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3/08: I'm in poor health, which limits my posting; MG addicts can check out my Beatles group blog, Hey Dullblog.


Jon calls this "a work of genius"--and I had to pay him almost nothing for the blurb. More mystery and mayhem in the Ivy League, mixing my world with real history to create something entertaining.


I've combed my archives to create this collection of my magazine humor. From The Yale Record to The New Yorker, the best of the pre-Barry years is in here.


My first non-parodic novel is now available! It's school like it ought to be: loud, eventful, and full of swearing!


I'm probably going to Hell for this C.S. Lewis spoof.


The ultimate Harry Potter parody. Three novels, 25 foreign editions, over a million copies sold--it's too much to list here, but you can read excerpts and buy the books at Barrytrotter.com!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Has anybody else gone to Disneyland lately?

Uh, I don't know if there's been a shareholder revolt or something, but I have to say I was shocked to see that it's been turned into a shrine to H.P. Lovecraft. Where's Mickey? Where's Minnie? According to the guy on the tram, "all were driven insane after seeing things no mortal could withstand." For some reason, Pluto's still around, but now he's called "Yog-Sothoth." The "happiest place on Earth"? More like the crappiest.

I asked woman wearing a Disney badge, "Is this like a special thing for the 50th anniversary?" and she said, "No, it's permanent. Don't you love it?" I didn't like the look on her face, so I nodded yes and walked away quickly. At least I spoke English--a lot of the foreign people were confused; I can't tell you how many times I had to explain the difference between "the Deep Ones" and "the Old Ones." People from Red States were clearly put-off, and it scares the sh*t out of kids. And aren't kids what Disneyland is all about?

Not anymore. Now it's all about "mind-shattering terror" and "non-Euclidean geometry." The Matterhorn is now "The Mountains of Madness." "Pirates of the Caribbean" has been turned into "Callin' with C'thulu," starring Rick Moranis. Main Street has been transformed into Innsmouth, and every night at 7:30, "those who have interbred with the Deep Ones caper and cavort in an obscene parade." (We left long before that idiocy started.) People in freaky polyp costumes are always popping out at you, screaming "Cthulhu fhtagn!" I nearly hit one of them. The only good thing is that the "tentacle hats" are a lot cooler than those stupid mouse ears.

I could go on, but you get the picture. The whole place is incredibly depressing, and for children, pretty damn scary. Two thumbs down!

Comments on "Has anybody else gone to Disneyland lately?"

 

Blogger Chuck Pinatubo said ... (3:09 AM) : 

Mike? I know you were trying to warn people, and I'm grateful, really, but that may just work out as an inducement to visit.

 

Anonymous Jerry said ... (8:20 AM) : 

In the mid-90s, Disneyland faced an image problem caused by local goth teens hanging out at the park all day, wearing black and looking glum and glowering at wee ones, and generally pissing on the Happiest Place on Earth Holiday Hopes for people from Ohio.

Kids who live in the area can get a cheap season pass, and many go often, some nearly every day.

The Disney people considered all kinds of things like banning them, etc. to appease the complainers. Then someone talked to a few of the goths, and it turns out they just wanted a place where they wouldn't get beat up, so they hung out at Disneyland, the safest place on earth.

And bless their little pea-pickin' hearts, the Disney people decided not to do anything, and they just let the teens keep hanging out and only mildly menacing the people from Ohio.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (7:18 AM) : 

I hear that THE HALL OF ROBOT PRESIDENTS is exactly the same.

 

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