Are you not edutained?
The application and legacy of "edutainment" at the Disney Parks
Disney Legend and late-Imagineer Marty Sklar said, “Walt made educating visitors an integral part of the Disney park experience — without ever using that word.”1 As Imagineers, they could seek to educate but all the methods of doing so would need to allow for guests to incorporate their senses, lead with curiosity and ask questions, and discover independently or with their family and friends. But before all else, the methods had to be fun.
While reading that, certain attractions might have popped into your mind. Maybe you recalled the salt-water breeze from Soarin’ at Epcot or the rush of heat felt from the semi-truck engulfed in flames at Catastrophe Canyon from the now-defunct Studio Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios. There’s many more where that came from but before we continue with the ways in which we can experience these attractions in the parks, let’s learn a bit more on how this conceptual framework was developed and why it still matters today.
What is edutainment?
In the simplest terms, “edutainment” is the strategic use of entertainment to educate an audience in an engaging way. While it’s been a buzzier term in recent years, it’s not a new concept by any means. In fact, some historians cite Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack2 as one of the earlier documented forms of edutainment for it’s inclusion of puzzles and other inviting methods to inform early American colonists on how best to improve their lives with the means that were available to them.
If we fast forward, oh, 215 years later, Walt Disney introduced his own form of edutainment: the “True-Life Adventures” film series. Frustrated by the economical but deeply uninteresting industrial short films created by Walt Disney Productions for corporate clients during the war years, Walt switched gears and decided to shut down the entire operation on the basis that, well, he just didn’t enjoy making or watching that kind of educational film.3 Instead, he directed his attention toward capturing and sharing stories of the natural world through documentaries. Over the next several years, the 13-film “True-Life Adventures” series won eight Academy Awards and identified Walt Disney as a father of the nature documentary as we know it today.
To all of my Gen Xers and my fellow millennials: what did the sweet, sweet rolling television cart mean for at least thirty minutes of your school day? That’s right — you got to sit back and relax with an episode or two of a television show, like Schoolhouse Rock!, The Reading Rainbow, or Bill Nye the Science Guy. We could extend that to the computer lab with games, such as The Oregon Trail which singlehandedly taught generations of American children that the last thing we would ever be caught doing was romanticizing pioneer life because what would it ultimately result in? Say it with me folks: dysentery! Although, I was more inclined to daydream about the turn-of-the-century life and times of my favorite American Girl doll, Samantha Parkington.
As we’re currently neck-deep in the era of the modernized technology and smart devices, more contemporary forms of edutainment exist by way of websites and applications, KidTube and YouTube videos, and even social media platforms, like TikTok. I’ve caught my five-year-old niece learning Russian from KidTube videos, which certainly surpasses the grossly-inaccurate but highly-enjoyable 1997 film about a certain Russian grand duchess that I filled my brain with at that age.
I’ve only skimmed the surface, but it’s evident that the demand and application of edutainment has evolved in a variety of ways over the last few hundred years. As we change, so does it. Imagineers realized this in the early years of Disneyland and since then, edutainment has continued to be an integral, underlying element of so many beloved attractions and experiences throughout the Disney parks.
Edutainment at Walt Disney World
Epcot
While Epcot is worlds away from the original plan that sat on Walt’s desk, it’s a true testament to the practice and longevity of well-designed edutainment in a theme park setting. In fact, the widespread acceptance and celebration of such attractions that preceded the development of Epcot set the foundation for what the park ultimately became.4 Their success told the Imagineers that, hey, people enjoy learning about things — science, history, or otherwise — in a fun, engaging way.
We can see this in the early years of Epcot with the Universe of Energy, Horizons, and Spaceship Earth. After your stroll through the World Showcase, you can mosey on over to Journey Into Imagination, Living With the Land, or Test Track (which is about to undergo a refurbishment that will pull on themes from the late Epcot favorite, World of Motion). The newest attraction at Epcot, Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana, is part of the new “World Nature” neighborhood and demonstrates the water cycle in a fun, interactive way by using fountains and special effects throughout a self-guided exploration trail.
Of all the Disney theme parks, Epcot is the one that really encourages guests to put on two sets of hats during their visit — their Mickey ears and their thinking caps.
Hollywood Studios
Since the park’s opening on May 1st, 1989, Hollywood Studios (then Disney-MGM Studios) has transported guests to the old Hollywood atmosphere and charm of the early to mid-twentieth century. Theater magnate Marcus Loew coined the phrase, “the show starts on the sidewalk,” and nothing truer could be said of the theming and design of this special park.
Over the years, Hollywood Studios has featured attractions that lead guests behind the curtain and show them just how the cinematic sausage (sorry) is made. The Studio Backlot Tour, Lights, Motors, Action!: Extreme Stunt Show, and Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular! wowed guests with their special effects and opportunities for hands-on audience participation. Other attractions, like The Great Movie Ride and Star Tours, inserted guests into classic films where they could both experience the stories for themselves and celebrate their lasting legacies.
Hollywood Studios just celebrated its 35th birthday and while some attractions and edutainment offerings have changed since its initial opening, the park still represents “a Hollywood that never was — and always will be” by using methods of edutainment to preserve a by-gone era while also providing guests with an experience that centers on recognizing and appreciating the strides made in filmmaking over the last century.
Animal kingdom
Like Epcot, Animal Kingdom was, and still is, designed to educate through forms of play. For one, it’s home to over 2,000 animals in which guests curiously observe and are encouraged to learn about through attractions, self-guided nature trails, and enrichment activities. Kilimanjaro Safaris is a engaging tour across the many landscapes one might see in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an emphasis on education and conservation (I love this series on Disney+; watch it in preparation for your next visit!).
For a more hands-on experience, they can join the ranks of Russell from Up! and complete environmental-themed tasks around the park to earn Wilderness Explorer badges. The queue for Expedition Everest begins at the office of the fictional “Himalayan Escapes” travel agency and progresses into a literal “Yeti Museum” that contains photos, journals, and lots of artifacts and memorabilia from Disney Imagineers who visited Nepal while conducting research for the attraction.
Additionally, we see Flight of Passage as a method of learning about the fictional world of Pandora by engaging guests’ senses and connecting the experiences of the Na’vi to our understanding of the realities our own communities and planet. Which leads us to…
Magic Kingdom
Sure, a good chunk of attractions found at Walt Disney World’s first theme park are based on or inspired by fictional places and stories but as Walt and many Imagineers would likely tell you, storytelling is an integral component of edutainment. If you’re like me and love The Princess and the Frog, you’ve been keeping a close eye on the progress of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Frontierland. Not only am I from the Bayou City (Houston), but I have ancestry from Louisiana and have visited the Bayou State many times throughout my life. Needless to say, I’m so excited to see how Imagineers tell Tiana’s story but also use the attraction as a form of edutainment to engage guests with a landscape and ecosystem that’s intertwined with the story but often looked down upon and, quite frankly, erased in the name of development. I mean, look at the lil’ bayou critters (here and here) that’ll be featured alongside our favorites from the film. Assuming there will be a healthy heaping of Cajun culture thrown in for good measure, this is edutainment at work, y’all!
Some notable gray areas
It would be remiss to not acknowledge the thoughtful critiques of edutainment found in the Disney parks. At the top of the list is probably the most obvious: the World Showcase at Epcot.
As Aaron Wallace details in his book, The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Walt Disney World: Epcot, it can a bit challenging to navigate the pathos of a pavilion while also being fully aware of the actions taken by that country’s government.5 Some countries (i.e. Germany, China, and the United States) stand out more than others in this regard, but the nature of geopolitics in an ever-evolving world leaves no country — and thus no pavilion — immune from this angle of critique and sincere contemplation.
At the same time, it’s essential to consider whether or not these pavilions and the respective attractions offered within would be able to adequately address these incredibly nuanced and complex issues while still maintaining a connection to the guest. Additionally, any effort to grapple with these topics and issues would extend outside the bounds of Epcot’s mission statement.
“EPCOT is inspired by Walt Disney’s creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise, and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.
May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.”
Echoing Wallace, a pavilion centered on its government is a much narrower view than one focused on celebrating the breadth of language, cuisine, customs, and ways of life of its people. So, where do we draw that line? Well, Wallace developed a simple “test” called A Little Insight, A Lot of Interest (or the “ALI-ALI Standard”) to gauge the effectiveness of a pavilion as it relates back to that mission statement. Using an example from a recent trip, I perused the Stave Church Gallery in the Norway Pavilion and it gave me a little insight into the ancient storytelling and lore of Norwegian culture, which quickly developed into a lot of interest in how those elements were creatively integrated into the Marvel comics and cinematic universe.
If the ALI-ALI Standard is properly applied to a country in the World Showcase, it can “lift the lid” on guests’ minds by introducing them to people and cultures that pique their curiosity, encourage thoughtful questions, and develop a desire to learn more.
The legacy of edutainment
Everyone’s mileage is different, but I think edutainment in the Disney parks achieves what it sets out to do because it appeals to just about every learning style and keeps guests engaged, even if just for a few minutes. It pulls a guest in with what Imagineers call “visual treats” but keeps them around by employing the other senses. Rather than distract with a whole bunch of disjointed details, attractions and experiences that are centered on edutainment follow a narrative with defined themes to lead guests into their growing understanding of larger concepts, like conservation, adaptive farming techniques, or the history of mass communication.
Having taught students in a classroom setting, I know this is no easy feat. Holding the attention and interest of people of all ages is hard work! With that said, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that many of the attractions — both former and current — rooted in edutainment are cult favorites. You want to get rid of Living With the Land? Ha, try prying it out of my cold, dead hands. All jokes aside, these attractions are successful because they work. Despite what we might have experienced throughout our schooling, humans loves to learn and if they can have fun while doing it? Even better.
I know my Gladiator-inspired pun-turned-title is ridiculous (believe me, I have many more) but for the record, I am and will forever be “edutained” so long as I’m a curious observer and guest of the Disney parks because there’s always so much more to learn. That’s magic, noted.
See ya real soon,
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Sklar, Marty. One Little Spark!: Mickey’s Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering. Edited by Leslie Sklar, Disney Editions, 2015.
Lathan, Joseph. “Edutainment in the Classroom: How Technology Is Changing the Game.” University of San Diego Online Degrees, 20 Feb. 2024.
Kurtti, Jeff. Since The World Began: Walt Disney World, The First 25 Years. Hyperion, 1996.
Sklar, Marty. One Little Spark!: Mickey’s Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering. Edited by Leslie Sklar, Disney Editions, 2015.
Wallace, Aaron. The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Walt Disney World: Epcot. Pensive Pen Publishing, 2017.