Modern Family: Disneyland

OK, I know what you're thinking: why the hell am I reviewing an episode of a live action TV show which has no relation to animation whatsoever? Well judging the title, it's set in Disneyland & I also happen to be a huge Disney fan (and I also love Modern Family)! Why else would I have done my Maleficent review? Anyway, this one is pretty different as I'm just going over the story & a bit on the characters. This episode also happens to be a part of what I call the 'Let's Go to Disneyland' episodes from ABC shows which were overused in the 90s & came back recently! So can the Dunphys & Pritchet's bring more joy to the happiest place on earth, or will they bring as much tension as a family at loggerheads? Let's find out!

 

Story: Considering the structure of the show, this is easily one to watch without really knowing what's going on besides who's related to who. The plot consists of the Dunphys & Pritchetts going to Disneyland in California where they all go on their little subplots, like Mitchell & Cam trying to stop Lily from running off by using a leash, Gloria walking in heels all day which makes her go crazy with Manny being too obsessed with his school project involving stocks to care about being at Disneyland, Phil & Luke going on rides despite the former feeling ill & worrying about getting old & Haley finding out her ex Dylan works at the park & has been in town despite not telling her while having a new beau. All of these plots do have connections & none of them feel that forced to their credit (unlike other Let's Go to Disneyland ABC episodes). And they are all also good for comedic opportunities, especially in the subplots with Cam & Mitchell and Dylan & Haley (especially during a scene with Dylan dressed up as Little John)! Not only that, but the episode also manages to be heartwarming by the end with Jay's story about the reason why they always go to the Great Moments With Mr, Lincoln attraction. I also liked the few slams they did about Disneyland, including the overpriced food & the very long waiting times to get on rides, but they're really more lighthearted than mean spirited. But what I probably love the most (other than what I've already mentioned) is that they don't shamelessly promote whatever was new at the park at the time, but rather paying tribute to some of the classic Disneyland attractions like the Dapper Dans, the aforementioned Great Moments With Mr Lincoln & having Dylan dress up as Little John from the underrated Robin Hood to see Haley! Overall, I love the story with well written & more plausible subplots, surprising depth & heartwarming moments, no shameless promotion & of course, a lot of laughs!

Characters: Since this is a Disneyland episode, it's interesting to see how the characters & their personalities adapt to the park. When it comes to the Dunphys, Claire is still the punctual perfectionist who's mostly with Haley in the episode, Phil is still the fun loving father despite being worried about getting old with his hyperactive son Luke, Haley is still the valley girl type teen & Alex is also the smart one who spends time with Ethan despite her sister's obvious jealousy. Manny oddly enough is obsessed with his school project involving stocks which causes him to neglect having fun at fricking Disneyland in this episode, which can make him a bit unlikeable, but he manages to realize the error of his ways when Gloria gives him a good talking to. Speaking of Gloria, she's probably the funniest character in this episode as she walks around in heels the whole time despite the fact it's painful for her & her reaction to the slippers Jay gives her is pretty funny. Jay is still the more cynical & snarky yet caring husband/dad/grandpa to everyone & I actually loved his bit at the end when talking about the reason why he takes Claire & Mitchell to Great Moments With Mr Lincoln. Cam is still his funny over-dramatic self being worried about Lily running off at Disneyland that objects to her being held by a leash. Mitchell on the other hand, while being the more serious one of him & his partner, still manages to also be funny while also worrying over Lily running off. As for the other characters, there's only really Dylan, Haley's cute yet rather clumsy & airheaded ex that is working at the park, who's just hilarious, especially when he's Little John & confronts Ethan. Speaking of Ethan, who only appears in this episode & happens to be played by Sarah Hyland's real life partner, that Haley has a crush on despite hitting it off with Alex, but still decides to pursue Haley anyway, but decides to stray away from the group after the confrontation with Dylan when he sees some of his friends. I thought he was OK, but the characters are still their same selves & that's how it should be for this episode!

 

I couldn't come up with a third section for this as there aren't any visuals to discuss other than it's Disneyland in California & it looks good & the quality is still the same as the show. Overall, I really enjoy this episode with a funny & plausible story compared to other Let's Go To Disneyland episode, and I love how the characters manage to adapt to the park & their funny personalities & quirks remain intact! This is a must watch for Modern Family fans as well as those who love Disneyland thanks to the fact that it pays tribute to the classics of the park rather than just shamelessly selling out it's most recent attraction. For this, I'm gonna give it a star rating instead of how I'd normally rate movies/specials/episodes as it's not animated & the number of sections is much more limited this time round.

Overall: **** 1/2