Welcome
to Beyond Blue Sky,
where I pull out all
the stops and share my very wildest and wackiest ideas and
observations. Attention, Bobsled riders: thar be squalls ahead and
there's no turning back now!
Boy,
those Disney marketers sure love to spam the word magic,
don't they? (Also dreams
and wishes
and believe,
but magic
is our focus here.) Disneyland is the Magic Kingdom, even if the name
officially belongs to its Orlando counterpart. Advertising invites
you to “experience the magic.” Or “share the magic.” Or
“bring home the magic.” The short street running alongside the
main parking area for the resort is called Magic Way. The year 2000
brought us the 45 Years of Magic Parade and the fireworks show
“Believe...There's Magic in The Stars.” The holiday fireworks are
still called “Believe...in Holiday Magic.” “Mickey and the
Magical Map,” currently showing in the Fantasyland Theatre,” draws full audiences (and deservedly
so—I'm
not claiming that the mere presence of an overused word automatically
taints anything associated with it). We're due to have the MyMagic+
system imported from Florida, thereby allowing guests to reserve time
on attractions, appointment-style, with their Magic Bands. And that's
just what comes off the top of my head.
That's
a whole lotta “magic.” And the irony is that those marketers are
probably completely unaware that the very geography of Disneyland
hearkens back to ancient traditions of real
magic, in the sense of mysticism and spellcraft.
