Disneyland has long been known as “the happiest place on earth”. It has an incredible history, holds many secrets, and is a place adored by many. Walt Disney’s dream was to provide families a place to spend time together, make memories, and have experiences everyone could enjoy. An analysis of the power and appeal of simulacra, authenticity, and community value reveals that Disneyland’s popularity isn’t just a byproduct of a culture of consumption.
In this blog, I will discuss the history of Disneyland as well as the concepts of simulacra and authenticity relating to it. I will also discuss how Disneyland is valued as a gathering place, and I will be including my personal stories to illustrate these ideas.
About
My name is Julianna Evans, and I am a Junior at Oregon State University. I grew up in Southern California about 45 mins away from Anaheim, home of Disneyland. For most of my life, I’ve had an annual pass and it has given me the opportunity to visit Disneyland hundreds of times in my life. I’ve had the chance to go backstage for numerous band performances, and I know the place like I lived there my whole life. This summer, I have been taking a class on the anthropology of tourism, and I chose Disneyland as the topic for my term paper. I hope that my personal insights can help to illustrate what I’ve learned from my research.
Contact
Disneyland: Reality, Authenticity, and Adoration 