Essay on the insidious influence of the Disney company.

A novelist and Florida columnist laments the overwhelming presence of the Walt Disney Company, especially in his state.

Hiaasen blames Disney for the ugly sprawl that is Orlando while pointing out that Disney World itself is not subject to urban planning regulations. On this count he is accurate. When Disney moved in, all land they purchased seemed to be exempt from many regulations. But as much as he laments on the evils of the Mouse, the largest damage is done by all the smaller companies that build up around Disney to take advantage of the millions of tourist flocking to the Magic Kingdom.

But he fails to mentions all the jobs they provide. Though many employees say they do not like their rules and regulations. All successful companies must have them, especially when your business is the entertainment and safety of children. And lets be clear, all children love the Disney experience.

Hiaasen asserts that Disney building their store was the genesis that cleaned up Time Square in New York. While in truth, they only agreed to open their store if Giuliani promised and followed through to clean up that part of town. And the Mayor was able to accomplish the required goals, at least on the surface.

It is worth reading, but it is not up to his normal standards. It would have been better if the author used his investigative skills to gather some facts. This small book it is a very short and easy read. There is strong language. ( )

A fine journalistic essay. (For all that, I have to say, it's still an essay, a long feature-length Sunday newspaper article - but not a book!)

Hiaasen accurately sets out the Disney mind-set and why it should disturb us. It comes from the same Victorian stable as Ripley with his Believe-It-Or-Not antics. The entire planet was just a toy store; all the better if you're the owner!

For me, the most telling passage in an essay full of telling passages was: "Control has been the signature ingredient of all the company's phenomenally successful theme parks; every thrill, every gasp, every delightful 'surprise' was the product of clockwork orchestration."

While short, this essay reveals Disney's hubris, smugness and - most worryingly, its lack of scruple with the democratic rights of individuals.

This will be a theme for the 21st Century: how will democracy face down the power of big corporations? ( )

Carl Hiaasen was one of the first of a number of authors who wrote a human interest story for the Library of Contemporary Thought published by Ballantine Books. Hiaasen decided to take a few pillow padded jabs at the Walt Disney Corporation. This particular piece is not a currant affair as it was published in 1998, but the story he tells is still relevant to the history of Disney.

Hiaasen tends to contradict himself throughout the entire rant. He complains about the Disney plight but then defends the organization as one that “…wishes to bring happiness to kids of all ages.”

Overall this piece was an entertaining and insightful view within Disney’s historic past. Yes, Disney is big and yes Disney is powerful, but it also brings a lot of enjoyment to people the world over. Welcome to the world of capitalism, Mr. Hiaasen (I believe by his success as a novelist he knows a bit about our free enterprise system, and has profited well from it). After contemplating this work I have come up with only two reason why Carl Hiaasen dislikes Disney so much: 1) the Magic Kingdom moved into his backyard, and not someone else’s, and 2) because as a kid he watched a Disney film called Rascal which planted the idea in his head that owning a pet raccoon was a good idea; (which he only discovered to be a bad idea by owning one after college) hardly something he could blame on the Disney Corporation. ( )