Disney Magic

A few weeks ago, I took Ramona and Mika on a Mommy-Daughter date to see a performance of "Disney on Ice." We have never seen anything like it before, and the girls were pretty excited.

There is definitely something magical about Disney, especially for children. The music, the characters that draw you in, the happily-ever-afters. Most of this stuff I am okay with.

Double-sided cards from "Alice in Wonderland"

Tinkerbell flying high

Prince Naveen, Tiana, and Minnie Mouse

Possibly every Disney Princess skating with her Prince during the finale

The type of "magic" that is less satisfying to me is the marketing magic that makes Disney so good at making money. I was hoping to leave the ice arena that evening simply feeling good about spending time with my daughters and enjoying an entertaining performance together. Unfortunately, I was completely unprepared to be bombarded by multiple colorful kiosks (there must have been at least 15) outside the arena selling their overpriced but strangely alluring Disney merchandise, as well as several insistent vendors holding out enticing "grab bags" as people headed toward the exits. "Last chance!" "Get them while you can!" 

The resulting effect for us was: two little girls filled with an overwhelming sense of consumer lust, plus one irritated mother who was determined to not give in to pressures to buy, spend, and get. My children know I don't open up my wallet for just anything--I try to be thoughtful about most purchases (some would term this "cheapskate"). They never ask for things at the store and only occasionally express that they wish they had something. Even for kids like this, the atmosphere of commercialization was just too intoxicating at the Budweiser Event Center that evening. There was whining all the way back to the car, and an overall feeling of disappointment as we drove home.

Thankfully, the "good" magic did manage to survive in some form. The next day, I heard Ramona singing some of the songs she had heard the night before, and from time to time the girls recounted memorable parts of the performance to their dad. So, maybe it was worth going, despite some sour moments at the end. I just don't know if our family would survive a trip to Disneyland or Disney World, as un-American as it seems to deny our children that experience. Don't worry, Disney, you'll still get our money, in one form or another. There is some good in you, after all!