https://padlet.com/githensr1/mappingdisneyprojectmainstreet This project is meant to explore the flawed construction of Disney's First Realm en-us 2017-05-06 19:47:32 UTC 2025-12-28 20:06:41 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padletuploads.blob.core.windows.net/prod/154969994/c34b9d2eca358cb3ad1d171143a30d4f/20110427_florida_0603.jpg githensr1 https://padlet.com/githensr1/mappingdisneyprojectmainstreet/wish/170385656 Main Street, U.S.A is a marvel of Disney design and construction. Constructed to replicate Walt Disney’s boyhood home of Marceline, Missouri, Main Street represents the first realm that visitors and guest enter when visiting Disney World or Disneyland. It is often because of it’s humble, small town charm that guests overlook the astonishing, Victorian era, architecture, and the brilliant engineering that went into creating a small town at the turn of the twentieth century. Main Street is a marvel of architecture and design using cinematic set designs to create forced perspectives, making the building appear larger than it actually is. In many ways, Main Street represents the lens in which Disney wanted the visitors to his parks to see the world, the past, the future, and even their own imaginations.

However, what many fail to consider is what does the turn of the century mean for everyone. For a white American, this time period presented a bright future with plenty of opportunities for upward mobility in society. For minorities, the time period symbolized a period of racial segregation, discrimination, and horrific acts of domestic terrorism that left hundreds dead in its wake. With the closing of the digital divide and more poor minority communities gaining access to information, the reality of America's past is becoming sharper in its detail with many of the horrors being revealed and shared to the masses.

What is important to understand is that “Distory” is no longer a viable option for Disney to use in order to sell products and merchandise. “Distory” is a process that Disney would use in order to distort historical facts in order to only include the positive attributes of the time periods. What “Distory” omits from its retelling of history is the suffering of minorities in the United States, issues caused by corporations, and any conflicts that occurred during the time period being created. The issue that arises from the continued use of “Distory” by Disney is the conflicts with reality. As previously mentioned, minority segments of the population are continuing to gain access to information and technology. Their past no longer melds into conjunction with the “Distorical” presentation of history.

By using “Distorical” information, nostalgia is able to sell products to consumers. Being able to effectively use intertextuality by taking past products and bringing them to the present is a way that Disney has been benefiting financially. Using these nostalgic emotions to play upon a consumer, while seeming nefarious in practice, has been able to see the launch of everything from the “new” Star Wars trilogy to the ability to sell products inside of Disney parks. One of the interesting things I discovered while doing my research about Main Street was that nearly every building contained some form of a shop where guest can purchase Disney merchandise.

The issue that Disney has is that while now it is financially viable for their practices include to prey upon nostalgia, it soon will begin to fail them. As more minorities are gaining access to a college education and entering into positions of power inside of the workplace, so too are they gaining access to disposable income.  When it comes time to take their family on vacation, they will be much more hesitant to take their children to place where the history is distorted to present a false narrative. This is an area of crisis that Disney needs to take the time to be aware of. If Disney continues to choose ignorance for financial gain, they may not be able to remain financially viable in the future.

Disney has various options it can implement in order to see effective changes both inside and outside its theme parks. First would be to renovate and update Main Street to create a welcoming environment for all guest. As seen with the recent additions to the Disney Animal Kingdom and the renovations being made to popular attractions, Disney has the ability to make alterations to its parks. The other option could be to invest money into schools in inner-cities and low-income areas of the country. By doing this, Disney is able to generate good publicity and help to create consumers who would be able to distinguish historical reality from “Distory”.       ]]> 2017-05-07 20:15:25 UTC https://padlet.com/githensr1/mappingdisneyprojectmainstreet/wish/170385656