ABSTRACT
EPCOT is the ultimate example of Disneyfication. Ironically it was originally intended as a prototype community of tomorrow (Figure 51). Instead, it has become an embarrassing showcase for stereotyping each country that has the dubious honor of being parodied. The inauthentic nature of this orgy of Disneyfication is appropriate as it is a Disney production. The audacity of EPCOT is only exceeded by the current version of Las Vegas. Las Vegas is EPCOT on steroids. Where else can you experience Paris, Venice, New York, and a mammoth “Egyptian” glass pyramid within walking distance of each other? Theme cities are another version of this phenomenon. The Old West, New Orleans, Key West, and the medieval European town (the new urbanism) have been recreated throughout North America. Often the recreation is achieved by the use of stucco to represent stone and fiberglass or plastics to represent everything else, including tile roofs.
