History of Disney Theme Parks Camp!

Welcome to the History of Disney Theme Parks! In this class, we will evaluate Disney theme parks and their histories and inspirations. Each week, students will learn about different Disney theme parks and their inspirations and create concepts for their own theme park and lands! This class is led by a former Walt Disney World cast member! The class schedule is as follows:

Class 1: Disneyland—the Original Theme Park
This week, students will learn about the history of Disneyland. We start with learning about how Walt Disney came up with the original idea for Disneyland, how they decided where to build the park and look at a ton of original concepts for the park and all about how it was built, leading up to the opening day of the park. Then we look at the artistic inspirations behind each of the lands within the park and how the Disney company themes each land down to the trash cans! Students will be invited to draw a concept for a theme park that they would want to build that uses any theme and share it in the classroom! 

Class 2: Walt Disney World—Part 1, The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT
Today, we learn about the conception of Walt Disney World and how it was built to rectify issues that occurred at Disneyland. We will talk about the Magic Kingdom and compare how similar or different it is to the original Disneyland park and why these changes were made. Then, we will evaluate EPCOT and Walt’s original vision for the park. We will talk about Walt’s idea for a liveable city and why the plans changed drastically after Walt’s death. Students will discuss World Showcase heavily and compare it to Worlds Fairs. Students are invited to select an individual land from their theme park and plan out the individual land and share it in the classroom!

Class 3: Walt Disney World—Part 2, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom
Today, students will learn about many different aspects of the other Disney Parks at Walt Disney World, starting with how rides are built! We will break down the Tower of Terror ride during our discussion of Hollywood Studios and discuss how Disney makes magic in their Imagineering process. We will compare this ride to the Haunted Mansion to see how Disney creates rides for all audiences. Then, we will shift to Animal Kingdom and discuss the conservation efforts being done behind the scenes at this unique park. We will talk about how Disney cares for the animals on property and how they research and help animal populations across the world. Students are invited to design a ride for their own theme park and share it with the class! 

Class 4: International Disney Parks 
This last day of class, we will talk about Disney theme parks across the world! Students will learn why each park was placed where it is and how international parks are similar or different from parks back home. These parks include Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Shanghai. We will discuss unique experiences at each park and how they cater to local audiences. We will also discuss upcoming projects for the Disney parks. Students will be invited to share their theme park in class today!