Power and paradise in Walt Disney's world /Cher Krause Knight.
- Gainesville, Florida : University Press of Florida, (c)2014.
- 1 online resource (247 pages)
Includes bibliographies and index.
Introduction: The good, the bad, and the ugly: Disney World and academia -- Smart business and simulations: Walt Disney and his world -- Keeping the faith: Disney World as a pilgrimage center -- Swampland: Walt Disney builds paradise -- Fantasy for sale: living large at Disney World -- Fair game: sampling technology and world cultures at Epcot -- Conclusion: Manifest Disney?
"From the four corners of the world, parents gather their children, pack their suitcases, and make the journey to Disney World in central Florida. Honeymooners choose the destination over countless others. Its symbols--whether the three overlapping circles that create a mouse's head or Cinderella's Castle with a shooting star over the turrets--are recognized around the globe. It has had nearly one billion visitors since opening in 1971. In this fascinating analysis, Cher Krause Knight peels back the actual and contextual layers of Walt Disney's inspiration and vision for the resort to explore the reasons why Disney World has emerged as such a prominent sociocultural force. Every detail, from the scale and design of the buildings to the sidewalk infrastructure to what items could and could not be sold in the shops, was carefully calculated to shape the experience of each visitor. Expertly weaving themes of pilgrimage, paradise, fantasy, and urbanism, Knight delves into the unexpected nuances and contradictions of this elaborately conceived playland of the imagination"--Provided by publisher.