Disneyfication and Education

Disneyfication in theater means the increase in popularity of Disney plays and the resulting reshaping of modern plays to more resemble those of Walt Disney, in order to gain viewership. In most cases, this means a shift to a musical format featuring upbeat ballads and gaudy but family-friendly costumes. While many theatre elitists frown upon such trends, this project shows how Disneyfication fosters renewed interest and enjoyment in theatre across age groups. A case study of the Knox and Sevier County school systems in Tennessee examines patterns of interest and enjoyment in the nation’s most popular plays via snowball method questionnaire, as well as how modern school curriculums foster this interest. A survey of Knox and Sevier County students, both past and present, collected their favorite plays and degree of enjoyment of the play, and a geographic analysis of the placement of theaters near schools, as well as the incorporation of the arts into schools and the rise of Disneyfication in plays, aids in explaining this deep degree of enjoyment and engagement. This enjoyment then feeds back into schools, with the engagement of students in the arts improving their overall academic performance.