Page 13 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

(Box 1.1 Continued)
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Disney Sea (opened in 2001) Divided into lands with nautical themes, including:
Port Discovery, American Waterfront, Mermaid Lagoon, Mysterious Island, and
Mediterranean Harbor.

Disneyland Resort Paris, France

Disneyland Park (opened in 1992) More or less identical to the Magic Kingdom in
Disneyland (see above), but Tomorrowland is called Discoveryland.
Walt Disney Studios (opened in 2002) Divided into lands, themed in terms of the
movies and Hollywood, including: Frontlot, Backlot, Production Courtyard, and
Animation Courtyard.

Hong Kong Disneyland
Phase 1 is due to open in 2005. See://www.info.gov.hk/disneyland/eng.htm

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much the same way that Walt Disney did not invent modern animation, he did
not did not invent Disneyization through the Disney theme parks. (Hereafter,
Walt Disney will be referred to simply as ‘Walt’ following common practice to
distinguish the man from the company he founded and nurtured. ‘Disney’ will
refer to the company.)
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Disneyization parallels Ritzer’s notion of McDonaldization, which was con-
cerned with the diffusion of the principles associated with the fast-food restau-
rant. Indeed, the definition of Disneyization offered above is meant to be a
slightly ironic but nevertheless serious adaptation of Ritzer’s definition of
McDonaldization. ‘Disneyization’ is meant to draw attention to the spread of prin-
ciples exemplified by the Disney theme parks.
In a sense, Disneyization takes up where McDonaldization leaves off. McDonald-
ization is frequently accused of creating a world of homogeneity and sameness.
One of the main foundations for Disneyization is that of increasing the appeal of
goods and services and the settings in which they are purveyed in the increasingly
homogenized environments that are the products of McDonaldization. In essence,
Disneyization is about consumption. Consumption and, in particular, increasing
the inclination to consume, is Disneyization’s driving force. Disneyization seeks to
create variety and difference, where McDonaldization wreaks likeness and simi-
larity. It exchanges the mundane blandness of homogenized consumption expe-
riences with frequently spectacular experiences. In addition, Disneyization seeks
to remove consumers’ need for the prosaic fulfilling of basic needs and to entice
them into consumption beyond mere necessity. To take a simple and somewhat