Since the 1930s the Walt Disney Company has produced characters, images, and stories which have captivated audiences around the world. How can we understand the appeal of Disney products? What is it about the Disney phenomenon that attracts so many children as well as adults? In this major new book, Janet Wasko examines the processes by which the Disney company - one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world - manufactures the fantasies which enthrall millions. She analyses the historical expansion of the Disney empire, examines the content of Disney's classic films, cartoons and TV programs and shows how they are produced, considering how some of the same techniques have been applied to the Disney theme parks. She also discusses the reception of Disney products by different kinds of audiences. By looking at the Disney phenomenon from a variety of perspectives, she provides a fresh and comprehensive account of one of the most significant media and cultural institutions of our time. This important book by a leading scholar of the entertainment industries will be of great interest to students in media and cultural studies and will appeal to a wide readership.

With stakes in film, television, theme parks, and merchandising, Disney continues to be one of the most dominant forces of popular culture around the globe. Films produced by the studio are usually blockbusters in nearly every country where they are released. However, despite their box office success, these films often generate as much disdain as admiration. While appreciated for their visual aesthetics, many of these same films are criticized for their cultural insensitivity or lack of historical fidelity. In Debating Disney: Pedagogical Perspectives on Commercial Cinema, Douglas Brode and Shea T. Brode have assembled a collection of essays that examine Disney’s output from the 1930s through the present day. Each chapter in this volume represents the conflicting viewpoints of contributors who look at Disney culture from a variety of perspectives. Covering both animated and live-action films as well as television programs, these essays discuss how the studio handles social issues such as race, gender, and culture, as well as its depictions of science and history. Though some of the essays in this volume are critical of individual films or television shows, they also acknowledge the studio’s capacity to engage audiences with the quality of their work. These essays encourage readers to draw their own conclusions about Disney productions, allowing them to consider the studio as the hero—as much as the villain—in the cultural deliberation. Debating Disney will be of interest to scholars and students of film as well as those with an interest in popular culture.

This book critically engages with the Walt Disney Company as a global media conglomerate as they mark their 100th year of business. It reflects on and looks forward to the past, present and future of the company and the scholarly engagement surrounding it through three key areas: Disney as a Company, Disney’s Representations, and Relating to Disney. ‘Disney as a Company’ identifies the corporate and management cultural changes over Disney’s 100-year history, with contributors examining Disney’s transnational media influence, changes in management strategy, and Disney’s recent transmedia venture: Disney+. ‘Disney’s Representations’ features chapters critically engaging with gender, disability, and iconic characters that imply cultural change. ‘Relating to Disney’ embodies the crucial work examining how audiences engage with Disney, with contributors exploring fashion, Disney Fandom and identity, and how people engage with the space of the Parks. This edited collection explores the newer additions to the company, but also reflects on the company’s past over its 100 years. The chapters provide a diverse examination of the many facets of one of the most successful global media conglomerates, providing scholars, students, and interested audiences a global and interdisciplinary snapshot of the Walt Disney Company at 100 years.

Discussing Disney has grown out of a conference of the same name, is a collection of 12 papers on topics which, though diverse in scope, all relate back to one another through their connection to Disney. As the field of Disney Studies continues to grow and evolve, those working within and contributing to it come from a range of backgrounds, including History, Myth Studies, Film Studies, Gender Studies, and Musicology (to name just a few), and therefore examine the outputs of the Disney company - and the company itself – in diverse ways. Discussing Disney seeks to continue the evolution of Disney Studies as an academic field that has now evolved beyond a discourse that merely, to quote Eric Smoodin (1994), "...[sought} to complicate the notions and uses of Disney discourse that currently make their way to the general public through the popular media". Though this was an important early step in Disney Studies, as it found it necessary to justify its legitimacy within the academy, in the intervening quarter-century, Disney Studies has established itself as a field of Animation Studies (which, simultaneously, has established itself as a branch of Film and Television Studies, as well as Cultural Studies), and is now recognized widely as a valid subject of academic enquiry in its own right. Film Studies as a whole - and Disney Studies as part of that - has also evolved in such a way that it has moved forward from insisting upon an overtly political (and therefore inherently biased) stance, and has taken up a more historically-based and/or cultural studies-based, politically-neutral approach that seeks to contextualize its subject in terms of the conditions in which the company's various outputs - animated shorts and films, theme park attractions, television shows, books, music, merchandising, and the like - have been produced, as well as understanding the audience for whom these were made initially. This is not to say that the field ignores politics - far from it - but rather that it uses political history and political theory as academic basis, rather than as a position from which to debate and opine. By looking at Disney from some of its many angles - the history and the persona of its founder, a selection of its films (from the blockbuster successes to the less than successful), its approaches to animation, its branding and fandom, and the ways that it has been understood and reinterpreted within popular culture - it is hoped that Discussing Disney offers its readers (and the field of Disney Studies) a more holistic understanding of a company that is arguably one of the most important forces within culture - popular or otherwise - within (so far) the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries.

Where should I begin with the Marvel movies? Who exactly are the Guardians of the Galaxy? What's the best order to watch the films in? And are Iron Man and Captain America friends or enemies? If you've ever mixed up the different Thor movies, or you get confused by which Avengers villain is which, fear not! Marvel Studios 101 is the book for you - whether you want to take your very first steps into this pop-culture colossus, you have friends who are die-hard Marvel fans and seem to speak in another language, or you just want to have all of the questions answered that you've been dying to ask. Featuring a sneak peek of the highly anticipated Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War, this friendly companion untangles plots and characters, film by film. Even if you've never seen a Marvel movie, it's hard to miss that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a really big deal. 10 years' worth of movies, all linked together into a vast, unique and compelling storyline. If you want to find out more but aren't sure where to start, this entertaining, illustrated book breaks down everything in a straightforward and fun way! © 2018 MARVEL

Leadership lessons from the iconic brand you can use to drive Disney-style success In helping Walt Disney create “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Van France and his team started a business revolution in 1955 that eventually became the Disney University—the employee training and development program that powers one of the most famous brands on earth. Disney U examines how Van France's timeless company values and leadership expertise have turned into a training and development dynasty: the Disney U. The book reveals the heart of the Disney Culture and describes the company's values and operational philosophies that support the world-famous Disney brand. Doug Lipp is an internationally acclaimed expert on customer service, leadership, change management and global competitiveness, specializing in the lessons he learned at the Disney U.

Get the Trusted Source of Information for a Successful Walt Disney World Vacation The best-selling independent guide to Walt Disney World has everything you need to plan your family’s trip—hassle-free. Whether you are planning your annual vacation to Walt Disney World or preparing for your first visit ever, this book gives you the insider scoop on hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2021 explains how Walt Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. With an Unofficial Guide in hand—and with authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa as guides—find out what’s available in every category, from best to worst, and get step-by-step, detailed plans to help make the most of your time at Walt Disney World. There have been lots of changes at Walt Disney World, from park opening procedures, to rides, restaurants, and hotels. Here’s what’s NEW in the 2021 book: When to visit Walt Disney World to get lower crowds and bigger hotel discounts Details on how COVID-19 and social distancing measures have impacted Walt Disney World Resort Tips on how to get a spot to experience Disney's fantastic new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance blockbuster attraction How to "Rope Drop" Disney theme parks to get on the most popular rides faster Ten tips for finding the cheapest Disney World tickets (and a free online search tool to do all the work for you) The latest on discounted stroller rentals, car rentals, and vacation homes Reviews of Disney's swanky new Riviera Resort, plus the new Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure rides for families The best hotel rooms to request at every Disney resort