Disney theme parks are among the most popular in the world. Three of the top 10 parks are international properties, with 22.1 million visitors across the two Tokyo parks in 2022 and 9.93 million in Paris. Serving more than 30 million guests in just these two international resorts means that multiple countries, cultures, and languages need to be accommodated in Disney Parks. In TripAdvisor’s number-one amusement and water park in the world [Tripadvisor 2024b], Disneyland Paris, that diversity of people is supported using multiple translation methods in both English and French, and Disney employs consecutive translation, dubbing, and subtitles as well as asymmetric conversations using both languages. These methods pose a challenge in a theme park that relies on immersion. This chapter uses observations to examine the ways in which language is used in the parks. The research found that those who speak French or another language do not have the same access to the spatial environment as those who speak English. However, their narrative access is more significant, because of the French language employed on the rides. The challenge is not just the use of these different translation methods but rather their inconsistent use and the different effects on immersion and narrative engagement.

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Don’t Feel the Magic, Be the Magic: The Challenges of Language Hybridity in Disneyland Paris

  • Alia R. Tyner-Mullings

摘要

Disney theme parks are among the most popular in the world. Three of the top 10 parks are international properties, with 22.1 million visitors across the two Tokyo parks in 2022 and 9.93 million in Paris. Serving more than 30 million guests in just these two international resorts means that multiple countries, cultures, and languages need to be accommodated in Disney Parks. In TripAdvisor’s number-one amusement and water park in the world [Tripadvisor 2024b], Disneyland Paris, that diversity of people is supported using multiple translation methods in both English and French, and Disney employs consecutive translation, dubbing, and subtitles as well as asymmetric conversations using both languages. These methods pose a challenge in a theme park that relies on immersion. This chapter uses observations to examine the ways in which language is used in the parks. The research found that those who speak French or another language do not have the same access to the spatial environment as those who speak English. However, their narrative access is more significant, because of the French language employed on the rides. The challenge is not just the use of these different translation methods but rather their inconsistent use and the different effects on immersion and narrative engagement.