Page 80 - The Disneyization of Society

HYBRID CONSUMPTION

coaster. Some theme parks, like Drayton Manor in the UK, incorporate a zoo amid
the various rides and attractions. Similarly, Marine World Africa in California has
been described as: ‘Part zoo, part theme park, part circus, even part carnival’. 43 71
Aqualeon, just outside Barcelona in Spain, combines a water park with the display
of wild animals, as well as shows which actively involve some of these animals.
Dibb, in the context of her examination of UK zoos and wildlife parks, notes:

Throughout the 1980s the growing popularity of the theme park provided a significant challenge to
the role of zoos. Increasingly, establishments are choosing to combine the lure of wild and domestic
animals with other entertainments. For example, UK animal attraction Whipsnade has introduced a
range of new activities to encourage visitors to spend more, visit more frequently and stay longer.
West Midlands Safari Park and Chessington World of Adventures [which started life as a zoo]
combine rides with wildlife. 44
We see in these examples a tendency for the distinction between zoo and theme
park to become blurred.
A further aspect of this issue is the fact that the large American zoos and aquaria
(Animal Kingdom, Busch Gardens, Sea World) include extensive shopping and
eating facilities. While most zoos cannot match this provision because of their
much smaller scale, it is conceivable that these features will become more promi-
nent and will gradually supplant the standard cafe or tea room and small gift shop
at the exit. Merritt and Cain point to the growing commercialism of American
zoos and aquariums and the significance of restaurants and gift shops selling soft
toy animals and other merchandise as part of that strategy. The authors even
suggest that zoo managers need to be more aware of the ways in which such insti-
tutions can be developed as businesses. 45
At one point, Ontario Mills in California included a small themed zoo within
its walls. Moreover, zoo-like attractions are sometimes included in settings where
they might not be expected. At the Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas, in addition
to a giant aquarium behind the check-in desk, there are tigers on view in fabri-
cated settings that can be viewed much like a conventional zoo. The tigers are
used in a long-standing magic act in the hotel (the Siegfried and Roy show, which
at the time of writing was closed).
One further way in which hybrid consumption might be viewed as occurring in
zoos is that as the theming of zoos, particularly in terms of animal habitats and
conservation, has intensified, the emphasis on simply gazing at animals has
shifted. Increasingly, the zoo is a place where education of a limited kind takes
place. In order to counter public unease about simply gawking at animals, many
zoos have placed a greater emphasis than in the past on educating the visitor. This
is especially important for zoos at a time when many are repositioning themselves
as agents of conservation with strong breeding programmes. Promoting an under-
standing of the processes involved requires educating visitors in the craft of rearing
animals and preserving species.