History Main / DisneylandDad

* WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'s best friend Buster has a father who only appears to take him on trips, except for the Father's Day episode "1001 Dads." Arthur feels guilty that Buster's parents are divorced, so he tries to have other men step in to play the role of surrogate father to Buster. Come the day of Elwood City's Father's Day picnic, it turns out Buster's dad has rented a hot air balloon for the afternoon, enabling everyone at the picnic to have free rides.

* Caleb from ''Literature/{{Sanctuary}}'' is a type 1. He works as a long haul airline pilot, which means that he gets few opportunities to see his and Vinnie's ten-year-old son Theo, who lives with Vinnie in Casswell Park. When he does get a few days with Theo, he always takes him someplace fun, like Alton Towers, and whenever he visits, he brings gifts that he picked up during his travels.

-> '''Natalie:''' ''[talking to Gabriel Agreste on the phone]'' Yes sir, understood. I'm sure he'll understand, sir.\\

'''Natalie:''' Yes, but he has reserved the best seats in the house for you, Adrien. Front row.\\

** Chloe views her mom as this. Audrey Bourgeois is a famous fashion designer who lives in New York away from her husband and daughter. When she does come to Paris for Fashion Week, she allows Chloe to accompany her to the big fashion shows and generally be the center of attention, which Chloe loves. However, this is all incidental and Audrey really doesn't care either way whether Chloe is there or not. When she does start attempting to bond with her daughter, she does so via their common personalities rather than with grandiose displays.

* Pizzazz's rich and busy father Harvey from ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'' had full-custody of Pizzazz after his wife walked out. However, he didn't know how to relate to Pizzazz. As a result, Harvey showered Pizzazz with gifts instead of affection. All this did was make Pizzazz grow into a bitter, spoiled RichBitch who uses her fans {{attention|Whore}} as a substitute for love.

* Subverted in ''Film/MrsDoubtfire''; Initially Daniel (Creator/RobinWilliams) shows his love for his kids by being the Fun Dad, throwing them extravagant parties, and letting them do whatever they want when he's in charge. Combined with his unreliable employment, it causes his wife, Miranda, to divorce him, initiating the plot of the film. Facing the loss of contact with his kids, Daniel devices a plan to spend time with his kids and introduce stability into the household.

* While he's not actually a parent, Scrooge [=McDuck=] tries to use his wealth to outdo Donald Duck and win over the affection of his orphaned nephews, Huey, Duey, and Lewey in some early Creator/CarlBarks stories.
* Jack Drake, father of Tim (ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}), would occasionally try to bring Tim along on cool excursions, bought him expensive camera equipment and paid for him to attend the best (boarding) schools in Gotham growing up. Jack almost always canceled plans with Tim, though he's known to have brought Tim to the opera and circus, and Tim's mother Janet was involved in all the plans that didn't fall through.

* Subverted in ''Film/MrsDoubtfire''; Initially Daniel (''Creator/RobinWilliams) shows his love for his kids by being the Fun Dad, throwing them extravagant parties, and letting them do whatever they want when he's in charge. Combined with his unreliable employment, it causes his wife, Miranda, to divorce him, initiating the plot of the film. Facing the loss of contact with his kids, Daniel devices a plan to spend time with his kids and introduce stability into the household.

* [[BewareTheSuperman Homelander]] in ''Series/TheBoys'' was a mix of Type I and II after learning that he was a father, as he more or less cared for his son's well-being but was a narcissistic {{sociopath}} who cared more about turning his son into a miniature him than getting to know him personally. At one point he takes him to a [[EvilInc Vought]]-owned amusement park but doesn't stop to think that his being [[GildedCage raised in isolation]] would make him uncomfortable with crowds.

* In ''Anime/GreatPretender,'' in the first arc, Salazar no longer has custody of his son since his wife's death, as his job as bodyguard to a drug trafficker keeps him too busy and is far too dangerous. When he does get to see his son, he takes him out to a theme park in an attempt to give them the best possible quality time together. Since his son Tom is young, Tom thoroughly enjoys it. [[spoiler: Seeing them together reminds Makoto so much of his relationship with his own father--who was also a criminal--that it provides the boost he needs to [[CharacterDevelopment get his act together.]] In the end, he and the rest of the [[JustLikeRobinHood noble conmen]] provide Salazar with several cubic miles of dirt on his boss, so that he can get out of the criminal life and get back to raising his son.]]

* ''Film/JingleAllTheWay'': Ted, the next-door neighbor and rival to Howard (TheHero) is (in contrast to Howard being a workaholic that can rarely be there for his kid although he's tried hard to make up for it) TheAce and a perfect father, even having the mind to purchase the much-sought-after Turbo Man doll (that Howard has been suffering hell all day to try to get because it's sold out) months in advance. His son, Johnny, flat-out states that Ted was an equally absent father up until the divorce happened and then he started showering him with gifts and acting like a perfect father (and then he tells Howards's son, Jamie, that [[InnocentlyInsensitive it probably would be a good thing if his parents divorce, if that makes Howard do the same]]). His entire "perfect father" act is both for the sake of being this and so he'll attract women (especially Howard's wife, which he's lusting after).
* ''Film/{{Inception}}'': Cobb is a hunted fugitive, and can't get back to his home country to be with his children without getting arrested. He tries to connect with the kids through phone-calls and buying them toys, which he passes to his father (the children's grandfather) when the latter is going back to America. Miles outright tells him that the kids are going to need more than the "occasional stuffed animals" to remember that they still have a father.
* In ''Film/{{Boyhood}}'', the kids live with their mother most of the time and have only occasional visits with their father. The dad tends to take them out on fun outings like bowling and feeds them fast food, which at first highlights his immaturity in comparison to their harried mother. The dad's other main interaction with his kids is on vacations to West Texas and to his family's ranch. The casual, fun dad aspect flips about halfway through the film, as he gets his act together and eventually becomes more responsible than the mom, who has a string of bad relationships. The vacations with Dad eventually become an important part of Mason Jr.'s coming of age and development as a man.

* In ''Literature/MyTeacherIsAnAlien'', Peter's dad actually had custody after [[MissingMom his mom ran off]], but neglected him in favor of work, which contributed to Peter's decision to [[StayWithTheAliens leave with Broxholm]]. In the final book, Peter's dad admits (to a [[LatexPerfection disguised]] Peter) that he wanted to make a lot of money and buy his son's happiness, but now realizes that he drove him away.

* ''Literature/CallMeSunflower'': Jessie's parents divorced two years ago. She rarely sees her dad now, but when she does, he buys her whatever she wants.

* Creator/RobinWilliams is like this at the beginning of ''Film/MrsDoubtfire''; it causes his divorce and initiates the plot of the film.

* Before he went ''completely'' off the deep end, [[ComicBook/GreenGoblin Norman Osborn]] occasionally tried to act like this to his son Harry. Harry, being a teenager, doesn't really buy it.

[[folder:Fanworks]]
* In ''Fanfic/LegacyDocSuess'', Tony thinks that he gave Peter "everything", and while Peter was wealthy as a Stark, [[LonelyRichKid he was completely starved for affection]].
[[/folder]]

* In ''Anime/GreatPretener,'' in the first arc, Salazar no longer has custody of his son since his wife's death, as his job as bodyguard to a drug trafficker keeps him too busy and is far too dangerous. When he does get to see his son, he takes him out to a theme park in an attempt to give them the best possible quality time together. Since his son Tom is young, Tom thoroughly enjoys it. [[spoiler: Seeing them together reminds Makoto so much of his relationship with his own father--who was also a criminal--that it provides the boost he needs to [[CharacterDevelopment get his act together.]] In the end, he and the rest of the [[JustLikeRobinHood noble conmen]] provide Salazar with several cubic miles of dirt on his boss, so that he can get out of the criminal life and get back to raising his son.]]

* Deconstructed in ''Website/TheOnion'' article "New Mommy Much Prettier". The Disneyland Dad is RemarriedToTheMistress, and the kids are always looking forward to elaborate outings with them while Old Mommy struggles with depression and making ends meet as she does all of the actual child-raising. The kids, unable to understand why Old Mommy is no fun or appreciate what she does for them, have come to love her less than New Mommy.

May overlap with WellDoneDadGuy, VisitByDivorcedDad, and PushOverParents. Contrast DisappearedDad, WhenYouComingHomeDad, and DaddyDidntShow. May result in LonelyRichKid.

[[/folders]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* The Emperor has shades of this in ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice''. Admittedly, he can't do much with his sons nowadays because [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport he's physically unable to leave the Golden Throne]]. He gives [[spoiler:Magnus]] a warbike as a reconciliation present.

* In ''Website/TheOnion'' article "New Mommy Much Prettier", the kids are always looking forward to fun outings with their Disneyland Dad and his new, significantly younger wife. Tragically {{Deconstructed}} in that their mother has not recovered from the divorce and is struggling to make ends meet. As they do not understand why she is not doing similar fun things with them, they are losing affection for her, seeing her as an unattractive sad sack compared to "New Mommy".

* In the ''Website/TheOnion'' article "New Mommy Much Prettier", the kids are always looking forward to fun outings with their Disneyland Dad and his new, significantly younger wife. Tragically {{Deconstructed}} in that their mother has not recovered from the divorce and is struggling to make ends meet. As they do not understand why she is not doing similar fun things with them, they are losing affection for her, seeing her as an unattractive sad sack compared to "New Mommy".

* In the ''WebOriginal/TheOnion'' article "New Mommy Much Prettier", the kids are always looking forward to fun outings with their Disneyland Dad and his new, significantly younger wife. Tragically {{Deconstructed}} in that their mother has not recovered from the divorce and is struggling to make ends meet. As they do not understand why she is not doing similar fun things with them, they are losing affection for her, seeing her as an unattractive sad sack compared to "New Mommy".

[[folders]]
* The narrator of "Father's Day" by Australian band Weddings Parties Anything is a divorced father who has visiting rights to his son on Saturdats: "We go where he wants to go, we do what he wants to do".