Corn People

[jcb]

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the "Here's your rocket bar you fat cow" it is fitting that John brought up the "corn people" in the podcast. They predated my involvement on the boards by several years. By the time I arrived, they had achieved Walt Disney level mythical proportions.

Some claimed they were emulating Walt:

These famous people eated a can of corn on Main St at the Magic Kingdom were apparently paying homage to Walt.

This conversation between Walt and his daughter Diane was reported in Bob Thomas's book, An American Original Walt Disney"

Walt had run a new Disney film at home and Diane remarked
"Gee, Dad, that's corny!"
To which Walt responded
"Maybe so. But millions of people eat corn. There must be a reason why they like it so much."

http://www.greengiant.com/products/images/gg_corn.jpg

They developed their own clothing line:
Corn People are gonna love this! Clothing made from corn

This story was too good to not pass along!

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_109230623.html

They even had their own festival:

Corn people unite!

If you're going to be in Orlando during this time, check this out in a nearby town...

Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival
(More info)
Date: 5/18 - 5/19
Time: All Day
Venue: Zellwood Corn Festival
Cost: $17 adults, $4 12 and under advance, $20 adult, $5 12 and under at the gate.


The Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival is a combination of outdoor family fun and entertainment. There are plenty of activities for everyone, young and old. Watch "BIG BERTHA" at work, as she cooks 1,650 ears of corn every 9 minutes, in 350 gallons of boiling water. Browse through the Arts & Crafts and let the kids enjoy the amusement rides, then relax with a drink and listen to great music. Ticket price includes a meal of ham, potato salad, baked beans, roll, iced tea, and of course all the Zellwood Sweet Corn you can eat all day long. Parking is free.

Special entertainment: .38 Special on stage Saturday, May 18.

Check out the website: http://www.zellwoodsweetcornfest.org/

And there was, apparently a corn people "meet" where participants ate "cold canned corn" (glad I passed that up).

Oh yes, I remember this. There was even a "canned corn" meet once. Everyone was eating cold canned corn.

I wish I could still find the photo

 

[GeneralTso]

This makes absolutely zero sense to me. Clearly an inside joke.

 

[jcb]

This makes absolutely zero sense to me. Clearly an inside joke.

It wasn't at the time.

 

[disneysteve]

I don't recall the corn people thread, but I also don't visit the Theme Parks forum.

As for strange things I've seen at the parks, the first story that came to mind was the time we had just come out of Living Seas (not sure if it was Nemo yet). On the grassy area off to the side was a little boy, 2 or 3 years old, with his pants and underwear at his ankles and everything showing as he urinated on the lawn as his mother squatted beside him. What made it even more strange was that a few foot away stood his father videotaping the entire performance which made it seem that the whole thing was done on purpose.

 

[Edna K. Mode]

I reflected a lot before posting these thoughts, but just wanted to share a different take on the Corn People story. It was disappointing to hear John, Kevin and Cory speaking so unkind and condescending about people eating canned corn while sitting on a curb in Magic Kingdom. While it might, at first, seem funny to witness these folks eating from an open can of corn (like “hobos” as John described), a little further reflection on those circumstances might lead to the possibility that it was done as an economic necessity. Perhaps a 55 cent can of “off brand” creamed corn (as highlighted during the podcast- “not even name brand”) was what they could afford, after having spent far too much for park tickets and lodging plus the cost of driving or flying to Orlando. Not everyone can afford the outrageous prices for food in the parks and resorts! Maybe the team, which has always seemed to be very caring and compassionate (they do such wonderful things for Give Kids The World) should consider that maybe the people eating the corn were, on the inside, longing to enjoy a Mickey Premium Bar, Dole Whip or the Bacon and Eggs appetizer at The Wave instead. Think how it must feel to see people walking by with their expensive treats, knowing they couldn’t purchase the same. These thoughts came to my mind as a possibility of their situation and then to listen to these people being laughed at and mocked by John, Kevin and Cory is just really sad and surprising. Disney World was intended by Walt to be inclusive and welcoming of all, including those whose bank accounts are a little smaller than that of others. I’m not suggesting that everyone should have the same economic outcome in life, I’m simply saying that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, show respect for everyone and not mock and belittle people.

 

[ucf_knight]

I reflected a lot before posting these thoughts, but just wanted to share a different take on the Corn People story. It was disappointing to hear John, Kevin and Cory speaking so unkind and condescending about people eating canned corn while sitting on a curb in Magic Kingdom. While it might, at first, seem funny to witness these folks eating from an open can of corn (like “hobos” as John described), a little further reflection on those circumstances might lead to the possibility that it was done as an economic necessity. Perhaps a 55 cent can of “off brand” creamed corn (as highlighted during the podcast- “not even name brand”) was what they could afford, after having spent far too much for park tickets and lodging plus the cost of driving or flying to Orlando. Not everyone can afford the outrageous prices for food in the parks and resorts! Maybe the team, which has always seemed to be very caring and compassionate (they do such wonderful things for Give Kids The World) should consider that maybe the people eating the corn were, on the inside, longing to enjoy a Mickey Premium Bar, Dole Whip or the Bacon and Eggs appetizer at The Wave instead. Think how it must feel to see people walking by with their expensive treats, knowing they couldn’t purchase the same. These thoughts came to my mind as a possibility of their situation and then to listen to these people being laughed at and mocked by John, Kevin and Cory is just really sad and surprising. Disney World was intended by Walt to be inclusive and welcoming of all, including those whose bank accounts are a little smaller than that of others. I’m not suggesting that everyone should have the same economic outcome in life, I’m simply saying that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, show respect for everyone and not mock and belittle people.

I’ve been watching the team for years. They are incredibly compassionate and nice people. They were retelling an unusual story and having some fun with it. Don’t think so much into this.

 

[Lizgistix]

I vaguely remember this back in the day and if I recall, it was a cost-saving measure to avoid paying theme park food prices.

 

[GAN]

I reflected a lot before posting these thoughts, but just wanted to share a different take on the Corn People story. It was disappointing to hear John, Kevin and Cory speaking so unkind and condescending about people eating canned corn while sitting on a curb in Magic Kingdom. While it might, at first, seem funny to witness these folks eating from an open can of corn (like “hobos” as John described), a little further reflection on those circumstances might lead to the possibility that it was done as an economic necessity. Perhaps a 55 cent can of “off brand” creamed corn (as highlighted during the podcast- “not even name brand”) was what they could afford, after having spent far too much for park tickets and lodging plus the cost of driving or flying to Orlando. Not everyone can afford the outrageous prices for food in the parks and resorts! Maybe the team, which has always seemed to be very caring and compassionate (they do such wonderful things for Give Kids The World) should consider that maybe the people eating the corn were, on the inside, longing to enjoy a Mickey Premium Bar, Dole Whip or the Bacon and Eggs appetizer at The Wave instead. Think how it must feel to see people walking by with their expensive treats, knowing they couldn’t purchase the same. These thoughts came to my mind as a possibility of their situation and then to listen to these people being laughed at and mocked by John, Kevin and Cory is just really sad and surprising. Disney World was intended by Walt to be inclusive and welcoming of all, including those whose bank accounts are a little smaller than that of others. I’m not suggesting that everyone should have the same economic outcome in life, I’m simply saying that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, show respect for everyone and not mock and belittle people.

I understand your point ...not everyone can afford a $5(+) Mickey Bar. Without question, it is sad that not everyone can afford snacks at Disney. I think the part that is undeniable to me, is that no matter the circumstances.... a can of corn is an odd choice of snack to most people. It is to me, and possibly to John, Kevin, and others. I can literally think of dozens of snacks(even healthy ones), that wouldn’t make someone walking by say, hmmm that’s different. Perfectly fine, but different. I’m going to give them a pass on this one.... taking nothing away from your comments.

 

[rteetz]

I understand your point ...not everyone can afford a $5(+) Mickey Bar. Without question, it is sad that not everyone can afford snacks at Disney. I think the part that is undeniable to me, is that no matter the circumstances.... a can of corn is an odd choice of snack to most people. It is to me, and possibly to John, Kevin, and others. I can literally think of dozens of snacks(even healthy ones), that wouldn’t make someone walking by say, hmmm that’s different. Perfectly fine, but different. I’m going to give them a pass on this one.... taking nothing away from your comments.

I agree. When they said the story which I had previously not heard my first thought was is the corn cold? Wouldn’t that not be good to eat not cooked? I fully understand not being able to afford theme park food. Like you said there are plenty of other items (cheap ones too) that wouldn’t be nearly as odd as seeing someone eat a can of corn on Main Street.

 

[disneysteve]

I agree. When they said the story which I had previously not heard my first thought was is the corn cold? Wouldn’t that not be good to eat not cooked? I fully understand not being able to afford theme park food. Like you said there are plenty of other items (cheap ones too) that wouldn’t be nearly as odd as seeing someone eat a can of corn on Main Street.

I love eating corn right out of the can . My mother still kids me about that.

 

[GAN]

I love eating corn right out of the can . My mother still kids me about that.

Steve ....fess up. Was it you?

 

[disneysteve]

Steve ....fess up. Was it you?

LOL. Nah, it wouldn't have been cream corn if it was me. And when we've brought our own food in, we sat on a bench under the train station, not smack in the middle of Main Street.

 

[hertamaniac]

We enjoyed NJ hybrid corn right off the stalk/cold. Part of our early teen Halloween rituals was attempting to load up on tic-tac ears of corn fully aware the local farmers were armed with salt guns.

 

[Helvetica]

I agree. When they said the story which I had previously not heard my first thought was is the corn cold? Wouldn’t that not be good to eat not cooked? I fully understand not being able to afford theme park food. Like you said there are plenty of other items (cheap ones too) that wouldn’t be nearly as odd as seeing someone eat a can of corn on Main Street.

The canning process is rather interesting. The food is heated really hot under pressure (usually in excess of 200 degrees), this sterilizes the food which allows for it to be stored for long periods of time. So unless there's some sort of rupture in the can, there's no reason for concern. I can certainly understand why some would find it odd or a bit different.

I typically only eat one meal at the park nowadays. For me, it has nothing to do with cost, but it has everything to do with calories. Going to a restaurant, it's not difficult to have a meal in excess of 2000 calories assuming you have something to drink, an appetizer, an entree and a desert. That's more than I should eat in an entire day. Sometimes calories can be sneaky too. It took me a while to figure out that a pitcher of Kool-Aid the way I was making it had over 1000 calories.

I'll typically eat breakfast and either lunch or dinner on my own. Then get something when I'm at the parks or at the resorts. I still end up consuming more calories than I should, but it's a whole lot better for me than relying on foods prepared in a restaurant or from a quick service location. Even a salad prepared by a restaurant can have 1000-1500 calories.

As another example, I'm in the process of trying to remove caffeine and Red Bull from my diet. I've already lowered it to 1 a day. If I'm successful, that's another 770-840 calories (depending on the type of red bull) a week that I'm eliminating. When I drank 2-3 a day, that's between 1540-2520 calories a week depending on how many I drank and which flavor. The younger you are, the less it matters, but these things can catch up to you.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I reflected a lot before posting these thoughts, but just wanted to share a different take on the Corn People story. It was disappointing to hear John, Kevin and Cory speaking so unkind and condescending about people eating canned corn while sitting on a curb in Magic Kingdom. While it might, at first, seem funny to witness these folks eating from an open can of corn (like “hobos” as John described), a little further reflection on those circumstances might lead to the possibility that it was done as an economic necessity. Perhaps a 55 cent can of “off brand” creamed corn (as highlighted during the podcast- “not even name brand”) was what they could afford, after having spent far too much for park tickets and lodging plus the cost of driving or flying to Orlando. Not everyone can afford the outrageous prices for food in the parks and resorts! Maybe the team, which has always seemed to be very caring and compassionate (they do such wonderful things for Give Kids The World) should consider that maybe the people eating the corn were, on the inside, longing to enjoy a Mickey Premium Bar, Dole Whip or the Bacon and Eggs appetizer at The Wave instead. Think how it must feel to see people walking by with their expensive treats, knowing they couldn’t purchase the same. These thoughts came to my mind as a possibility of their situation and then to listen to these people being laughed at and mocked by John, Kevin and Cory is just really sad and surprising. Disney World was intended by Walt to be inclusive and welcoming of all, including those whose bank accounts are a little smaller than that of others. I’m not suggesting that everyone should have the same economic outcome in life, I’m simply saying that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, show respect for everyone and not mock and belittle people.

I would think it just as odd if the pulled out a $1000 tin of beluga caviar.

I think you may be overthinking this.

Bringing your own food is not unusual. I’ve done it to save money.

That being said....cans of corn is ODD.

There are many many ways to save money other than sitting on a curb on Main Street, pulling out canned corn and a can opener.

 

[Edna K. Mode]

I reflected a lot before posting these thoughts, but just wanted to share a different take on the Corn People story. It was disappointing to hear John, Kevin and Cory speaking so unkind and condescending about people eating canned corn while sitting on a curb in Magic Kingdom. While it might, at first, seem funny to witness these folks eating from an open can of corn (like “hobos” as John described), a little further reflection on those circumstances might lead to the possibility that it was done as an economic necessity. Perhaps a 55 cent can of “off brand” creamed corn (as highlighted during the podcast- “not even name brand”) was what they could afford, after having spent far too much for park tickets and lodging plus the cost of driving or flying to Orlando. Not everyone can afford the outrageous prices for food in the parks and resorts! Maybe the team, which has always seemed to be very caring and compassionate (they do such wonderful things for Give Kids The World) should consider that maybe the people eating the corn were, on the inside, longing to enjoy a Mickey Premium Bar, Dole Whip or the Bacon and Eggs appetizer at The Wave instead. Think how it must feel to see people walking by with their expensive treats, knowing they couldn’t purchase the same. These thoughts came to my mind as a possibility of their situation and then to listen to these people being laughed at and mocked by John, Kevin and Cory is just really sad and surprising. Disney World was intended by Walt to be inclusive and welcoming of all, including those whose bank accounts are a little smaller than that of others. I’m not suggesting that everyone should have the same economic outcome in life, I’m simply saying that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, show respect for everyone and not mock and belittle people.

My original point, was that we should show respect for everyone visiting the parks and not mock and belittle people, including people who are doing something that others may deem to be “odd”. If others feel I’m overthinking that’s ok.

 

[Briar Patch Home]

This makes absolutely zero sense to me. Clearly an inside joke.

Were they like Children of the Corn? Just asking.

 

[Lehuaann]

I reflected a lot before posting these thoughts, but just wanted to share a different take on the Corn People story. It was disappointing to hear John, Kevin and Cory speaking so unkind and condescending about people eating canned corn while sitting on a curb in Magic Kingdom. While it might, at first, seem funny to witness these folks eating from an open can of corn (like “hobos” as John described), a little further reflection on those circumstances might lead to the possibility that it was done as an economic necessity. Perhaps a 55 cent can of “off brand” creamed corn (as highlighted during the podcast- “not even name brand”) was what they could afford, after having spent far too much for park tickets and lodging plus the cost of driving or flying to Orlando. Not everyone can afford the outrageous prices for food in the parks and resorts! Maybe the team, which has always seemed to be very caring and compassionate (they do such wonderful things for Give Kids The World) should consider that maybe the people eating the corn were, on the inside, longing to enjoy a Mickey Premium Bar, Dole Whip or the Bacon and Eggs appetizer at The Wave instead. Think how it must feel to see people walking by with their expensive treats, knowing they couldn’t purchase the same. These thoughts came to my mind as a possibility of their situation and then to listen to these people being laughed at and mocked by John, Kevin and Cory is just really sad and surprising. Disney World was intended by Walt to be inclusive and welcoming of all, including those whose bank accounts are a little smaller than that of others. I’m not suggesting that everyone should have the same economic outcome in life, I’m simply saying that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, show respect for everyone and not mock and belittle people.

Uh, eating from an open can of food in MK is completely ODD and out of place. Not just odd, but sharp and dangerous. Just like the family cooking over open flame on a portable grill in Disney Springs a few months ago.

Also, do you realize how old the Corn story is? YEARS old. The can was more like .29 back when it happened...

 

[disneysteve]

Not just odd, but sharp and dangerous.

Not necessarily. We use an opener that takes the lid off smoothly. No sharp edges.

 

[Lehuaann]

Not necessarily. We use an opener that takes the lid off smoothly. No sharp edges.

The sharp lids are dangerous for the CM’s handling trash