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6 minutes ago
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How Disney Shaped the Middle-Class American Dream — And Why It's Time To Let It Go
In the commercial and modern capitalist sense, no company has succeeded in monetizing the luxury aspects of the American dream as efficiently as Disney. It may not be as mammoth or wealthy a corporation as Walmart or Amazon, but those two don't breed the dreams of small children who go to bed thinking they're the happiest places on Earth. Disney does — and worming into the middle-class psyche like that is about as powerful as power gets. Check Out: Read Next: Disney does often deliver a lot of joy, and that's valuable, but at a price — both literally and figuratively. Disney helped shape the middle-class American dream as we know it, and some of the ideals it continues to promote do us more harm than good. We need to recognize the ways Disney culture hurts our wallets and, ultimately, our hearts. Insisting That Epic Vacations Make a Happy Childhood I remember growing up in the 1990s and being blasted with ads not only for Disney movies and Disney merchandise, but for Disney vacations. My parents were divorced — at the time not amicably — and my mom was perpetually broke. Most of my friends had it better, as I saw it, and not because they had bigger houses or more meals out with mom and dad, but solely because they went on epic summer vacations with their parents and siblings. Sometimes the parents took their kids specifically on Disney-branded getaways. And why wouldn't they, if they could afford it (or shove the costs on credit cards)? Even sitcoms promoted the Disney summer vacation as the definitive family trip. Disney, on a global level, continues to contribute substantially to the ecosystem of family tourism. And this is not a healthy thing for the middle class, who must stick to a modest budget to ensure financial security. Disney theme park vacations are getting more and more expensive. An analysis by Mouse Hacking determined that in 2025 a baseline Disney World vacation for a family of four (two adults, one child age 10+, one child age 3-9) costs $7,093 ($355 per person per night). That's outrageous considering that some middle-class families in the U.S. make less than $26,000 a year. Signaling That the Road to Contentment Is Paved With Purchases It's (unfortunately) true that money can buy happiness — numerous scientific research has sealed that deal. But this is a somewhat nuanced fact. Most research finds that genuine happiness isn't measurably augmented by pricey products or luxury experiences. What makes us happy is feeling financially comfortable. The things that delight us are simple and deep: a safe home in a livable neighborhood; a paycheck that doesn't necessitate workaholism and burnout; debt-free access to education, health and retirement. Most highly profitable, consumer-facing businesses want you to feel that you and your family's best life can't be had without their services or items, but few companies are as unbelievably good at serving this feeling specifically to the middle class. Disney vacations, for example, notoriously push Americans into debt — and the sickest thing about that is that a lot of people think the Disney-induced debt is worth it. By biting the Disney bait, we're falling into money pits that actually deprive us of the real stuff of happiness — stuff that money can't buy, per se, but can enable. Promoting the Nuclear Family as the Ideal Norm This is something we still see Disney promote in ads for its parks and vacation packages. The 'classic' nuclear family. Usually it's two heteronormative parents with two or three children in tow. And we see it a lot in traditional sitcoms, too. Disney didn't invent the concept of the nuclear family, but Disney, via its books, films, shows, ads and merchandise, helped shape conventional gender roles and very specific family dynamics that became mainstream middle-class ideals in in the 1950s and still persuade us. This concept no longer serves us as families have evolved to look many different ways. We see now that dual-income households, blended families, foster families, adoptive families and families with queer parents or single parents making happy homes. Yet Disney still holds fast to an outdated model of a middle-class household. It's pretty unlikely that Disney will shed these ideals that helped build its monumental, enduring legacy. So it's on us to realize that they no longer represent or serve us. They can even hurt us by causing debt and disappointment. Let's accept that we can be free of these toxic fairytales and still access the happiest place on Earth — a place that could very well be at home with loved ones, knowing the bills are paid and the kids are alright — without the $8,000 vacay. More From GOBankingRates 7 Luxury SUVs That Will Become Affordable in 2025 This article originally appeared on How Disney Shaped the Middle-Class American Dream — And Why It's Time To Let It Go Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
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Hulu isn't shutting down: What's going on with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN
Don't say goodbye to Hulu just yet. Disney isn't axing its streaming service like some reports suggest, but the company will further integrate Hulu and Disney+ in 2026 amid rough terrain in the streaming business. During an earnings call Wednesday, Aug. 6, Disney CEO Bob Iger explained what the future will hold for the company's two streaming services, which are currently available by themselves, as a bundle with ESPN+ or together in a single app via "Hulu on Disney+." Iger hyped a newly integrated app debuting in 2026 on the call, saying "this will create an impressive package of entertainment, pairing the highest-caliber brands and franchises, great general entertainment, family programming, news and industry-leading live sports content in a single app." The mention of live sports suggested that content from the company's ESPN brand could play into the new app. Currently it is available as a cable subscription and will launch as its own app later in August. Disney confirmed to USA TODAY that Hulu is not going away − Hulu and Disney+ will continue to each be available to purchase as standalone products. But both apps will be rolled into a vaguely-described unified app "experience" next year now that Disney officially owns all of Hulu. Hulu on Disney+ launches today: What is it? What can I watch? Your questions, answered After years of back and forth on the details of the sale and price, as of June, Disney officially acquired full control of Hulu (once split among Disney, Fox and Comcast), after finally completing the purchase of Comcast's remaining stake. While more specifics about the new app "integration" were not available from Iger or Disney, the company has slowly gone about bringing Hulu and Disney+ closer together over the past few years. Starting in February 2024, Disney+ subscribers were able to upgrade to a bundle that put the Hulu app right on the Disney+ home screen, marrying the streamer known for Marvel and kids' shows with the one known for post-apocalyptic nightmares like "The Handmaid's Tale" and the Kardashians. Disney's choice marked the latest example in a consolidation trend among streaming services in a new landscape marked by fewer services, fewer new shows, password-sharing crackdowns, rising prices and lots of commercials. Disney also revealed Aug. 6 that its standalone ESPN streaming service will be available on Aug. 21 for the previously announced price of $29.99 a month. It can also be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu for $35.99 monthly with ads on Disney+ and Hulu (discounted to $29.99 for the first 12 months). For no ads on those two streamers, the plan costs $44.99 per month (ads will be included on any tier of the ESPN app). Contributing: Gary Levin This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Hulu shutting down? What to know about new Disney+ changes
27 minutes ago
Hulu streaming app to become part of Disney+ app: What to know
A change is coming to the way viewers can access their favorite shows and movies on the Hulu and Disney+ streaming apps. Beginning next year, the Hulu app will be fully integrated into the Disney+ app, meaning subscribers will be able to go to one app to access their favorite Hulu and Disney+ content. Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Co., which owns both Hulu and Disney+, announced the new streamlined app Wednesday during the company's quarterly earnings call. "This will create an impressive package of entertainment pairing the highest caliber brands and franchises, great general entertainment, kids programming, news, and industry leading live sports content all in a single app," Iger said on the call. Iger also announced that Hulu will become The Walt Disney Co.'s global general entertainment brand. Starting this fall, according to Iger, Disney+ users will see Hulu instead of the Star tile on Disney+ globally. In the months leading up to the integration of Hulu into the Disney+ app, users will also notice changes to the app, including a more personalized homepage. After partnering with Hulu since 2019, Disney took full control of the streaming service in June, according to the company's securities filing at the time. In August, Disney+ is giving standalone Disney+ subscribers access to a sampling of Hulu content, including movies like "The Proposal" and series including "Shifting Gears."
