"A detailed and engaging cultural history of Disneyland’s theme parks to tell the story of this now global phenomenon. . . . The book will be essential reading across humanities and social science, and for anyone interested in contemporary culture. . . . This is a great book in so many ways, not least of which is the academic analysis on a really crucial and vitally important part of popular culture. . . . I strongly urge people to read it both in terms of how interesting the analysis is, and because it's a great and fascinating story, and particularly poignant now."

Dave O'Brien | New Books in Critical Theory

"One of the strongest works of Disney scholarship in recent years, serving as a history of the parks themselves and an exploration of the consumers that visit those spaces. Mittermeier's work represents the first scholarly history of the six parks, keenly observing the cultural adaptations and interplays that occur in the creation and eventual financial success of the parks. The emphasis on the consumers . . . is a masterstroke, evading the more internecine ivory tower debates around Disney and offering a sense of why the parks have proven successful in a wide array of circumstances. The Disney parks have survived all manner of economic downturns, culture wars, and even a pandemic of late, and this book makes a case that they are worth considering from a scholarly perspective. Even if you have never attended a single Disney park, you will find value in this, and this text speaks to a bright future for the study of Disney."

Peter Cullen Bryan | Response: The Journal of Popular and American Culture