Comments on: Anthropology on Disney World: consumerism, postmodernism and decontextualisation

By: Christophe Bruchansky

Christophe Bruchansky — Sat, 21 May 2011 12:41:23 +0000

Great link, thanks for sharing it! I have also always wondered how the magic of Disney is produced, and how consciously Disney builds and perpetuates its own ideology. I’m not sure that Imagineers clash that often with businessmen, it all depends on their understanding of what they do. They are always presented in Disney press releases as kind of peter pans who would like to have fun, but reality must be very different…

By: Kristine

Kristine — Wed, 18 May 2011 08:07:58 +0000

Interesting summary of some ways that Disney parks work. Personally, I’ve been interested in how Disney blends storytelling with consumerism; I’ve always wondered what kind of clashes this causes between the Imagineers and the businessmen of the company. It’s an interesting relationship. Bottom line: I enjoy the movies and the films, but as you say, I have to remember that it’s “only one version of a utopian society of happiness.”

By the way, I hope you don’t mind my sharing my own research on a similar topic here. I recently presented a paper on Disneyland as a secular pilgrimage site:
http://kristinekeller.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-big-presentation.html

I’d love your feedback, if at all possible.

By: Christophe Bruchansky

Christophe Bruchansky — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:08:34 +0000

You can find a new article I have written about Walt Disney World and Heterotopia on http://curatedmatter.org/the-heterotopia-of-walt-disney-world-post-modernism-and-consumerism/

By: Christophe Bruchansky

Christophe Bruchansky — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:39:16 +0000

Thanks for sharing this experience Aries! Whatever Disney parks tried to achieve, personal memories are unique and have their own meanings. The parks are designed for visitors to live predefined stories and to get predefined desires. But reality is different and it would be interesting to hear what is the story people have to tell about their visit. How it differs from the ‘standard’ consumption of the Disney product.

By: AriesAshkuff

AriesAshkuff — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:06:32 +0000

Furthermore, though?
I suppose it IS a little screwed up that some of my earliest childhood memories include incessant advertisements for “Kodak.”
Heh.

By: AriesAshkuff

AriesAshkuff — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:57:54 +0000

Wow…

You know, I spent a lot of time at Disney World as a child. We had a lot of, er, “issues” and my mother and grandmother took me there to escape from time-to-time. And, you know? It was a lot like this article said. Disney mixed reality with the fantastic, making the “real” seem a bit less harsh and the “fantastic” seem a bit more achievable. And, for me, this was a good thing.

Although, that said?
They never got me, I never started trusting the corporations.
Heh. Up yours, Wal-Mart!