Like many others have already stated in their blogs, Disney holds a very special place in my childhood. When I was younger it was hard to find a Disney movie where I didn’t know every line, song and character. At one point my mom had to ask me to stop constantly singing Disney tunes around the house. So, needless to say, my trips to Disney World were truly amazing. When I walked down the notorious “Main Street” my heart pounded with excitement and my imagination ran wild. Everything was so happy, playful and full of spirit. Today, going to Disney World, the excitement is still there but the realities of the reproduced fantasies are more prominent. Now having a background of Critical Media studies, I am able to look at the theme park and see beyond is playful cover.
After reading “The City of Robots” by Umberto Eco, there were a couple of points I found to be very interesting. For one, how effectively Disney World was able to produce the illusion of reality. When you enter the Magic Kingdom, you are surrounded by life size buildings, functioning shops, realistic robots and other dressed up characters. Instead of just watching these imaginary places in Disney movies, you are able to walk around the fantasy world as if you are in the movie yourself. As Eco calls it, Disney is a “masterpiece of falsification.” Everything is presented to you as if it is “real” because you can walk into the different shops and purchase items with real money from a person who is dressed in costume acting the part. Disney has managed to create a hallucination atmosphere where you want to believe what you are witnessing is real.
Although Disney gives off a feeling of fun and excitement, is what they are promoting in your best interest. Disney has not only managed to create a realistic fantasy world but has also taken advantage of the fact that we live in a consumer society. Because Disney allows you to indulge in an out of body experience, you sometimes forget how much money your spending. You may think you need to buy something in order to fully participate in the whole experience. I was at Disney World a few weeks ago and just to get into the park alone the fee was 80 dollars, not including parking. The hype for the fantasy experience is in such demand, that people will pay ridiculous dollars just to be there.
"On my honor I have neither given, nor received, nor witnessed any unauthorized assistance on this blog."
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