In a world today where people absorb countless amounts of film and media, Disney World plays a considerable role in the life of an American. Opened in 1955, the amusement park in Florida quickly became one of the most hyped up places in America, as it represents the legacy of generations of children and the hometown to some of America’s most famous pop culture icons such as Mickey Mouse and Simba. With so many promotion prizes and lottery tickets leading to a free trip to Disney World, many Americans have considered the amusement park as one of the greatest places in the world, as Walt Disney describes it as a “source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” Given how highly Americans value the sacred place, one can suggest that the world …show more content…
The movies and stories that Disney create for the younger generation strongly resemble the different myths of religion respectively. Aladdin shows great similarities to Mohammad’s story of exile, while The Lion King’s protagonist Simba is portrayed as the prodigal son, extremely similar to Christianity's Jesus as well. The myths of Disney prove that at a young age, we were exposed to these works of art, as these characters became our moral compasses and role models as we grew up. Fast forward to a few years later, people finally have the opportunity to meet their idols at Disney World. Moreover, by comparing an extremely nostalgic moment to the sacred time of a religious experience, one can suggest that the two feelings are interchangeable. Religious scholar Mircea Eliade notes that religious people “experience intervals of time that are sacred, that have no part in the temporal duration that precedes and follows them, for they are of a primordial time, sanctified by the gods…” The experience Eliade describes is extremely similar to how Walt Disney describes his park to evangelist Billy Graham: “This is reality in here. Out there,” he said, gesturing beyond his Magic Kingdom, “is