Who can resist a fairytale?

Even in an age when kids cut their teeth on iPods, iPads and iPhones, the princess myth -- from Cinderella to Kate Middleton -- has never been stronger, and fantasy shows, such as Once Upon A Time, find huge adult prime-time audiences.

Somehow the folks at Disney have always understood this. The world's biggest creators of fantasy seem to know that no matter how sophisticated society becomes, there will always be a need for children -- and grownups -- to embrace a realm where dreams come true, where magic is real and where good triumphs over evil.

Cynics might attribute Disney's success to extremely savvy marketing that taps into deep psychological human needs. And it's probably true that the mega-media company -- with its theme parks and resorts, cruise line, TV stations, film companies, merchandising and more -- is the savviest marketer of all time. How else to explain polka-dot mouse ears atop adult heads, or how my 8-year-old niece AND her 42-year-old dad can BOTH become hooked on pin trading?