Oh man, that’s a complicated question. But I think my feelings (never thought about Disneyland and Monsanto, specifically, so bear with me) go something like this:

Disney is so, SO problematic. I mean, if I thought too hard about Disney and what it does, I would never be able to go to Disneyland.

Disney movies present unattainable characterizations of what it means to be beautiful, what it means to be a woman, and what it means to be a woman in a romantic relationship. It perpetuates the beauty standard that in my real life, I actively reject.

Disney is straight up racist.

Disney theme parks sell meat and other animal products which obviously, I am morally opposed to.

Disney is so wasteful I don’t even think you could adequately quantify the environmental damage done by their theme park waste, plastic crap, toys and other paraphernalia — all cheaply made by slave labor in third world countries, of course.

I could go on and on (and ON).

The thing is, enjoying Disney movies and Disneyland means suspending all that, and allowing yourself to participate in a pop culture phenomenon that is part of the American landscape, and has been part of what it means t be an American child for almost 100 years.

Personally, I choose to enjoy Disney and yes, even give them my money, because I believe in balance, and doing our best while cutting ourselves some slack, and of the importance of mental and emotional health and not just burning out trying to be perfect.

So I’m okay with taking my kid to Disneyland once a year. And if I can overlook sexism, racism, global environmental destruction, and all that other stuff, well Monsanto isn’t really going to change things much for me.

That’s sort of how I feel.

For what it’s worth, going to Disneyland is always a great opportunity for conversation about all these problematic things. The first conversations that i ever had with Waits were borne out of watching Disney movies. So ya know, maybe you can go that route? Maybe take your son, but also use the trip to teach him about Monsanto and have a conversation about what it means for Disney to be involved in that?

Just my thoughts. Hope that helps!

I also love the ease of these recipes and the pictures of Dreena’s daughters sprinkled throughout have been a great opportunity for my 5 year old gal to see even more vegan kids and then connect that they are eating these recipes-which helps that little picky eater of mine try the recipes.