As education, entertainment, or ""edutainment"" (as Walt called it), Disney offers its consumers and guests a wealth of opportunities for learning. In Why the Magic Matters, top Disney scholars and teachers unpack what, why, and how Disney maintains its overwhelming cultural significance in the global entertainment industry. Broken into four parts, ""Magic and Strategy,"" ""Authenticity and Simulation,"" ""Nostalgia and Innovation,"" and ""Leisure and Labor,"" the book offers a framework that juxtaposes ideas found in Disney products, properties, and experiences. From art, film, and television history to Indigenous, disability, and religious studies, each chapter contextualizes Disney within a greater cultural landscape. Students, teachers, and fans will gain insights on what Disney can teach us about pop culture and fresh perspectives on why the magic really does matter.
Edited by:
Alexis Franzese,
Jill Peterfeso
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 228mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 20mm
Weight: 490g
ISBN: 9798881802660
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 13 November 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Foreword, Len Testa Introduction, Jill Peterfeso Disney Dialectic Pairs: Theoretical Framework and Book Structure Section I: Magic and Strategy Section Introduction: Magic and Strategy, Jill Peterfeso Chapter 1: Disney’s “Magical” Curriculum: Bibbity, Bobbity Boo!, Gabriel Huddleston, Blake Lentz, Nicole Weinberg Chapter 2: A Private Mouse for Public Art, Cher Krause Knight Chapter 3: To Infinity and Beyond: Understanding Data Science Through the Lens of Disney Data, Lucy D’Agostino McGowan Chapter 4: Why and How Walt Disney World Makes You the Star of Its Story, Gary Kaskowitz Section II: Authenticity and Simulation Section Introduction: Authenticity and Simulation, Alexis T. Franzese Chapter 5: From Magic to Memory: How the Physical Experiences of the Disney Parks Contribute to Historical Memory and Learning What it Means to Be an American, Bethanee Bemis Chapter 6: True-Life Adventures: Walt Disney and the Modern Environmental Movement, Sarah Nilsen Chapter 7: Urban NDNs and the House of Mouse: A Journey of Education and Self-Discovery, Lucy Buck Chapter 8: Asian Disneyland, Local Community Reactions, and the Role of Cultural Spaces, Jenny Banh Section III: Nostalgia and Innovation Section Introduction: Nostalgia and Innovation, Jill Peterfeso Chapter 9: Only Correct: How Disney Revises, Rethinks and Re-edits Their Own Creations, Bonnie Rudner Chapter 10: Teaching Walt: Place-Based Learning and SHAPE-ing Walt’s Legacy, Christopher W. Tremblay Chapter 11: Theme Park America, Alex Hofmann Chapter 12: Worldbuilding and Role-Playing Across Disney Production, William S. Chavez Section IV: Leisure and Labor Section Introduction: Leisure and Labor, Alexis T. Franzese Chapter 13: Making “Happy” Happen: What Disney Teaches Us About the Hidden Costs and Labor of Leisure, Jacob Hayward and Alexis T. Franzese Chapter 14: Disneyland: The Happiest Classroom on Earth, Jeffrey A. Barnes Chapter 15: Wheelchairs, Magic Carpets, and a Community of Tomorrow: Constructing Disabled Utopia in the Disney Parks, Mason J. Shrader, Benjamin Shrader, Carol Mason Shrader Takeaways Contributors Acknowledgements Index
Alexis Franzese is the Department Chair and an Associate Professor for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Elon University. Her research reflects her expertise in both sociology and psychology, and has been published in numerous journals that include International Journal of Scholarship on Teaching and Learning, Personality and Individual Differences, Sociology Compass, Aging and Mental Health, and others. Jill Peterfeso is the Eli Franklin Craven and Minnie Phipps Craven associate professor of religious studies at Guilford College. She is the author of Womanpriest: Tradition and Transgression in the Contemporary Roman Catholic Church.
Reviews for Why the Magic Matters: Discovering Disney as a Laboratory for Learning
As documented by this esteemed panel of experts, education must go beyond instruction and provoke a response. Using Disney as a starting point can help educators create magical moments that transform apprehension into awe and delight. * Sam Gennawey, author of The Disneyland Story: An Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream *
