http://www.reflector.com/local/content/ ... olnew.htmlMark Rutledge: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Aerosmith never grow old
By Mark Rutledge
The Daily Reflector
Saturday, October 20, 2007
I've finally figured out why members of the rock band Aerosmith never seem to get any older: They're Disney characters.
My aversion to large crowds has been set aside this week for our first family vacation to Disney World — where people from all over the planet come to sweat in line together.
If you don't like the idea of sharing personal space with a few thousand of your closest strangers, don't come to Disney World. No one ever leaves the Magic Kingdom without developing a whole new appreciation for "It's a Small World After All."
That said, the people who work at Disney really go out of their way to see that visitors have a magical time. The place is clean, efficient and family friendly. As theme parks go, it's definitely a Cadillac — which brings us back to Aerosmith.
The band now has its own Disney adventure, the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. A ticket to ride is as good as a backstage pass, and you get to cruise to the show in a stretch limo that occasionally travels upside down.
I might be a newcomer to Disney, but I've known Aerosmith for most of my 46 years. I was 14 when we were introduced by way of the album "Aerosmith."
That album represents a minor rite of passage for me. I was cranking it up in my bedroom one day while the smash hit "Dream On" was still a relatively new release. One of my older sister's better-looking girlfriends knocked on the door at about, "The past is gone. It went by like dusk to dawn."
"I love that song," she said as I welcomed her in to my rock 'n' roll palace.
All we did was sit on my bed and listen to Steven Tyler scream, but things were different between us after that. I at least ranked a little higher than just being Martha's little brother.
A lot more changes have occurred since then. I've gone from long hair to short hair to less hair to gray hair. And through it all, the members of Aerosmith still look pretty much like they did in 1975.
How'd they do that?
I used to think the band went down to the crossroads somewhere during the early '70s and made a deal with the devil. Now I know they're actually in the same immortal club with Mickey, Donald and Goofy.
If you call ahead, you can schedule events and activities with Disney characters — from meals and mingles to pajama parties in Cinderella's Castle.
Our three young daughters will always remember their breakfast with Mickey, Donald and Goofy last Tuesday. One by one, the ageless characters came by our table for hugs and pictures.
That gave me an idea. Next Disney trip, I'm calling ahead to book a breakfast with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and the boys. Dream On Danishes and Doughnuts, perhaps.
Oh, I know it won't be the real members of Aerosmith visiting our table.
But at my age, it's better to have breakfast with fake rock 'n' rollers than to lose my lunch on the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
Contact Mark Rutledge at mrutledge@coxnc.com.
-Aaron