According to my calculations, based on age, time spent living and/or visiting California, I've been to Disneyland no fewer than 35 times. Add up the ticket prices for myself (and now my family), factor in inflation, and throw in several hundred pounds of churros and Mouskapops, the total amount of cash that I've either spent or had spent for me would equal the gross national product of Djibouti. I used to love going; these days, I'm decidedly less enthusiastic about The Mouse.
That said, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the poor bastards who don the costumes and head out onto the mean streets of Fantasyland to greet the kiddies. Having working at a fairly well-known aquarium for a few years, I've seen firsthand the abuse that costumed employees take - at the end of the day, the guy that dressed up like Shamu frequently looked like the loser of a UFC match. So this article, detailing the punishment inflicted upon Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and the rest, really didn't surprise me. According to the story, over a third of the 1,900 actors and actress who work as Disney characters have suffered some sort of injury while working. Sadly, one employee died on the job, crushed by a parade float. (Disney was fined $6,300, which is about what Disney CEO Robert Iger made in the time it took you to read this sentence. Ok. I'm exaggerating. NOW he made $6,300.) In an attempt to reduce hazards to their employees, Disney has solicited NASA engineers to help them design safer costumes. Of course, it goes without saying that parents should also keep an eye on their kids - as the picture to the right illustrates, it's only a matter of time before Mickey exacts his revenge.
