PLAY DISNEY GAME
I grew up on fairytales. I used to sit reading for hours, completely intrigued by the princesses and evil witches. I never got tired of seeing how it all turned out—how they all lived happily ever after. When you asked me if I knew what Disney meant, I would have rattled off a list of my favorite characters: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty. I am grown now, and Disney has grown with me. There are more princesses than ever before, but it is not just about fairy tales anymore. While most places I knew when I was younger seem much smaller now, the magical world of Disney has expanded. It appeals to older children as well as younger, to teenagers and even adults.
For me, Disney used to be about movies and the books based on the movies. In the afternoons, I often caught Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck on television. I loved everything about Disney’s animation. I was mesmerized by Alice in Wonderland, awestruck by Fantasia. I could not imagine Disney being any different or any more than what it was.
Disney is so much more now. The Disney Channel provides Disney shows for viewers twenty-four hours a day. While most children are snuggled in their beds, Buzz Lightyear and Lilo and Stitch are broadcast worldwide.
Just as its parent company is about more than animation, the Disney Channel is about more than television. The Disney Channel website features over one hundred games that younger or older children can play. Even toddlers can play any of the Playhouse Disney games—games that were designed to teach the youngest children concepts such as numbers, shapes, colors and patterns.