A week ago I got paid to go to Disneyland. I was invited to be a translator for a group of executives from Amazing Seasun Games who were visiting USC for a two-week summer program. Professor David White, their guide and video game producer and veteran, has been to the park over 300 times. Me on the other hand, have only visited Disneyland and California Adventure once with family. So this turned out to be quite a learning experience for me as well, and here are a few notes I took.
Disneyland isn’t just a theme park. It’s structured storytelling. Every object, path, and landmark is placed intentionally. David pointed out the “Weenie” — a visual magnet, like the castle, that pulls guests through space. It’s basic spatial psychology, but executed at scale.
The original park was built at a smaller scale on purpose. Doors, windows, fences—slightly undersized so children feel like they are grownups. Quite cool!
Even old rides like Snow White are built narratively. The queue introduces characters. The ride pays it off. It’s a common story structure—setup, delivery, resolution. But the ride that really demonstrates that is Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Rise of the Resistance is both a technological marvel and a storytelling masterpiece. It employs almost all narrative techniques as well as technologies available to themed entertainment industry.
Underneath Sleeping Beauty Castle is a special spot—where Walt Disney himself once stood.
Walt Disney love trains, and that's why there are so many trains in the park. He also had a model train built at the backyard of his home
You can buy a giant turkey leg in the park, and it's one of the juciest turkey I had (they usually are so dry).