What Can You Learn from a Mouse

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
What Can You Learn from
a Mouse?
Senior Thesis
Emily Snodgrass
4/23/2015
In partial fulfillment of requirements for HISTORY 400: Senior Seminar. An upcoming graduate project
for the West Virginia State University History Program that investigates the impact the Walt Disney
Company and subsidiaries has had on history and education throughout the years.

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“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome.”
-Walt Disney
(Opening day of Disneyland, 1955)1
In 1993 The Walt Disney Company’s CEO Michael Eisner proposed a 180-acre theme
park along with 3,000 acres of residential development to the town of Haymarket, Prince
William County, Virginia.2
Virginia’s Legislature and Governor supported Eisner’s proposed
“Disney’s America”, a theme park the CEO claimed would “celebrate those unique American
qualities that have been our country’s strengths and that have made this nation a beacon of hope
to people everywhere”3
. Plans for the park had already been designed and rendered, but when
some local residents heard the news, they immediately formed opposition to the project.
Accusations of “sanitizing history” and implying the company’s “ownership” over the history
itself were among the arguments the locals stated as reasons for their resistance.4
The dispute
continued until September of 1994, when the company suddenly aborted the project and halted
all talks of negotiation5
. Twenty years later, the debate continues and where once was the
proposed land site, a development sporting a golf course and country club now stands.
‘Disney’s America’ is only one of many controversial projects that The Walt Disney
Company has encountered over the years; yet, the company, along with its many subsidiaries,
has grown into a global enterprise with business ventures in media networks, parks and resorts,
studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. 6
Questions over the company’s
ventures such as movies, music, products, and the very content of the theme parks have been a
1
"The Disneyland Report Home." The Disneyland Report.
2
Wallace, Mike. "Disney's America." In Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American Memory, 159-76. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press, 1996.
3
Rhodes, Karl. Disney's America. Publication. 2013 ed. Vol. 1st Quarter. Econ Focus. Richmond: Federal Reserve Bank of
Richmond, 1997-2015.
4
Rhodes, Disney’s America. 36.
5
Ibid., 37
6
"Company Overview | The Walt Disney Company." Company Overview | The Walt Disney Company.

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constant source of examination and criticism concerning the development of views and morals of
the world’s youth. Racism, politics, religion, culture, and sexism have all been listed at one time
or other as troublesome areas for the company, especially where their feature length films are
concerned. Some critics have expressed apprehensions over what the animated movies are
actually teaching children – historic and academic wise – and have pointed out what flaws they
think are affecting the teaching of actual facts. When asked in an open poll if they had learned
something historical or academic from a Disney movie, 60% of 120 participants from around the
world stated that they had in fact learned something that was historically accurate or academic
citing movies such as Pocahontas, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo. In addition, the poll
revealed 24% said they were not actually sure whether they had or not and only 16% could say
with certainty that they did not in fact learn something from the movies.7
Disney is not the only
company to use entertainment as a method of disguise when educating children. Shows such as
the popular Dora the Explorer (Nickelodeon Productions) use songs and on screen prompts to
get a grade school age audience to interact and inadvertently learn Spanish. So why it is that
Disney receives such negative criticism over its efforts? These questions and debates prompt an
investigation of the Walt Disney Company and its own place in history - posing the question of
what can you really learn from a mouse?
“I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.”
- Walt Disney
To examine the morals and values of a company means to understand those of its
namesake. Walter Elias Disney appeared on the scene alongside his brother Roy in 1923 with the
creation of Disney Brothers’ Cartoon Studio, later renamed Walt Disney Studio. The new studio
7
Snodgrass, Emily. "Have You Learned Something Historical or Academic from Watching a Disney Movie?" Chart. Poll Maker.

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made its way distributing Walt’s earlier works of Alice Comedies, ten minute silent shorts
featuring a live action girl and cartoon friends.8
It wasn’t until 1928 that the companies’
legendary icon, Mickey Mouse, was created and in the same year starred in Disney’s first sound
production – Steamboat Willie.9
After breaking the sound barrier in animation, Disney turned his
attention to experimenting with different animation techniques in a series of 75 musical shorts
called Silly Symphonies. Silly Symphonies pioneered a number of innovations for the animation
business, including the first realistic human form, the multi-plane camera, and a groundbreaking
contract with Technicolor that created the first cartoon in color10
– winning Walt his first
Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 1932.11
The success continued with the release of
Disney’s first feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937). The
film, based on a German tale told by the Brothers Grimm, was added to the National Film
Registry in 198912
and is currently listed among the 100 greatest American films.13
Disney continued to produce successful feature-length animated films until the 1941
bombing of Pearl Harbor pushed the United States into World War II ceasing all production of
future projects when the U.S. military began operating out of Disney’s Burbank studios.14
Animators were requested to make shorts to serve as training videos for their soldiers and
educational films to promote nationalism to the American people during the war. Disney’s
propaganda animated shorts fell into three different themes: agricultural documentaries
expressing the importance of American crops to the war effort; home front calls to action in
8
"Disney History." Disney History | The Walt Disney Company.
9
Disney Parks & Travel. Disneyland Resort. Anaheim: Disney.
10
Silly Symphonies Theatrical Series. Directed by Walt Disney. Los Angeles, California: Walt Disney Studios, 1929.
11
"Walt Disney." Speech, 5th Annual Academy Awards, The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, November 18, 1932.
12
United States of America. United States Congress. Library of Congress.Complete National Film Registry Listing. National Film
Preservation Board, 1989.
13
Snow White & the Seven Dwarves. Directed by William Cottrell and David Hand. By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm.
Produced by Walt Disney. U.S.A.: RKO Radio Pictures, 1937.
14
Bowdoin, Van Riper A. "Section 1: War and Propaganda." In Learning from Mickey, Donald and Walt: Essays on Disney's
Edutainment Films, 40

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order to stress the need of citizens to pay their taxes and reserve resources during harsh times;
and “psychological” films that gave the American public a look into enemy psyche and other
aspects of the war.15
One of the most well-known featurettes released during the war was Victory
through Air Power (1943), an hour long film using animation and stock footage to explain how
aerial bombings have advantages in modern warfare.16
Although these films’ primary purpose
was to educate and motivate United States citizens at home, Walt did not abandon his standard of
always entertaining his audience – introducing characters such as Mickey Mouse, as well as his
newly developed characters, Donald Duck and Goofy, into the shorts (Der Fuehrer’s Face).
Disney made special request insignia for soldiers abroad and for new military use, all free of charge. -
“New Mosquito Boat gets a tryout. Washington, D.C., June 19. The squadron will be known as the Mosquito
Fleet and the insignia which was designed by Walt Disney consists of a mosquito riding on the top
of a high speed torpedo.”17
Disney’s WWII propaganda films rea0ched their heyday around 1943, but even postwar,
the studio did not turn their focus away from educational productions. It was in 1948, that Walt
15
Bowdoin, Van Riper A. "Section 1: War and Propaganda."., 41.
16
Ibid.
17
Harris & Ewing. New Mosquito Boat Gets a Tryout. June 19, 1940

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himself coined the term “edutainment” – a form of media that is designed to educate as well as
entertain a variety of audiences in diverse settings.18
These films ranging from live-action
documentaries, adaptations of historical events, and staged dramatization with location footage
were envisioned to convey factual information about the real world, using it as a framework for
humor or other themes. 19
Walt’s style of entertainment is present today with television networks
such as BBC Network and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) who air programs that include
Sesame Street and Bill Nye the Science Guy 20
(both popular television series) that are meant to
both teach and entertain. One of the company’s’ first projects to use the ‘edutainment’ structure
was a small screen series inspired by the studios’ 1942 film Bambi. Disney’s True-Life
Adventures (1948-1960), similar to recent Disneynature (2007) films,21
narrates dramatic stories
using the animals in their natural habitat as characters in a dramatic plot as means to explain the
motives and lifestyle of different species.
In anticipation of Disney’s next big plan, a television series titled Disneyland debuted on
the air in 1954 on the ABC network. Disneyland was a weekly series company used to promote
new projects while replaying old ones and offering some of the first “science-and-technology-
themed” documentaries on television. The series would alternate themes weekly airing different
shows to go with each theme, for example, the theme behind ‘Tomorrowland’ contained bright,
clean, and efficient high-tech elements.22
Other productions in the Disneyland series allowed the
company to extend their ‘edutainment’ to the American youth. Donald in Mathmagic Land
(1959) was an episode that used old techniques developed by Disney to combine live action and
animation to explain “basic math concepts, a history of mathematical thinking, and the relevance
18
Bowdoin, Van Riper A. "Introduction.", 2
19
Ibid.
20
"Educational Entertainment." Wikipedia.
21
Bowdoin, Van Riper A. "Section 3: Nature.", 145
22
Ibid. "Section 2: Science, Technology, Mathematics and Medicine.", 84-85

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of math to music, art, architecture, nature, sports, board games, and other aspects of everyday
life”23
starring the short tempered Donald Duck. One episode, which takes Donald to worlds
such as Ancient Greece in order to discover what Pythagoras had deduced from his own
mathematical experiments24
, was later turned into a comic book allowing Disney to extend their
educational influence over multiple forms of media.
The cartoon is a good medium to stimulate interest. It is an ideal medium for teaching and it
has always been my hope that we could do something that way. But it would have to be of
general interest, yet helpful in teaching. It should be used for opening people’s minds and
melting their needs. We have recently explained mathematics in a film and in that way
excited public interest in this very important subject. Donald in Mathmagic Land stimulated
interest in mathematics and turned out very well.
-Walt Disney (1959)
25
Walt Disney Studios has historically produced educational films on various other subjects
including such topics as community health. A number of shorts were released under the
partnership Disney had with the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (CIAA) pertaining to
subjects ranging from menstruation cycles, sexually transmitted diseases, to the common cold,
where both parties monitored production closely to avoid stereotypes.26
However, despite the
fact that his animated health shorts had been a reliable source of information in the 40’s, a bitter
split with the CIAA led to a change of focus and Disney is allegedly to have said “Let’s stick to
entertainment. We’ll make educational films, but they’ll be sugar coated.”27
Due to the nature of
the Walt Disney Studios business at the time it was easy to see how health films didn’t fit the bill
and with the growing concerns over controversial race and gender themes, the shorts were
discarded all together.
23
Bowdoin, Van Riper A. "Section 3: Nature." 113.
24
Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land. Directed by Hamilton Luske. Produced by Walt Disney. Performed by Clarence Nash, and
Paul Frees. Burbank, California: Walt Disney Studios, 1959.
25
Bowdoin, Van Riper A. "Section 2: Science, Technology, Mathematics and Medicine”., 114
26
Ibid., 132
27
Thomas, Bob. Walt Disney: An American Original. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1976., 26

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Similar to the True-Life Adventures documentaries, Disney’s true exploration into world
culture began with the series People and Places (1953).28
Although lacking in familiar cartoon
faces, this series boasted at the beginning of each short that the film is “presenting unusual
people and the places in which they live. All scenes are authentic and the stories are factual.”29
The series earned its’ fair share of cinematic awards, but was often criticized as for once more
painting the different cultures in a simplified fashion.. In From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics
of Film, Gender, and Culture, co-author Jack Zipes refers to this view as the “Disney Spell”.
Zipes argued that despite other filmmaker’s releases of equally good fairy tale films, Disney had
already established dominance in the area, overshadowing anything else the company might have
been noted for – including their live action “factual” documentaries.30
In 1955, Walt was able to bring one of his biggest ideas to life. On October 27, 1954,
Disney unveiled plans for a theme park named after his weekly television show,
Disneyland. Learning from Mickey, Donald, and Walt includes an essay written by Martin
Norden that states that Disney claimed the park was a place "for people to find happiness and
knowledge" and "for teachers and pupils to discover greater ways of understanding and
education", thus bringing his educational film shorts to yet another medium – physical
experience. His inspiration for the park is said to have come from the many visits Disney made
with his daughter in the 30’s to museums such as Henry Ford's ‘Greenfield Village’ and crowds
flocking to Rockefeller’s Colonial Williamsburg. Akin to the television series, that Disney
claimed was the counterpart to the park for the overall idea of Disneyland, the park consisted of
four main areas: Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. In addition to
28
Bowdoin, Van Riper A. "Section 4: Times, Places and People." In Learning from Mickey, Donald and Walt: Essays on Disney's
Edutainment Films, 183-259.
29
People and Places: The Alaskan Eskimo. Produced by Walt Disney. Burbank, California: Walt Disney Studios, 1953.
30
Zibes, Jack. "Breaking the Disney Spell." In From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture

8 | P a g e
the four themed parks, another area known as Main Street U.S.A. served as the main entrance to
the park, offering the guests a chance to “turn back the clock” in order to experience a “turn-of-
the-century” American town.31
Walt Disney introducing his concept for his new theme park ‘Disneyland’. 32 On opening day, as many as
28,000 visitors traveled the highways to be the first to enter the park, only half were actually invited.33
Public History as a field of academic history was only beginning to emerge due to
continued success of Rockefeller and Ford’s museums and Walt, having only produced dramas
like Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier and Song of the South, was eager to bring his
visions of ‘edutainment’ to life.34
Criticism swiftly followed as many found Main Street USA,
inspired by Walt’s hometown, too harmonious and new in looks, not true to the grungy past
many had remembered. In his essays critiquing the portrayal of history, Mike Wallace describes
Walt’s approach as not representing history, so much as trying to “improve it”.35
Walt’s earlier
work, Song of the South (1946) – a live action and animated film with characters living on a
31
Wallace, Mike. "Disney's America." In Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American Memory, 135.
32
Savvas, George. "Disneyland." Digital image. Disney Park Blog. October 27, 2014.
33
"Grand Opening of Disney." Designing Disney (blog), 2014. Accessed April 12, 2015.
34
Wallace, Mike. "Disney's America." 135
35
Ibid. 136.

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Georgia plantation during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era –earned similar criticism from
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP
claimed that “in an effort neither to offend audiences in the North or South, the production helps
to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery....[the film] unfortunately gives the
impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts."36
The storyline for the film was based off the folk-lore tales compiled by Joel Chandler
Harris who published his first tale featuring ‘Uncle Remus’, the most controversial character, in
an 1876 Atlanta newspaper column. Harris, who had worked on a plantation in his youth and
spent many hours with the slaves in their quarters when his time allowed, sought out to record
the stories he heard and refused to publish them until verified by at least two other sources.37
A
compilation of the stories was published later as Uncle Remus: His Songs and His
Sayings (1880) and are where most of the stories told in Song of the South were derived.38
In
spite of Harris claiming that his book was intended to "preserve in permanent shape those
curious mementoes of a period that will no doubt be sadly misrepresented by historians of the
future"39
, it met similar criticism as its’ later film. Even today reviews claim that the
“vernacular”40
used in the book was too hard to read to their children or “exaggerated”.41
Ah done had nuff freedom. Ah wants somebody ter feed me good vittles re’lar, and
tell me whut ter do an’ whut not ter do, an’ look affer me w’en Ah gits sick.
- Big Sam, a freed slave
(Gone with the Wind, 1936)
36
"Song of the South." American Film Institute.
37
Harris, Joel Chandler. "Folklore Performance and the Legacy of Joel Chandler Harris." Introduction to Nights with Uncle
Remus, compiled by John T. Bickley, edited by R. Bruce Bickley, Jr.
38
Kilgore-Caradec, J. Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings. Master's thesis, University of Caen, Normandy, 2013. Paris,
France, 2013.
39
Bickley, R. Bruce. "Chapter I." In Joel Chandler Harris: A Biography and Critical Study, 38. Athens, GA: University of Georgia
Press, 2008.
40
Murphy, A. "Not Appropriate for Kids." Review of The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus. August 1, 2014.
41
Schnieder, Matthew. "Racism Packaged for Kids." Review of The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus. September 16, 2011.

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It seems straightforward then, to compare the film to Gone with the Wind, a Civil-War
Era novel that also blended into the Reconstruction period, depicting a wealthy plantation family
– including their slaves – and the struggles they endured as the South was ripped apart. Identical
to Song of the South, the story is set in and near Atlanta, Georgia and features dialogue and
representation of slaves that parallel the tales recorded by Harris. Gone with the Wind (1936), a
recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 193742
despite the authors’ (an Atlanta native)
numerous references of African Americans as animals43
, spent three short years as a book before
an award winning film adaptation was released in 1939.44
Merely winning an Academy Award
for Best Song (“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”)45
and a special award for James Baskett as praise "for his
able and heart-warming characterization of Uncle Remus, friend and story teller to the children
of the world”46
, Song of the South was only re-released theatrically twice – and once on VHS –
before being placed into the “Disney Vault” where it remains largely due to continued
criticism.47
Yet, in 2014 Gone with the Wind returned to theatres in celebration of its 75th
Anniversary.48
The untimely deaths of founders Walt and his brother Roy did not dampen the success of
the company they left behind. Walt’s ultimate dreams of ‘education through entertainment’
succeeded him through the efforts of the company’s engineers and designers, or as they refer to
themselves, “imagineers”49
who have gone on to create what they refer to in Wallace’s essay as
‘Disney Realism’. Imagineers were given more opportunity to provide guests with a look at the
42
"Novel." The Pulitzer Prizes.
43
Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind. New York: Macmillan Company, 1936., Pg. 1111
44
"1939 Nominees and Winners." Speech, 12th Annual Academy Awards, The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California,
February 29, 1940.
45
"Song of the South." International Movie Database.
46
Brayton, Tim. "Black History Month: Song of the South's Forgotten Oscar." The Film Experience Blog. February 11, 2015.
47
Lingan, John. "Bristling Dixie." Review of Song of the South. The Slate Book Review, January 12, 2012.
48
Vorel, Jim. "Gone with the Wind Returns to Theaters for 75th Anniversary."PasteMagazine.com, September 2, 2014.
49
"About Imagineering." Disney Imaginations.

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ingenuity that was Disney with the opening of a second theme park. Walt Disney World Resort
opened in 1971 between Kissimmee and Orlando, Florida50
and quickly set the company on the
path to the empire it is today. The success in Florida allowed the company to extend their reach
outside the United States with announcements such as the company’s first overseas project,
Disneyland Tokyo in Urayasu, Japan.51
As of 2015, the company has grown to manage its own
cruise line featuring four ships combined with their private island Castaway Key, guided travel
excursions to over 25 locations across the world (Disney Adventures), and six resorts worldwide
with the additions of parks in Paris, Hong Kong, and their latest Shanghai resort that is set to
open in 2016.52
Today, the Walt Disney Company is divided into five different operations; each
focusing on a different aspect of the corporation’s services. The Walt Disney Studios continue to
produce films in their Burbank, California home, but the Disney Media Networks, Walt Disney
Parks and Resorts, Disney Interactive, and Disney Consumer Products divisions provide the
break up the ‘magic’ amongst themselves in order to micromanage the large company.53
In
addition to these divisions, the company has acquired other partners and studios such as the
recent additions of Pixar, Lucasfilm (Star Wars), Marvel Entertainment, and The Muppets
Studio, each popular in their own right, to capitalize on profitable entertainment opportunities.
Other popular subsidiaries include the ABC Television Group as well as joint ventures such as
ESPN, A&E Networks, and Hulu.54
50
"Disney History." Disney History | The Walt Disney Company.
51
Ibid.
52
The Walt Disney Company. "Shanghai Disney Resort." Advertisement. Shanghai Disney Resort.
53
"Our Businesses | The Walt Disney Company."
54
"Social Media Index." The Walt Disney Company.

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Walt presenting the original idea for EPCOT weeks before his death. Disney presented the idea as an
experimental city where everything would be “dedicated to the happiness of the people who live,
work, and play here; and those who come here from all around the world to visit our living showcase.”55
Although the company is no longer headed by a member of the Disney family, recent
CEO’s have dedicated their efforts to proceeding with business as usual, to provide
‘edutainment’ as Walt did. One of these dreams Disney introduced but never lived to see
fulfilled, was a state of the art community, EPCOT. The ‘Experimental Prototype Community of
Tomorrow’ (EPCOT), was envisioned to portray old and future cutting edge technology
(Futureworld) as well as exhibiting the cultures of the different countries around the globe
(World Showcase).56
Walt’s original idea was a small scale city that would have manufacturing
companies answering the immediate needs of the citizens with innovative ideas and technology.
The proposed community design was one Disney felt lay ahead for the world and would be “a
living blueprint of the future”.57
EPCOT’s small scale city never materialized, but while staying true to Walt’s vision,
Disney’s ‘imagineers’ instead designed a living exhibit opening in 1982 to educate park visitors
55
EPCOT/Florida Original Film. Produced by Walt Disney. Burbank, California: Walt Disney Studios, 1966.
56
Ibid.
57
Ibid

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from all over about the different cultures of the world. Attractions in the park include eleven
different pavilions surrounding the World Showcase Lagoon, each themed and dedicated to a
different country. The showcase includes the countries of Mexico, Norway, China, Germany,
Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada; each including
architecture, scenery, shops, and eateries planned to provide guests with an authentic experience
in that nation.58
Out of the eleven, Morocco is the only pavilion directly supported by their own
government59
, but individually, the pavilions are sponsored by businesses60
and supervised by
citizens of their respective countries as part of Disney’s International’s Cultural Representative
Program – designed to draw in international students and workers in order to share their culture
and customs with tourists over the course of a year. Other countries have been represented at
one time or another such as Ethiopia, India, Kenya, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa,
Namibia and Israel that were presented by respective citizens at Disney’s Millennium Village
during Walt Disney World’s ‘Millennium Celebration’ in 1999.61
The village also provided
interactive displays of Brazil, Chile, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden where guests could
interact with staff representatives and take part in games or crafts as they learn about the
culture.62
Inspired by 1700 style architecture such as Colonial Williamsburg and Thomas
Jefferson’s Monticello, the American pavilion is designed to look like a Georgian style mansion
with a dome rotunda popular at the birth of the country.63
In this authentic building a large
theatre presents The American Adventure, an animatronic show hosted by historic figures Mark
58
The Walt Disney Company. Disney World - Epcot. N.p., n.d. Web.
59
"Best Kept Secrets at EPCOT." Walt Disney World Best Kept Secrets.
60
"List of Disney Sponsors." WDWMAGIC.
61
"Epcot Archives Millennium Village." Millennium Village Epcot Archives. N.p., 1999-2000.
62
Ibid
63
The Walt Disney Company. Advertisement. Disney World - Epcot. American Adventure.

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Twain and Benjamin Franklin. As guests head to the theatre, flags representing countries that had
at one time claimed land in America as well as American flags from the Revolutionary and Civil
Wars, are displayed as banners throughout the hall.64
The show, which begins with the 1620
landing of the Mayflower, encounters other key historical figures along the journey such as
Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Martin L. King Jr., as well as former presidents Thomas
Jefferson, John F. Kennedy, and Teddy Roosevelt.65
The pavilion also displays the American
flag that was taken from the rubble of the Twin Towers after the attacks of 9/11.66
‘Spirit of America’ statues that line the American Adventure theatre. The statues are designed to
“embody the American ideals of Individualism, Innovation, Independence, Self-Reliance and more.” Right wall
(From right to left) Spirit of Knowledge, Pioneering, Self Reliance, Adventure, Tomorrow and Freedom. Left
wall (not pictured) Individualism, Compassion, Discovery, Innovation, Independence and Heritage.67
The pavilion is also home to The American Heritage Gallery of exhibits featuring
innovators, astronauts and other significant individuals pivotal with breakthroughs in technology
or advancement of our nation in history. On March 8th,
2013, pieces that have been featured in
the Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History from the “Re-Discovering America:
64
"The American Adventure." Disney Park History.
65
Ibid.
66
"Best Kept Secrets at EPCOT." Walt Disney World Best Kept Secrets.
67
"The American Adventure." Disney Park History. Photo by Tiffany Bagwell

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Family Treasures from the Kinsey Collection” were debuted in the gallery where they will
remain until 2016.68
The collection reflects over 400 years of African American achievements in
the nation and includes interactive displays narrated by notable personalities such as Whoopi
Goldberg and Kerry Washington.69
Similar attractions are present in California’s Disneyland
with the animatronic show Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Mark Twain River Boat.
Comparable to American Adventure, Abraham Lincoln serves as host as he narrates his life
experiences of the Civil War and his future visions to guests.70
EPCOT is not only for enlightening guests on the history of the world. Just as The World
Showcase educates on the globe, Future World informs on the present and the future with the
help and influence of today’s leading corporations and industry leaders. Though many see this as
a form of a corporate giant commercialization, most of the educational attractions in EPCOT
would not be possible without sponsors from today’s industrial world providing a realistic look.
Rides such as Test Track, sponsored by General Motors’ Chevrolet, offer a simulated look at the
automobile industry as guests design their own vehicle to test on the track. Tests of the vehicle
design include capability for handling, responsiveness for maneuverability, efficiency for fuel
saving and environmental research, and power for speed. 71
This look at industrialization directly
reflects one of Walt’s earlier visions for the park; a community where industries would provide
support and produce depending on needs. The experience of future technology is not limited to
thrill rides however; a series of interactive exhibits known as Project Tomorrow: Inventing the
Wonders of the Future offers guests as young as preschoolers a look into how advances in
discovery are made every day. Advances in medicine and transportation are among some of the
68
"American Heritage Gallery." American Heritage Gallery.
69
Ibid.
70
The Walt Disney Company. "Disneyland Park Attractions." Advertisement. Disneyland Park. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
71
The Walt Disney Company. Advertisement. Disney World - Epcot. Test Track.

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exhibits that include 3-D interactive games simulating remote surgery techniques and motor
vehicle safety through Siemens technology. 72
Other corporate sponsors such as Liberty Mutual
Insurance, IBM, and even the National Science Foundation in conjunction with Cornell
University, have provided exhibits stressing the importance of safety preparedness and
technology in daily life. 73
Future World not only teaches about current and future technologies, it also demonstrates
how to preserve for the future through conservation efforts. Attractions such as Ellen’s Energy
Adventure, featuring television personalities Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy’,
grab attention through imagination of dinosaurs and prehistoric themes to discover how fossil
fuels were developed. 74
The presentation also teaches the theory of the Big Bang phenomenon,
an explanation of the beginnings of the universe. Food production is shown to guests in Living
with the Land; a boat ride taking guests through multiple eco systems such as the rain forest and
farmsteads to, as the website advertises “learn about mankind’s past successes, failures, lessons
learned, and hopeful future.” 75
The attraction’s greenhouses are home to some of horticulture’s
new techniques in crop cross-breeding showing guests the possible outcomes of living healthy
off the land. Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive live show starring Crush, a 100 year old
sea-turtle from Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo (2003) Crush addresses guests by name and
answers general or marine biology related questions to any who ask.76
Outside of Animal
Kingdom, EPCOT is home to many other educational animal encounters – a prime example of
Walt’s technique of ‘edutainment’ grasping guests attentions and educating them through
entertainment without them realizing it.
72
The Walt Disney Company. Advertisement. Disney World - Epcot.. Project Tomorrow.
73
Ibid. Innovations West & East.
74
Ibid. Ellen’s Energy Adventure.
75
Ibid. Living with the Land.
76
Ibid. Turtle Talk with Crush.

17 | P a g e
Welcome to a kingdom of animals... real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions,
dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to
share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.
- CEO of the Walt Disney Company
Michael D. Eisner (April 22, 1998)77
Florida’s Animal Kingdom itself is an ongoing conservation effort that opened in 1998
and was designed in conjunction with Conservation International78
and is accredited through
2020 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums due to their efforts in education, conservation,
and research.79
The park is home to nearly 1700 animals that represent 250 different species,
most of which reside together on 500 acre African Savannah replica.80
Named the “Corporate
Conservationist of the Year” in 2012 by the Florida Wildlife Federation, Disney Worldwide
Conservation Fund (DWCF) has made remarkable progress in educating and researching
conservation through its’ park, programs and projects.81
The DWCF, whose mission statement is
to “protect the planet and help kids develop lifelong conservation values”, provides financial
support for education and conservation programs in attempts to get children motivated to do the
same.82
This goal is coupled with the Disneynature series where documentaries of animals
narrated by celebrities in the entertainment world are released to theatres in attempts to educate
the masses – also offering downloadable educational tools and materials for teachers in the
classroom.83
The series newest addition, Monkey Kingdom, opened in April of 2015 with all
77
"Disney's Animal Kingdom." Disney's Animal Kingdom.
78
"Animal Kingdom." In Dateline Disney. ABC Television Network. 1996.
79
"List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums." Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums.
80
Werner, Pete. "Disney's Animal Kingdom." Animal Kingdom, Disney Animal Kingdom.
81
"Disney Named Conservationist of the Year by Wildlife Federation." Disney Named Conservationist of the Year by Wildlife
Federation.
82
"Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund | The Walt Disney Company." Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund | The Walt Disney
Company.
83
"Disneynature Oficial Website." Disneynature.

18 | P a g e
ticket revenues from opening week went to longtime partner Conservation International in efforts
to save species of monkeys everywhere.84
Although Walt Disney first envisioned an attraction involving animals for his Anaheim
Park, the Animal Kingdom was not a product of his ingenuity. Instead it was Chief Executive
Officer Michael Eisner (1984-2005) who combined Walt’s ideas with that of his own ambition of
having a theme park centered on animals.85
Eisner is also known for ideas such as Disney’s
America, Port Disney and WestCOT, a version of EPCOT planned to join Disneyland in
California that would be designed to educate and entertain guests that EPCOT reportedly failed
to do.86
Though Disney’s America made it as far as negotiations with the state of Virginia,
WestCOT never left the drawing board; and in 2005 due to a civil war within the company87
,
Eisner resigned. Next in command, Robert A Iger, took the position with support from Walt
Disney’s nephew Roy O., who some say is “the architect of Disney’s current success.”88
Iger is
responsible for the acquisition of major additions to the company such as Pixar (2006) directly
from Steve Jobs, Marvel Entertainment (2009) and Lucasfilm (2012), and by taking a unique
“hands off” approach, has allowed each to act on its own accord in order to achieve creative
success such as the recent smash hit Frozen – yet another production based off a Hans Christian
Anderson tale.89
Due to internal disturbances and the deteriorating luster of the company Eisner had left
behind, Iger’s mission was to revitalize the company as a whole – beginning inside the company
itself. Problems in the inner workings of the corporation were not too different from the criticism
84
"Disneynature Releases New Film 'Monkey Kingdom'" - Azfamily.com 3TV.
85
Vaux, Robert. "Information About the Animal Kingdom in Disney World." Travel Tips.
86
"WestCOT." Disney Wiki.
87
Stewart, James B. Disney War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
88
"Bob Iger to Remain Disney Chief through 2018." Variety. October 02, 2014.
89
Donion, J.P. "How Bob Iger Remade the House That Walt Built | ChiefExecutive.net | Chief Executive Magazine."

19 | P a g e
it received; racism, cultural diversity, and religious differences were prevalent among Iger’s staff
as well as the company’s productions. As The Walt Disney Company expanded globally, with
the almost financial failure Disneyland Paris90
and the new cruise liners crossing the seas of the
world, so too did the company’s attitude of culture. In an interview with Chief Executive
Magazine, Iger said“[The company needed] to invest much more aggressively in global growth
because we had become too U.S.-centric.” Cultural diversity had been among the top critiqued
issues of Disney and its films with complaints of minority groups not being represented in
animated films or as many would say; there were no princesses of color.
Claims of racism and cultural discrimination of course began long before Iger’s tenure
with the studios’ 1933 production of the eight minute short Mickey’s Mellerdrammer and the
aforementioned Song of the South (1946). The animated short, based off Uncle Tom’s Cabin,
shows characters dressed in costumes with their faces painted black (as “blackface”), with
exaggerated lips and shaggy side burns made out of cotton.91
Due to the political and societal
issues at the time of their making, it’s no surprise that such reproach has been directed at other
works between the 30’s and 60’s like Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Peter Pan (1953).92
Fantasia, similar to Song of the South, was never re-released in its unedited form that contained a
character representing an African American girl serving others.93
“Where they cut off your ear, if they don’t like your face. It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.”
- Opening Song from Aladdin (1992)
Easily enough, Michael Eisner’s legacy as CEO did not leave unscathed by criticism
from anti-discrimination groups. Disney’s Classic Aladdin came under heavy fire after the 1992
90
Pozzebon, Stefano. "Why Euro Disney Is A 22-Year Money-Losing Failure." Business Insider. October 07, 2014.
91
Disney, Walt E., prod. "Mickey's Mellerdrammer." In Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse. March 18, 1933.
92
Busis, Hillary. "'Peter Pan' and 13 More Kids' Classics Marred by Racism." Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.
93
"Whatever Happened to Little Sunflower?" (Korkis Korner) by Jim Korkis.

20 | P a g e
release from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee over claims of stereotyping
Arabs.94
The group expressed extreme concern over some of the song lyrics in the movie’s
opening that depict life in the Middle-East as evil and “barbaric”. Arab-Americans feared that
phrases used would enhance the current stereotypes due to the United States’ recent conflicts
with the Middle East in early 1991.95
Seemingly in compliance with the groups’ wishes, the
lyrics were changed – “cut off your ear” was removed – yet “barbaric” remained. Eisner oversaw
production of two more projects that received serious cultural disapproval with the release of
Pocahontas (1995) and Mulan (1998), each equal in historical prevalence and featured in many
legends and myths passed down over generations in their cultures.
Iger’s ‘revival’ paved the way for what some perceived to be an attempt in righting the
racial injustices of Disney’s older films, specifically, the ‘Disney Princesses’. Princess and the
Frog was released in 2009 with a return to Disney’s traditional animation (pre-Pixar era)
attracting audiences new and old. Nonetheless, the new movie also came with an audience all too
willing to see how Disney would handle a movie centered on POC (People of Color). Princess
and the Frog added Tiana, a young African-American woman who dreamed to someday own a
restaurant, to the Disney Princess roster; the first African-American Princess in the franchise.
New York Times quoted Essence Magazine director Cori Murray’s interview with CNN where
she stated that, “finally, here is something that all little girls, especially young black girls, can
embrace.” 96
Scenes of the movie were shown as development progressed to leaders in the
African American community and the NAACP – such as Oprah Winfrey whom they cast as her
94
"It's Racist, But Hey, It's Disney." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 July 1993.
95
"The Gulf War, 1991 - 1989–1992 - Milestones - Office of the Historian."
96
Barnes, Brooks. "Her Prince Has Come. Critics, Too." The New York Times.

21 | P a g e
mother – to obtain input on how racial issues were being represented, all of which provided
positive feedback.97
One of Disney’s biggest grossing films, Frozen (2013), received equal treatment upon its
release in 2013 with questions of the characters true nationality. Disney animated films inspired
from a myth or folktales are generally assumed to take place where ever the tale or story was
derived. For example, the tale of Snow White was derived from a fable written by the Grimm
Brothers who were German98
, therefore the movie is said to have taken place in Germany.
Equivalent of this is The Little Mermaid originally written by Danish author Hans Christian
Andersen99
and thus acknowledged as taking place in Denmark. Despite the fact that Andersen
also wrote the original tale “Snow Queen”100
, an interview with Frozen directors indicated that
the inspiration for the film was drawn heavily from the Scandinavian area, adding that they made
trips there for first hand experiences with artistic renderings and music.101
In 2014, Frozen’s two
main princesses, Anna and Elsa, were announced to join the Disney Princess franchise, a
collection of princesses from all Disney films. Soon thereafter, bloggers took to Tumblr (a blog
and social media website) posting pictures of the indigenous Sami population local to that area in
comparison to the film’s characters accusing the animators of “white-washing”.102
97
Barnes, Brooks. "Her Prince Has Come. Critics, Too.".
98
"Wilhelm Grimm." Bio.com.
99
"Hans Christian Andersen." Bio.com.
100
Costellano, Stepanie. "The Ancient Roots of Disney's Blockbuster Film." AntiquityNOW.
101
Lee, Jennifer, and Chris Buck. "Exclusive Interview with Frozen Directors." Interview by Christa Thompson.
102
"Disney's Frozen Whitewashing Controversy." Know Your Meme News.

22 | P a g e
The Sami People, Frozen’s inspiration, are considered an ethnic minority in
Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Russian Kola Peninsula.103
The definition of the correct spelling “whitewash” is defined in Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary as a solution of chemicals used for painting walls white, though, when typed into an
internet search bar the definition changes to internet slang that most sites define as “act like a
white person.”104
Of the thirteen princesses featured in the franchise, only five are visibly of a
different ethnicity other than Caucasian. This inability to distinguish nationality based upon
physical and aesthetic features has stirred up controversy over the Walt Disney Parks “face
characters”. Disney’s “face characters” are men and women dressed as a character from a movie
for the entertainment and interaction in the parks, most of which consist of photo opportunities.
In addition to knowing every detail about their character, the actors themselves tend to be chosen
for certain roles based on their similarities in physical appearance.105
Due to this fact, bloggers
have questioned whether or not the actors playing their favorite characters like Pocahontas,
103
"Underway in Northern Europe." BERLINORDIC. January 18, 2013.
104
"What Does WHITEWASH Mean? - WHITEWASH Definition - Meaning of WHITEWASH - InternetSlang.com."
105
Willett, Megan. "A Former 'Snow White' Dishes About Life As A Disney Park Princess." Business Insider.

23 | P a g e
Mulan and Jasmine are actually of that nationality, but with the appearance of Tiana and her
foreign husband Prince Naveen, some face-characters have been accused of either having “too
light” or “too dark” of a complexion.106
Some bloggers have taken to defending the animation
company against bloggers insinuate Disney’s intent as they post pictures referred to as “race-
bending” which takes originally Caucasian characters and photo-shopping other nationalities into
their features. In 2013, when one Tumblr user accused Disney of purposely making all princesses
white, another blogger defended the movies by explaining their different nationalities and
origins. They explained an example of “white-washing” to be if the company “took princess
Jasmine from a story based on Arabian Nights and gave her blond[e] hair and white skin and
named her Jessica.”107
Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand
things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature…Life is
composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere and saccharine if
we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the
strongest things; but there are evil things, too, and you are not doing a child a favor by
trying to shield him from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can
always triumph over evil, and that is what our pictures attempt to do.
- Walt Disney
(1962)108
Accusations of racism in Disney’s animated films have also brought on recurring
questionings of historic accuracy in terms of ‘edutainment’. One animated film that remains as
one of the most well-known debated films in terms of historical representation is Pocahontas
released in 1995. While the story of the Native American Pocahontas is well known to most,
critics speak of it negatively in terms of truth. In the animated movie, Pocahontas is seen as the
106
Snodgrass, Emily. Racism in Disney. PowerPoint. Charleston, WV, 2014.
107
"Girl Claims Disney Makes All Princesses White On Purpose, Someone Comes Up With a Brilliant Comeback…." The Meta
Picture RSS.
108
Pinsky, Mark I. The Gospel According to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press,
2004.

24 | P a g e
only daughter of the village chief, legendary Chief Powhatan. The rebellious young woman
comes in contact with new ‘outsiders’ such as explorer John Smith, and ultimately falls in love
with the Englishmen and later saves his life.109
Though the eighty-four minute film contains
musical numbers and talking trees, most of the negative comments focus solely on her
relationship with John Smith, frequently resulting in the overall dismissal of the movie in any
part as historically accurate. However, among other accounts featured in the film, the movie
depicts a tribe that actually existed when English settlers arrived to the ‘New World’ through
means of song and plot. The opening song features lyrics detailing the Englishmen’s journey
over sea reciting that “In sixteen hundred seven, we sail the open sea. For glory, God and gold,
and the Virginia Company”.110
Historically, the Virginia Company was a joint-stock company
chartered in 1606 at the order of King James I to establish a colony in the ‘New World’ often
known as being in the name of God and glory.111
The First Charter of Virginia granted the
colonists rights to the land as decreed by the King, also stating that they search for gold, silver,
or copper. 112
Despite many claims of sanitizing, some performances in the film have earned strong
criticism of containing “white-supremacy” themes with derogatory references of Native
Americans with racial slangs or in animalistic metaphors. In a reprisal of the opening song,
English settlers talk about what they will do when they get to the new world, reciting the lines
“we’ll kill ourselves an injun…or maybe two or three”, using the racial slur ‘Injun’ when
speaking of the Native Americans they knew to inhabit the land.113
The climax of the story
109
Pocahontas. Directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg.
110
Ibid.
111
"Virginia Company of London." Virginia Company of London.
112
"The Avalon Project : The First Charter of Virginia; April 10, 1606." The Avalon Project : The First Charter of Virginia; April 10,
1606.
113
Pocahontas.

25 | P a g e
contains a performance from both Native Americans and the English settlers preparing to go to
war with one another as a result of John Smith being sentence to death by Chief Powhatan, with
the following song lyrics:
(Englishmen)
What can you expect
from filthy little heathens?
Their whole disgusting race is like a curse
Their skin’s a hellish red
They’re only good when dead
They’re vermin, as I said
And worse.
(Native Americans)
They’re savages! Savages!
Barely even human.
Savages! Savages!
Drive them from our shore!
They’re not like you and me
which means they must be evil!
We must sound the drums of war!
- “Savages” (Pocahontas: An Original
Walt Disney Records Soundtrack)
Though the words are often perceived as underlying racism, given the circumstances, they are
portraying attitudes and opinions of both Native Americans and Englishmen in the 1600’s.
From 1600 to 1700, terms such as “savages” and “injun” were used frequently as British
English vernacular converged into American.114
Racial discriminations of Native Americans
like these are historically known to have spawned into later events such as the battles of
‘Wounded Knee’ and ‘Little Big Horn’ and well into the 1880’s.115
The movie closes with Pocahontas saving John Smith from execution ordered by her
father and an injured Smith sailing back to England. Whereas it is also a myth that she saved
him from such a situation or had anything to do with such, the idea was thought of well before
114
"Ngram Viewer - 'Injun' (1600-1700)." Chart. Google.
115
"American-Indian Wars." History.com.

26 | P a g e
Disney’s time, actually detailed in John Smith’s own ‘The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-
England, and the Summer Isles’ (1624)116
. A sequel to the movie was released directly to home
video, which revealed the growing settlement of Jamestown and Pocahontas’ journey to
England that resulted in her subsequent marriage to John Rolfe as chronicled in Smith’s book
along with other 1600’s historical accounts.
Once racist reviews on Princess and the Frog began to subside, an issue one news article
refers to as “the elephant in the room”, spread over blogs and websites alike; the depiction of
status quo. The movie, set in 1920’s Jazz Era New Orleans, shows a close relationship between
Tiana and the daughter of her mother’s employer, southern-belle Charlotte LaBouff (‘Lottie’).
Lottie’s father, sugar baron “Big Daddy”, are seen multiple times wearing nice clothes, living in
extravagant houses, and driving their own car while Tiana works two waitress jobs and rides the
crowded trolley.117
Examinations over how perfect a friendship between the two could be
possible during the 20’s, specifically in the south, is another chief criticism. Claims that the
wealthy did not associate with the poor – much less even let them in their home – try to make a
point of Disney deliberately censoring the Jim Crow Era.118
Some defend the movie as a
testament to how society has overcome those barriers119
citing Tiana’s father who said “Good
food brings people together from all walks of life,” referring to the repeated connection over
food (something New Orleans is known for) Tiana shares with people no matter their prestige.
One reviewer was quoted as saying that “food and jazz share the burden of serving as metaphors
116
Smith, John. "American Journeys Collection." AmericanJourneys.org. 2003.
117
Princess and the Frog. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. Screenplay by Ron Clements and John Musker.
118
"The Princess and the Frog: Rewriting Jazz Age History and Culture." The Black Atlantic RSS. April 03, 2014.
119
Ibid.

27 | P a g e
for colorblindness and black humanity”,120
drawing emotions of triumph at how far the country
has come in terms of acceptance of the unpleasant past.
He probably did more to heal, or at least soothe troubled human spirits than all the
psychiatrists in the world.
- Eric Sevareid (CBS Evening News)121
Continued criticism and negative reviews fell upon the deaf ears of some parents,
however, with a few mothers stating in an interview with CNN that the animated film had "way
more good in it than the negative [aspects] some picky person is going to find."122
As a
conscious effort to repair the poor reputation Disney has in ethnic communities, many parents
acknowledge the film as a step in the right direction. Due to the lack of African American
princesses before, some parents such as Georgian author Denene Millner, had steered clear of
Disney princesses all together in an attempt to avoid self-esteem issues in the future. With the
representation of the African American community, Millner revealed she was actually troubled
by the criticism the film received, “…as a mom, my heart is full. Finally, there's a princess that
looks like my little girls."123
Today’s media is full of questions as to what messages are and are
not getting through to children, especially with the self-esteem of in terms of racial beauty. The
same CNN article detailed an interview from media psychologist Karen Dill who expressed that
the cultural diversity in Princess in the Frog is actually vital for children of any background to
see because "kids don't assign anything to color."124
Where one cognitive psychologist claims
children do indeed catch subtle messages about race and gender in movies like Disney125
,
another mother claimed that the idea of racial inequality is often non-existent in younger
120
"The Princess and the Frog: Rewriting Jazz Age History and Culture." The Black Atlantic RSS. April 03, 2014.
121
Pinsky, Mark I. The Gospel According to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust.
122
Hare, Breeanna. "Parents: Disney's 'Princess' Is a Hop toward Progress." CNN. February 01, 2010.
123
Ibid.
124
Ibid.
125
Barnes, Brooks. "Her Prince Has Come. Critics, Too." The New York Times. May 30, 2009.

28 | P a g e
children, choosing to "not to put that baggage on them if they don't have it yet."126
The “elephant
in the room” critics saw in Princess and the Frog and “baggage” of racial inequality parents tried
to keep from their children were chief concerns of Eisner’s educational American heritage
project, Disney’s America.
Disney’s America Concept Rendering. Area shows planned areas of the park Crossroads U.S.A., Native
America, Civil War Fort, Ellis Island replica, State Fair, Family Farm, Enterprise American factory town, and
Victory Air Field. 127
According to website The Disney Drawing Board, the planned theme park had nine
themed areas planned for guests of all ages to learn and be entertained. Crossroads USA was a
Civil War-era village that was to serve as parks entrance with a train trestle from the 1840’s
passing over the gates like other Disney parks. The area’s concept art shows the entrance would
have been lined with shops designed to look like those that were common after the Civil War
with groups of soldiers walking in formation through the streets. Disney’s Pocahontas would
also been present in the parks’ Native America (1600 to 1810) exhibits with a replication of a
126
127
"The Disney Drawing Board - Disney's America." The Disney Drawing Board - Disney's America. N.p., n.d. Web.

29 | P a g e
Powhatan Native American village combined with other Mid-Atlantic tribes intended to immerse
guests in interactive experiences, exhibits and arts and crafts. The area’s concept design shows a
river flowing through the area that would have served as a whitewater river raft ride based on the
explorations of Lewis and Clark, recreating their expedition. One of the most pivotal areas was
the Civil War Fort Complex where 3D films of Civil War battle scenes could be viewed as well
as the proposed recreations or possibly nighttime spectaculars of the battle between The Monitor
and The Merrimac. Similar to EPCOTS American Pavilion, concept art of an Ellis Island
Building (We the People 1870 to 1930) alongside a 1930’s Coney Island themed carnival would
create a state fair atmosphere, something that was later reworked into Paradise Pier at Disney’s
California Adventure Theme Park. A tribute to American ingenuity would have been showcased
at Enterprise (1870 to 1930) with a recreation of an American factory town complete with a turn
of the century steel mill rollercoaster. Areas such as the Family Farm (1930 to 1945) and Victory
Field (1940 to 1945) were widespread areas that highlighted the farming and aviation industry
and were later both reworked into ideas for Bountiful Valley Farm and Condor Flats, both of
which are located at Disney’s California Adventure Theme Park. The Hall of Presidents was one
of the most well-known plans for the park that would celebrate the founding fathers and the birth
of democracy and is located at the Magic Kingdom Theme Park in Florida where it remains one
of the more popular attractions.128
In fear of commercialization invading the quiet town of Haymarket, local opposition
formed the Protect Historic America (PHA) organization and called upon local gentry,
historians, politicians, and other groups such as NIMBY, from around the country for support.
They claimed that due to the proposed site’s closeness to Manassas Battlefield, tourists would
128
"The Disney Drawing Board - Disney's America."

30 | P a g e
skip the actual historical sites and learn from the “Disneyfication” of history the park would
provide.129
Even after attempts at negotiating areas five miles down the road, the PHA accused
the company of dumbing history down and advertising a historically inaccurate picture of
America’s heritage. When questioned over the representation of slavery, Eisner’s response was
to ignore it all together. It was Eisner’s original hope of using the locations closeness to the
nation’s capital as a learning tool for educators to get their students out of the classroom and to
step up where academics fell short.130
The PHA responded in kind with the president of the
organization telling the CEO to “take [his] fantasy elsewhere and leave our national past
alone.”131
It is in part due to the Virginian residents’ fear of history being sanitized that the
question of Disney’s reputation comes into play. Walt Disney’s reputation for animated
fairytales has overshadowed any reputable history the company had in the education field –
though he demonstrated multiple times he was interested in history, nature, and live events as a
form of education that could entertain the masses – leaving many to judge projects harshly based
on past controversial projects. Interestingly enough, in April of 2015, DreamWorks Animation
released animated film, “Home”. The film’s plot featured an Earth invaded by an alien race who
relocated all humans who lived there, except for one little girl. She later encounters an alien who
is a fugitive in his world and, though the two do not trust each other at first, they overcome their
differences and set out to find the girl’s mother.132
The little girl, whose name is Tip, is praised
by mothers everywhere for her “brownness, hair texture and accent”, what Stacia Brown refers to
in her article as “refreshing and unusual to hear a director describe a brown-skinned, immigrant
129
McDonough, Matt. "Theme Park History: Disney's America and the Historian's Dilemma." Theme Park Insider.
130
Ibid.
131
Wallace, Mike. "Disney's America." Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American Memory.
132
"Home." IMDb. IMDb.com,

31 | P a g e
girl as representing “all of us.””133
The director claimed he wanted Tip, the last human being on
the planet, to represent all cultures and in attempts at creating a heritage mixed of South
America, Africa, Europe and North America, he chose the Caribbean as Tip’s ancestry (singer
Rihanna, from Barbados, provided the voice of the young girl).134
Brown claims other films set in other continents such as Lion King (1994) don’t address
her concerns properly with how she is constantly “scouring media and books for characters of
color whom their children can relate to and root for.”135
After claiming that Princess and the
Frog predates her daughter by a year, as an example for “context purposes”, she includes the fact
that the first Disney Princess was Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
According to one online article the movie, based on a novel, attracted an audience comprised
48% of Caucasians, and 22% African American.136
Brown states that Home, is “deliberate in its
dealing with both culture and race” and the movie is being hailed as a one in a long time coming.
So why is it that DreamWorks is receiving such praise over a young girl of mixed heritage, and
Disney’s Tiana received such anger?
When asked in an online poll if Disney proposed Disney’s America today, what they
would think, twenty-five of the sixty-five voters chose “Educational”, twenty-four said “Super
Fun! Yes!” and only a single voter said such an idea for a park would be “Inappropriate”.137
So
why is it now, only twenty years later, that attitude has shifted in favor of such a park? Most of
the voters’ ages range between 20 and 50 years, and was comprised of students, parents, teaching
professionals, and retirees. Could it be conceivable that a new understanding of Disney has
133
"How ‘Home’ Made a Family’s First Trip to the Movies Special." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2015.
134
Ibid.
135
Ibid.
136
"DreamWorks Animation Hits A ‘Home’ Run." Cartoon Brew.
137
Snodgrass, Emily. "If Disney Proposed Disney's America Now, What Would You Think." Pollmaker.com.

32 | P a g e
emerged in the very ones who grew up watching his films? Or is it possible that in growing up
with Walt Disney’s ‘edutainment’, we’ve come to accept Disney’s approach to educating and
entertaining. So when asked, one can either learn to accept Disney as the jumping off point in
the learning process as so many do, and take their interests higher and further research topics
introduced that appealed to them. Or one may simply allow past prejudices to endure to the next
generation who will very likely encounter the same options. Similar to ‘judging a book by its
cover’, the next time you encounter Disney, will you look for all that is wrong? Or, will you let
yourself believe?
“Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national
resource - the minds of our children.”
-Walt Disney

33 | P a g e
Notes
1. All polls recorded in this analysis included volunteer participants from countries
including The United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Africa,
and Australia.
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"About Imagineering." Disney Imaginations. Accessed April 18, 2015.
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