DisneylandThe future of the island should be that of a world heritage site. For more than 65 years, the theme park has been a staple of American culture and the genesis of an entirely new type of business that has been copied around the world. Although its composition is that of fictitious facades, its real legacy – I believe – more than pays the necessary dues to receive this status of perpetual preservation.
Disneyland is much more than just a theme park. This is the original theme park that set the standard and sparked a cultural revolution in America and around the world. Since its opening in 1955, more and more people have wanted to indulge in this completely new form of entertainment: entertainment that combines the magic of cinema and the thrill of amusement parks and places people in the shoes of characters from their own films.
But his legacy goes beyond frivolous escapism and entertainment. Disneyland has also revolutionized the way Americans and the world view theme parks as a whole, challenging these entertainment venues to become centers of technological and engineering innovation, sparking developments in immersive storytelling and to encourage the sharing of new ideas.
In this way and more, I believe Disneyland sufficiently meets the UNESCO World Heritage definition.
UNESCO defines world heritage as follows:
World Heritage is the designation of places on Earth that have outstanding universal value to humanity and, as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List in order to be protected for future generations to enjoy and enjoy. enjoy. Places as diverse and unique as the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon in the United States or the Acropolis in Greece are examples of 1007 natural and cultural places. inscribed to date on the World Heritage List.
Now, if you’re wondering “TJ, do you really think Disneyland is as important to world heritage as the Taj Mahal and the pyramids?” » My answer is yes.
In my opinion, Disneyland is a marvel of construction and just as iconic to its culture as the Taj Mahal was in its day. No, a real princess does not live in Sleeping Beauty Castle. No, the animals on the Jungle Cruise are not real. No, Space Mountain doesn’t actually take you into space. But that’s not the point.
My point is that Disneyland is a true reflection of our culture and a definition of how we judge entertainment standards. After all, we still go to visit the Roman Colosseum and Greek theaters. Just as anthropologists and archaeologists continue to look back, they will one day also look back at our episode in history and ask the same questions: “How did people entertain themselves and how did that entertainment affect and changes the culture as a whole? »
On this deeper cultural and anthropological level, I believe that history should remember Disneyland as a product of American capitalist free enterprise focused on leisure and world-building, allowing people to escape reality.
Disneyland unapologetically romanticizes the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy, and proudly upholds the most significant aspects of postwar American Western identity while remaining open and welcoming to people of different backgrounds from around the world and inspiring people to dream big and achieve. with new ideas and new philosophies.
I say this not to make a political statement, but rather to present an objective look – for better or worse – at the American culture it represents, the world in which it was created, and the words used by Walt to describe Disneyland itself: “Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, dreams and concrete realities that created America. »
The theme park as we know it today is a Western entertainment concept, but it has also been adapted to lands and cultures around the world. Just look at the other Disney parks in Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai. Look at Universal Studios Florida, Japan, Singapore and soon Beijing.
Related: A Brief History of Disney Parks and American Presidents
Disneyland created Imagineering, which unleashed a competitive expedition of architectural, technological, and engineering innovations that arguably had never been seen outside of wartime or on any other national level.
These innovations have been implemented by imitators and other Disney theme parks around the world and range from its hub-and-spoke master plan to every aspect of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and all the rest. Matterhorn Bobsleds was the world’s first roller coaster to feature the tube track found on almost every roller coaster today, Star Tours was the first simulation ride in a theme park, and Disney introduced the world to audio-animatronics, which was a major step. in the field of robotics.
I believe that hundreds, if not thousands of years from now, history and anthropology will record that there was a time when humanity flocked to these places called theme parks. It is an entire saga of global anthropology that should be taken as seriously as other sagas like Egyptology and Greek mythology.
If we want to preserve one example of this wise man, I think it should be the park that started it all on July 17, 1955, the perfect model that parks around the world have been trying to emulate for over half a century. (And I hope historians use Inside the Magic as a source).
Let’s be clear, I don’t want UNESCO to give Disneyland this title any time soon. To say that would be to say that I’m ready for Disneyland to grow and change, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
But I believe Disneyland will stay open for hundreds of years. Taking its rightful place as a world heritage site, Disneyland will survive after the demise of the Walt Disney Company, and the young and old of the future will be able to take the same walk through these gates and read Walt’s immortal words :
“To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age revives good memories of the past… and here youth can savor the challenges and promises of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, dreams and realities that created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration for the entire world. »
Whatever it is – whether it’s a full return to opening day or an evolving state where it has “improved” beyond our recognition – we need to find a way to preserving the historic and influential magic of Disneyland in complete perpetuity as a historic landmark and source of inspiration for centuries to come.
Do you think Disneyland should one day become a protected World Heritage Site? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments!
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the overall views of Inside the Magic.
