The Mindcrime Liberty Show explores whether Disney is more "real" than the places it has replicated—Paris, London, and Japan. From an anthropological perspective, people worldwide, including Americans, treat Disney parks as pilgrimage sites (or what we commonly call "vacations"). When travelers visit Europe, they often flock to relics of the past—historic but static landmarks. Disney, despite its flaws, remains a living space—a self-consciously manufactured environment. By contrast, the thriving downtowns championed by urbanists are often tourist hubs or college-adjacent districts. When urbanists attempt revitalization, they frequently recreate a theme park-like atmosphere. Yet unlike cities repurposed as museums or pseudo-theme parks, Disney is a theme park—making it authentically artificial, while many cities become inauthentically "real." Other entertainment conglomerates, like Universal, operate parks of comparable scale. But Disney’s physical destinations and unmatched intellectual property (IP) portfolio keep it uniquely dominant. Its parks rank among the top destinations for international visitors to the U.S., and its European and Asian locations thrive. This raises a provocative question: Are Disney parks more "real" than the places their visitors hail from, domestically or abroad? Where is culture truly manufactured? Traditional pilgrimage sites—churches, temples—often function as museums first, sacred spaces second. Meanwhile, if children absorb values and lifestyles from Disney films (and other media giants), then perhaps the parks—where those fantasies materialize—are the most real places in our media-saturated world.
