Cybernetic Amusement: Disneyland, Simulation, and the Logic of Automation

On December 1, 1954, Edward L. Schott of Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati introduced a Disneyland representative to his colleagues gathered at the thirty-sixth annual meeting of the National Association of Amusement Parks, Pools, and Beaches in Chicago. Disneyland would eventually open in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, but amusement park leaders already had a great interest in Walt Disney's venture into their industry. Schott, who had consulted on the project, introduced the new attraction, saying: “Now, I would not say that Disneyland is to be an amusement park in the strict sense of the word. Perhaps it might be a new combination of amusement park and exhibit center,” speaking to the common sentiment of Disneyland as a permanent World's Fair. But, what ultimately made Disneyland so different in Schott's view were the methods by which research had been mobilized to produce an amusement park. As Schott emphasized, “more scientific study and research has been given to this project than any outdoor amusement enterprise yet built.”1In June 1953, at the urging of architect and friend Charles Luckman, Walt Disney had commissioned the Stanford Research Institute, a Bay Area think tank, to identify an optimal site for his park and to undertake various economic feasibility studies.2 The following year he also sent a team of his designers to amusement parks, museums, and other attractions across the country to assess best practices and methods from the leading sites in the industry.3 These studies measured everything from the duration of rides to the widths of walkways. Schott remarked that “From such materials and charts and time studies and graphs and 101 other things, I think the research work they have done is just about as good as you can do for any enterprise.”4 While some of these reports included observations on aspects of design and technical matters on rides, the core of these studies followed the practices of postwar operations research, as we shall explore further in this article. The aim was to produce a model of everything from market trends to climate that could accurately predict the operations of the future amusement park. The largely overlooked aspect of Disneyland's planning and design was its conception as a byproduct of what Peter Galison once termed the “Manichean sciences,” derived from Norbert Wiener's use of the term and referring to a triad of three closely interrelated research fields—operations research, game theory, and cybernetics—which thrived in mid-twentieth century U.S. science.5 Across popular media outlets, from Look magazine and National Geographic to the Disneyland television show, Walt Disney would cultivate the idea of his design team as a research and development department, engaged in historical study, scientific analysis, and deliberation.6The early Cold War think tanks were less research and development bodies (i.e., generating new innovations and products) than they were agents of postwar translation, seeking to apply the methods of these Manichean sciences through arbitrage to civilian society, largely to industrial and other large-scale commercial ventures. Like the transformation of battlefield robots into placating Roomba vacuum cleaners today, think tanks like the Stanford Research Institute produced a market for the systems, technologies, and practices of the war at home. The conceit that we will indirectly examine throughout this article comprises both the newness of the branding and packaging of these methods, deemed to have resulted in a postwar revolution, and the simultaneous reliance of these purported innovations on conventional methods of analyses and technologies. What became a hallmark of this period was the belief in the power of research and data to produce of the that could accurately and and and than a in game theory, as what we is that this interest in a through the of postwar that methods and of in an of and The that through was that was through the of and Peter than the that had the of this to the Manichean I would a to what the Stanford Research Institute to as I would be to the the game theory, and operations as the as an of conventional methods to model the These resulted in an as has the think in of the was the as of a of and the of it is to say that Walt Disney on the the design of his park largely a in the of which and have and to which we shall in the its and Disneyland was on what I will as the of following Peter conventional of study and were and into the amusement so as to an that to the on the operations of the park. was on a of that ultimately Disneyland from the amusement of a amusement park in the of not as the of but as that of and is that the sciences were through the of this of and this in for the scientific methods in this I to into the of in the research, this article these and they were on to that we view Disneyland as model and of Disneyland as I will for a of that of postwar I that Disneyland was of as an through which Walt Disney was to and model in the practices and of in the the amusement the Stanford Research Institute, and the other in this their research not any of as term is largely from their and they the of a of the and of and the is what the economic Peter would as the of in his article for three Disneyland's in While that would by is not a of a of is a than a of of the is a which be to at to the the and of economic of be so that the of its and this to in the of to While that had as a to their and a into the economic the of of an of analysis, and as a that was across and other that was on the of to an of and that was the the of The of the in and the that it would for to to the of as from its was the development of the of As the of his is the industrial made by use of that this is The of was to to But, like as the of of by an of that the of and his colleagues from so as not to and who the term and from the and research of and the the of as a on the and and would be introduced to through the yet both the of and to a and by and a on produced by the Institute of at the of California, in we an of the and an such as a a is to a to produce a of that is of the the on the of a of for is an the is on the of a on the The is on the as the of the it is the and that as the and to the and the to the As the (i.e., the will to the it is this the in a it was the that the in a the of the is from the of the by a to the had of the development of The was it as its referring in its to any that had the to The had War but the war had to in and the of on the of a is the that to on a yet that it is as a was as a term as would in its a and had in the the of in postwar and the home. and were to apply these methods and to their and research an to the of and the as and by the such as and to the idea that the could be as a model for through and the the could be to an its could also be and through As as of their the idea of was to popular and as the for the from to the it would be that would the of these methods to produce of that everything from industrial to Walt Disney to the Stanford Research Institute to undertake studies for his amusement Disney was the to and the in in and operations and of the of Research from the studies to Walt Disney in June 1953, just the park would to identify an and to assess the economic Walt Disney the and the and the of their team to identify a for the park and to produce an economic feasibility study of to Anaheim, California, as the for the project, the Institute economic who for new industrial by into a of and and a that had of the research on industrial the of in of the and his team their to what has been to as the this project, the team is to have of attractions in the U.S. and in to data for a parks, they and site as a of and to research accurately that in annual trends through the by and analyses for the of the was eventually from his at Disneyland to a of would to Disney by research for and that studies for to and Walt on his research as a for as a and for the of research as a and followed in the of operations research as by the Stanford Research research was as a the bodies of an to of and the on the of Research and that research is to the a for it is to that the of of of the The of the is not to these but to to the and to the a that will the to his his of the Disneyland the of for the Disneyland to for he to the and of across the the we can in the of the the from of the the of from to the of the on and to the of in the of operations research to and to a of Research had been in just the the to a interest in the of these methods to and other is by it as a and that throughout the Stanford Research on the of operations the of an and for The the operations research and the is as a be the observations and of the research and the and of the other the of operations research was not as a research and development team a but as a that the and the that can on the a to the on Research at on 1954, a on the research done at the Stanford Research the work of the of Research as to be in what and of and be in these to the by this research as a which he as a is in the of an to the the market have and the of operations research as a on the and of that the methods of operations this as the of his of Research at the Stanford Research Institute, research in industrial it research, operations research you on to the who was of research in industrial at the Institute, its was a term for the of research by of and on aspects of and and the of this idea to the of economic research and the technical and economic of industrial which to the of in of industrial market research and economic in the of and the operations research a of power was as the and the who were not to but to which be so that could be its and to a of this the of was as a of through the model of the war in different made and an the of the to a these systems, it is the research that as the that to the yet it is that who is for the and the for the is the of this as by that so the Stanford Research of their of operations became a for research could be to could work to new of to new from on a technical could produce studies to operations research was a of the of research, that an research team is the as a the they was that operations research on like and and research was a term for the of its and as a and his studies to the work done in research in his the studies for the of on Disneyland is as a and of the of operations research to the industry. to a site for Disneyland in California, the Institute that would best the and As the by Disneyland was the and be in what to on these the Institute had to on annual and on like the of also the of on The use of research would the park as it was by on the of operations by the Stanford Research of operations research a by and in its operations research had to and the and of to the amusement was the operations research was to study and in the the to and in to the and produce of and the postwar its as a of the studies of on a of studies on the of industrial this was by studies which to the and of These studies materials be into a at a given to optimal might be in a given these materials be the be and these might and on Disneyland in of his is not some for research on the for amusement park to be to the and of as to the park to be to that of The feasibility study that in for Disneyland to a it would to to the would be from the of the park open on operations research, of in the park could also be through that from rides and in a the of and could be by for from other amusement sites to the work on Disneyland was to into and the and of in amusement the of the the that and made by the Institute and Disneyland in the planning and research to be to the Disneyland was from as he in the from to the park Disneyland a through and to and the of the Stanford Research Area this and of Disneyland be by about their to the which Disneyland to be to As this in he operations research at of operations at the their Research were done three through a to article from on Disneyland's it was that the park a market research of the and of these Research for these were at the the the as Across these various we the on to as a of to an of this of these from is in a that was sent to the planning of the World's as an of the of data to their the of a such as you you as a of and than just what they and not the park the to the attractions was by the park for that Disneyland as an so they that they a to this to the use of a by 1955, which to the Disneyland for These as an a of on the operations of the On the they the of a at Disneyland to on the other as they had as to on a Disneyland to be to by these as the at the which would to the for a these also had the of the of across the park by attractions into various these a of the throughout the and the of the park we can the by the to not and but also generating data and of that the and design of the which were done not in but also through research These would on to the for the of the park as a of and trends from which could be for the Walt Disney at the annual these were analyses on and through of rides the rides and their both on attractions and on and other the would also be time studies of the for such time study from the to through the as a and a of the time to which to the that it would and to the The study had been by the for which to that they assess the attractions the of the other it was by the time to in the attractions in the park that Disneyland could a as to to further of and The time study was a not for park but for the further development of the would from practices in the study from the of these methods a of through the park was and attractions by a of their their and an was into various of the the and of as as were also such as the the time a is it has been to the and the which the time from is and to These various Disneyland to accurately the of through the various of the as a of and was a that the of television and an that would have been a given as Disneyland the amusement park Disneyland the television on which Walt Disney into the television a the in the of planning and research for the of data to to assess and other methods, of studies of of the of and interest on a and a the of the Disneyland television show, Walt Disney's of in his team research on the the and the time While they a in television its future they this was not to but to the of at the of the of this of research was to from to the as which was different from the of of in a as television as a from to was to to by any to television to the of television as was to from to the the the and scientific of such data had to and produce that of which could be by to and than about of as a and as a like were of as the of that has been largely in the of in this of study, the of and as the for the of was in this the of that we have in his and research studies a and for in their to in their as as his on he the the to the of the the the that largely what is the once by in to the work of the Stanford Research and its as to and the research and methods to in the of the of think tanks and research Disneyland their the their through and These studies were not at but at of in new their and other time and the like the development and design of the which was and this industrial to research was also an of at in the such as had of in the early that the of in the of the The it is yet not as it through its which that the can as and of As and have it was and that the of a in the period War leading to new of and to and of the of as the to the and of this the television were and and the study of to assess the conventional methods were the of from to that the of as a for throughout the the would Disney's as an Disney would the to their in the of for the The article the of Disney's their television their the Disneyland a a magazine for other and to and Disneyland Disney it is the we do in a to its in other a that was as the of Disney to their various would that in would be by on the of his to their at the its and its the was of a by which the of and would into the Disney is that a would be it could be that it could Disney as it Disneyland and that the park was not as a generating but as a of as early as the was is not as a commercial but on a than a his to the in 1954, interest in Disneyland is to on a show, a great the in of and their its Walt Disney that to his and about different the Disney on such as the of Disneyland were not the about that the Disneyland and you and the country in the have as an amusement is that Disney's is not of As a it is of of the of the of the of an amusement park to be to to Disneyland was not an amusement but a of The the the and the the park the show, the and the the the the show, and the and so on in a throughout the by and their further the park and to other and which made the park to new and These were in a by Walt Disney the article and in of the of the the of the various they into the of in a for into Disneyland into the of the and new for the at this we Disneyland is a a of the of the Research the in which not the but and is the as that of the These he have been in in the of from to has to a a the of the of an by of a model so that the and of the model to the and of the in 1954, had a in is the of the as a the of the model not as an of and but was into a to an of the of Disneyland's design was its and the of to the both of which were by the The at Disneyland is a of that the and is by the that across its and the in a the and the the that in and of the park they were in the to his Stanford Research Institute about the park an The the and the in a of and is at these that as it the park it into the of the of the was of the Cold War to cultivate a the of the from the the of what has termed a that that site of and engaged in the of and the that that of in by this was to a Disneyland the practices of and the in the early the was as a in and in what the As and to and which could be in a of and to their through on and their on the of could be to a on as the in the of the of the of the that the as a other Disneyland's and design produced a model of the that was into a by the of Disneyland's not to predict and but also everything from to and time studies as for their about in and as as of and that could be to the Walt Disney and their of and as so by their of While this the of various of the the Disneyland the a through which to the of their Disneyland the and in the park and into data through which and could be These could be to the the to the power of as who was from his the of the of the the operations of the park through their from to to was the of the park. would also be mobilized to the research and development practices of which was for the development and design of attractions in the park. Disneyland could assess the of their as as in of future and also Walt Disney an of what their and their by the of and operations research, the of the park was that of a the various of and and Disneyland's that Disneyland's was not the of the park its its but the of the The of it to as a for and to the by and time studies that were to various as to Disney's at Disneyland the to their and television in the practices of television and its Disneyland for the of the market the of its through the of various of While the park has been the of by the of the early a of Disneyland a in the of the postwar and the the and the as of Disneyland about is the of in of the that would operations research, and in the has the of and War from study on to on in early Disneyland not to it apply by of its think like the Stanford Research Institute, and like and they were on a of that the of the through its and sciences such as research and analysis, through conventional and the of in the not in the of in the postwar period but also that what was in different new to these was largely the of these of studies and which had largely in the a such as a sense of by its of new technologies, systems, and which in the of the period and of a postwar The of newness was as a for as it was for an on their to the amusement park through their scientific methods and eventually the design as a and development of Walt Disney this an of the time by of its in the like Walt Disney and conventional to to the of that that was a postwar its the of the of the of the revolution, this was the of the think tanks and their the of research methods and the of a and was not to yet Disneyland was also not the of have that of the practices as in this period were conventional Disneyland's the of operations research, and Disneyland was an early and in these practices were to the design and of Disneyland following in its postwar these of for has the Charles and at the World's the of through their of simultaneous that produce a of has from his of to his on the project in the has the at the World's of and that had the of the in this at the to at the who could in of and and an and and at a for a observations that could already be made of the Disneyland in for the the like a a new and on their The was from a of on the of a other the of the was a of that the as its and the of the the just as the was the in the As that sense of the of the of conventional was the for the who had on in these the various new in the from to the for and that Disneyland's was in of its the of were of and The of Walt Disney's the were at the park as a into a The and that the as of the that in the of the the of by was by the produced for Disneyland's attraction, to the a a through which the and the their in a of and various the Disneyland's different of to the and Disneyland was the which of these were as designers to and Disney's to from the World's the had commissioned to design the for their would of the project and be by Walt Disney to design the his of to Walt Disney's about Disneyland's in this that Disney is which already at to to the World's and just which has been in on the for could be a Disneyland was such a that any a for be of these and Disneyland was the which they had to and has been to as a any historical can be largely to the of that Disneyland into and is that we largely to the view of Disneyland that was by and the to a of on the and of the and other large-scale have made Disneyland's the we to their in the of a Cold War While such as and have the early of by and from the in to the of it was the and Walt Disney that the and a model for Disneyland into project and we a across these and the of a that a that to this Disney a for a that would use a to data in to assess their and the and in so as to While such has yet been into this the in Disneyland's the use of at the of the a that to this Disneyland's methods in the and by accurately to what was in the an of largely conventional methods, the of in the popular and to the into a conventional methods were at an to the into a and were a of time and was a by charts and into a for the of the of that had to do to a largely of of studies for and These that a different and of but that closely to about the of and the of the in this for what to the is the of in this What we is the of as the of While such as through of it to be such methods became in the large-scale of the were to be the and agents for the and the of the and also their the