I realize I’m probably in the minority with my feelings.
I will probably lose friends over this.
We don’t do Disney.
I will never take my family to a Disney park.
I don’t even really like Disney movies, TV, or toys.
I just don’t want to feed that monster.
I have so many more important things to do with our money and time.
Parents trust Disney to provide their children with wholesome entertainment.
Wholesome?
When my eldest daughter was very young, we indulged in Disney DVDs, the Disney Channel, and even visited Disney World in Orlando.
What seemed harmless then is certainly problematic now.
I grew up with The Smurfs and Duck Tales. Disney 20 years ago is not Disney now.
I’ve seen probably all the Disney movies, especially the cartoons. So have my kids, but they’re not our favorites.
Disney Junior for preschoolers is mostly ok. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffins actually teach character values within a cute context. Dinosaur Train is a fun nature show that advocates adoption. Little Einsteins introduces great art and classical music. My son discovered Jake and the Neverland Pirates and fell in love, which killed me that they’d ruined Peter Pan! He’s mostly over it now, thank God.
But I’m kinda glad we’ve outgrown that stage.
The shows aimed for tween demographics are disgusting. It seems most of the plots aren’t any better than Clerks or Mallrats. Outrageous attitudes, absent or neglectful parents, glorification of sex are blatant in the dialogue and body language of the shallow characters.
I can’t get over the amount of rudeness in these shows – directed at peers, parents, school authorities, strangers. I don’t want my kids learning social cues from these shows!
Disney teaches disrespect as the normal, expected behavior of kids.
It seems that many Disney child stars grow up and pose nude in magazines, have drug problems, struggle with eating disorders, and more. They obviously feel the need to throw off that Disney image.
I had misgivings about letting my kids watch Maleficent. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And there’s supposed to be a sequel? ugh.
And don’t get me started on the sexist and racist stereotypes in Disney. They’re just crude.
Disney is not wholesome entertainment.
So why would I want to support that empire?
No fluff
I prefer my kids to be exposed to quality books and movies.
Disney entertainment is just twaddle.
I prefer to fill my kids’ heads with quality literature, music, and films.
If we’re gonna have screentime, I want to at least feel good about it instead of feeling we’ve wasted 1.5-2 hours of our lives.
Accuracy
I’m always disappointed by the lack of accuracy in Disney films.
We know the real story of Pocahontas and the Disney cartoon musical is just full of mistakes.
We have read The Hunchback of Notre Dame and fortunately, the gargoyles didn’t come to life when we visited Notre Dame Cathedral.
We have read Greek and Roman mythology and the Hercules show is just silly.
We’ve read the folk tale of Mulan and the movie is ridiculous even if the songs are catchy.
No mindless entertainment
I just don’t see the point of amusement parks.
I did take my eldest daughter to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom in Orlando when she was a preschooler. It was expensive, exhausting, stressful, and she doesn’t even remember it.
I know I’m in a minority on this one. I see all the pictures on social media of all the fun people seem to have at Disney parks. I have no desire to go.
We prefer to travel to see nature, history, culture, art…instead of make-believe, neon lights, painted costumed characters who are paid to smile at kids.
I find it so weird that people scrimp and save and plan trips to Disney Paris…there are a million destinations in Paris we’d rather see than Disney.
It’s just not for us.
What do we do instead of Disney?
I’m a firm believer that if we remove something considered “normal” then we should replace it with a better alternative. I teach my kids why we live differently and have different priorities. I’m not encouraging a mass rebellion over The Little Mermaid.
We read living books and history texts.
We read Grimm’s and Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales. Yes, we sometimes watch the Disney versions on DVD or Netflix to compare/contrast.
We watch classic and new quality films in theatres, on DVD, and streaming.
We travel to lots of places all over the world to learn about history, culture, art, and nature.
I don’t like what Disney teaches.
In the real world, we have to work for what we want.
There’s no magic wand. We don’t always get what we deserve and we’re not all princes and princesses.
Evil is not always obvious and it does sometimes win. Life isn’t always happy ever after.
Reading suggestions:
Disturbing life lessons from Disney.
Disney Treats Family as a 4-Letter Word: ABC Family is now Freeform and Fox Family loses the “family.” Apparently, nowadays, being known as a “family channel” is a liability, not an asset.