Idealized Reality Through Panoptic Discipline In Disneyland

Idealized Reality Through Panoptic Discipline In Disneyland

Disneyland is a popular theme park and an iconic representation of Disney as a company. Millions of people from around the globe, from every age group visit the park every year. The park is envisioned as a glimmering land of nostalgia and childlike imagination that is fun for the whole family. However, this land that we call “The Happiest Place On Earth” in an ironic twist has become a human trap set by a mouse, an inadvertent ploy to inflict naivety and promote fallacy. With the framework of a utopian getaway, the decontextualization presented by the design of the park disciplines park goers into a mindset of false reality.

The start of what we now know as Disneyland began when Walt Disney had the idea of creating a miniature show outside of his Burbank studio. After the studio underwent authoritative changes during World War II, Walt Disney turned his interest to miniature trains, collecting and even creating his own models. He became transfixed with miniaturized models that then progressed into the idea of having a train circumventing the Burbank studio through landscapes featuring different cultural scenes such as a village and an opera house. Due partially to the Burbank authorities hostility toward the idea and partially to Walt Disney’s expansive plans, the park was moved to Anaheim, California (Chytry 265). The idea was to create a gigantic movie set, a way to transport park goers into different thematic time periods including historically inspired buildings on Main Street and futuristic rides in Tomorrowland, each land a part of an imaginative, carefree world that would be inviting to people of all ages.

Walt Disney took great pride in his work and monitored ...

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