Description
Book SynopsisDisney 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 identityor 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
Table of Contents
Part 1: Establishing Disney Parks as Sites of American Identity 1. Disney and American Folklore: Disney tells American History 2. Disney Diplomacy and Morale: Disney Symbolizes America 3. Disneyland and Walt Disney World: Experiencing "History" and "Identity" at Disney Parks 4. Mickey Mouse/White House: Celebrating American Identity at Disney Parks Part 2: Negotiating American Identity at the Disney Parks 5. Protest at the Parks: Changing America Via Disney 6. Retheming: Visualizing a Changing America at Disney Parks 6. Conclusion: A New Understanding of "Disneyfication"
