There’s Timing

August and September are notoriously slower months for Disney. School is back in session, international travel slows considerably, and folks return to regular schedules. According to Disney and most bloggers who watch the park with an unnerving focus, after July 18, through the end of September, is a quiet time at the park. Now that those vacations saved for and spent are done, will folks continue to seek out Disney World for an expensive foray into unreality in 2023? Conservative families may boycott the adventure’s grandeur and find their time and travel funds better suited to Six Flags or Kings Island.