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In the summer of 2020, Walt Disney Theme Parks announced plans to reimagine the popular attraction "Splash Mountain" in the theme of the 2009 feature-length animated film The Princess and the Frog. As only the third Disney feature-length animated film to showcase Black characters prominently, The Princess and the Frog seems perfectly poised to replace the Song of the South—critiqued for its romanticization of race relations after the American Civil War—in the Disney parks. In this adaptation of "Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich" ("The Frog King or Iron Henry"), Walt Disney Animation Studios introduces its first Black princess. While a hardworking, self-starter princess of color is a step towards representation, the film's portrayal of non-white characters reinforces a hierarchy of race and class which privileges the wealthy white characters while relegating characters of color to the bottom rungs of human society and into non-human bodies. This essay explores the intersection of gender, race, and class in Disney's adaptations of the classic fairy tale "Der Froschkönig" from the Grimms' 1812 variation and the plans to reimagine it for Disney theme parks. In conversation with adaptation studies, narrative theory, and feminist theories, this contribution interrogates the underlying messages of prejudice and -isms in The Princess and the Frog that reinforce twentieth- and twenty-first-century prejudices against people of color, women, and the working class, rendering the proposed update of the "Splash Mountain" attraction into a modernization of the problems already recognized in the current ride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clare Marie Moriarty reports on Strange Atmospheres: The Seventh International Flann O'Brien Conference, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, 27–30 June 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its growing application in various industries as a marketing tool, the travel industry is increasingly perceiving the potential of virtual reality (VR) in the tourism arena. Although VR has been widely discussed in practice management research, there is, however, little knowledge on how VR technology can be applied in themed tourism environments. Hence, in this study, we use the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) to empirically study how visitors express their inner values and meanings through VR-themed tourism. We invited 26 respondents to participate in a VR-themed tourism experience, and we organized our results based on three key themes. First, characteristics of VR-themed tourism such as 'freedom of virtual reality', 'escapism of virtual reality' and 'anxiety of virtual reality' were summarized. Second, an objective consensus map was created using the 'conservative', 'average' and 'optimistic' calculation procedures. Third, we determined the relevance of the integrated linking constructs. We found that 'imagination' and 'fantasy dream' have the highest relevance value, followed by 'illusion' and 'illusionary situation'. These themes could thus provide new insights into the possible intertwined integration and complexity of 'virtual' and 'physical' issues that may arise when tourists experience VR-themed tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are increasing numbers of studies on themed environments in tourism and other industries because theming has been shown to increase the attractiveness and pull-factor of a space or destination. Little attention has been given to exploring why theming occurs. This study contributes to the understanding of theming in a tourism context and aims to identify the different purposes of theming in tourism. Several purposes have previously been proposed; however, empirical research approaches are limited when exploring these purposes. The purposes identified in this study can be considered essential objectives for managers who are considering theming their products and services. Qualitative interviews were performed with key informants, resulting in five distinct purposes behind theming: (i) differentiation, (ii) increase sales, (iii) create bonds, (iv) attract, stop and make visitors stay, and (v) enhance the end-to-end experience. The study concludes with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few cities in the UK lack an 'authentic' Irish bar, be it O'Neill's, Scruffy Murphy's or Shifty O'Shea's. Theme pubs, like theme parks, theme hotels and theme restaurants, are very big business. Yet the marketing academy seem somewhat reluctant to investigate such establishments, professionally at least. This essay examines the theme pub phenomenon and offers some reflexive reflections on the recent, rapid rise of themed environments. It concludes with some lessons for marketing scholars, contending that excess is the essence of our field. As William Blake observe, the road of excess may lead to the palace of wisdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preservation Park is a site in downtown Oakland, California, where original houses from the late nineteenth century have been restored in a re-creation of a period neighbourhood. This article begins by framing the site as a themed environment, or 'themescape', in which the act of historical preservation is undermined by various modern interventions that fabricate the past, such as the relocation of many of the houses from their original locations and the addition of idealized faux-Victorian details. Using the Developer's Guideline, the principal text in the design of the site and contemporaneous city planning documents, the article identifies how the artificial reproduction of Victorian Oakland was intended to increase investment and reverse economic decline in the city centre. Drawing on theories of tourism and gentrification, the article analyses the design and theming of Preservation Park as economic devices and aesthetic entities that restrict movement, create a visual experience and use various signifiers of private space to make the site exclusive and valuable. These readings are then employed to contextualize the site's racial and social history, leading to a discussion of the relationship between the economic objectives, the theming and the actual usage of Preservation Park and similar sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the competitive strategies employed by two of the largest theme park operators in Florida, based on a content analysis of popular media articles about theme park giants in the USA. It aims to provide a comparative examination of their competitive strategies, to develop a conceptual model of the same and to expand knowledge about current competitiveness in the theme park sector. Design/methodology/approach – This study used directed content analysis to identify and analyze strategies applied in the theme park sector as manifested in the mass media. Each database was searched using the following four key terms: competition, strategy, Disney and Universal Studios. Results were screened for relevance based on their inclusion of all four key terms. At the conclusion of the search, 87 articles from 34 US-based sources were amassed, varying in circulation size and published between 1985 and 2013. Each article was read, and sentences that suggested the use of a strategy were recorded. Although the intention was to leave each data point at a one-sentence maximum, occasionally, a second sentence was included for context and clarification. Each article was read twice to ensure the inclusion of all potential data points. Findings – The findings suggest that the largest US-based theme parks utilize strategies of value, uniqueness, niche markets, innovation, variety and quality as highlighted in the research literature. However, this study also confirms two additional competitive strategies that have heretofore not been examined in tourism studies – currency and convenience – as advantageous management and promotional mechanisms against their competitors. Research limitations/implications – Limitations to this research include a limited number of popular media articles available for analysis. This precluded a random sample of articles. In addition, the study was based on print media statements and keyword identification, which could also limit the generalizability of the findings. Nonetheless, it is believed that the case studies researched in this paper are indicative of many of the competitive strategies used by theme park managers throughout the world. Practical implications – The paper developed a competitive strategy model that has utility for them park planners and managers, as they attempt to understand the competitive advantages and those of their direct competitors. The findings in this study have broader implications for other theme parks throughout the world. Social implications – The social implications of this study are manifold. They include the notion that theme park attendees manifest certain behaviors and seek out certain experiences as they make decisions on which parks to attend. The notions of value, uniqueness, niche markets, innovation, variety, quality, currency and convenience all reveal how some consumers determine their choice of venue for recreational travel. Originality/value – This paper provides an original research of the theme park sector by examining two of the USA’s largest theme park giants and the strategies they use in a comparative and competitive manner to attraction clientele and maintain visitation. In particular, the paper develops a conceptual model based upon the review of strategies literature and, then, tests it and modifies it based on the findings of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Themed scenic spots, as a new extension of theme parks, have been developed fast in China these years. Having attracted numerous investment, themed scenic spots saw a large increase in number and scale but suffer from low profit. To improve the situation, it is very necessary to evaluate tourist satisfaction more scientifically and reasonably. Traditionally, multiple regression models are used to identify key destination attributes which the destination authorities should invest in to strengthen tourist overall satisfaction. The underlying assumption of multiple regression models is that there is linear and symmetric relationship between attribute- level performance and overall satisfaction. However, this assumption is problematic. Recently, the asymmetric relationships between attribute- level and overall customer satisfaction and the classification of product or service attributes in terms of these relationships have been revealed in many research areas, and some studies have focused on tourism-related phenomena. But the number of studies relating to the attribute- level performance of themed scenic spots and their influences on overall tourist satisfaction is limited. The theoretical assumption of asymmetric relationships between attribute-level performance and satisfaction shows the direction of refinement and extension of the relatively stagnant tourist satisfaction research. As the use of linear assumption in satisfaction evaluation is questioned, this paper, taking typical historical and cultural themed scenic spots (including Tang Paradise in Xi'an, Song Dynasty Town in Hangzhou, Lingshan in Wuxi and Mystical Yancheng Chun-Qiu Dream in Changzhou) as examples, examines the asymmetric effects of attribute- level performance on tourist overall satisfaction using dummy variable regression. The empirical results mainly include four aspects: (1) The attributes of historical and cultural themed scenic spots are divided into 7 dimensions, including landscape environment, entertainment activities, experience in scenic spots, service facilities, service quality, theme display and consumption prices. (2) For historical and cultural themed scenic spots, the asymmetric effect of attribute- level performance on tourist overall satisfaction is confirmed, and the asymmetrical effect is not equivalent for each attribute. Only the effect of two attributes, landscape environment and experience in scenic spots, on tourist satisfaction is linear and symmetric, and these two attributes are classified as performance factors of tourist overall satisfaction. Three attributes, entertainment activities, service facilities and theme display, have showed negative asymmetric effect and they belong to basic factors. One attribute, service quality, has exhibited positive asymmetric effect on tourist satisfaction and it is excitement factors. Besides, consumption prices also have positive asymmetric effect, but this attribute should be classified as basic factors actually. (3) The paper proposes a three- factor structure model of tourist satisfaction for historical and cultural themed scenic spots. This model not only includes the relationships between the attribute-level performance of themed scenic spots and tourist satisfaction, but also reveals the corresponding levels of tourist demand of each attribute and the market significance of each attribute. Entertainment activities, service facilities, theme display and consumption prices, which are entirely expected by tourists and are tourists' minimum requirements for such scenic spot marketing, establish a market entry "threshold". Landscape environment and experience in scenic spots are directly connected to tourists' explicit needs and desires, and a themed scenic spot should be competitive with regard to these two attributes. Service quality is unexpected and may surprise the tourists, so this attribute is the origin of competitive advantage for themed scenic spots in the future. Finally, the landscape environment performance must be maintained and improved as much as possible to ensure the core competitiveness of scenic spots. All in all, the focal points of enhancing tourist overall satisfaction is that attribute- level performances should be optimized, not simply maximized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Disney park is usually condemned as a kind of Platonic cave of illusions, where visitors are so mesmerized by the verisimilitude of the displays that they begin to take it for 'reality'. However, the park does not so much simulate the 'real' as celebrate the art of simulation, the ability to construct fantasy worlds as if they are 'real'. Main Street USA was designed to evoke the 'excitement of a dawning century of new technology'. This theme was continued in the Carousel of Progress attraction. There were four scenes showing the life of a typical American family through the generations and the ways their lives were continually improved by the latest advances in technology. Horizons, which opened in 1983, was a kind of sequel to Carousel. It showed the same all-American family living and working in the 'brave new world' of the future. Both Carousel and Horizons were ostensibly designed to promote the ideal of a technologically controlled 'reality'. However, the shows were actually a demonstration and celebration of the power of 'imagineering' - the ability of Disney's Imagineers to simulate the real. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographers have recognized that trade fairs and other temporary spaces function as centers of knowledge, but we have a weak understanding of how fairs are themed spaces, similar to parades, festivals, and built environments, that produce cultural and political meanings. In this article we analyze the morphology, iconography, and performance of a large agricultural fair in Brazil, the Bahia Farm Show, which produces a regional identity of highly productive, leading-edge, and globally competitive agriculture in a former economic backwater. We discuss the production of themes in terms of power relations, cultural processes, relations with nature, and sociotechnological norms for agriculture. Omissions from the Farm Show indicate tension and accommodation between elites at different geographical scales. Brazil's high-input, high-output agriculture relies in part on the meanings that events such as agricultural fairs sustain and reproduce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The author reflects on the significance and value of the Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It chronicles the opening of the Disneyland in the area in 1955 in which it was celebrated and attacked as the ultimate embodiment of the consumer society. However, the Disneyland continues to grow in enticing people and visitors with its parks, magic tricks, and other entertainments venues that funnel people toward a conspicuous consumption of Americanism and Americana. Furthermore, it anticipates that Disneyland will continue to flourish worldwide as it embraces globalized culture of theme park recreational consumption and online technologies that enhance marketing initiatives.

The article examines the operations of the U.S.-based restaurant chain "Outback Steakhouse" as a means to understand U.S. perceptions of Australian identity and culture. The author is mainly interested in U.S. notions concerning Australia's Outback region. "Outback Steakhouse" television advertisements are analyzed as well due to their depictions of stereotypes surrounding Australians and Australian Aboriginals. The use of U.S.-influenced food that has been given Australian-themed names by the restaurant is explained. Similarities between "Outback's" depictions of an adventurous Australia and the idea of the U.S. Wild West are also highlighted.

The article discusses the cultural, economic, and spatial contribution of the visual entertainment industries comprised of television and film production to the cultural economy and environment of Sydney, New South Wales. It states that the cultural and creative industries in Australia contribute 3% to the economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) and gross value added (GVA). It says that the susceptibilities of the industry include the degree to which the country is beneficiary of international film productions and the global market condition affecting the balance of trade. It explores the role of the government in ensuring the inter-departmental coordination and establishing new policies to accommodate creative industries.

Following Portugal's handover of the colony of Macao to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1999, the city has undergone an intense period of transformation. The PRC liberalized the monopolistic local gambling industry, which comprises the bulk of Macao's economy, allowing foreign gaming companies to enter the market. These companies are investing approximately $25 billion to construct a phantasmagoric themed cityscape of casinos, hotels and entertainment zones that is a marked departure from Macao's extant colonial architecture. This article analyzes the production of this new transnational landscape in Macao and the pedagogical function of these themed environments in the consumption practices of post–socialist tourists from mainland China, who make up more than half of the 30 million tourists who visited the tiny city in 2008. A socio–semiotic methodology reveals the way themed environments provide a spatial syntax and semantics that indexes consumption, making Macao a didactic laboratory of consumerism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the history of the foundation of Disneyland's Main Street in the U.S. Accordingly, the creation of the Main Street has been regarded as an American symbol in literature, theater, and film since before the creation of Disneyland. It has been described that the typical Hollywood back lot of the theme park reveals various visual tricks which was borrowed by the designers of Main Street from the repertoire of set-design techniques. Information about the history and the influence of the theme park in the national identity of the country is discussed.

This paper examines the attitudes of tourists towards a conceptual planning approach, which combines elements of ecotourism with themed and simulated attractions for sustainable tourism development in desert areas. Based on a survey of 453 tourists, the study examines respondents' preferences regarding the suggested contents and facilities of tourist attractions to be developed in the Israeli desert area of the Negev. The findings indicate that the respondents do not necessarily see contradictions between the seemingly irreconcilable ecotourism elements and themed simulations. They expressed clear preference for the development of sites with appropriate infrastructure and themed simulations that preserve local nature and culture. The findings are discussed within the frameworks of ecotourism, post-modern tourism, and tourism development in desert areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author focuses on how persons with disabilities express themselves through the arts in the U.S. She explains that there are many simulation exercises that reinforce and provide real experiences for disabled persons to encounter. Because of this, she noted that a different kind of performance disability dominates Hollywood and other national cinemas. She teases out the complex ways in which wheelchairs and the performances that surround these people function as meaning makers though examining films with disability as theme.

Union Station, a recent CiviI-War-themed subdivision in rural Ohio, challenges landscape conventions by referencing local identities and history as creative compensation for the devastation of an Increasingly exurban town. In seeing themed development as an increasingly widespread practice, this paper examines its social costs, the relative critical neglect of it, and the public appetite for it. It extends the work of Gwendolyn Wright on suburbia and Michael Sorkin's critique of themed environments, arguing for a more distant patrimony for theming, showing how far-reaching it can be, especially in its more subtle manifestations, and finally rooting it in the structural conditions of post- Industrial capitalism and globalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After mass media, ethnic-themed restaurants are possibly the second most influential socialising agents of foreign cultures. Whereas the media often depicts foreign cultures in a stereotypical manner, the opportunity exists in the hospitality field to offer consumers a more detailed and accurate insight into a culture. Yet, is this what consumers really want? This paper addresses an important question: How do spaces of consumption affect the perception and representation of ‘authentic’ culture? To explore this, a four-stage, cross-cultural (ie Australia and United States) qualitative study was undertaken to examine the role the Outback Steakhouse chain of restaurants plays in representing Australian culture in the United States. Findings revealed that US subjects were more accepting of the restaurant environment where it matched the images of Australia perpetuated by the media. By contrast, Australian subjects indicated that the image this restaurant provides is a largely stereotypical, outdated, inaccurate representation of their culture. Research implications and recommendations from a marketing, hospitality, and tourism perspective are provided.Tourism and Hospitality Research (2007) 7, 242–255. doi:10.1057/palgrave.thr.6050047 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two random regression models, where the effect of a putative QTL was regressed on an environmental gradient, are described. The first model estimates the correlation between intercept and slope of the random regression, while the other model restricts this correlation to 1 or -1, which is expected under a bi-allelic QTL model. The random regression models were compared to a model assuming no gene by environment interactions. The comparison was done with regards to the models ability to detect QTL, to position them accurately and to detect possible QTL by environment interactions. A simulation study based on a granddaughter design was conducted, and QTL were assumed, either by assigning an effect independent of the environment or as a linear function of a simulated environmental gradient. It was concluded that the random regression models were suitable for detection of QTL effects, in the presence and absence of interactions with environmental gradients. Fixing the correlation between intercept and slope of the random regression had a positive effect on power when the QTL effects re-ranked between environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of retreat spaces by 65 children in 9 family child care homes was assessed in this study. Family child care providers used daily diaries to collect information about children's retreat frequency and associated behavior. The findings revealed that nearly half of the children used informal, readily available retreats during the research period. Playing with toys was the most frequent and stable retreat activity across age groups. Yet the number of passive and engaged behaviors varied based on child characteristics such as age, gender, and child's mood for the day. Retreat use can be viewed as a potentially adaptive environmental strategy that children apply as their needs change in a given day and from one developmental period to the next. Thus, it is recommended that child care professionals provide access to retreats and support children's varied use of retreat space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Australian working holidaymaker patronage of ‘Aussie’ theme pubs in London to explore meanings of the national themed environment. From semi-structured interviews and ethnographic fieldwork at three venues, it is argued that themed space can be interacted with in highly reflective ways while working to facilitate the reimagining of national identity. This finding challenges post-modern, critical and Weberian perspectives that argue the ersatz nature of themed space overwhelms actors' ability to think critically while severing traditional connections with historical time. Attention is drawn to the polysemic dimensions of themed representations and the new ways that actors can engage with the nation in a globalizing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introductory course on Linear Algebra was given at a distance, employing group work. We present one of the on-line discussions about a problem that involved eigenvalues and eigenvectors, commenting on the conceptual and logical difficulties of students, as well as the characteristics of the distance environment as far as they influence student interactions. We emphasize that our success in using new communicational technologies for instructional purposes will depend on our understanding of these new environments and this in turn will require change in points of view in interpreting teaching and learning phenomena. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the kinds of motifs in the tradition of the Japanese tea ceremony. Forms of practice during the ceremony; Survey on tea ceremony practitioners; Calendrical rites and life crisis rites; Motif of seasonal feelings; Joy and sorrow in the life cycle.

The restaurant industry is experiencing a trend toward “authentic” ethnic restaurants that promise not only authentic food from a specific culture, but also an authentic dining experience and decor. For many consumers, these ethnic dining experiences constitute their sole contact with foreign cultures. This paper explores the importance of authenticity in ethnic- themed restaurants. It considers the methods employed and the frames of reference used to create these themed environments, consumers' abilities to delineate the real from the fake and the importance of authenticity as a component of the consumption experience. This exploratory study used qualitative research methods to report emerging themes derived from one type of ethnic restaurant, Irish pubs in Savannah, Georgia during St. Patrick's Day festivities. Managerial and research implications are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Describes the recent history of themed public art projects which has invaded streets of the U.S. as of March 2002. Information on the Cow Parade; Importance given to the connection of the community with object that takes iconic status; Popularity of Big Pig Gig in Cincinnati, Ohio; Reasons for using frogs in the project of Toledo, Ohio; Problems faced by traditional, permanent public sculpture installations.