Ever since I can remember Disney has always been in my life; since I was very little and my mom dressed me up in a Minnie Mouse outfit, to now where I go to sleep wearing a Stitch pajama shirt, because he is my favorite Disney character (even though I am a 20-year-old college student and not a three year old). What I am trying to say is that Disney has been and still is present in my life and as I take a step back I realize that this is not purely a coincidence. Disney is one of the largest, if not the absolute largest, corporations in the world. Therefore its influence is very prominent in the world.

From the time we are babies, we are introduced to all of the Disney characters, from Mickey and Donald Duck to the princesses. As little kids we are bombarded with different types of media involving these characters, which are all essentially marketing strategies. The infant might not be asking their parents to buy them a Mickey stuffed animal, but parents tend to do so because Mickey Mouse is something that they grew up with as well. As the kids grow up a they start to watch more and more Disney movies or shows. Something that Disney is an expert in is self-promoting in their own media. For example, as a little girl I would watch the cartoons that were on Disney Channel and at the same time during previews they would show commercials of their parks and what an amazing experience these parks are.

I can remember after my first time going to Disney World I was almost six and I kept trying to make a pact with my dad that we would soon return. I was not satisfied with just one time. I kept begging my father to promise me that we would return in at least three years and when he settled for four years the countdown began at that instant. Disney is so powerful that even when you're already at the park, they are still having you start to think about the next visit.

Once I got older there is no denying that I wasn't in to all of the Disney Channel shows. From "Hannah Montana" to "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody", I would be constantly watching the network. Watching these shows also would lead me to buying the soundtracks, DVDs, clothes, etc. Every actress that was in a show would also have a singing career, which now that I think it of it, was just a strategy to maximize profit.

Now, I am not going to lie, I still love Disney and I still watch all of their new movies. Like I said before, I currently own multiple things from a Stitch pajama shirt to a Stitch stuffed animal and much more. I still love going to parks and enjoying my time there. I am not going to deny that I do enjoy the things that the corporation has created. However, I am not blinded to their true intentions. Now it is clear to me the ways the corporation manages almost everything. It owns multiple companies, like ABC, and they constantly bombard us with media that at the end of the day is just trying to get us to help them maximize their profits.

You can see it with all the princess movies where they create these big fantasies of how a princess dresses and acts. This leads little girls loving these characters and wanting to become a princess just like them. These girls go out and buy more Disney products that will get them to look that way. It also makes you question what kind of ideals they putting forth to young girls, and it also creates beauty standards from such a young age. Yes, a lot has changed; they have created more independent characters more diverse ones as well. I am not denying the talent of these creators and that most of these movies and stories are amazingly done, but at the end of the day the movies and/or shows are always blown out of proportion as there are always more created. With every new movie there is an even bigger marketing plan for it.

Whether or not this is a good thing for America, I am not quite sure. I do believe that it’s a good thing for our capitalistic society; since Disney is connected to America it brings in tourism and more money. At the same time I think it might brainwash Americans. It can create gender stereotypes and brainwash the society to spend more money they might not even have.

So yes, I do believe that Disney can be the happiest place on earth and that they have created amazing things over the years, but I do maintain the belief that it’s all for maximization of profit. In a way they do brainwash us; they make sure to keep us hooked and to continue spending money on them.