Excellent presentation. Very informative and presented both sides well. I was personally appalled by the rude and disrespectful comments in the Live Chat.
My parents took our family to Fantasyland in the 1960’s. I remember that it had a nice, woodsy feel and a nice train but my strongest memory is when my then 13 year-year-old brother said something fresh to Mother Goose. She let him know it was inappropriate and he got in trouble with the folks.
Visited as a kid in the early 70s. In the mid 80s I used to take friends to the closed park to scale the fence and explore what was left of the park. It was magical to wander the remaining abandoned buildings and walk around the lakes
took my young daughter many times, it was a wounderful place for her, because battle field was boring for a young child, but i'm 78 now and gettysburg is my favorite place to visit several times a year when my daughter was a little older we climed every rock at devils den and face of little round top, upon those visits i would give a running tour of battlefield, it was trully a great place for the young to visit with out going to much crowded hershey park, too bad it's gone now these times are changed aince 911, covid, and so many school shootings children need these type places. so sad to see that so many thought it was bad idea, get a life, people.
You are a great speaker. I loved this. I think Fantasyland was a brilliant idea. The history buffs in the family could study the battle all day while the non buffs could have fun at the park.
I wonder how much this Fantasyland was a catalyst to help prevent Disney from building their historical park near Washington D.C. Although it would be a historical style theme park, it seemed not many wanted it. It would also take prime future development land up and people don't like the idea of losing money in any way.
Fantasyland might have had a better shot at not being bought by the government - or seen as an offense and a blight - if they'd built it on the other side of town, on Route 116. There's a ton of hotels and restaurants out there and nobody seems to care. What got people riled up was its proximity to the cemetery and Pickett's Charge, I think, rather than the theme. It's still true today that there's not a lot for kids under the age of 10 to do in town, so a lot of time families don't vacation there. If there were more attractions like Fantasyland, maybe they would.
I plan to visit some of the historical sites of the civil war, starting this summer, I hope. I wasn't really interested in the history of "fantasy fairy land" history Yet it is part history of the Gettysburg memorial park. I have mix feeling about it.
Livia I love to hear that!!! Pllllllllease do it right, by hiring battlefield guides to get in your mini van with you and describe what is going on OK? It makes the experience 1000 times better. Line it up with the visitor center, and if you don't find any that way, the local bed and breakfasts often know of tour guides! Please do that, it is well worth the money.
Polite question, how far form the battlefield is far enough (I embrace CIvil War history too, I am currently reading Grant's memoirs, but I love a place being available for kids and not history buffs. I could have dumped my kids there while I study the battlefield for 7 hours).
