amusement parks/theme park links

[Anonymous]

To introduce the idea of theme parks to get my students engaged on the topic, I would begin with asking students what emotions and images come to mind when we think of theme parks. After activating their prior knowledge and jotting down these ideas I would ask them, where do they usually get reminders to go to these theme parks? More likely than not most will say the media. There first assignment would be to act out or make a 1 minute commercial on convincing people to go to a theme park. At first they my use their own experiences of theme parks in the U.S. Eventually for another assignment after becoming familiar with Chinese theme parks they would create another commercial but focused on the Chinese themed park.

[Anonymous]

For my International Law/Relations course, I like mcovarrubias idea of having students research a specific region in China and providing cultural history, geographic topography, climate, political structures and economic conditions to their search. I will add in my class the element of the people living on the land for the intended theme park they would be creating. I would like them to address the following questions: What job opportunities are there for people who live in the surrounding area?, What environmental effects will this theme park have on this region?, What forms of transportation would be needed to get people to your theme park?, and, what is the projected annual number of people visiting your theme park going to be?. For those students who chose areas that might turn out not to be successful for theme parks I would ask, what factors led to your theme park not being successful?, and for all groups, What is needed to make theme parks successful in any location/region?

[Anonymous]

In Economics, I would provide the kids with descriptions of various theme parks in China and ask them which ones they think will succeed and which ones they think will fail. They must explain why. Then have them discuss, which of these same theme parks might be successful in the U.S., that way we have a chance to discuss cultural differences between the two countries. I will reveal at the end of the lesson, which ones failed and which ones succeeded.

[Anonymous]

As an educator, imbuing amusement parks into my course of study poses a great opportunity for learning that is at once exciting, current, and informative. The mere words, “amusement park,” connote a location that is intended to amuse and entertain. And most amusement parks do just that. They, in effect, provide a respite from the real world – an opportunity for one to lose oneself in a world very different from the reality that they inhabit. For instance, take Disneyland. Disneyland (and the same applies to all parks prefaced by the name Disney) is a place meant to escape the real world. One minute a visitor is walking through the uncharted, rustic avenues of Frontier Land. The next, not 50 yards away, and that same person is exploring the world of the future and ready to hop onboard a spacecraft bound for the far reaches of the galaxy (in Tomorrow Land). It is quite the fascinating idea if one stops to think about it. And it is perhaps this fantasy – in all its made up worlds – that continues to delight young and old.

Thinking about amusement parks in China, one can only imagine the profound effects these sorts of places have on the people – especially in a country that, for so long, closed itself off to the Western world. Thinking about the explosion of amusement and theme parks in China, and the vast variety of flavors that they come in, it may be interesting to explore the societal effects of these places on the Chinese citizens that visit them and look at how culture is spread via them. In my classroom, I can see myself posing some of these questions from a sociological and economic point of view. I would very much like to have my students explore issues of globalization and American hegemony by looking at the exportation of culture and influence through theme parks. What does it mean for a Chinese citizen to visit Frontier Land while drinking a Coke and perusing through a set of overpriced Mickey Mouse ears? What does it mean to have a Caucasian Snow White in Shanghai Disney? How do other theme park companies present and market their theme parks? Are they modeled after Disney? Who are they trying to emulate and why?

[Anonymous]

We departed our hotel shortly after 2 pm and hopped onboard a taxi for the 45-minute cab ride to Happy Valley. The sky was a muggy ivory and provided a somber backdrop for the rows upon rows of uniform tenements that lined the sides of the expressway. Traffic was dense and as time went on, the royal blue signage marking exits, overpasses, and bridges just seemed to blend together. After about 45 minutes, our taxi driver finally said a word in the form of a loud bellow, pointing to a large, castle-like formation just to the right of us. Just behind it we could see the spine-like tracks of one of the coasters. Immediately, our eyes lit up with delight.

We handed our driver 80 yuan and stepped out of the cab and into the hands of a dancing ram-like costumed character. He/she posed with us for a couple of pictures before asking for a tip. Thinking that the character was part of the park, we were surprised by his relentless asking and his being unsatisfied with the tip provided. After a few minutes it hit us: “Ohhhh, these guys are just regular dudes in costumes doing this for tips.” We should have assumed as much – the Mickey and Minnie Mouse pair a few yards away looked a bit odd after all. Apparently, Hollywood Blvd. impersonators aren’t the only ones cashing in on wandering tourists.

We walked up to the ticket stall (the only one open in a sea of stalls) and were surprised to find out that we only had an hour and a half to enjoy the park. Apparently, the big rides all shut down at 4:30 pm. But we were undeterred. After a long taxi ride to the park and many hours to kill until our flight back to Manila, we were determined to make the best out of the day. We purchased our passes and walked into what seemed like a ghost town.

The park was utterly empty and I don’t mean like, “it’s a weekday in the off-season at Magic Mountain and lines are only 20 minutes long”-empty. I mean empty. With colorful posters and maps lining the entrance and music blaring from speakers above, it was unbelievably eerie and surreal all at once. Most rides lay dormant while a handful of snack carts had popcorn and hot dogs ready for a crowd that would never come. With only an hour and a half we raced to loop the park and hop on whatever rides our 90 minutes would permit. In all, we were only able to get on three rides: a swinging ship, a floating gondola that hovered high above the park for three minutes, and one legitimate roller coaster. We also went through a haunted house that was, well, not so haunted. It was clear that this was an attempt to emulate what one would see at Knott’s Scary Farm or at Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest, but the attempt was laughable and uneventful. Apparently the Chinese haven’t yet mastered Halloween.

As park staff and the handful of Chinese and Eastern European tourists filed passed us heading to gates, we knew it was time to go. It was cold, gray, and windy. We popped into the KFC at the park’s entrance hoping for some overpriced fries to hold us over until dinner. As should have been expected, only a couple of sandwiches and a singular corn on the cob were available. I looked at the bare racks under the heating lamps behind the counter and then turned to look at the forlorn park beyond the glass doors and thought to myself, “When does Shanghai Disney open again?”

edited by bdeleon on 12/2/2011

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[Anonymous]

After reading peoples comments on theme parks and bdeleon's experience at Happy Valley I was reminded of a trip I took to Las Vegas at the age of 13. Since many youngsters who go to Vegas can't gamble casinos have always tried to attract children by providing outlets for kids to have fun too. At the MGM there used to be a theme park called MGM Grand Adventures Theme Parks. With a childhood friend we headed to the park for fun and adventure! As we walked through the main entrance (Casablanca Plaza) and through New York Street, Asian Village, French Street, Salem Waterfront, Tumbleweed Gulch, New Orleans Street, and Olde England Street there was an unusual eerie feeling I was not accustomed to at theme parks. There were not to many people in the park and we were able to get on all major rides such as Backlot River Tour, The Haunted Mine, and Grand Canyon Rapids. After a couple of hours and running into characters like Betty Boop and King Looey I was glad we left the park. I'm curious to know how Chinese who have gone to different theme parks compare one to the other because I know Disneyland and other major theme parks are an entirely different level than the MGM theme park.

[clay dube]

Please post links to your favorite Chinese theme park websites.

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed reading about the ideas of incorporating theme parks into the world history curriculum.....just as our group is doing a "bag book" as a culminating project, a theme park design/map could also be incorporated as a culminating project.....ok sounds silly but fun: Design a theme park that has to do with the "Chinese Discoveries and Inventions".....examples a paddlewheel ride, a rocket launcher game and, of course, fireworks.

I bring all of this up because in Sunday's (1/8/12) LA Times there is an ad in the classified section for "Disney English Foreign Trainers". Teachers would have a 12-15 month contract to work with children teaching English with a Disney based program. If I were single, I'd sign up....sounds like fun and quite an experience. But, it shows what an impact a Disney product has in China.
Pat Lamkie

[Author]

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