Is Disneyland a Non-Place?Marc Auge

How is Non-Place Defined?Polar opposite of

anthropological place

NOT historicalNOT relationalNOT concerned

with identity

Is Disneyland Historical?

It does not integrate earlier places (the past)

--> was built from ‚scratch‘, created out of nowhere

Is Disneyland Historical?„Anaheim

California was the spot chosen to hold a mountain, rivers and the other various ideas Disneyland now contains.“ (disneydreamer.com)

Is Disneyland Historical?BUT: with time Disneyland has changed

and evolved

So could it be that Disneyland started as a non-place and has evolved into a place?

Is Disneyland Relational?

Do we have relations with the people in Disneyland other than the group we arrive with?

Is Disneyland Relational? THE CHARACTERS

What do our interactions and relationships with them look like?

--> 3.9.5:08

Is Disneyland Relational? THE RIDES

Relationships to staff --> 1.1.2:28they give row directionswelcome you as explorers--> pure instructional and entertaining--> there is no interaction between the

visitor and the staff, since the staff‘s behavior is scripted and in most cases it is instructional rather than being an interaction

Is Disneyland Relational? THE RIDES

Relationships to the rides themselves most instructions are visual (boards, films) or

auditory (loudspeaker announcement) 2.13, 1.2.3:36, 1.29

Is Disneyland Relational? we watch interactions of animatronics with other

animatronics --> 1.18.19:08, 1.19.19:32, 1.25

Is Disneyland Relational? we even engage in interactions with

animatronics --> film astro blasters

Is Disneyland Relational?We engage in

behaviors that seem like interactions, but that really aren‘t interactions

--> Disneyland is not relational

Is Disneyland concerned with Identity?

Upon entering Disneyland, we all become visitors in the happiest place on earth

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

As a visitor, we sign an invisible contract upon entering Disneyland

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

People behave differently inside and outside the gates of Disneyland

we take pictures, look at characters, don‘t walk on benches, let our kids run around

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

We are visitors traveling through the lands of Disney, our main activities being moving about and taking everything in

Disneyland reflects back to us how the perfect traveler should feel and act

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

Is Disneyland Concerned with Identity?

We leave our identity at the gates and take up the new identity of being a Disneyland citizen for one day

--> So Disneyland is not concerned with individual identity, but very concerned with the Disney identity

ConclusionsDisneyland is not historical, not relational,

and not concerned with identityDisneyland was created as a non-place, to be

specifically that: a place where you can strip off your identity and enjoy a carefree day

BUT: Is it still a non-place after existing for 55 years?

--> there are creation of places and meaningful interactions within this non-place, determined by the behavior and agency of the visitors

Thanks for Listening!

BibliographyMarc Auge - „non-places -

introduction to an anthropology of supermodernity“

Goffman - stage actor theory