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I had a wonderful childhood and Disney was one small part of it.
Disney was fun, entertaining, educational and seemed harmless at the time. I must have been immune to the hidden agenda way back then in the before times.
The movies in the theater were fun and my mom would sit with me in the back row so I could move about without bothering anyone.
I knew immediately when they began to release the movies on video tape that it was all over. Once people could buy the movies the theater was not necessary.
Back then they would re-release each movie about every seven years. Smart marketing. But then the videos started and that was it.
Herbie The Love Bug at the drive-in was so fun, and now these things are gone.
I even saw a few at Radio City Music Hall.
I was a smarter kid because of some of the scary themes. I knew to avoid strangers offering shiny things and tales too good to be true. And I learned about liars, cheats and thieves.
I am a musician now and recognize how Disney gave that to us. Just watch Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke, or Fantasia. Amazing.
We learned about love, and starting a family, even if was set around a bunch of puppies.
And we learned that sometimes things we love die.
Sunday nights at home brought The Bugs Bunny, Road Runner Show and The Wonderful World of Disney. Good stuff when you're a happy child.
The parks were a blast. Running from ride to ride to try and fit as many as you could into a day.
I was at Disney World in 1971 when they first opened. And visited Disneyland several times too.
I am so glad now for earlier days of blissful ignorance.
Now we see clearly the no longer hidden agendas and the dumbasses that care only about themselves and manipulating the world around them.
It is sad to see what has happened, but it was fun, long ago.
Funny how things work out, The Hall of Presidents was always one of my favorites. Go figure.
Thanks for reading.
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I hated Disney as a child and strayed away from it very quickly, yet I learned all the same things you did.
We never needed Disney.