A history of the engineering marvels behind one of America’s most innovative and beloved entertainment experiences
When Disneyland opened to the public in 1955, it demystified the hidden world of factory automation through its extraordinary new attractions. In this fascinating book, Roland Betancourt tells the story of how the visionary engineers and designers at Disney transformed the technologies of the postwar assembly line into an entertainment experience unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Disneyland and the Rise of Automation traces the origins and evolution of these technical innovations during the theme park’s first three decades in operation, exploring how engineers reimagined the systems and machines of industrial manufacturing and the military. The magnetic tape used to test ballistic missiles was repurposed to animate the talking macaws in the Enchanted Tiki Room. Programmable Logic Controllers, widely used on automotive assembly lines, brought to life the spectacular rides of the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Space Mountain. Betancourt shows how these and other attractions helped to allay fears about automation and job displacement in 1950s America. Along the way, he situates Disneyland’s remarkable creations within a broader history of the technologies that increasingly order and construct the world around us, from the Fordist factory to artificial intelligence.
Essential reading for anyone interested in engineering, corporate histories, or popular culture, Disneyland and the Rise of Automation invites us to consider how technology and the logic of automation become integrated into our lives through entertainment.
eBook - ePub
Disneyland and the Rise of Automation
How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth
- 394 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Disneyland and the Rise of Automation
How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth
About this book
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Information
Publisher
Princeton University PressYear
2026Print ISBN
9780691262994
9780691255873
eBook ISBN
9780691285887
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of Contents
- Preface: Making Magic
- Introduction: Walt Disney at the River Rouge
- I. Automation
- II. Systems of Control
- III. Feedback
- IV. Computerization
- V. Animation
- Conclusion: Automationland
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Photo Credits
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Yes, you can access Disneyland and the Rise of Automation by Roland Betancourt in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Technology & Engineering & Business History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.