Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America

Calling Walt Disney World ``the most ideologically important piece of land in the United States,'' anthropologist Fjellman, a respectful cynic, offers a wide-ranging, often jargon-laden analysis of ``this quintessence of the American Way.'' Intrepid readers unwilling to take Disney World at face value may find much that is rewarding here. Fjellman argues that Disney provides a utopian antidote to everyday life, which is fragmented and confused in ``late capitalist society.'' After academic excursions concerning culture and consumerism, Fjellman analyzes Disney's distorted approach to history (``time is defined spatially,'' as in Tomorrowland), the corporate ideology infusing EPCOT Center and the machinations of Disney's Orlando land grab. He tracks the daily details: the transportation system as social control, the psychology of refuse disposal and the five keys to Disney's system of managing people on line. The 10 national pavilions of World Showcase, Fjellman writes, offer the message that other countries ``are essentially theme parks.'' He concludes that Disney World is ``postmodern''--a place where the distinction between real and fake is no longer important. (May)