Theme Parks

From the day it opened in July 1955, in an event given live TV coverage, Disneyland has been a key symbol of contemporary American culture. It has been both celebrated and attacked as the ultimate embodiment of consumer society, a harbinger of shopping-mall culture, a symbol of American hegemony in entertainment, the epitome of fantasy, simulation, pastiche, and the blurring of distinctions between reality and mass-media imagery. Yet for all the power of Disneyland as metaphor, almost no one has discussed the making of this unique place, with its far-flung colonies in Florida, Japan, and France. Written to accompany an exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, "Designing Disney's Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance" is the first book to look beyond the multiple myths of Disneyland. Uniting a roster of authors chosen from wide-ranging disciplines, this study is the first to examine the influence of Disneyland on both our built environment and our architectural imagination. Tracing the relationship of the Disney parks to their historical forbears, it charts Disneyland's evolution from one man's personal dream to a multinational enterprise, a process in which the Disney "magic" has moved ever closer to the real world. Editor Karal Ann Marling, Professor of Art History and American Studies at the University of Minnesota, draws upon her pioneering work in the Disney archives to reconstruct and analyze the intentions and strategies behind the parks. She is joined by Marty Sklar, Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, historian Neil Harris, art historian Erika Doss, geographer Yi-Fu Tuan, critic Greil Marcus, and architectFrank Gehry to provide a unique perspective on one of the great post-war American icons.

The writing is academic, but it is not inaccessible. It will have wide disciplinary appeal within academia, as tourism studies cross into a variety of fields including history, American studies, fandom studies, performance studies and cultural studies. It will be invaluable to those working in the field of theme park scholarship and the study of Disney theme parks, theme parks in general and related areas like world's expositions and spaces of the consumer and lifestyle worlds. It will also be of interest to Disney fans, those who have visited any of the parks or are interested to know more about the parks and their cultural situation and context.

Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment aims to be the most in-depth book on theme park design ever written, documenting for professional designers, theme park design students, and curious theme park fans, the fascinating processes and techniques that go into creating the amazing worlds of theme park design.

America's cities are being rapidly transformed by a sinister and homogenous design. A new Kind of urbanism--manipulative, dispersed, and hostile to traditional public space--is emerging both at the heart and at the edge of town in megamalls, corporate enclaves, gentrified zones, and psuedo-historic marketplaces. If anything can be described as a paradigm for these places, it's the theme park, an apparently benign environment in which all is structured to achieve maximum control and in which the idea of authentic interaction among citizens has been thoroughly purged. In this bold collection, eight of our leading urbanists and architectural critics explore the emblematic sites of this new cityscape--from Silicon Valley to Epcot Center, South Street Seaport to downtown Los Angeles--and reveal their disturbing implications for American public life.

Have you ever wanted to build your very own theme park in Minecraft? This guide will show you how it’s done! Inside you’ll find build ideas for everything from a classic carousel and a haunted mansion ride to thrilling jungle river rapids and a terrifying alternate dimensions roller coaster. Just follow the steps for each build, and before you know it, you’ll have an entire theme park to enjoy with your friends! This ebook is best viewed on a color device with a larger screen. Collect all of the official Minecraft books: Minecraft: The Island Minecraft: The Crash Minecraft: The Lost Journals Minecraft: The Survivors’ Book of Secrets Minecraft: Exploded Builds: Medieval Fortress Minecraft: Guide to Exploration Minecraft: Guide to Creative Minecraft: Guide to the Nether & the End Minecraft: Guide to Redstone Minecraft: Mobestiary Minecraft: Guide to Enchantments & Potions Minecraft: Guide to PVP Minigames Minecraft: Guide to Farming Minecraft: Let’s Build! Theme Park Adventure Minecraft for Beginners

Amusement parks have been a staple of California recreation and entertainment for over a century. First appearing along the beaches and multiplying up and down the coast, these parks ignited an industry that has seen tremendous change and innovation. Children's Fairyland--America's first theme park--and Knott's Berry Farm--the first children's park--set high standards for the amusement world. When Disneyland opened in 1955, amusement parks became destinations in themselves, transforming surrounding communities. Discover how these magical places came to be. Learn little-known secrets of 20 California parks and what makes them landmarks. For guests of all ages, California's theme parks offer an abundance of entertainment possibilities. 301 color photos provide a unique glimpse into an industry that forever changed family entertainment.

If you've ever visited a theme park and wondered how the magic is created, this is the book for you. Theme park design invites you to become an apprentice Imagineer. Inside, you'll: - Explore the different types of rides and shows- Experience creating an attraction from conception to opening day- Discover the different professional roles in Imagineering so you can determine which best suits your interestsAnd for avid fans and gearheads, a special section takes you on a deep dive into show control, ride control, audio, video and special effects.Whether your goal is to become an Imagineer, or you're just curious about how theme parks are created, Theme Park Design pulls back the curtain on what goes into creating the greatest attractions on Earth

Theme parks are a uniquely interactive and enduring form of entertainment that have influenced architecture, technology, and culture in surprising ways for more than a century, as Scott Lukas now reveals in his compelling historical chronicle. Theme Park takes the primitive amusements of pleasure gardens as its starting point and launches from there into a rich, in-depth investigation of the evolution of the theme park over the twentieth century. Lukas examines theme parks in countries around the world—including in the United States, Mexico, Europe, Japan, China, South Africa, and Australia—and how themed fairs and parks developed through diverse means and in a variety of settings. The book examines world-famous and lesser-known parks, including the early parks of Coney Island; Madrid’s Movieworld; a series of World Fairs and their luxurious exhibition halls; Six Flags parks and virtual theme parks today; and, of course, the unparalleled achievements of Disneyland and Disney World. Lukas analyzes the theme park as a living entity that unexpectedly shapes people, their relationships, and the world around them. Theme parks have now become complex representations of the human mind itself, he contends, through its interpretations of books, feature films, video games, and Web sites. Ultimately, Theme Park reveals, the wider influence of theme parks can be found in the shopping malls, branded stores, and casinos that employ the tricks and techniques of amusement parks to dominate our entertainment world today. Packed with captivating illustrations, Theme Park takes us on historical roller coaster ride that both reanimates the places that shaped our childhoods and anticipates the future of escapism and fantasy fun.

Get the fun going for makers of all ages with Build Your Own Theme Park with just scissors, glue, and your imagination! The first in a "Build Your Own" series of dynamic, interactive 3D activity books that combine engineering and creativity in an accessible way. Kids and adults alike will love the creativity and 3D thinking that comes with this paper cut-out theme park. Based on Lizz Lunney's characters and illustrations, build your theme park from the ticket booth to vending machines, arcade games, food stand, a carousel, a water ride with frogs, and mountain roller coaster. Invent your own ride additions for the park, make it your own, and share it online with #BuildYourOwn.

From the first pleasure gardens to the global theme park companies, this book provides an understanding of the nature and function of theme parks as spaces of entertainment. It portrays the impacts of theme parks as global competitive actors, agents of global development and cultural symbols, in the context of their role in the developing economy.