Coney Island
Coney Island USA, located in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, housed the first three permanent amusement parks: Luna Park, Steeplechase, and Dreamland. Between 1895 and 1903, all three parks were built and opened to the public. The popularity of these theme parks spread quickly and, "Coney Island attracted one million patrons on one day in 1914." (1).
Although Coney Island soon began to decline, it offered inspiration for parks throughout America. In fact, Coney Island developed the use of mechanical rides, railroad tracks, trolley cars to create an entertaining experience (2). It also prompted the rise of the theme park, with the rollercoaster and ferris wheel as the most popular rides. |
The Theme Park
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The practice of "of organizing amusement areas around one or several themes was a revolutionary idea" was created by Walt Disney in the 1950s (3). Elements of the American amusement park can be traced back to European traditions. Some of the ideas were taken from medieval fairs and carnivals.
Established in 1955, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, differed from other amusement parks that Disney disliked so strongly (4). He strived to set his park apart from the others. Theming made Disney's park more of a "theme park" than just an "amusement park". Amusement parks focus primarily on the thrill factor, but Disneyland centers around different themes. These themes included space travel, the Wild West, and Song of the South (5). He intended his park to not only provide entertainment but also educate its visitors. Walt Disney World was created in honor of Disney on October 1, 1971 (6). Although Disneyland was not the first amusement park, his park was the first to establish the theming of the park. |
1. "Amusement and Theme Parks," in Encyclopedia of American Social History, ed. Mary Kupiec Cayton, Elliot J. Born, and Peter W. Williams (New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1993)
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. "Disneyland Opens," History, accessed June 3, 2015, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/disneyland-opens.
5. Alan Bryman, "The Disneyization of Society," in Visions of Society, 382.
6. Disneyland Opens," History.
7. Lisa W. Foderaro, "New Roller Coaster Promises Coney Island a Return of Thrills," The New York Times, last modified March 10, 2014, accessed June 3, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/nyregion/new-roller-coaster-promises-coney-island-a-return-of-thrills.html
8. Early Disneyland Transportation Trio, photograph, Daveland Blog, December 20, 2010, accessed June 3, 2015, http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/early-disneyland-transportation-trio.html.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. "Disneyland Opens," History, accessed June 3, 2015, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/disneyland-opens.
5. Alan Bryman, "The Disneyization of Society," in Visions of Society, 382.
6. Disneyland Opens," History.
7. Lisa W. Foderaro, "New Roller Coaster Promises Coney Island a Return of Thrills," The New York Times, last modified March 10, 2014, accessed June 3, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/nyregion/new-roller-coaster-promises-coney-island-a-return-of-thrills.html
8. Early Disneyland Transportation Trio, photograph, Daveland Blog, December 20, 2010, accessed June 3, 2015, http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/early-disneyland-transportation-trio.html.