The sociological exploration of Disney, and in particular its parks, requires a focus on the visitor and how they experience the carefully curated fantasy managed by Disney as an institution. This essay will examine the experience of Disneyland as a park user of adult age by looking at the consumer experience, simulacra (Baudrillard, 1981) (specifically environmental simulacra), and nostalgia. It will utilise a range of sociological sources and approaches including the work of Jean Baudrillard, Fred Davis, and Erving Goffman.  

In order to discuss the experience of Disneyland it is important to establish the framework of the majority of adult park visitors. Disney in this case is a powerful word insomuch that it embodies more than a company but a societal institution that has a global impact particularly on the socialisation of children. The inevitable impact of a childhood link to Disney is the generation of nostalgia when coming into contact with any Disney themed stimuli as an adult.  In their essay on nostalgia Fred Davis claims it is at the very core of the modern condition stating that nostalgia is, “the mourning of displacement and temporal irreversibility.” (Davis, 2011, p.453). The utilisation of nostalgia by Disney is essential to generate the feeling of heritage, and for everyone who visits Disneyland it becomes a form of social cohesion, a shared love or regard for something. The powerful pull of yesteryear and why it is important is linked to this idea of heritage as Michael Kammen (2011) explains ”Nostalgia, with its wistful memories, is essentially history without guilt. Heritage is something that suffuses us with pride rather than shame.” (Kammen, 2011, p.688). It is worth noting that further research into nostalgia has found that when utilising nostalgia in a consumption specific context the consumer responded more to personal nostalgia than historical nostalgia which the Disney park are replete, although there are examples of historic nostalgia evident in Disneyland Paris’ exclusive Ratatouille ride or Disney world’s hall of presidents (Muehling & Pascal, 2012). The highlighting of emotions such as pride and shame are interesting and could be linked with Cooley’s work on the self-idea who notes these emotions as a key element in the development of self-feeling (Cooley, 1922, p.184).  When examining the work of Goffman, as they developed Cooley’s work on the self-idea, Thomas Scheff (2000) noted that there are ‘social emotions’ themed throughout both their works, in particular shame which encompasses other emotions including embarrassment, shyness and humiliation. They further analysed these emotions stating, “What unites all these cognates is that they involve the feeling of a threat to a social bond.” (Scheff, 2000, p.97). Nostalgia in the Disney context is designed to produce, “a positively toned evocation of a lived past.” (Davis, 1979, p.18) and as such would elicit the more positive aspects of these ‘social emotions’ further entrenching the social bonds between visitors in the same group whilst also engendering warm feelings of a shared unity with visitors to the same park but outside of the group. 

Disney works hard to manage and maintain the emotional and immersive experience of the visitor. This can range from rules about clothing inside the park for example visitors over the age of 14 may not wear costumes, except when specifically allowed, in order to maintain the integrity of character portrayal by cast members (Disneyworld.com). The rules also stipulate no torn clothing, objectionable tattoos, or clothing, “which, by nature, exposes excess portions of the skin that may be viewed as inappropriate for a family environment.” (Disneyworld.com). This careful management of the visitor themselves and the inevitable buy-in to Disney’s ‘family orientated’ social narrative is an imitation of ‘American values’. Disneyland itself is a copy of intellectual property that is in and of itself not real, a copy of a copy, which reflects, and blurs the lines between an imagined reality and an imaginary world resulting in the creation of a simulacra. Baudrillard utilises Disneyland as a perfect example to demonstrate his concept of the ‘hyperreal’  when discussing Simulacras’ (Baudrillard, 1981).  He discusses the transition of our consumption of fantasy to something else which exists both outside and in reality saying, “Being an extra in virtual reality is no longer being an actor or spectator. It is to be out of the scene, to be obscene.” (Baudrillard, 1996). The expectation of the visitor is to inhabit, observe and interact with the park simultaneously suspending belief while inhabiting the real space of Disneyland. Summing up this very point Baudrillard says, “Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real.” (Baudrillard, 1981, p.5) essentially an ideological coverall that reinforces belief in, for example, ‘American values’.  Another less discussed example of simulacra could be the emotional attachments to fictitious characters from television or film who are made manifest in the parks which allows visitors to interact with essentially strong figments of their imagination in real life. The blurring of reality and the imaginary can be un-nerving sometimes resulting in an instinctual emotional response due to an imagined shared history that is very real to the visitor. This could be an extension of Disney as an environmental simulacra which enables the visitor to “relive fond media memories by being a product placement that we can step inside.” (Olson, 2008, p.74).

The rest of the outside world does creep into Disney, not in an unsettling way but rather in a purposefully crafted, sanitised version of ‘reality’ where humanity is in complete control of ‘nature’.  William Borrie (1999) discusses this concept in their article, ‘Disneyland and Disney World: Designing and Prescribing the Recreational Experience’ stating that, “Rather than striving to maintain uniqueness, there is something vaguely reassuring and familiar abut all of Disney’s environment and experiences.” (Borrie, p.72). This vagueness, or as Scott Olson calls it “artificial déjà vu” (Olson, 2008, p.73), is essential to the accessibility of Disney’s parks particularly when looking at consumption and marketisation.

When studying the emotional components of nostalgia researchers found that, “Nostalgia itself is not a preference for these things, but rather a feeling or mood that may result in preferences for things that tend to produce nostalgic responses.” (Holak & Havlena, 1998). This is essential in the application of nostalgia to marketing and visitor consumption at Disneyland. Historically Disney did not initially set out to marketise the recreational experience but through the introduction of a new management executive at the parks named Paul Pressler (Paul Pressler, Wikipedia) marketisation became the central focus for those who created the ‘Disney Experience’ inside the park. In their book ‘Handbook of Product Placement in the Mass Media’  Scott Olson (2008) lists five key components that are necessary to facilitate ‘environmental simulacra’ with an end to assert brands and products into a space. As previously mentioned Artificial déjà vu but also, Postmodernism, Narratised Space, Mythic Displacement and Repurposed Mythology. The latter two in particular play a key part in Disney’s approach to marketisation and the placation of consumer values. “Mythological narratives constructed for the purpose of consumer product sales or corporate synergy make use of participation, awe, wonder and purpose, but not as the end in themselves.” (Olson, 2008, p.74). Rather than cultivating the satisfaction in a religious or mythically satisfying journey of discovery, in Disney’s case, the end is product sales. Essentially the opportunity for the visitor to capture the emotion and feeling of a visit to Disneyland by purchasing the product that will produce nostalgia in the future for them.

However, the commodification and ‘altered reality’ of everything in Disney extends beyond the products taken home at the end of a trip with any obstacles that could bring discomfort or the more realistic limitations of ‘normal life’ to mind being carefully obfuscated. This includes Disney limiting the amount of clocks in the public eye as a way to interfere with an individuals sense of temporality, increasing the amount of toilets, making sure a large variety of cuisines and snacks are always available at multiple price points. They even include multiple opportunities to ‘live’ on site during the visitor’s vacation with various hotels, also at different price points, providing easy access to the parks with free public transport or easy walkways (distance from the park depends on financial output). This allows for a sense of self-determination for the visitor although in actuality the choice is always Disney or Disney. The sensory experience in the parks is incredibly manicured, everything from the noises you hear to the smells that change as you go from one themed environment to another. When discussing the aesthetics of Disney World Berleant (1994) notes that the level of stress is low, loud ambient noise and fast movement are rare and explains the use of technology to mask any unpleasant realities for example, “The sound system, moreover, is of high quality and unobtrusive, with its volume low and its speakers hidden in the garden foliage.” (Berleant, 1994, p.173). This sound system masks the sound of footsteps, general conversation and the sharpness of any noise. My trip to the park coincided with the early stages of the 2020 pandemic COVID 19 which thanks to the careful management of the environmental simulacra had almost no effect on the ‘Disney Experience’ or other visitors. Key impacts included overnight installations of hand washing stations, increased sanitation procedures, replacement of standard cutlery to disposable, and strong hand sanitiser at park entrances, ride entrances and check out areas of shops. As Berleant notes this could be attributed to the, “Visible and invisible controls [that] make these environments so carefree that despite the crowds and ceaseless activity, these public spaces never become threatening.” (Berleant, 1994, p.174). 

This essay reflects on Disney’s ability to curate and manufacture a personal experience for each and every visitor. Each experience is unique due to the individuals’ entry point into the environmental simulacra, their heritage and personal nostalgia with the Walt Disney Company (in all of its mediums), and finally in their ability to purchase a product that has the potential to produce a nostalgic response in the future. Their control over the ‘natural’ environment reduces stress, noise pollution, and rapidity allowing the visitor to experience a dreamlike state of escapism without the key touchstones of temporality and harsh ‘everyday life’. As to whether this is a positive or negative contribution to the social order is not the central theme of this essay but rather the ability of society to invent and inhabit make believe spaces that have a ‘real’ physical and mental impact. 

References: 

Baudrillard, J. (1981) Jean Baudrillard, Selected Writings: Simulacra and simulation [Online]. Ed. Mark Poster. Stanford: Standford University Press. [Accessed 21 April 2020]. Available from:

Baudrillard , J. (1996) Disneyworld Company. Liberation [Online]. Translated by Francois Debrix.  [Accessed 21 April 2020]. Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20100527152759/http://www.egs.edu/faculty/jean-baudrillard/articles/disneyworld-company/ 

Berleant, A. (1994) The Critical Aesthetics of Disney World. Journal of Applied Philosophy [online]. 11(2). pp.171-180. [Accessed 21 April 2020].

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5930.1994.tb00106.x

Borrie, W.T. (1999) Disneyland and Disneyworld: Designing and Prescribing the Recreational Experience. Society and Leisure  [online]. 22(1). pp.71-82. [Accessed 21 April 2020].

https://doi.org/10.1080/07053436.1999.10715576

Davis, F. (1979) Yearning for Yesterday: A Sociology of Nostalgia. The Free Press.*

Davis, F. (1979) Yearning for Yesterday, In: Olick, J.K. et al, ed., (2011) The Collective Memory Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 446-457.*

Disneyworld.com. (2020) Disney Theme Park & Water Park Questions: Frequently Asked Questions [online]. Available from: https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/faq/parks/dress/ 

[Accessed 21 April 2020].

Holak, S.L. & Havlena, W.J. (1998) Feelings, Fantasies, and Memories: An Examination of the Emotional Components of Nostalgia. Journal of Business Research  [online]. 42(3). pp.217-226. [Accessed 21 April 2020].

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(97)00119-7

Kammen, M. (1993) Mystic Chords of Memory: The Transformation of Tradition in America. First Vintage Books Edition. New York: Vintage Books.

Muehling, D.D. & Pascal, V.J. (2012) An Involvement Explanation for Nostalgia Advertising Effects. Journal of Promotion Management  [online]. 18(1). [Accessed 21 April 2020].

Olson, S.R. (2004) The Extensions of Synergy: Product Placement Through Theming and Environmental Simulacra. Journal of Promotion Management  [online]. 10(1-2). pp.65-87. [Accessed 21 April 2020].

Paul Pressler. (2019) Paul Pressler [online]. 17 February. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Pressler  [Accessed 21 April 2020].

Scheff, T.J. (2000) Shame and the Social Bond: A Sociological Theory. Sociological Theory[online]. 18(1). pp. 84-99. [Accessed April 21, 2020]. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/0735-2751.00089 

*No copies were available to view online in their entirety- the library does have a copy but unfortunately due to exceptional circumstances (Coronavirus) I was not able to access it. I utilised online previews for each of these books via google books and noted down the publishing information as noted on the preview-able pages. 

First Year Undergrad