Once upon an American dream: The story of Euro Disneyland.

摘要

On April 12, 1992, the Euro Disney Resort, situated just outside of Paris, opened its gates to Europe and the world after years of intense political controversy. French objections to the park--ideological, economic, iconographic, xenophobic--centered on what some called the American cultural imperialism inherent in transplanting a major Disney enterprise to the multinational community of Europe. But this protestation did not destroy Walt Disney's age-old dream of bringing his Magic Kingdom to life on the continent. Today, Euro Disney stands as a tribute to this remarkable vision. And despite the financial difficulties it now faces in trying economic times, Euro Disney has much to reveal about the audiences it serves, the ways they were, are, and imagine themselves to be. Proceeding from the assertion of Alexander Pope that the proper study of mankind includes the examination of man as well as what he has made, this multi- and interdisciplinary project treats Euro Disney as an important cultural creation, capable of being "read," analyzed, and interpreted in the broad context of American--and human--history. It examines Euro Disney from a multimedia perspective and investigates its connections with other Disney (and non-Disney) parks around the world to construct a comparative and cross-cultural history of the park. In so doing, this study sheds light on the social and cultural iconography of the multifaceted work of art that is Euro Disney, demonstrating the many ways in which Disney's conviction that "It's a Small World After All" is expressed to diverse audiences in a new setting at the tourist heart of Europe.