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Abstract

/p>My children struggled to deal with their individual choices of which ride they wanted to go on.<figure id="8ea5"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*[email protected]"><figcaption>Picture by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/dBEJG6hv224">Sandro Gonzalez</a> on Unsplash. I picked this picture because the fireworks were really impressive. They were timed and controlled, I’ve never seen fireworks like these in years of Diwali celebrations.</figcaption></figure>Disneyland is a dream destination if –1. There aren’t too many people who want to go on different rides, and you don’t know or care about the entry fee.2. You don’t try to get “paisa vasool” which means, “my money’s worth”That also means you don’t walk too much trying to squeeze in an extra ride for the same amount of money, hurting your happiness and your health in the process. I could have maybe walked more, but I started to hate myself for wanting to squeeze every extra penny out of the park by going on an extra ride, like stuffing oneself at an all-you-can-eat-buffet.3. Disney means: be OK with paying to stand in line, not just the ride.4. I had a lot more fun at JC Penney where I got some nice t-shirts the girls wore till they grew out of them, and now the maids’ child wears them happily. The t-shirts were only $5 each and I got leggings to match!I know! I’m horrible. Who compares Disney to JC Penney? I just did. This is not the way to enjoy life, in USA

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.Having children who love watching Disney movies does not translate into their enjoying the rides, or you enjoying the rides with them.<figure id="1944"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*[email protected]"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="e000"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*[email protected]"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="a410"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*[email protected]"><figcaption>My kids at their school Children’s Day fair. Happiness isn’t restricted to Disney location fairs. Photos by author.</figcaption></figure>Maybe if I had never watched Frozen, and if my kids had never known Disney, we would never have gone to any amusement park with such long lines. We’d have traveled less, and enjoyed ourselves more.Or maybe not. Back then, I was in a dark place emotionally, having just suffered the loss of my mom.All said and done:Go to DisneyWorld only if you have money and health to burn.If you don’t mind paying as much for standing in line as you would for going on a ride.And if you genuinely think burgers, fries and black coffee are a good and filling lunch.Money and happiness don’t always intersect, is my message. My brother and sis-in-law love me and my family to bits, but I wasn’t ready because I got hungry, guilty and irritable at the Happiest Place on Earth.</article></body>

PARENTING

The Happiest Place on Earth?

DisneyWorld pushes all the wrong buttons

I grew up being taught to save money. America was a culture clash from day 1 for me, and on day 17 the vacation was over.

At Disneyland, my brother paid $110 per head, and there were 8 of us! So we paid $880 that day and I simply couldn’t take that hit to my heart, skip along have a great day.

Throughout the day, I consoled myself about the money. I consciously screamed at myself, Roopa! This is the only time in your life you will be in Disneyworld, and the only time in your adult life you will be in USA, maybe.

Try to enjoy it.

I couldn’t, I didn’t and I had a miserable day. The walking (17,000 steps) and the awful “food” at their restaurant with better decorations than food made it worse. It was all just baked bread — burgers and subway sandwiches, French fries and coffee without any milk.

Life is also much tougher for vegetarian people watching what they eat at places like these, because if you have to choose between refined flour and nothing, you either eat the refined flour and potatoes and feel hungry 10 minutes after the meal, or you eat nothing and stay hungry. DisneyWorld doesn’t carry filling vegetarian protein meals for the long walks they make you take.

My children struggled to deal with their individual choices of which ride they wanted to go on.

Picture by Sandro Gonzalez on Unsplash. I picked this picture because the fireworks were really impressive. They were timed and controlled, I’ve never seen fireworks like these in years of Diwali celebrations.

Disneyland is a dream destination if –

1. There aren’t too many people who want to go on different rides, and you don’t know or care about the entry fee.

2. You don’t try to get “paisa vasool” which means, “my money’s worth”

That also means you don’t walk too much trying to squeeze in an extra ride for the same amount of money, hurting your happiness and your health in the process. I could have maybe walked more, but I started to hate myself for wanting to squeeze every extra penny out of the park by going on an extra ride, like stuffing oneself at an all-you-can-eat-buffet.

3. Disney means: be OK with paying to stand in line, not just the ride.

4. I had a lot more fun at JC Penney where I got some nice t-shirts the girls wore till they grew out of them, and now the maids’ child wears them happily. The t-shirts were only $5 each and I got leggings to match!

I know! I’m horrible. Who compares Disney to JC Penney? I just did. This is not the way to enjoy life, in USA.

Having children who love watching Disney movies does not translate into their enjoying the rides, or you enjoying the rides with them.

My kids at their school Children’s Day fair. Happiness isn’t restricted to Disney location fairs. Photos by author.

Maybe if I had never watched Frozen, and if my kids had never known Disney, we would never have gone to any amusement park with such long lines. We’d have traveled less, and enjoyed ourselves more.

Or maybe not. Back then, I was in a dark place emotionally, having just suffered the loss of my mom.

All said and done:

Go to DisneyWorld only if you have money and health to burn.

If you don’t mind paying as much for standing in line as you would for going on a ride.

And if you genuinely think burgers, fries and black coffee are a good and filling lunch.

Money and happiness don’t always intersect, is my message. My brother and sis-in-law love me and my family to bits, but I wasn’t ready because I got hungry, guilty and irritable at the Happiest Place on Earth.