Ah, Twitter. It’s the best place to go to offend and be offended, isn’t it? At least we know exactly where to go when we want to feel like we’re literally on fire with rage. Over the past few days, a not-so-fun conversation about DisneyWorld popped up and made its way through the Interwebs. Somehow, the happiest place on the planet is making some people very, very unhappy.
Basically, an annoyed mother felt that childless millennials should not be allowed to enter the Disney parks. Obviously, this isn’t something Twitter is going to take lightly, and predictably a debate ensued.
Should people without children be allowed in the Disney parks?
Now, regardless of your thoughts on Disneyland, Walt Disney himself, icky and flagrant shows of capitalism, and how the new Disney movies compare to the original films (now, that’s a convo worth having), this conversation is about whether or not it’s okay to ban people from the park simply because they do not have kids. And this isn’t exactly a comfortable conversation to have.
Here’s a screen-shot someone took of the original post, with the commenting status, “This is my new favorite wild mommy post. It’s me, the millennial slut who just goes to Disney World to make children cry.”
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The mother writes:
“These IMMATURE millennials THROW AWAY THEIR MONEY ON USELESS CRAP!!!!! They have NO idea the JOY and HAPPINESS it is to MOTHERS WHO BUY THEIR BABIES TREATS AND TOYS!!!!”
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It surely begs the question: why does she care what people spend their money on? And how does it impact her ability to spend money on her own child?
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Also, this person brings up a point. A pretty good point:
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And while we can certainly understand the plight of the woman who has a screaming, exhausted three-year-old child, we think her choice to use rage and slut-shaming language is just to stir conversation.
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Perhaps Disney should have kids-only sections, or adults-only areas?
Perhaps that’s a better idea to meditate on, without insulting total strangers? Just an idea.
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Apparently, others agree. One op-ed writer wrote, “The usual complaint about those born between 1981 and 1996 remaining constant 12-year-olds is that the behavior amounts to self-infantilization and a lifelong immaturity that bleeds into basic decision making: getting jobs, paying bills, staying alive.”
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We think this is a bit harsh, considering studies have proven that millennials work harder and work longer hours than their predecessors did. But hey, that’s just what little ol’ Harvard has to say.
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The thing about Disney is that people of all ages want to get in on the magic, mythos, and history of the characters and stories. And that’s ok.
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In some ways — and again, some people do disagree — Disney is a way to tap into a sense of childlike wonder in a world that strips that from adults.
Also, a lot of people never had a chance to visit Disney parks as children.
This might be due to financial limitations or being too far from the parks, and so its a way of being able to enjoy that experience, even if it’s as an adult.
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Not to mention, there are people who can’t have children or who have lost children. And these tweets can be painful to anyone who is going through infertility issues or grief.
Here’s what some folks had to say about it all. Exhibit A.
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And then there’s this. It’s not totally untrue, and brings up a great point about a lot of Disney characters.
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This tweet brings up a good point. You never know a person’s motivations, life story, or history. And it’s unfair to judge.
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Look, we all know theme parks of any kind can be a hellscape.
They’re hot, crowded, dirty, and expensive AF, but people want to have fun and let loose, and everyone should be able to!