Graduation Term

2019

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

School of Communication

Committee Chair

Phillip Chidester

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine previous literature about Disney, his life, and his company to dissect and illustrate how he functioned as a mythical tale. Disney’s life story is a point of pride for those close to him and his family because it reflected the success of a man in a dire situation. However, once this claim is established, I use it, as well as other academic literature, to assert that the Walt Disney Myth eventually expanded into a broader Disney Company Mythology. The mythology, as I later establish, is less about Disney and more about the ideas he represents to the public. To illustrate this, I identified the key and consistent aspects of the Walt Disney Myth and their evolved forms in the Disney Company Mythology. Moreover, these aspects also serve to examine how the Walt Disney World Resort functions as a ritualized place for the Disney Company Mythology disciples. Once I describe the aspects of the Disney Company Mythology, I apply them to various exemplars (e.g., parks, attractions, and lands) throughout the park to showcase how Disney World functions as a ritualized place for the Disney Company Mythology. Though this analysis, I illustrate the implications of the relationship between mythologies and capitalism and how corporations use myths to control their narrative for their consumers (disciples).

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2019.Spence.L

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