Students at Disneyworld

Travel with the Film and Television Program

This winter travel course will examine the centrality of Walt Disney to the development of American media culture and its global spread. Enrollment for winter 2020 session will be open later this year, if you have any questions please contact Professor Sarah Nilsen at Sarah.Nilsen@uvm.edu.

About FTS 096 WW1 (CRN 15407)


The Walt Disney Company is the world’s biggest media corporation. In 2012, its revenues were $40.8 billion and its profits $4.9 billion with over 560 million viewers watching the Disney Channel worldwide. This course will examine the centrality of Walt Disney to the development of American media culture and its global spread. The Walt Disney World Resort will form the basis for our exploration of how the Disney Doctrine became the centerpiece of the American way of life and how this Doctrine has been maintained, altered or expanded upon during the years following the Walt Disney family’s control of the company.

A particular focus of this seminar will be on the Disney theme parks that remain a centerpiece of the Disney brand. This class includes a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort with behind the scene tours of various attractions. Students will be provided with the opportunity to develop an independent research project that through the analysis of a specific attraction in the park will learn the methodological tools necessary for cultural analysis.

 

Look out for this course on the 2020 winter session on the Continuing Distance Education course listing.

 Explore America & The Walt Disney Culture

"I first saw the Disney trip advertised via the UVM Film and Television Facebook page, so it was on my radar for a while. I thought it would be a fun learning opportunity, and it fit perfectly with my major...

"Employees in Disney World are “cast members,” and anywhere a guest is experiencing Disney World is considered “onstage.” Some of the readings on Disney World were critical of its practices and how they value the image of Disney World to customers over any employee. With this in mind, I was suspicious of Disney when I arrived, but I found myself having difficulty resisting its charm and appearance of openness and safety. It was like entering a utopia."

See the full article and interview with Alec Buzzell, FTS Walt Disney travel student from 2015.

 

Need more information?

Contact Professor Sarah Nilsen at Sarah.Nilsen@uvm.edu.