#disneyization

Amsterdam, standing on the “Singel”, looking into the “Haarlemmerstraat”, on a quiet moment.

Amsterdam, Oudebrugsteeg

Amsterdam, Damstraat Disneyfication

Amsterdam, Nieuwendijk

Many old houses in Amsterdam are leaning forward. They are not tilting / sinking because of age, but they were built that way. I can't find the correct English term, but in Dutch it's called: "op vlucht". It's an architectural style used in the 17th and early 18th century.

Dalton Conley defines consumerism as the steady acquisition of material possessions, often with the belief that happiness and fulfillment can this be achieved (Conley, 2017, p. 107). It is through the study of consumerism where the theory of McDonaldization arose. McDonaldization is the theory that is used to describe society when it adopts the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant. It is based on 4 main principles- predictability, calculability, efficiency, and control.

Similarly, Disneyization is the idea that society adopts the characteristics of the famous theme park. This article goes over the similarities between it and McDonaldization as well as explaining its main principles-  theming, dedifferentiation of consumption, merchandising, and emotional labor .

Theming – The Magic Kingdom and ALL of its characters are transformed to fit in with the holiday. On specific days throughout November and December the Magic Kingdom is closed at 4pm for the party to start, this is a separate ticked event which costs more on top of a normal day ticket. Everything is changed for the party. The daily fireworks display ‘Wishes’ is renamed ‘Holiday Wishes’ and is put to Christmas music instead of the normal Disney songs, the parades throughout the day are changed and characters are wearing Christmas themed clothing instead of their usual outfits, an example of this is Mickey and Minnie Mouse are dressed in Christmas outfits and Belle from Beauty and the Beast is wearing the clothes she wears in the Christmas movie instead of the usual golden ball gown. The evening parade is called Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.

 Hybrid Consumption/ Merchandising – Both links to one another with each ride in the parks having its own gift shop at the end. With the theming comes the new Christmas merchandise. Along with the usual merchandise that Disney sell all year they also bring in new Christmas stock, from clothing to soft toys, nothing is left untouched.

Performative Labour – Disney employees are world renowned for being extremely welcoming and helpful. During the Christmas period the staff will endure long hours in cold weather and still must smile and greet everyone with warmth. This shows true performative labour. From experience Florida can get cold in winter and it is not easy to stand outside for hours on end. The staff must wear the uniform given to them for the season. An example of this is the characters, a Disney Princess cannot be seen to be wearing anything but her costume, they are given cloaks to keep warm but that is it. 

Picture 1- http://www.disneytouristblog.com/mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-review-tips/ 2016

Picture 2 - http://www.disneydining.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Holiday-Merchandise-Animal-Kingdom-Walt-Disney-World.jpg

The McDonaldization and Disneyization frameworks are complementary to each other. The birthplace of the Disneyization theory is of course the Disney company, Alan Bryman (2004) uses the phrase Disneyization over Disneyfication as the latter brings about a meaning of uniformity that has been easily copied by other companies. Walt Disney World, Orlando at Christmas time is a sight to behold. Everything is decked out to the nines. My own personal experience of Disney at Christmas is not one I will forget. Applying the framework of Disneyization onto Disney at Christmas and more specifically to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is easy!