Disneyfication of Tivoli Gardens

It's only natural that Tivoli Gardens, the old-fashioned amusement park located in the heart of downtown Copenhagen, would feature The Little Mermaid. The statue of H.C. Andersen's Little Mermaid is as much a part of the city as the Manneken Pis is to Brussels.

But why does The Little Mermaid in Tivoli's daily 5 p.m. parade remind me more of Bette Midler's Dolores Del Lago than Ariel?

Tivoli features all the entrapments for your dollars or kronor that any amusement park offers: thrill and kiddie rides, games of chance or skill, trinkets and souvenirs, and food for every taste and budget, including an American diner which only vaguely resembles one. But it also offers areas of respite, like this expansive corner of Tivoli across from Copenhagen's city hall (Rådhus) and its clock tower. This peaceful, pond-side retreat from the carnival features more than two dozen illuminated metal bowl foundations. I found it an enjoyable location for a respite from the crowds. But Tivoli's central plaza is a wide expansion of grass in front of the stage where live performances are offered daily. It's filled with comfortable lawn chairs and makes a great spot to take in the sun, and maybe some music, too. Illumination is a big part of Tivoli: there's nothing like colored lights to raise some excitement. I missed it, but there's a 10-minute illumination show just before closing time.

Here are a few more photos from my afternoon and early evening at Tivoli.

The menu features pastrami. Unfortunately it's served on a whole wheat baguette.

The daily parade is straight out of Disney.

Toddlers' play area; To the right is a whale of a pancake restaurant.

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