Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives

Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives PDF Author: Bethanee Bemis
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000811166
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 94

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Book Description
Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives takes a public history approach to situating the physical spaces of the Disney brand within memory and identity studies. For over 65 years, Disney’s theme parks have been important locations for the formation and negotiation of the collective memory of the American narrative. Disney’s success as one of America’s most prolific storytellers, its rise as a symbol of America itself, and its creation of theme parks that immerse visitors in three-dimensional versions of certain "American" values and historic myths have both echoed and shaped the way the American people see themselves. Like all versions of the American narrative, Disney’s vision serves to reassure us, affirm our shared values, and unite a diverse group of people under a distinctly American identity—or at least, it did. The book shows how the status Disney obtained led the public to use them both as touchstones of identity and as spaces to influence the American identity writ large. This volume also examines the following: • how Disney’s original cartoons and live-action entertainment offerings drew from American folk history and ideals • how their work during World War II cemented them as an American symbol at home and abroad • how the materialization of the American themes already espoused by the brand at their theme parks created a place where collective memory lives • how legitimization by presidents and other national figures gave the theme parks standing no other entertainment space has • how Disney has changed alongside the American people and continues to do so today. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of history, media, cultural studies, American studies and tourism.

Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives

Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives PDF Author: Bethanee Bemis
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000811166
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 94

Get Book

Book Description
Disney Theme Parks and America’s National Narratives takes a public history approach to situating the physical spaces of the Disney brand within memory and identity studies. For over 65 years, Disney’s theme parks have been important locations for the formation and negotiation of the collective memory of the American narrative. Disney’s success as one of America’s most prolific storytellers, its rise as a symbol of America itself, and its creation of theme parks that immerse visitors in three-dimensional versions of certain "American" values and historic myths have both echoed and shaped the way the American people see themselves. Like all versions of the American narrative, Disney’s vision serves to reassure us, affirm our shared values, and unite a diverse group of people under a distinctly American identity—or at least, it did. The book shows how the status Disney obtained led the public to use them both as touchstones of identity and as spaces to influence the American identity writ large. This volume also examines the following: • how Disney’s original cartoons and live-action entertainment offerings drew from American folk history and ideals • how their work during World War II cemented them as an American symbol at home and abroad • how the materialization of the American themes already espoused by the brand at their theme parks created a place where collective memory lives • how legitimization by presidents and other national figures gave the theme parks standing no other entertainment space has • how Disney has changed alongside the American people and continues to do so today. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of history, media, cultural studies, American studies and tourism.

The Progress City Primer: Stories, Secrets, and Silliness from the Many Worlds of Walt Disney

The Progress City Primer: Stories, Secrets, and Silliness from the Many Worlds of Walt Disney PDF Author: Michael Crawford
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0986205060
Category : Amusement parks
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
From the Progress City Archives comes this collection of tall tales and true from the annals of the Walt Disney Company. From Walt's on-set antics to the creations of modern-day Imagineers, we've put together a sampling of stories from throughout Disney history. SEE how Walt Disney befriended presidents and saved the Winter Olympics! HEAR how Imagineers created the technological wonderland of Epcot Center! READ the true-life tales of never-built Disney theme parks Port Disney and Disney's America! Join us as we explore the obscure and amusing corners of the Disney universe. From Fantasia to Horizons, there's something here for every fan.

Disneyland and Culture

Disneyland and Culture PDF Author: Kathy Merlock Jackson
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487453
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
The success of Disneyland as the world's first permanent, commercially viable theme park sparked the creation of a number of other parks throughout the world, from Florida to Japan, France, and Hong Kong. But the impact of Disneyland is not confined to the theme park arena. These essays explore a far-reaching ideology. Among the topics are Disney's role in the creation of children's architecture; Frontierland as an allegorical map of the American West; the "cultural invasion of France" in Disneyland Paris; the politics of nostalgia; and "hyperurbanity" in the town of Celebration, Florida. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

The Disney Story

The Disney Story PDF Author: Aaron H. Goldberg
Publisher: Quaker Scribe
ISBN:
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
Attention, all Disney Fans! Do you enjoy reading about the Disney theme parks? Perhaps you're enamored with the man who was Walt Disney? Maybe you're just plain crazy for Mickey Mouse and the Disney big-screen features? No need to order your serving of Disney history and knowledge a la carte anymore.Welcome to The Disney Story, a decade-by-decade look back on the man, the mouse, and the theme parks. From Mickey Mouse's debut at the Colony Theatre in November 1928 to the opening of Shanghai Disneyland in 2016--and everything in between--finally, the world's greatest storyteller has their story told!In addition to reliving Disney's most memorable moments, there are numerous interesting and lesser-known stories that will expand your Disney knowledge and give you a fresh perspective on your favorite Disney topic. The Disney Story is more than just a timeline of Disney events and a collection of interesting stories. It's a vehicle and guidebook that can be used to travel back in time and read about your favorite Disney subjects via an interactive bibliography on the book's companion website.Disney's ninety-year journey is all here in one volume, complete with informative stories and tidbits about the theme parks, movies, and Walt himself. Revel in the remarkable innovations and legendary Disney magic that make the company the premiere name in entertainment today.

Waltäó»s Utopia

Waltäó»s Utopia PDF Author: Priscilla Hobbs
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476622132
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
The “Happiest Place on Earth” opened in 1955 during a trying time in American life—the Cold War. Disneyland was envisioned as a utopian resort where families could play together and escape the tension of the “real world.” Since its construction, the park has continually been updated to reflect changing American culture. The park’s themed features are based on familiar Disney stories and American history and folklore. They reflect the hopes of a society trying to understand itself in the wake of World War II. This book takes a fresh look at the park, analyzing its cultural narrative by looking beyond consumerism and corporate marketing to how Disney helped America cope during the Cold War and beyond.

Every Guest Is a Hero

Every Guest Is a Hero PDF Author: Adam M. Berger
Publisher: Bca Press
ISBN: 9780615925592
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Though you may not be aware of it, whenever you're playing in any of Disney's many theme parks, the Imagineers who designed those parks are busy playing with your head. EVERY GUEST IS A HERO reveals for the first time how the artists and technical wizards of Walt Disney Imagineering have harnessed the magic of mythic storytelling to press all sorts of psychological buttons you never knew you had, inspiring you and millions of your fellow visitors to return to the parks again and again. Longtime theme park designer and attraction show writer Adam M. Berger is your tour guide, decoding the mythic themes and archetypes of the Disney parks in an entertaining, engaging, and always accessible manner. You'll discover page after page of "ah-ha!" moments as you encounter one surprising connection after another. You'll also find a collection of ten "Mything in Action" case studies that break down the mythic content of some of your favorite Disney attractions, scene-by-scene. There's even a chapter devoted to the mythic realms of George Lucas, offering tantalizing clues about some of the amazing experiences now being Imagineered for Disney's forthcoming Star Wars-themed lands. It's a must-read volume for Disney enthusiasts and aspiring Imagineers alike. So strap yourself in, keep your arms and legs inside at all times, and prepare to embark on a voyage of mythic proportions. Once you've read EVERY GUEST IS A HERO, you'll never look at your favorite Disney attractions the same way again.

Walt Disney's Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park

Walt Disney's Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park PDF Author: Jeff Kurtti
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
50 years ago, Walt Disney utterly transformed the concept of outdoor entertainment venues. Using his innate talent for combining disparate skills and personalities, he assembled a creative team that blended imagination with engineering and called them 'Imagineers'. Kurtti introduces a core group of the originators of Disneyland and the other Disney parks. He explores their individual relationships with Walt and each other, their creative breakthroughs and failure, their rivalries and professional politics. Lavishly illustrated with rare never-before-seen photos.

Buying Disney's World

Buying Disney's World PDF Author: Aaron H. Goldberg
Publisher: Quaker Scribe
ISBN: 1733642056
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
In November of 1965, after numerous months of speculation surrounding a mystery industry that had been purchasing large amounts of land in central Florida, Walt Disney finally put an end to the rumors. He announced to the public his grandiose plans for the thousands of acres he had secretly purchased. For the eighteen months prior to the announcement, Walt entrusted a small group of men to covertly make these purchases. Next, they were tasked with drafting a legislative act to submit to the state of Florida that would allow Disney to wield nearly absolute legal control over the property under a quasi-government municipality. Staying true to its storytelling roots, Disney wove a tale of mystery centered around a high-ranking CIA operative, who was rumored to have been, just a few short years before, the paymaster behind the Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba. This savvy and well-connected CIA agent became the de facto leader for the group of Disney executives and attorneys who orchestrated and executed a nearly perfect plan to keep Disney’s identity a secret from the public by utilizing aliases, shell corporations, and meandering travel itineraries, all in an effort to protect the company’s identity during the land acquisition process. As told through the personal notes and files from the key figures involved in the project, Buying Disney’s World details the story of how Walt Disney World came to be, like you’ve never heard before. From conception to construction and everything in between—including how a parcel of land within Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort was acquired during a high-stakes poker game—explore how the company most famous for creating Mickey Mouse acquired central Florida’s swamps, orange groves, and cow pastures to build a Disney fiefdom and a Magic Kingdom.

Performance and the Disney Theme Park Experience

Performance and the Disney Theme Park Experience PDF Author: Jennifer A. Kokai
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 303029322X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
This book addresses Disney parks using performance theory. Few to no scholars have done this to date—an enormous oversight given the Disney parks’ similarities to immersive theatre, interpolation of guests, and dramaturgical construction of attractions. Most scholars and critics deny agency to the tourist in their engagement with the Disney theme park experience. The vast body of research and journalism on the Disney “Imagineers”—the designers and storytellers who construct the park experience—leads to the misconception that these exceptional artists puppeteer every aspect of the guest’s experience. Contrary to this assumption, Disney park guests find a range of possible reading strategies when they enter the space. Certainly Disney presents a primary reading, but generations of critical theory have established the variety of reading strategies that interpreters can employ to read against the text. This volume of twelve essays re-centers the park experience around its protagonist: the tourist.

Disney & His Worlds

Disney & His Worlds PDF Author: Alan Bryman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134849834
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
This work provides an overview of the Disney organization, in particular the theme parks and their significance for contemporary culture. The author examines topics such as Walt Disney's life and how his biography has been constructed, the Disney Company in the years after his death and various writings about the Disney theme parks. He raises important issues about the parks such as: whether they are harbringers of postmodernism; the significance of consumption at the parks; and the representation of past and future. The discussion of theme parks links with the presentation of Disney's biography and his organization by showing how central economic and business considerations have been in their development and how the significance of these considerations is typically marginalized in order to place an emphasis on fantasy and magic.