Disney and His Worlds

by Alan Bryman

Disney and his Worlds is a thorough overview of what is by now quite a large literature on the Disney organization, in particular the theme parks and their significance for contemporary culture.
The author looks at Walt Disney's life and how his biography has been constructed; the Walt Disney Company in the years after his death; and the writings of various commentators on the Disney theme parks. He raises important issues about the whether they are harbingers of postmodernism; the significance of consumption at the parks; the nature of the parks as tourism; and the representation of past and future. The discussion of theme parks is central but links with the presentation of Walt Disney's biography and his organization by showing how central economic and business considerations have been in their development, and how the significance of these considerations is typically marginalized in order to place an emphasis on fantasy and magic. In the process, the book questions the assumption that the parks are sites of postmodern sensibility.

Genres: Nonfiction

222 pages, Hardcover

First published September 14, 1995

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholarly and highly readable analysis of the elements of Walt Disney, his biography, the company, the films, the parks and so much more! The book provides an analysis of the literature up through the publication date, which was 1995, which undermines its utility. Still, any scholar of Disney should have this book on their shelf!

Bryman was a social scientist in the UK and followed up tjis book with The Disneyization of Society in 2004. Bryman died in 2017.

[kac attac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part II is worth reading especially for the discussion of how the Disney parks do and (more interestingly) do not reflect "postmodernity," and for the survey of literature on this and other such questions. Part I is a condensed history of the company and the founder, well done but redundant for readers who have consulted any of the standard histories.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book about Walt Disney and his empire looks at the films, merchandising and theme parks and considers the impact that it has made upon the world of entertainment and tourism.