Rebecca Finnerty 2/24/14 Topic: Walt Disney World Research Questions: How does Disney affect our development?

What does fantasy mean to different age groups? Why are we so influenced by Disney? What is luxury and how is it portrayed within Disney? Keywords: Psychology, Sociology, Happiness, Guest Service, Disney, Disney World, Children, and Families. Walt Disney has long been the leader in animated entertainment enriching the lives of millions of individuals around the world. Since its conception, Disneys company has continuously been growing not just in size, but also in influence. The company has grown from a small animation studio that, on a good year, made one film. To a colossal powerhouse monopolizing the entertainment world in regards to animation, and attractions. Many people seem to forget all that Disney owns including ABC, the marvel comics, and recently the star wars franchise. This is a powerful company with influence reaching to most people on this planet. It is very hard to have a childhood devoid of Disney, and one of the main ways that they influence a childhood in a major way is a visit to one of their world famous theme parks. I would like to look at what Disney does to make their product so desirable to people worldwide. This will give a better look at the company and how their business model and spectacular marketing leads to fantastic experiences and memories. In regards to my research, I have had luck in finding reputable sources that support my ideas and claim. I have not run into many issues when doing my research expect the forever plaguing motivation of a college freshmen. Carson, Charles, and Laudan Nooshin. "Music and the Disney Theme Park Experience." Ethnomusicology Forum 13.2 (2004): 227. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. Music has a direct impact on the emotions of individuals. These articles explore the impact of this music in popular parts of Walt Disney World. The music that Disney chooses is meant to correlate with the memories and experiences that happen within the park. Its purpose is to remind you of experiences and to help to form new ones. These papers were published at the Annual Meetings of the British Forum for Ethnomusicology in 2002 and 2003. This is a highly regarded conference held in the UK attended by many prestigious music institutions. Ethnomusicology is described as the study of music.

Chytry, Josef. "Walt Disney and the Creation of Emotional Environments: Interpreting Walt Disney's Oeuvre from the Disney Studios to Disneyland, Calarts, and the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT)." Rethinking History 16.2 (2012): 259-278. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. This article explores the idea of emotional environments specifically dealing with the original Disneyland to the EPCOT prototype that was introduced by Disney. Emotional environments are the tone of an environment that forms emotions, this specifically in children. It all begins with the film and how that creates the base, and the theme parks follow with additional repetition. This also discussed the idea of the ideal prototype city of tomorrow, EPCOT, and how Walt Disneys idea would have led to this emotional environment and regulation. Article was written by a professor at Berkeley & California College of the Arts, University of California. Dr.Chytry has his PHD in Politics and the History of Ideas from the University of Oxford. He also holds a degree in international affairs and Philosophy.

Middaugh, Donna J., Neena Grissom, and Tricia Satkowski. "Goofy Management: Taking the Magic to the Workplace." MEDSURG Nursing 17.2 (2008): 131-132. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. This article explores the ide of Goofy Management and specifically looks into the values of the company and how that can be directed to different businesses to yield success. Although this is from a nursing field, the article goes into Disneys service model and how it can be properly applied to other fields Authors are professors at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It should be clear that this is not related to the hospitality industry, but can be used to look at the business model of the company from another fields lens.

Milman, Ady. "Guests' Perception of Staged Authenticity in a Theme Park: An Example from Disney's Epcot's World Showcase." Tourism Review 68.4 (2013): 71-89. Hospitality & Tourism Complete. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. This explores the existence of the real perception versus the staged perceptions of the guests of Walt Disney World. This was a study conducted to gage how guests perceived the World Showcase. Where most of them stated that, the accuracy and detail orientation was splendid at the hands of Disney.

A study completed for the Tourism Review. This is an extremely well done research project.

Wright, Chris. "Natural And Social Order At Walt Disney World; The Functions And Contradictions Of Civilising Nature." The Sociological Review 54.2 (2006): 303-317. PsycINFO. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. This is an interesting journal illustrating the control Disney has over guests without infringing on their obvious rights to make their own decisions. Disney has this control over guests while allowing the allusion that they are making their own decisions based on free will. This is posted in the Sociological Review and is a peer-reviewed journal. The research stems from the United Kingdom from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.