Page 143 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

In other words, the high level of control that Disney exerts from the moment
visitors enter Disney property generates a kind of passivity or pliability that makes
134 them more manageable and less disruptive to the company’s routines. The fact
that most visitors are in family groups or in tourist groups with a leader probably
helps to minimize disorderly behaviour.

Control of the theme park experience

The layouts of the Disney theme parks are designed to channel the movement of
visitors in certain directions, as the discussion of control of visitors’ behaviour
demonstrates. The number of routes that can be taken is restricted and various
lures, which Walt called ‘wienies’, are used to entice the visitor in certain direc-
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tions. The different lands in the Magic Kingdom are sealed off from one another
both visually and experientially, so that the visitor’s appreciation of the narrative
will not be undermined. Consequently, cast members in Frontierland garb must
not be seen walking through Fantasyland when in costume. Visitors are even
encouraged to take photographs at certain points (sponsored by Kodak) because
they are deemed to provide especially good vantage points. In addition, food and
drinks carts, restaurants, and shops are strategically sited to maximize consump-
tion opportunities. Even the queues are tightly controlled in that they are
designed to give the impression that they are not as long as they actually are. This
impression is achieved by: the lines constantly weaving back on themselves; part
of the lines not being visible usually because they stretch into a building; and by
having pre-entertainment areas in which the prospective audience is entertained
while waiting, usually through overhead monitors that are meant to add to the
experience.
The attractions themselves are also highly controlled aspects of the theme park
experience. Each person sees the same as everyone else so that the experience of
many theme park attractions is controlled and thereby standardized. This control
and standardization is achieved in a number of ways. One is though technology,
so that visitors are loaded onto forms of conveyance (usually a kind of car) which
takes each person through exactly the same vista and for exactly the same length
of time as everyone else. In the case of some attractions, the forms of conveyance
are programmed to swivel so that the visitor’s gaze is directed towards exactly the
‘right’ spot (for example, in the Haunted Mansion). A second source of control
and standardization is through scripted interaction, whereby the cast members
closely follow a script, which varies very little from one occasion to the next,
when announcing a show or when providing the patter for a ride. Third, the use
of audio-animatronic animals and actors helps to control the theme park experi-
ence. Even when attending audience participation shows, the degree of control is
very high. The so-called audience participation is invariably restricted to a very
small number of people and is tightly circumscribed by the overall show template.