The Historical Development of Themed Space: Susan Ingram on Industrial Europe and the Commodification of Leisure

Authors note: this is the first in a series of articles that weigh how different eras of themed entertainment have been influenced by their historical context. In Theme Park, Lukas (2008) asks a question of central importance to the study of the history of the modern theme park: how does the creation of the artificial reflect the society that creates it? Lukas posits that “we must understand the trajectory of the theme park in the form of historical whispers, thematic shouts in the night and rhizomatic influences of direction and misdirection” (23). In agreement with Lukas’s thesis, these articles will attempt to piece apart different examples of how themed entertainment has illustrated greater societal trends, aspirations, and concerns.

The nineteenth-century saw pervasive societal change in Western and Central Europe as a massive wave of industrialization transformed the continent’s urban centers and power structures. The dominance of Smithian economics at the turn of the century contributed to a new industrial order defined by laissez-faire policies, the division of labor, and mass production. These forces combined with many others to form commodity culture, defined by Marxist political theory as the widespread assignment of economic value to objects previous void of economic meaning. This commodification had effects on the quality of life for the citizens of urban Europe but also on the structures that defined their life, including recreation. This is the topic that Susan Ingram focuses on throughout her three contributions to the collection Placing History: Themed Environments, Urban Consumption and the Public Entertainment Sphere.

Wayfinding in Themed Design: The “Weenie”

Author’s note: this is the first in a series of articles about how designers use the concept of wayfinding in theme park design. Miller (1992) defines wayfinding as “a goal-directed process of determining routes through an unfamiliar environment” (p. 1), and that is the definition I will use from here on out. It is worth noting, as Lynch (1960) describes, that “it…seems unlikely that there is any mystic ‘instinct’ of wayfinding. Rather there is a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment” (p. 3). As such, the design of the built environment has enormous potential in facilitating this process. Design-assisted spatial orientation has the ability to decrease congestion, direct crowd flow, and promote guest satisfaction within parks, as I will describe further in these articles.

What is a “Weenie”?

The “weenie” is an architectural concept named such by Disney Imagineering in describing “visual magnets” that draw guests from one area to another (Sklar, 2013). In Disney parks, these are seen everywhere and on every scale. From the turnstiles of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, guests are led throughout the park by the draw of weenies: first drawn into the center hub by Cinderella’s Castle; then from the hub to each of the “lands” by gateways that indicate the theme of the land that follows; then within each land to the major attractions by yet another weenie, like Space Mountain’s cone and spires in Tomorrowland or the distant peaks of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland (see Fig. 1). Through these “magnets”, Disney is able to draw guests to the far reaches of its parks and create avenues of predictable foot traffic.