It's not all magic.

The happiest place on earth is also the greediest. As much as I like going to Walt Disney World, I detest the Disney organization or what it has become in recent decades. Making a reservation was hell itself. They seemed to want to squeeze every bit of information out of me so they could send me and any fellow-travelers endless spammed sales pitches. Every phone call is an opportunity for them to reinforce their data base, so you can't do anything without answering fifty questions. Fail to comply and you can go no further. Maybe I'm naive but I believe Walt liked children and tried to give families value for their money. But Disney today seems to be only interested in tots, toddler, tweens, and teens whose parents can afford the most costly vacation. The prices at their resorts are sky high. Every ride now deposits you in an inescapable retail outlet. Eating at a Disney restaurant is not affordable for the average family. Even the videos, which most kids would like, are released intermittently and enormously over-priced. Walt Disney World seems like the perfect place: beautiful, fascinating, magical, manicured, charming topiary everywhere, lazy paddle boats, all kinds of fantasies come true. And the workers or elves or whatever they are smile and giggle, bob and weave, bow and scrape in the most robotically sweet manner. The only thing that's missing in this Florida paradise is a genuine heart.

Note: I have booked 6 days at the Wild Kingdom Lodge.If I have to cancel and don't do it within five days, they keep $286.00! For doing nothing. Another example of their greed. All right, that amount won't kill me. But think about a family that's been saving all year to visit Disney World, and a family emergency requires them to cancel. Taking that amount from them is theft.

Note: I cancelled in time to get a refund, but spent about twenty-five minutes on the phone doing it. I decided that Spring Break would be a turbulent time to visit Disney World despite the reassurances from the cheerful elves that it would be just fine.