I pitched a roller coaster to Disneyland at age 10 in 1978

Childhood creativity and pitching big ideas

• Many commenters recall designing ambitious projects as kids: roller coasters, games, spaceships, tic-tac-toe “computers,” water parks, candy, self-checkouts, dual-SIM phones, and more.
• Sending these ideas to big companies (Disney, LucasArts, Capcom, game studios, toy makers, car and plane manufacturers, grocery chains, tech firms, etc.) felt natural and exciting, even when the ideas were naïve or technically flawed.
• Several people note that this kind of drive to create and to “just ask” seems innate in some kids, and is impressive in hindsight.

How companies handle unsolicited ideas

• There is repeated explanation that many media and product companies avoid reading outside pitches due to IP and lawsuit risk.
• Standard practices mentioned: unopened returns or minimal reading, boilerplate legal letters, explicit statements that originals are being returned so they cannot be seen as “inspiration.”
• Some industries (e.g., certain games) occasionally formalize fan submissions via contests, but only within controlled channels and timeframes.

Emotional impact of replies (and rejections)

• Even generic or legalistic letters were often treasured and sometimes framed; they became formative memories and boosted confidence.
• Several people say these experiences taught them that “asking doesn’t cost anything” and normalized rejection as survivable.
• Others recall the opposite: teachers or adults dismissing or literally destroying their work, which was deeply discouraging and sometimes shut down their creative efforts for years.

Then vs. now: volume, internet, and lost “magic”

• Commenters argue that handwritten letters from kids were rare enough to merit human replies; today’s global scale and “spray-and-pray” culture makes that impossible, leading to ghosting, ATS filters, and canned responses.
• Some see pre-internet companies (especially game and media firms) as more “magical” and mysterious; today’s always-on marketing, microtransactions, and online outrage culture are said to erode that feeling.
• There’s debate over whether the main change is capitalism getting harsher, the internet’s scale, or simply the loss of childhood innocence.

Role of parents and mentors

• Several readers wonder how much parental help and encouragement were behind these kid pitches.
• Others, now adults, emphasize how crucial it is not to belittle children’s projects and to respond kindly when kids reach out, since a small gesture can have lifelong influence.