Power and Paradise in Walt Disney's World

by Cher Krause Knight

Overview

In this fascinating analysis, Cher Krause Knight peels back the actual and contextual layers of Walt Disney's inspiration and vision for Disney World in central Florida, exploring the reasons why the resort has emerged as such a prominent sociocultural force. Knight investigates every detail, from the scale and design of the buildings to the sidewalk infrastructure to which items could and could not be sold in the shops, discussing how each was carefully configured to shape the experience of every visitor. Expertly weaving themes of pilgrimage, paradise, fantasy, and urbanism, she delves into the unexpected nuances and contradictions of this elaborately conceived playland of the imagination.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813065328
Publisher:	University Press of Florida
Publication date:	08/19/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	246
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Cher Krause Knight, professor of art history at Emerson College, is the author of Public Art: Theory, Practice and Populism. She is also coeditor of A Companion to Public Art and Museums and Public Art?.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix

Acknowledgments xi

introduction The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Disney World and Academia 1

chapter 1 Smart Business and Simulations Walt Disney and His World 9

chapter 2 Keeping the Faith Disney World as a Pilgrimage Center 24

chapter 3 Swampland Walt Disney Builds Paradise 44

chapter 4 Fantasy for Sale Living Large at Disney World 70

chapter 5 Fair Game Sampling Technology and World Cultures at conclusion Manifest Disney? 139

Notes 171

Bibliography 197

Index 223

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A roller coaster of a book that will leave you marveling. With intelligence and a sense of fun, Knight reframes Disney World as a pilgrimage center, a Garden of Eden, and a World's Fair. A great read and a real contribution to Disney literature and the Disney World experience."—Harriet F. Senie, author of The "Tilted Arc" Controversy: Dangerous Precedent? "Approaching Disney and his 'magic lands' from the vantage point of scholar and enthusiast, Knight interweaves astute observations about globalized cultural production and the built environment while her crisp writing makes for a lively and engaging read."—Sarah Schrank, author of Art and the City "Knight's insights on Disney as an intrepid planner, inventor, innovator, and iconoclast—and his fascination and deployment of technology that bridges private desire with the public realm—has pressing relevance for contemporary culture."—Patricia Phillips, Rhode Island School of Design

Editorial Reviews

Well-researched and concise. By approaching Walt Disney World as a multilayered text with many meanings, Knight appreciates its complexity as a popular culture artifact worthy of admiration and scrutiny.”—Journal of American Culture “[An] accessible overview of how Disney imagines its ‘magic’ to work.”—Florida Historical Quarterly

From the Publisher