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> I love Disney and I love Dolly Parton, but it says something deeply broken about our national priorities when their theme park trains outclass public infrastr

by danans 1y ago

> I love Disney and I love Dolly Parton, but it says something deeply broken about our national priorities when their theme park trains outclass public infrastructure in billion-dollar economies. Be serious Reducing public transit to an unserious/unreal thing is the point. People who live in car-bound places (most of America) visit theme parks like Disney's where a big part of the novelty is the make-believe urban walkability and transit (i.e. Disney's "Main Street"), creating the belief that such things are fantasy (tied to the rest of Disney's make-believe world) rather that something quite normal that people in much of the urban world experience (minus the dancing anthropomorphic mice). Essentially, what is pretty normal elsewhere is repackaged as fantasy in the US. Are Dollywood/Disney part of some great conspiracy to undermine walkability and transit in the US? No, but they sure as heck know that people feel better in that kind of human-scale environment, and they are fundamentally in the business of making people feel better via escapism.

Exoristos 1y ago
Main Street's "make-believe urban walkability and transit" represent all American towns of the pre–Henry Ford era. American families with roots here are well aware of this. Or people who browse classic American literature or film. In fact, I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary.
- danans 1y ago
  > I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary We agree with each other. I know they were real in the pre-car era (and I have lived in some of the few remaining walkable US towns and cities), but note that my comment was speaking the present tense, not the past tense like yours. Walkability is not the average American's lived reality today. In fact, living in a walkable area tends to be a marker of heightened privilege nowadays, sadly.
ethbr1 1y ago
Related: Chaumont-Sur-Loire [0] and Chenonceau [1] are both absolutely gorgeous in person, especially when everything is in bloom, and less than 3 hours drive from Paris. (Or train, since it's a civilized country) Would highly recommend a château trip down the Loire valley over Disney. ;) And if you really need a faux fix, there's always Mini Castle Park [2] near Amboise... [0] https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en [1] https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ [2] https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ PS: Yes, I know Neuschwanstein, but haven't made it to Bavaria yet. On the list!

by danans 1y ago

Exoristos 1y ago

Main Street's "make-believe urban walkability and transit" represent all American towns of the pre–Henry Ford era. American families with roots here are well aware of this. Or people who browse classic American literature or film. In fact, I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary.

danans 1y ago
> I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary We agree with each other. I know they were real in the pre-car era (and I have lived in some of the few remaining walkable US towns and cities), but note that my comment was speaking the present tense, not the past tense like yours. Walkability is not the average American's lived reality today. In fact, living in a walkable area tends to be a marker of heightened privilege nowadays, sadly.

ethbr1 1y ago

Related: Chaumont-Sur-Loire [0] and Chenonceau [1] are both absolutely gorgeous in person, especially when everything is in bloom, and less than 3 hours drive from Paris. (Or train, since it's a civilized country) Would highly recommend a château trip down the Loire valley over Disney. ;) And if you really need a faux fix, there's always Mini Castle Park [2] near Amboise... [0] https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en [1] https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ [2] https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ PS: Yes, I know Neuschwanstein, but haven't made it to Bavaria yet. On the list!