E251 - Disneyland: Cold War Factory w/ Roland Betancourt
Podcast: American PrestigePublished On: Tue Jun 02 2026
Description: Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek speak with Roland Betancourt, Chancellor's Professor of Art History at UC Irvine, about Disneyland and the rise of automation in the U.S. They talk about Walt Disney’s move from animation to theme parks, the relationship between amusement parks and industrial production, Cold War technology and Southern California, Disney’s use of automation and control, labor in the theme park, Disney World and Epcot, and more. Grab your copy of Roland’s book Disneyland and the Rise of Automation: How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth. Don't forget about our weekly livestream, tomorrow night at 8pm ET over on our YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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