"To all who come to this happy place:
Welcome.
Disneyland is your land.
Here age relives fond memories of the past — and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America — with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."
— Walt Disney’s Opening Day Speech at Disneyland, 1955
Walt Disney’s Vision for Disneyland
Walt Disney's vision for Disneyland has always fascinated me. His idea to establish a theme park to both entertain and educate people about the history of the United States is daring, even brash. I admire that in his inaugural dedication speech, Disney emphasized that Disneyland's portrayal of history would not solely be about nostalgia and dreams. It would also shed light on the harsh realities that have shaped "America," what he called the hard facts.
For me, this involves examining U.S. history without glossing over the realities of enslavement, racism, genocide, wars, and other significant events. It means acknowledging both the positive and negative aspects, as well as everything in between. It requires honesty, fairness, and thorough historical research by considering a wide range of evidence to support any claims. Whether Disneyland has upheld these principles and aspirations is too complex for a single blog post, but I did want to take a moment to acknowledge that Walt Disney himself wanted to incorporate the hard facts at Disneyland.
As an art historian, now focused on writing about the art history of Disneyland, I will tell you that numerous locations at Disneyland touch on these hard facts, but not necessarily in the way I imagine Walt intended (or perhaps he did!). I am intrigued by certain decisions made from the 1950s onward, prompting me to wonder why those specific choices were made.
Walking around Adventureland, for example, I often think about how it is intended to be a land of adventurers exploring “exotic” locales in Western Africa, Southeast Asia, and more. The attractions revolve around individuals exploring these exotic places: Indiana Jones goes treasure hunting in Southeast Asia. People travel along the rivers of the world on the Jungle Cruise. The Enchanted Tiki Room immerses us in the Pacific Islands, and the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse is supposed to be on an island somewhere in the “East Indies.” The architectural styles of the shops and eating establishments draw on West and North African designs. Inside the bazaar is Aladdin’s magical lamp, supposedly helping people conjure images of bazaars in West Asia (in this case, the story of Aladdin occurs in Iraq).
As you can see from this quick list, Adventureland mixes many different world locations together, often ones that have been exoticized in “Western” cultures, including the U.S.
Can it help us to examine some hard facts though? I want to think it can.
Art History at Disneyland
Walt Disney’s speech has inspired me to think about making art history and history more engaging and accessible to people beyond academia and college campuses. Although some people enjoy learning different histories, many others feel art history and history are dull, uninteresting, unrelated to their lives, unimportant—the list goes on. And I get it: art history can feel exclusive and inaccessible. It can be elitist. At times, it can also seem pointless.
However, this is not the art history I love and advocate for. My goal is to amplify the narratives and ideas that demonstrate how meaningful art history is. Looking at the history of visual things fosters empathy, deeper cultural understanding, better observational skills, and so much more.
I’ve dedicated most of my career to finding creative, innovative ways to help different audiences see value in learning about art’s histories and make them more accessible to people worldwide. I don’t shy away from the hard facts, and I’ve experimented with different ways to both entertain and educate.
In my opinion, exploring the art historical references within Disneyland is an excellent way to educate and entertain Disney guests and fans about art history. Even friends and family who normally display little interest in my work, professional life, or art history suddenly become interested and excited when Disneyland enters the conversation. The same phenomenon is true of students in my classes. All I have to do is say things like:
"Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is at Disneyland? It's true, and the painting gets pretty destroyed and defaced."
Then I have a captive audience!
Picture yourself at Disneyland, strolling through New Orleans Square. After learning alongside me, you suddenly realize you now have a deeper understanding of the architectural influences on the land. You can identify specific structures that Imagineers turned to for inspiration and what those choices mean for guests’ immersive experiences in the theme park. You reflect on what was omitted from this version of New Orleans, how that alters the story being told—and why that matters in the first place. Meanwhile, you’re enjoying the fantastic immersive environment created here while eating some delicious treats like beignets, all the while gaining insights into U.S. history and the history of New Orleans. You're pointing out art and architectural references like a pro. Everything at Disneyland suddenly takes on a deeper significance, with so many more layers.
Sounds pretty cool, right?
The same can be said about the art historical references in other parts of the Park: Victorian architecture on Main Street, U.S.A.; European medieval, Renaissance, and 19th-century art and architecture in Fantasyland; mid-century modernism in Tomorrowland—the list goes on! The Park has numerous hidden art history gems, so it has taken me over 20 years to create a comprehensive list of hundreds of references!
Disneyland’s immersive environments offer an excellent way to spark curiosity about history and art history. The stories behind these artworks and architectural spaces can engage guests. They can also think about the new stories that emerge as Imagineers adapt famous artworks and buildings to suit the needs of different lands and attractions. I could teach an entire survey class on art history via Disneyland!
Making Art History Accessible and the Role of Disneyland in Art History Education
Disneyland’s blending entertainment and fun with learning and education is a useful model for how I approach art history. Rather than shying away from hard facts or complicated narratives, it involves presenting such topics in a more accessible and inclusive way perhaps. Personally, focusing on art history at Disneyland is a way of breaking down some of those complex topics.
It is important to me to make art history accessible. And I don't just mean making resources free—but finding ways of meeting people where they are, avoiding specialized language meant to exclude people, and more. I happen to love Disneyland and its history, so writing blog posts and books about art history at Disneyland is one way that I hope to make art history enjoyable and accessible to more people. This is my ultimate goal. Well, that and to look less awkward using the fun Disney photo filters.
I want to urge all readers of this blog post and others to consider the presence of art and art history in your life, even beyond Disneyland!
Feel free to contact me with your feedback, explore my blog (Musings), and visit my website for more stories and tips. You can also subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive behind-the-scenes content. I'd love to hear what you are interested in learning more about!
I hope you will continue to join me on this adventure! Let's examine the ideals and hard facts of Disneyland and art history together. As Walt said, it can be fun and educational all at once.
"To all who come to this happy place:
Welcome.
Disneyland is your land."
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