On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Barry Dressel wrote:

> >No matter what one thinks about theme parks and Disneyland/world, I find it
> >rather difficult to understand how anyone could think that these marvelous
> >institutions have museum-like functions.  Museums and theme parks are
> >quite distinct.

At the Museum where I am there is a wonderful lady volunteer who is in
her early 80s.  She is a very "with-it" person.  She is well read, has
traveled to many places, is a ex-teacher, and a devout learner of new
things.  One day we were having a discussion about Disney and she started
saying how wonderful it was.  This was unexpected from a woman who lived
with the Hopis in her 30s and went bear watching in Alaska a few years ago.
I asked her what made the experience so rewarding for her.  She said,
 "they do their research because they have to, they make it intellectually
 interesting becausee they have to...but...they have the money to present
 things in an utterly fantastic way.  It's like going to the five star of
 learning places.  They make you walk around with a smile on your face
 all day."


Wendy Coones
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
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