The Myth of Disney Magic

It appears that Disney has an image problem — and it’s entirely their fault. Raise your hand if you have ever heard the expression “Disney Magic?”

Everyone?

Good.

But what does that really mean? Because it seems that these days, a lot of people have a very skewed perception of what Disney Magic really means. If you spend any time in a Disney-related Facebook group or on chat boards, you’ll probably see comments like these (these aren’t direct quotes, just paraphrasing):

• “I want a character to visit my daughter in our room. I have the money to pay for it, I should be able to do it.”
• “(Fill in attraction here) was down the day I visited. I want my money back.”
• “(Fill in planning site here) said that today wouldn’t be crowded, but it was. Disney should really limit the number of people they let in.”
• “I can’t believe it rained every day of our trip! Why does Disney let that happen?”
• “I found a single hair on the floor of my room at All Star Sports. I want to be upgraded to theme park view at Grand Floridian.”
• “It was my daughter’s birthday, but they didn’t let her lead the parade or fly down from the castle with Tinkerbell. We’ll never go back — they broke my little princess’s heart!”

These comments sound absurd, don’t they? Yet every day, people say things like this online — or worse, go to guest services. They expect, usually because they shelled out thousands of dollars for a vacation, that Disney will bend to their every whim. Your child dropped ice cream down her shirt? Well, why wouldn’t a cast member appear out of nowhere with a brand new one to replace it? It’s Disney after all.

A lot of this is Disney’s fault. Their entire marketing strategy is built on magic, and the notion that the moment you set foot on their property you’ll experience the best of everything and everything will be perfect and fantastic and wonderful. Things happen here, things that don’t happen in the “real world.” And for the vast majority of visitors, a Disney vacation is magical. Even if they don’t get any sort of “Pixie Dust” during their visit, even if Junior throws up in a trash can after riding the teacups, it’s still the experience of a lifetime.

But there are some — a growing number, it seems — that seem to think that “Disney Magic” translates into “Something for nothing” or “Special treatment.”

Here’s the thing, folks: Disney is a business. They serve millions of people every year. There is no possible way that they can give everyone everything they want every minute of the day. And rides go down. The weather can sometimes be hot/cold/rainy/windy. There are safety rules to follow. Oh, did we mention — they are a business. Like it or not, despite the warm fuzzies that a moment with Mickey can bring, Disney is a business.

They are not going to give you a $500 per night room when you paid for a $100 per night room unless something went horribly wrong. If you catch a cold or don’t like you dinner or have to tell your little one that he can’t ride because he’s too short, it’s not Disney’s fault. They want you to be happy, but they can’t control everything, and they can’t fix everything.

And yes, sometimes things do go wrong. When they do, that’s the time to complain, and if your issue isn’t resolved, to escalate the situation. You need to know, though, when to complain. It’s disappointing when Splash Mountain is down or under refurbishment. But that doesn’t mean you deserve your money back. If your child slips on some ice outside of your hotel room and knocks out three teeth? Then it’s time to say something, and maybe ask for something in return for your trouble.

Disney Magic exists.

Almost anyone who has visited the parks can tell you stories about something wonderful that happened during their visit, whether it was the smile on their kids’ faces during a parade or a cast member offering a free balloon to a crying child. Disney Magic is the excitement you feel walking down Main Street, USA or the chance to try new foods in Epcot. Disney Magic isn’t getting everything you want or think you deserve just because you showed up. That’s the funny thing about magic — it shows up when you least expect it. So maybe let’s stop looking for things to complain about to try to make magic happen, or at the very least, keep our expectations in check.