The Effects of Fear: Club Disney and the Privatization of Recreation

Abstract

This research explores the history of how fear has shaped public and private recreational facilities and how Club Disney is a prime example of this fear in effect. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw a rise in public parks as they were offered up as solutions to societal ills like juvenile delinquency. In the mid-20th century, fear around desegregation prompted the rise of privately owned recreation facilities like swimming pools. In the late 20th century, juvenile delinquency, drugs, and kidnappings prompted anxiety around public recreational facilities, prompting for an increase in private children's recreational facilities like Club Disney. Club Disney, even though being situated in affluent suburbs where this danger would be largely unfounded, capitalized on parents’ anxiety. The centers emphasized the safety and the educational aspects of their facilities to keep parents at ease. Club Disney, even though it had a short life span of two years, is a prime example of how fear can cause a rise in private recreational facilities, particularly by internationally recognizable brands.