Walt’s Utopia

The “Happiest Place on Earth” opened in 1955 during a trying time in American life—the Cold War. Disneyland was envisioned as a utopian resort where families could play together and escape the tension of the “real world.” Since its construction, the park has continually been updated to reflect changing American culture. The park’s themed features are based on familiar Disney stories and American history and folklore. They reflect the hopes of a society trying to understand itself in the wake of World War II. This second edition expands its perspective in response to, among other things, the cultural shifts brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. New and updated chapters endeavor to hold Disney accountable: not accountability for misdeeds, but its accountability to include everyone, as American mythmakers and cultural titans.

Priscilla Hobbs is a senior associate dean at Southern New Hampshire University. She actively researches Disney, American popular culture, and utopianism.

Priscilla Hobbs
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 220
Bibliographic Info: appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9335-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5395-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Preface to the Second Edition 1
Preface to the First Edition 5
Introduction 7
1. Main Street, U.S.A.: The Myths of Reassurance and Nostalgia 37
2. Adventureland: The Myth of Adventure 61
3. New Orleans Square: The American Shadow 77
4. Frontierland: The Myths of Frontier and Destiny 96
5. Fantasyland: The Myth of Imagination 118
6. Tomorrowland: The Myth of Progress 142
7. After Walt: Critters, Droids, and Mickey 159
Appendix: Key Attractions by Land 181
Chapter Notes 185
Bibliography 199
Index 207