The Mouse and the Myth : Sacred Art and Secular Ritual of Disneyland

Upholds “a Disney vacation as a religious experience . . . [offers] insightful arguments relating to the nature of play as well as Nietzschean philosophy” ( Reading Religion ). Rituals mark significant moments in our lives—perhaps none more significant than moments of lightheartedness, joy, and play. Rituals of play are among the most sacred of any of the rites in which humanity may engage. Although we may fail to recognize them, they are always present in culture, providing a kind of psychological release for their participants, child and adult alike. Disneyland is an example of the kind of container necessary for the construction of rituals of play. This work explores the original Disney theme park in Anaheim as a temple cult. It challenges the disciplines of mythological studies, religious studies, film studies, and depth psychology to broaden traditional definitions of the kind of cultural apparatus that constitute temple culture and ritual. It does so by suggesting that Hollywood’s entertainment industry has developed a platform for mythic ritual. After setting the ritualized “stage,” this book turns to the practices in Disneyland proper, analyzing the patron’s traditions within the framework of the park and beyond. It explores Disneyland’s spectacles, through selected shows and parades, and concludes with an exploration of the park’s participation in ritual renewal. “There is much to commend in Koehler’s study . . . Surely, her work should encourage others to examine myth construction and sacred-secular rituals in popular culture.”— H-Celebration Cover -- The Mouse and The Myth -- Dedication -- Acknowledgements -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Chapter 1 Tell Us a Myth, Wendy-Lady! -- Introduction -- Why Disney Studies? Why not? -- A Land of Golden Dreams? -- Nostalgia and Transcendence at Disneyland -- Chapter 2 The Pilgrimage to Psyche-Land -- In the Beginning ... -- How Did We Get Here? -- A Campbellian Hermeneutic of Disneyland -- The Soul's Hidden Mickey -- Lost Parents? Children Inquire Within -- The Animated Shaman -- Welcome to Pixie Hollow -- A Fairyland Filled With Dreams -- A Pilgrimage to Heart -- Chapter 3 The Evolution of Disney's Temple to Entertainment -- California's Animated Axis Mundi -- A Thrilling Ride on the Top of the World -- Mythic Timelessness at Disneyland -- Animating Disney's Temple to Entertainment -- The Imitation of Life -- Revealing the Animated Stage -- The Illusion of Life -- Animating the Backlot -- The Living Room's Lens on Life -- Television Builds the Park -- Disneyland as Ultimate in Transformative Narcisissm -- Chapter 4 Disneyland as the Work of Worship -- Archetypal Liturgy -- Touch a Turnstile, Touch a Relic -- With a Smile and a Song -- The Animatronic Priesthood -- Across the Small World and the Bayou -- The Spoken Recitation -- Collecting the Sacred Souvenir -- Selfies, Snapshots, and Icons of Light -- Holy Fluffiness -- Mickey's Animal Totems -- The Princess Bloc and The Wicked Cackle -- Donning the Vestments -- Tradable Icons -- Identification Through Ears -- Digesting Mickey -- The Disney Attraction as Feast -- Sitting There With a Churro in Your Hand -- Chapter 5 Spectacular Spectacle -- The Crafted Communitas of Disneyland -- And Now, Disneyland is Proud to Present a New Kind of Spectacle -- Parades -- Exclamation Point / Disney's Point: Fantasmic! -- On with the Show: World of Color -- Chapter 6 Renewing the Magic **Upholds “a Disney vacation as a religious experience . . . [offers] insightful arguments relating to the nature of play as well as Nietzschean philosophy” (__Reading Religion__).** Rituals mark significant moments in our lives—perhaps none more significant than moments of lightheartedness, joy, and play. Rituals of play are among the most sacred of any of the rites in which humanity may engage. Although we may fail to recognize them, they are always present in culture, providing a kind of psychological release for their participants, child and adult alike. Disneyland is an example of the kind of container necessary for the construction of rituals of play. This work explores the original Disney theme park in Anaheim as a temple cult. It challenges the disciplines of mythological studies, religious studies, film studies, and depth psychology to broaden traditional definitions of the kind of cultural apparatus that constitute temple culture and ritual. It does so by suggesting that Hollywood’s entertainment industry has developed a platform for mythic ritual. After setting the ritualized “stage,” this book turns to the practices in Disneyland proper, analyzing the patron’s traditions within the framework of the park and beyond. It explores Disneyland’s spectacles, through selected shows and parades, and concludes with an exploration of the park’s participation in ritual renewal. “There is much to commend in Koehler’s study . . . Surely, her work should encourage others to examine myth construction and sacred-secular rituals in popular culture.”— The rituals that bond humanity create our most transcendent and meaningful experiences, especially the sacred rituals of play. Although we may fail to recognize rites of play, they are always present in culture, providing a kind of psychological release for child and adult participants. Disneyland is an example of the kind of metaphorical container necessary for the construction of rituals of play. This work explores the original Disney theme park in Anaheim and challenges the disciplines of mythological studies, religious studies, film studies, and depth psychology to broaden traditional definitions of the kind of cultural apparatus that constitute temple culture and ritual by suggesting that Hollywood's entertainment industry has developed a platform for mythic ritual. After setting the ritualized "stage", this book turns to the practices in Disneyland proper, analyzing the patrons' traditions within the framework of the park and beyond. It explores Disneyland's spectacles, through selected shows and parades, and concludes with an exploration of the park's participation in ritual renewal Re-animating Tradition -- The 10th Anniversary Special -- Dancing with Heresy in Fantasyland -- Mickey's 'Hood -- When Tomorrowland Becomes Yesterdayland -- The Disneyfication of the Golden State -- Disney, You've Got a Friend in Pixar! -- A Whole New (La La) Land: Renewing Walt's Los Angeles -- Disneyland in the Digital Age -- Epilogue To the Diamond Celebration and Beyond: Disneyland at 60 -- Shining, Shimmering Merchandise -- Blasts from the Past, Into the Future -- Renewing Opulence -- A Long Time Ago in A Disneyland Far Far Away -- Bibliography -- Index