Disney Magic

There's something magical that happens to kids while they're at Disneyland. Suddenly they stop bickering, they become the best of friends, and they walk hand in hand with mouths agape at the visual thrills around every corner of the Magic Kingdom.

They also start minding their parents, like little Stepford Kids... "Yes, Daddy, I will do what you say, just let me ride Big Thunder Mountain one more time." For five whole days I had these two bright and eager children who never complained or whined or said a cross word to anyone.

I wondered if Disney put something in the water.

But wait, there are exceptions. Many of them. And thank God my kids were not one of them. See the photo above? Look past my two temporarily sweet children at the little family in the background.

You see the mother beating her kid? We saw a lot of that. Huge meltdowns, on the part of both kids and parents. My kids couldn't understand why anyone would come to Disneyland to scream and cry. It's supposed to be the Happiest Place On Earth, don't they know?!

There's something about Disneyland that can bring out either your best or your worst. I guess some people just can't handle spending a day in a fantasy world. Or maybe they're stressed out because they've mortgaged their house to pay for the park food. And to some kids I suppose pirates and ghosts and a gigantic talking mouse can be the stuff of nightmares.

Speaking of nightmares, it almost seems like the best rides at Disneyland are based on the most horrible things. I'll write about that tomorrow.