TMD 2

I don't know how this could have escaped being in the original TMD post. I must have blocked it out of my memory because of its sheer onerousness.

TMD is WAY TOO MUCH VOLUME FROM THE SPEAKERS ALONG PARADE ROUTES AND EVERYWHERE ELSE THEY AMPLIFY VOICE OR MUSIC. The graying of America may be true and statistical and it may also be true that as people get older they don't hear as well as they could when younger. But this in no way can explain why the speakers play music and voice SO LOUD at virtually every venue in DW's parks. My kids were plugging their ears every time they were near a parade. Heck, I'm getting a little harder of hearing and it was driving me nuts. Has the volume gone UP over the years? By more than my hearing has degraded? Are they pumping up the volume because young people listen to iPods too much and are even harder of hearing than I am? I own an iPod and can probably be accused of turning up its volume too high but Disney's speakers were too loud for me, by a long shot. I also talk loudly because...well, it sounds normal to me. I need the TV volume up a little higher than the whole family -- that's why I get the remote whenever we watch anything. I haven't quite gotten to the point where I've told my wife 'if I didn't hear it then you didn't say it.' But even I, not quite as deaf as a post, could not handle the volume out of the speakers. Sure, it brings attention to the show at hand but really. Somebody's gotta do something!

Good and Salty made some excellent points in her analysis of the appeal of Disney. Go see what she said, it's worth your time. I don't want to sound like I'm a total Disney Scrooge. What I said last time about the good qualities of Disney theme parks is true to me; they're predictable, consistent, high quality, safe, reliable, accessible, and try to be convenient. They are all of that and more. I think this trip we just came back from came at a bad time for me. It's been more than a little busy with NaNo, work pressures, etc... and I was ready for a quiet, low-pressure time off which Disney is not. If I had just come off a quiet period in work and life, I think I would have been ready for a little pump-up-the-action Disney magic.

I remember that quiet thrill of walking down Main Street USA. Heck, I remember the quiet thrill of thumbing through the ticket book and counting how many E Tickets were left -- when did they quit selling their admissions that way? Quite a while ago since the last several visits have been one-price entries. This trip, I was glad to be at a place where we felt safe enough to turn loose the young teenagers on their own, after dark, to go ride what they wanted to while we shepherded the younger set. Can't do that in most "genuine" places like Paris or London or New York.

And I do like Epcot. It's a great blend of information, experience, and fun rides. With the addition of Mission: Space, Test Track, and Soarin' there are enough blood pumpers to keep the excitement high and they also have the interactive displays in Innoventions and other places to keep the mind active. Walking through the faux-countries in the World Showcase doesn't compare with going to the actual places but it's not bad for Florida. The French pastries were so good as to be authentic.

So, sure, a little bah humbug but it was OK. If only they would turn down the volume.