In 1993, the Walt Disney Company began quietly buying up land in northern Virginia near Manassas under the names of shell companies. When that happened in thee 1960s, we got Disney World. This time the plan was to open a theme park called Disney's America near Washington, DC. It would be dedicated to American history, with sections that followed eras in our country's history, such as a colonial square, a Civil War fort, and Ellis Island.
One might think that such a theme park might take away from the family activities of the nation's capital, where you can already see history displayed at the Smithsonian, the mall with its memorials, various museums, and the actual seat of government. And how would if affect the real battlefield of Manassas? As soon as the park was announced, historians expressed concerns over the Disneyfication of American history. There were plans to present Ellis Island with the Muppets! Under pressure, Disney changed its plans and decided to make the park more like its other theme parks, under the name Disney’s American Celebration. Then the whole project disappeared completely. Read about Disney's America, the theme park that never was, at the Conversation.
(Image credit: Mliu92)
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