Disneyization

“Disneyization” refers to “the process by which the principles of the Disney theme parks are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world” (Bryman 1999:26). The term was devised as a parallel concept to George Ritzer's (1993) notion of “McDonaldization”; indeed, the foregoing definition is an adaptation of his definition of McDonaldization. The term does not refer to the spread of theme parks throughout the globe, though that is undoubtedly happening, but to the diffusion of the principles that the Disney theme parks exemplify. The Disney theme parks are merely emblematic of the large-scale principles to which the term refers.

In outlining the nature of Disneyization, Bryman identifies four components of the process:

• 1.
  Theming. This term refers to the application of a narrative that is largely external to the object to which it is applied but infuses that object with an exotic aura. Thus, the Disney theme parks are themed in that the different regions of the parks are portrayed in motifs such as foreign adventure, “the Wild West,” and the movies.
• 2.
  Dedifferentiation of consumption. This feature is concerned with the hybridized nature of many areas of social and economic life that previously have been separate. In the Disney theme parks, this component is revealed in the way it is difficult to disentangle its nature as an amusement park from its apparent context of shopping and eating opportunities. As a consequence, the domains of amusement park, shops, and restaurants become elided, and the distinctions between them blurred.
• 3.
  Merchandising. This refers to the promotion of goods that take the form of and bear copyright images and logos, an area in which the Disney Corporation has been preeminent. It is most obviously manifested in the Disney theme parks in the wide range of merchandise sold that features park logos and, indeed, Disney images more generally.
• 4.
  Emotional labor. Emotional labor is concerned with the way employees in service occupations frequently are constrained to exhibit emotions of a particular kind. In realms like the Disney theme parks, employees are enjoined to exhibit positive emotions to create a more uplifting experience for visitors. The presentation of an animated demeanor to visitors may often be at odds with how employees feel about their work and the visitors with whom they are interacting.

Disneyization is meant to be clearly distinguishable from the apparently similar term “Disneyfication.” The latter is often employed to refer to cultural products such as fairy tales and the process by which they are transformed by the Disney Corporation into a clearly identifiable Disney product. Moreover, Disneyfication is frequently a negative term, referring to a bowdlerization and infantilization of the item to which it has been applied. Instead, Disneyization is meant to be neutral in tone and to be concerned with largescale changes in society.

A distinction may usefully be drawn between structural and transferred Disneyization. The former has to do with a constellation of underlying changes that the Disney theme parks exemplify. Transferred Disneyization occurs when the principles associated with the Disney theme parks are relocated into another sphere, such as a shopping mall. Thus, two separate processes may be at work in the spread of Disneyization: One set of processes reflects the fact that there are several changes of which the Disney theme parks are emblematic; the second recognizes the success of the Disney theme parks and the likelihood that many of its ingredients can be copied and relocated.

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