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Would you go to "d'Isigny (deez-nay)World"??

D

Dabeast

Member
Original Poster
First let me say, that I read on the internet that Walt's family name was d'Isigny. Somewhere down the line it was changed to "Disney". If this is false, then I ask to be forgiven for using the internet as a source.
I associate the "Disney" name with things in life that are good. It made me wonder, what would it be like if the name was still pronounced "deeznay"? It just doesn't sound right. Do you think we would still be fascinated by a place
called Walt d'Isigny World. Keep saying deez-nay and I think you'll see what I mean. Its kind of like his name is perfect for what it represents. Did he change it, or was it done before he was born. If Walt changed it, did he know that d'Isigny, just wasn't right.
What would have happened if his last name was Fitzgerald? (no offense to any Fitzgeralds, your lovely people I'm sure, but I don't see myself packing up the family and driving 1200 miles to Fitzgerald World) I've even put my last name next to "world" and I'm not going there either!
So how much would be differant, if you couldn't say the name Disney, and relate it to everything that represents Disney. I can tell you what I think of when I hear Dollyworld. It certainly isn't the "Happiest Place on Earth!
 
Kamikaze

Kamikaze

Well-Known Member
1) Lots and lots of people anglicisized their names when they came into the US. D'Isigny, of French origin, would mean that the family was from Isigny.
2) If it didn't sound good as a name ("Fitzgeraldland") then he wouldn't have used it.
 
ScoutN

ScoutN

OV 104
Premium Member
Would you still like Tony Bennett if he went by Antonio Dominic Benedetto?

Or David Bowie if he went by David Robert Hayward-Jones?

Or Eric Clapton if he was Eric Clapp?

Or Tom Cruise if he was Thomas Cruise Mapother IV?

Or Rodney Dangerfield if he was Jacob Cohen?

What about Mr Dont Shoot, Bob Hope himself if he was know by Leslie Townes Hope?

See what I did there? Doesn't make a crap a bit of a difference.
 
spacemt354

spacemt354

Chili's
Dabeast said:
First let me say, that I read on the internet that Walt's family name was d'Isigny. Somewhere down the line it was changed to "Disney". If this is false, then I ask to be forgiven for using the internet as a source.
I associate the "Disney" name with things in life that are good. It made me wonder, what would it be like if the name was still pronounced "deeznay"? It just doesn't sound right. Do you think we would still be fascinated by a place
called Walt d'Isigny World. Keep saying deez-nay and I think you'll see what I mean. Its kind of like his name is perfect for what it represents. Did he change it, or was it done before he was born. If Walt changed it, did he know that d'Isigny, just wasn't right.
What would have happened if his last name was Fitzgerald? (no offense to any Fitzgeralds, your lovely people I'm sure, but I don't see myself packing up the family and driving 1200 miles to Fitzgerald World) I've even put my last name next to "world" and I'm not going there either!
So how much would be differant, if you couldn't say the name Disney, and relate it to everything that represents Disney. I can tell you what I think of when I hear Dollyworld. It certainly isn't the "Happiest Place on Earth!
Click to expand...

I think it's because subliminally, our minds feel that D'Isigny world wouldn't be the proper name for the resort, because we already know it to be disney world. And Dollyworld you don't think of to be the happiest place on earth..because it isn't. That title is already taken.

I took me a while to get adjusted to saying Hollywood Studios. I was so used to just saying MGM, and the first year or so I subliminally continued to call it MGM, but now it's grown on me and I call it by it's proper name. I can't think of calling the Empire State Building anything other than that, because that name is all I've known. But if it was originally called the Manhattan Building or something, then I wouldn't think of it any differently.

A name is a name. And it's what that name stands for that really counts. If Disney never changed his name, and it was left as D'Isigny, yet he still brought his imaginations and visions to life in a world that I enjoy, I would still go down regardless of the difficulty in pronunciation of the name. People go to Dubai, Rio de Janerio, Wakiki, and so on. Not really the most anglican names, but people still go there to vacation all the time, so I don't think D'Isigny would have been any different.
 
Cmdr_Crimson

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
I'd be going here...
a3e.jpg
 
CaptainWinter

CaptainWinter

Active Member
Dabeast said:
First let me say, that I read on the internet that Walt's family name was d'Isigny. Somewhere down the line it was changed to "Disney". If this is false, then I ask to be forgiven for using the internet as a source.
I associate the "Disney" name with things in life that are good. It made me wonder, what would it be like if the name was still pronounced "deeznay"? It just doesn't sound right. Do you think we would still be fascinated by a place
called Walt d'Isigny World. Keep saying deez-nay and I think you'll see what I mean. Its kind of like his name is perfect for what it represents. Did he change it, or was it done before he was born. If Walt changed it, did he know that d'Isigny, just wasn't right.
What would have happened if his last name was Fitzgerald? (no offense to any Fitzgeralds, your lovely people I'm sure, but I don't see myself packing up the family and driving 1200 miles to Fitzgerald World) I've even put my last name next to "world" and I'm not going there either!
So how much would be differant, if you couldn't say the name Disney, and relate it to everything that represents Disney. I can tell you what I think of when I hear Dollyworld. It certainly isn't the "Happiest Place on Earth!
Click to expand...

The French pronunciation isn't "deeznay" -- it's actually more like "deez-i-nee", which isn't all that different from what we know now.

The name change was made when the family was in Ireland, many generations before Walt. If I recall correctly it was Walt's great-grandfather who came to Canada (from Ireland); they were already Disneys by then.

I agree with Jiminy's sentiment -- if his name had been Aloysius Crud, we'd all be going to Crud World and loving it. The name had nothing to do with it. He was a singular individual with an amazingly forceful personality, who would have made his mark no matter what.
 
bubbles1812

bubbles1812

Well-Known Member
CaptainWinter said:
The French pronunciation isn't "deeznay" -- it's actually more like "deez-i-nee", which isn't all that different from what we know now.

The name change was made when the family was in Ireland, many generations before Walt. If I recall correctly it was Walt's great-grandfather who came to Canada (from Ireland); they were already Disneys by then.

I agree with Jiminy's sentiment -- if his name had been Aloysius Crud, we'd all be going to Crud World and loving it. The name had nothing to do with it. He was a singular individual with an amazingly forceful personality, who would have made his mark no matter what.
Click to expand...

I sort of agree with your statement but not entirely. If he had another easy to pronounce, easy to read last name then I don't think it would have been changed. But with a last name like Crud...there is just no way and no how they would have let him attach that name to permanent thing like WDW. You hear Crud and you think of Crud just like with the last name of Dick, well, you think of...well you know (extreme example but you get the picture). Actually, with that type of last name, Walt might have even had a hard time getting started in the entertainment industry a all. Perception is everything. There are plenty of great actresses and actors out there with great talent who haven't gotten the chance and sometimes it is for something as silly as the color of their hair or their name. There is a reason many celebrities do not go by their birth names.

Another example, if you will. The voice actor who did Flynn in Tangled is named Zachary Levi. Levi in actually his middle name, which he treats as his last name. His real last name is "Pugh," which is to be pronounced like the word "pew." But he said most people pronounced it as "pug" or even worse "poo." No directors wanted to hire "Zachary Poo" and his agent advised him to take a stage name. He finally started getting offers after that.

Now imagine that as Walt's last name. When you want visitors to come to your very big very expensive major project, you don't want even some of them to think you are trying to for lack of better term, "sell them," on attending "Poo World" or probably even "Pug World." (I like dogs as much as the next person but if a Pug World existed, count me out). And celebrities didn't just do this today. They were doing it back when Walt was just getting into the business and so on. Name isn't everything and Walt wasn't an actor but it's still the same sort of concept. I think he would have made his mark even with a crappy last name, but Aloysius Crud is a lot harder of a sell than something that rolls off the tongue like "Walt Disney."
 
CaptainWinter

CaptainWinter

Active Member
bubbles1812 said:
I sort of agree with your statement but not entirely. If he had another easy to pronounce, easy to read last name then I don't think it would have been changed. But with a last name like Crud...there is just no way and no how they would have let him attach that name to permanent thing like WDW. You hear Crud and you think of Crud just like with the last name of Dick, well, you think of...well you know (extreme example but you get the picture).
Click to expand...

Of arguing to extremes, I stand guilty as charged.

To make my case without embellishment: the name did not make the man.
 
invader

invader

Well-Known Member
didney_worl_hurrr_by_crowhitewolf-d4nutbn.png


Yes, I would still go. Six Flags doesn't sound appeal - people still go. Legoland doesn't sound too appealing - people still go. Schlitterbahn doesn't sound appealing at ALL - people still go.
 
bubbles1812

bubbles1812

Well-Known Member
CaptainWinter said:
Of arguing to extremes, I stand guilty as charged.

To make my case without embellishment: the name did not make the man.
Click to expand...

I don't think that either. Sorry if my post seemed to imply that.

But my point was that he might not have even been given the chance to start with a horrid last name (or first). The entertainment industry has always been a very fickle mistress. It is hard to get started and also to stay in it. And the perception other people have of you, whether right or wrong, plays a major major role. They knew Disneyland/WDW would be major projects that would be permanent long after Walt died. The kids of today don't know a lot about Walt Disney...and I know more than a few who if I told them we were going to "Crud World"...well they would just giggle and probably ask why? And then make silly jokes about the cruddiness of the parks. That's kids for you. And oh man, if it were "Dick World"...well, you'd certainly get a lot of X rated jokes.

Given simply: I don't agree with your statement that name had absolutely nothing to do with it. I agree mostly with it. Really, I do. Bu if he'd had a crappy name, it would have been changed to something easier to swallow. Or if he kept said theoretical crappy name, the parks would not have had his name attached in the way they are today.
 

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