Main Street U.S.A.: A Comparison/Contrast of Streetscapes in Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Abstract

All visitors to Disneyland and Walt Disney World must enter the “magic kingdoms” by way of Main Street, U.S.A.—the Disney version of a small town landscape of around the turn of the century, the “classical period” in American streetscape evolution. Extending far beyond its park setting, Disney's idealized Main Street (along with the overall design of which it is a part) is “one of the most successfully designed streetscapes in human history,” and has exerted enormous impact. Its design and images have influenced city and new town planning and the restoration of real Main Streets across the country, inspiring architectural restoration philosophy and practice; in short, writing an important chapter in the history of America's fondest image of itself. It was in fact from the ranks of planners and designers, not academic intellectuals or even social commentators (who scorned and reviled Disney's creations), that the initial awareness and appreciation of theme parks as structures and images came, as a leading edge in the breakthrough in perception of popular environments which has occurred only within the past decade. Richard Francaviglia is concerned with the architecture and design of Main Street U.S.A. as it preserves, controls, modifies and perpetuates a central collective image. But he goes further, comparing the original articulation in California with the Florida version a design generation later. What is ultimately revealing is the contrast of both of these related but distinct ideals within the parks to Main Street as it actually existed.

Contrived Landscapes: Simulated Environments as an Emerging Medium of Tourism Destinations

“…In general, this work has demonstrated 'that our idea of being in nature as a pure, untouched, and unmediated experience fails to recognize the degree to which these experiences are constructed and synthesized in various ways' (Forrester and Sharpe 2005 working paper). For example, the literature in tourism has repeatedly challenged the myth of tourists encountering authentic culture, as replications of authentic tourist settings have also been found to be authentic in their own way shedding light on the very meaning of authenticity itself (Francaviglia 1981;Salamone 1997).…”

The Impact of Main Street Revitalization on the Economic Vitality of Small-Town Business Districts

“…As defined above, downtowns were once the dominant option for retail commerce in rural communities. Rural downtowns never fully substituted for the range of goods and services available in larger metropolitan business districts (Francaviglia, 1981), but they nonetheless served as a hub of commerce, social gathering, and civic engagement for rural households throughout the country. However, for a variety of reasons, the rural downtown began its decline in the mid-20th century, losing its share of the regional retail market relative to newer forms of retail development (Robertson, 1995).…”

The Walt Disney World Underground

“…13. For an insightful reading of Main Street U.S.A. in Disneyland and Disney World and their relation to the historical model in Walt Disney's home town of Marceline, Missouri, see Francaviglia (1981).…”