Page 173 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

visitors to have picnics in the park, something very much in tune with Japanese
lifestyle but unimaginable in the American parks where importing one’s own food
164 is discouraged. Also, Brannen notes that ride operators’ commentaries are transla-
tions of the American originals but are invariably peppered with modifications in
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the form of ‘Japan-specific puns, jokes, and creative explanations’. In addition, Raz
argues that the hiring, orientation and training of regular employees are very dif-
ferent from in the US (but not of part-time employees for whom these three phases
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of becoming a cast member are the same as in the US). For example, there is less
emphasis in training on Disney traditions and on learning about and imbibing the
Disney corporate culture; instead, there tends to be greater emphasis at Tokyo
Disneyland on helping the trainee to become accustomed to his or her work area.
In Disneyland Paris, Disney were keen to keep an essentially American format
and ambience. Michael Eisner has written: ‘for the most part we were determined
to make [Disneyland Paris] every bit as American as Tokyo Disneyland and our
domestic parks’. 21 The comment is interesting in part because of the conviction
that it was important not to surrender the parks’ sense of America, but also
because it depicts the Tokyo park as American. Eisner notes that the American
qualities are particularly apparent with the Paris park’s hotels, all of which are
themed on American places or symbols of American culture.
However, local adaptation can be seen in Disneyland Paris, where after a dis-
appointing beginning, the company was forced to adapt the park to European
tastes. 22 Anticipatory localization was not a prominent feature of the park. The
Jungle Cruise was dropped, perhaps in part because of its potential to offend in
post-colonial times and the more American attractions, such as Hall of Presidents,
were also not included. Responsive localization was more in evidence though this
also demonstrates the difficult balancing act that firms like Disney are engaged in.
The alcohol ban, in particular, was soon dropped. There is some evidence that
the company does not seek to insist on emotional labour among cast members
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to the degree that occurs in the US. But in fact, it has been difficult to fine tune
the balance of the American and the European. A year after it opened, the then
new chairman of the Park was quoted as saying:

Each time we tried to Europeanise the product we found it didn’t work. Europeans want America
and they want Disney, whether French intellectuals like it or not. 24
This quotation brings out the dilemmas that globalizing firms are involved in
when they seek to engage in both anticipatory and responsive localization.

Disneyization and local conditions

However, while reassuring, these indications of the continued relevance of the
local for the Disney theme parks should not blind us to the fact that while Tokyo