Case Study: Theme Parks in Gold Coast, Brisbane
A force of globalization
Australia is an example of a country that benefited from globalization. This can be seen from their exports of wool, wheat and minerals and now that it has become a borrow of international capital. The increased standard of living for the citizens can be attributed to its open and competitive economy.
Globalization brings about positive and negative impacts. Some of its advantages include growth in economies, improved standard of living and reduction in poverty,increased life expectancy,increased global income and reduced investment barriers,positive environment impacts, advancement in technology hence reduce in cost and time taken and improved media and communications. However the adverse effects are socio-economical costs, drop in standard of living,environmental problems, increased demand for migration and eroding of indigenous cultures.
Disneyization of a society is one of the effects of globalization. The case study that will be discussed here is the 4 Theme Parks in Gold Coast and how Disneyization have taken place there.
The 4 theme parks are namely Movie World, Sea World, Dream World and Australian Outback Spectacular. There are 4 dimensions of Disneyization – theming, hybrid consumption, merchandising and perfomative labour.
Theming
The first dimension, theming, is shown clearly in the 4 different themes of the attractions. Each of the 4 attractions have their own unique theme. For Movie World , their theme is movie frictional characters. Like their name and slogan suggests –Warner Bros Movie World, Hollywood on the Gold Coast, it shows that their focus is on American film and television entertainment. In this case it is more on animated films. Their rides feature famous movie frictional characters like Batman, Superman, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo and Road Runner with their rides named after the characters. For instance Batwing, Super Escape ,Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster, Road Runner Roller Coaster and Australian’s biggest ride – Wild West Falls. They have shows that are related to movies as well like Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Hollywood Stunt Driver.
At Dream World, they have 13 different worlds in one location. From thrill rides to live interactive shows to unique animal attractions, it offers something for everyone. Hence the theme of Dream world is to fulfill the dreams of everyone through their 13 worlds. The rides are split into 3 categories – Thrill rides, family rides and kids rides to suit the different target markets. Also, their themes are reflected in their worlds. For those thrill seekers, they can visit the Supercars Redline or Flow rider while families can opt for a laser spectacular show and kids can go for Nickelodeon Central.
As for Sea World, it is evident that their theme is “water”. They have attractions like Water parks, Jet Rescue,Vikings Revenge,Sesame Street Beach which are all related to beaches, water adventure like pirates and battleships. Their shows also reflect similar things like pirate shows and frictional characters which are marine animals for instance Happy Feet. In addition , their marine attractions showcases sea animals like sharks, dolphins,penguins and polar bears.
The Australian Outback Spectacular is themed as “outback” . Their attractions relate to the outback experience like outback animal shows,live music, with their performers as the typical bush people of the outback and their landscape is also in the form of the Australian outback.
The themes of each of the 4 theme parks are reflected in their amenities and facilities as well. From dining to shopping to events and even hotels ,the themes are shown. Take for example, Movie world has a Star café to suit the Hollywood atmosphere, wild west burgers inspired from the Wild West Falls ride. It also gala events that makes guests feel like they are a Hollywood star or birthday parties with themes like Batman adventure. Batman adventure stores that sell Batman merchandise also reflect the theme .
This is similar to the theming of Disneyland whereby they have different worlds catering to different interests. Their theme is also reflected in the hotel, souvenir shop, restaurants and cafes and the landscape.
Hybrid Consumption
Therefore theming also contributes to hybrid consumption. Hybrid consumption in this case refers to the amenities ,facilities and services available in the theme park . Visitors go to the theme park not only to enjoy the rides .attractions and the shows but also consume services and use facilities at the same time in one location – the theme park itself. For instance, Dreamworld has dining outlets all over the park to cater to the need for people to eat. Whether it is to grab a bite at a fast food outlet or have a buffet at a restaurant, Dreamworld has it all. They provide services and facilities like medical help and first aid centres in case of emergencies, trained staff for assistance, strollers and wheelchairs for rent, disable access to rides, even prayer rooms and foreign currency exchange. It is due to the demand for all this services hence the theme park provides.
It reflects the operation of Disneyland in these theme parks. Like Dreamworld , Disneyland also has all these services and facilities and they are all in Disneyland itself.
Merchandising
It is the promotion or sale of goods in the form or bearing copyright images or logos that are made under license. All the theme parks have their own merchandise bearing the copyright image and under a license. For instance, Sea World offer souvenirs like apparel, hat, mugs, plush marine animals soft toys bearing the Sea World logo at their stores. They also have photo centre which develops photos taken at the attractions which carry the name “Sea World”. In addition they are Sesame Street Beach Stores and Jet rescue which complements with the rides and carry logos too.
When the visitors return to their home county with the souvenirs, it carries with them the brand – Sea World. Others who know of Sea world will instantly recall when they see the logo and for those who do not know the place, it sparks interest. Hence also acts as a form of publicity for their theme park.
The idea of merchandising came from Disneyland. The brand of Disney is so well recognized that when people see a Disney character for instance Mickey mouse they immediately relate it to Disneyland.
Take home the magic and memories of Warner Bros. Movie World!
Performative Labour
It refers to the growing tendency for frontline service work to be viewed as a performance, especially the deliberate display of a certain mood is seen as part of the labour involved in service work.
Take for example, Dreamworld they have in house cultural training and tour guide training for their staff with 59 bilingual staff covering 21 different languages. Their job is to be park ambassadors to assist anyone who needs help. There is this tendency for their work to become a performance in the sense that they must “act” happy, friendly and ever ready to help at any point of time. Their personal moods swings cannot affect their work and hence most of them have to put on a façade. As time goes by, it becomes like a routine and therefore similar to a performance. Their attitudes that they show must be in line with the aims of Dreamworld which is to have fun and enjoy being in a fantasy.
Similarly, Disneyland also has park ambassadors which provides assistance and they put on a performance in order to make Disneyland – The Happiest Place To Be.
Another example of performative labour is Dreamworld Dreamtime which is specially launched during school holidays to celebrate Australian’s traditional culture. It features stories, songs and dance spoken and performed by members of the regions Kombumerri people. In the previous blog posts, it was mentioned that the Kombumerri people is the largest Aborigines tribe in Gold Coast. Hence they are invited to Dreamworld to create magic. Their show features the local people, the performers mimicking the movements of their totem the eagle that soars overhead signaling the start of fishing season, the sounds of the didgeridoo and the clapsticks, the traditional Aboriginal method of firelighting by rubbing two sticks together and other traditions bringing the Kombumerri people together.
The intention of this show is to highlight the Australian traditional culture and the Indigenous people and to learn and understand their cultures and practices. However it is turning into perfomative labor for the Kombumerri people. When they carry out this traditions and practices back in their home land, it is for the main purpose of their beliefs which has been passed down for generations. They take it seriously and do it with their whole heart and soul. On the contrary, the traditions which they showcase in this event are just a performance for the interest of tourists or some locals. In turn some of traditions being practiced may be altered to suit the interest of the crowd. The Kombumerri people are willing to put up performances as it has monetary benefits which is what they do for a living to support themselves. Another problem is the demand of such performances. If not carefully taken care of, it will eventually result in the culture of the Kombumerri people being eroded away.
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