Blog 9

It seems that throughout my time at the Disney theme parks, I have come to the conclusion that “magic” is a result of over stimulation and therefore complete immersion. My research question asked about the psychological factors Disney manipulated to fool guests into believing they were in a completely new universe. Even to those who know what Disney is doing, can’t help but accept the new world subconsciously. However, to create this illusion, Disney must appeal to every type of stimulus. When designing the parks, the makers took meticulous care in making sure there was a sensory overload at every step of the park. Not only did I discover the tricks they used to alter consumer mindsets, I found proof of employee psychological alteration. To truly create the happiest place on Earth, as well as retain the highest rate of return in theme parks worldwide, an enormous amount of attention to detail has to be implemented in every aspect.

In my final essay, I plan to classify each type of manipulation by sense. I have a ludicrous amount of information so it seems that my largest problem will be condensing and finding what is most important. However if I were to condense my paper to fit the word limit, I would lose a large amount of important information, which would weaken my argument. The reason I believe so is because there detail found throughout the parks is immaculate. To not mention everything Disney has done for their guests would be an inaccurate report.

While at Florida’s park I was extremely impressed by Disney’s persistent effort to make sure that every inch of the park was spotless. Night crews would repaint any scratch or fade, all litter would be picked up, every crack would be filled. The park was set for an international audience and had a standard for absolute excellence. However, during my visit to California’s park, there was a different tone. The park was meant for locals and therefore did not have such a standard to meet. There were cracks, missing letters on signs, rusted fences and broken lights. My first impression was disappointing, even though I eventually became accustomed to the different park vibe. I closer and smaller example of Disney’s theme park created a more intimate feel. With less crowds, more interaction with characters, and smaller wait times, there were some advantages. Overall, there were positives and negatives of either park, but each one had their own form of Disney magic.