The past weekend found me at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort attending a corporate function. I have been to Disney World twice before , once in 1989 and another time in 1995 , both were for vacations. While Disney has added many new attractions and hotels since my previous visits, things are, alas, still pretty much the same.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I need to fess up to that fact that three of my least favorite things are waiting in lines, navigating my way through huge crowds who are simultaneously trying to figure out where they are going as well, and families arguing in public , and all are present here in abundance at Disney theme parks. At the same time, I must admit that the Disney properties are popular destinations for both family vacations and corporate meetings and some people seem to enjoy the time they spend there. The staff , or more appropriately the cast members – as Disney is want to designate their employees , are attentive and try to make your stay as pleasant as possible. After traveling most of Saturday and arriving at the hotel after midnight, the shuttle bus was where it was supposed to be, the person at the registration desk knew I was coming, and got me to my room replete with a tuna sandwich for this hungry traveler.
However, there are two things that continue to strike me about Disney theme parks. The first is the faux nature of almost everything , everything is a reproduction and a Disney interpretation of the reproduction at that. It is Disney’s way of creating a reality they want you to believe is true. I guess that is part of the “fantasy land dreams comes true motif. For example, The Coronado Springs Hotel is meant to replicate the Mayan culture and architecture with a southwest bent. Buildings are called Ranchos and Casitas, yet to me look nothing close to the authenticity of the real thing. I live in New Mexico in an authentic adobe casita with viga beam ceilings and a kiva fireplace. I’ve spent time on haciendas as well as on the pueblos, and I think at the least, my friends in New Mexico would find what is here at best amusing and at the worst, possibly insulting. In short, it is almost a mind-numbing place. And the sad part is that many visitors will think that this is an accurate representation of this culture. Please visit New Mexico and make your own assessment.
The second is the number of families , theoretically on vacation , that I over hear in heated discussions and sometimes full blown arguments about how they need to rush here and rush there to see whatever. It seems that the same need to schedule everything and stick to the schedule carries over from work to vacation.
I’ve often said that every organization is perfectly organized to get the results its gets or wants. Perhaps Disney creates these faux environments, and the lines, and the feeling that visitors need to schedule their time to do as much as they can , so they do that and spend as much as they can while they are there. Maybe I’m being overly sensitive and way too cynical. It just seems that maybe we need a little more authenticity in all that we do from the way we create our living and work spaces to the way we carry out the tasks of daily living to the way we relate to each other. I think we would all agree that that the physical space in many work environments is not the most welcoming of places and often doesn’t really promote the kinds of work interaction the organizations purport to seek. And as I’ve documented elsewhere on this site, the relationships among workers are not always the best they could be. So does a place like Disney World help or hurt the people who want to work and play well with others? Comments, anyone?