Mediating the Magic Kingdom: Instagram, Fantasy, and Identity

Abstract

Disneyland is one of the most Instagrammed locations and its mediation reveals cultural changes related to place and identity. Using a grounded approach to analyze the posts of influential Instagram users who tag their posts at Disneyland, this study shows how place is mediated through new logics developed on social media. Instagram users favor fantasy elements of Disneyland, such as escapism and childhood nostalgia, over other historical elements of the parks and its midcentury U.S. American values. Disney has responded by synergistically integrating new media logics, as seen in the creation of vibrantly colored, limited-run food and merchandise. The intersection between Disneyland and Instagram shows how place is being transformed for the lenses of consumers seeking experiences, food, and merchandise in late capitalism.

Keywords:

• Disneyland
• Instagram
• Mediatization

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Making it the second most attended theme park worldwide behind the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida according to the Themed Entertainment Association.