Connecting you with the University of Missouri’s innovative research and creative activityTreasure Troves from the Past
A visit with Steven Watts, Professor, History
On Walt Disney
Topics:
Disney_World
theme_park
“Most people look at Disney as merely a kind of entertainer, as the creator of children’s entertainment,” Watts notes. “What I found really interesting about Disney is that his creations were connected to some very serious historical issues and the American experience.” Likewise, he discovered that the theme park “connects to broader issues and developments as well. In this very creative way,” says Watts, “Disney spun this picture of happiness that was connected to the American way of life and material plenty.”