- How These Novels Redefined the American Dream - August 12, 2025
- 20 Songs Inspired by American Literature - August 12, 2025
- 20 Songs That Became Unofficial National Anthems - August 11, 2025
Disneyland: A Dream Built on Displacement
Long before Sleeping Beauty’s Castle became an icon, the land beneath Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was home to thriving orange groves and small farmers. In the early 1950s, Walt Disney’s company quietly bought up huge parcels of land under fake company names. Dozens of families were forced to sell at below-market prices, often feeling tricked and powerless in the face of such a giant. Recent research highlights that Anaheim’s transformation led to a housing crisis that still haunts the city today, with local families struggling as property values soared after Disneyland’s opening in 1955. The resentment lingers—some descendants still talk about the “Disney swindle,” and historians like Richard Foglesong have written extensively about this land grab and its impact. Instead of a fairytale beginning, Disneyland’s real story is one of local loss and upheaval.
Universal Studios Hollywood: From Ranchland to Risky Stunts
Universal Studios Hollywood sits on land that was once part of the historic Lankershim Ranch, a sprawling agricultural enterprise in the San Fernando Valley. When Universal bought the property in 1915, it destroyed local farms and uprooted communities. The theme park’s early days were shockingly dangerous—stunt shows and pyrotechnic displays often resulted in accidents. In the 1960s and 1970s, workers suffered burns, falls, and even deaths, prompting state investigations. According to the Los Angeles Times, Universal faced multiple lawsuits as it prioritized spectacle over worker safety, a tension that shaped how the park developed its attractions.
Six Flags Over Texas: Segregation and Civil Rights Protests
Opened in 1961, Six Flags Over Texas is famous for its thrilling rides, but its early years were marred by racial segregation. Black families were initially barred from entering, sparking local civil rights protests. In 1962, activists organized sit-ins and letter-writing campaigns, forcing the park to integrate. Newspapers from the era, like The Dallas Morning News, documented the heated confrontations at the gates. Even after desegregation, subtle discrimination persisted in hiring and ride access. The original “family fun” image masked a struggle for basic rights that shaped the park’s legacy.
SeaWorld Orlando: Behind the Tanks
SeaWorld Orlando’s aquatic wonders hide a controversial history. Since opening in 1973, the park has captured and displayed orcas and dolphins, often taken from the wild in traumatic hunts. The 2013 documentary “Blackfish” revealed the psychological and physical harm suffered by captive animals, sparking public outrage and plummeting attendance. According to The Washington Post, SeaWorld’s orca breeding program was plagued by animal injuries and trainer deaths, most notably the tragic 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. The park’s history is a reminder that entertainment can come at a steep ethical cost.
Cedar Point: Labor Fights on Lake Erie
Cedar Point bills itself as “America’s Roller Coast,” but its origins are tangled with labor strife. In the early 20th century, workers at the Ohio park toiled in harsh conditions for meager pay, living in cramped dorms. A 1919 strike for better wages and hours turned violent, with police called to break up the walkout. Newspapers like the Sandusky Register covered the clashes between management and labor, which continued into the 1970s with seasonal workers. Even today, Cedar Point faces criticism for low pay and tough working conditions, especially for international students brought in on temporary visas.
Knotts Berry Farm: From Bootleggers to Boardwalks
Before it was a family-friendly theme park, Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, was surrounded by bootlegging operations during Prohibition. The Knott family’s berry stand thrived partly due to the illegal trade nearby, drawing crowds to the area for more than just boysenberry pie. By the 1940s, the park’s “Ghost Town” attractions romanticized the Wild West, but often glossed over the violence and lawlessness of the real frontier. Local police records from the era show regular raids on nearby speakeasies, a contrast to the sanitized nostalgia sold to visitors.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: Brewing Controversy
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was conceived as a way for the Anheuser-Busch brewery to distract from growing criticism over alcohol advertising. Opened in 1959, the park’s free beer tastings attracted families—but also led to drunken brawls and arrests. Tampa police records from the 1960s and 1970s document frequent disturbances and public intoxication at the park. The animal exhibits, meanwhile, were criticized by early animal welfare advocates for cramped cages and poor conditions, as reported by The Tampa Tribune. Over time, Busch Gardens has tried to clean up its image, but its roots are undeniably tied to booze and controversy.
Magic Kingdom: Racial Exclusion Behind the Scenes
When Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom opened in Florida in 1971, it wowed the world. However, backstage, the park enforced discriminatory hiring practices. Black workers were largely restricted to jobs out of sight from guests, such as janitorial or kitchen roles. Local civil rights leaders protested, and newspapers like the Orlando Sentinel reported on lawsuits and boycotts throughout the 1970s. Disney eventually changed its policies, but the wounds lingered. Today, the park celebrates diversity, but its origins were marked by exclusion and inequality.
Splash Mountain: A Ride Born of Racist Roots
One of Disney’s most popular rides, Splash Mountain, was inspired by the controversial 1946 film “Song of the South,” which has long been criticized for its racist stereotypes. When the ride opened in 1989 at Disneyland and later at other Disney parks, activists and historians condemned it for glorifying a film with deeply problematic portrayals of Black characters. In 2020, after global protests for racial justice, Disney announced plans to re-theme Splash Mountain, as covered by NPR. The ride’s legacy is a stark reminder that nostalgia can sometimes mask darker truths.
Dollywood: Displacing Appalachian Communities
Dollywood, nestled in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, is a source of pride for many. But its construction in the 1980s led to the displacement of local families and the loss of traditional Appalachian land. Oral histories from the region, collected by the University of Tennessee, tell of homes bulldozed and old cemeteries relocated. The park’s commercial success often overshadows these histories, with tourism dollars flowing in while long-time residents feel like outsiders in their own community.
Great America: Native American Burial Grounds
California’s Great America amusement park sits on land once inhabited by the Ohlone people. According to local archaeological surveys, construction in the 1970s uncovered Native American burial sites and artifacts. The remains were quickly relocated, sometimes without proper consultation with tribal leaders, as detailed in the San Jose Mercury News. The park’s expansion continued despite protests, and the history of the original inhabitants is almost invisible to visitors today.
Hersheypark: Chocolate Empire’s Child Labor
Uploaded by clusternote, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28883071)
Hersheypark in Pennsylvania was built as an amusement park for the workers of Hershey’s chocolate factory. In the early 20th century, the company used child labor in its cocoa supply chain, a fact well-documented by labor historians and organizations like the International Labor Rights Forum. While the park itself was a reward for employees, the sweet treats that funded it came at a bitter cost. Reports as recent as 2021 have found ongoing concerns about child labor in cocoa production, which continues to cast a shadow over the Hershey brand.
Legoland Florida: Plantation Past
Before it was a shrine to plastic bricks, the land that now hosts Legoland Florida was home to Cypress Gardens, one of Florida’s first theme parks. But even before that, it was the site of a 19th-century plantation that used enslaved labor. Historical records from Polk County show that the land’s wealth was built on the backs of Black workers who had no say in their fate. Today, no trace of this past is visible amid the colorful attractions and smiling minifigures.
Kings Island: Building on Toxic Waste
Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio, opened in 1972 after relocating from the original Coney Island site. But the new park was built near old industrial waste dumps. According to a 2022 investigative report from WCPO Cincinnati, workers and neighbors have long complained about chemical odors and strange illnesses. Some lawsuits allege that the soil and groundwater are contaminated with hazardous substances from decades-old factories, a legacy the park has struggled to address publicly.
Astroworld: Deadly Stampede
Astroworld in Houston was once a beloved theme park, but its legacy is forever linked to tragedy. In 2021, the Astroworld music festival held on the former park’s grounds ended in disaster when a crowd crush killed ten people and injured hundreds. Investigations by The Houston Chronicle revealed that organizers had ignored warnings about overcrowding and insufficient medical staff. The site now stands as a grim reminder of what can go wrong when profit is prioritized over safety.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Racism on the Sand
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is California’s oldest amusement park, but for decades, Black and Mexican-American families were barred from the beach and the rides. Local historians and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History have documented numerous “whites only” policies that persisted through the 1950s. Lawsuits and protests eventually forced the park to integrate, but for many years, the “fun in the sun” was reserved for a privileged few.
Silver Dollar City: Mining Exploitation
Silver Dollar City in Missouri is themed around the 1880s Ozarks, but the story it tells is incomplete. The park sits on land once worked by miners who faced brutal conditions and frequent accidents. According to the Missouri State Archives, mining companies in the area were notorious for exploiting workers, many of them children and immigrants. The park’s “authentic” mining attractions are inspired by a past filled with hardship and injustice, not just adventure.
Lake Compounce: Tragedy and Train Wrecks
Lake Compounce in Connecticut is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the U.S., but its early years were plagued by deadly accidents. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, faulty rides and train wrecks on the park’s miniature railway claimed multiple lives, as reported in local newspapers like the Hartford Courant. These tragedies led to public outcry and stricter safety regulations, but the park’s reputation was forever changed.
Disney California Adventure: Bulldozing History
When Disney built California Adventure in Anaheim, it demolished entire neighborhoods, including historic buildings and mom-and-pop businesses. The Los Angeles Times covered the outcry from local residents, who felt their community was being erased in the name of progress. Many small business owners received little compensation and struggled to rebuild elsewhere. The glitzy park now stands where generations once lived, worked, and dreamed.
Enchanted Forest: Mob Ties and Money Laundering
Oregon’s Enchanted Forest might seem innocent, but state police files from the 1970s reveal a web of connections to organized crime. Investigations found that some early investors were using the park to launder money from illegal gambling operations. While the park eventually cleaned up its act, the whispers of mob influence still color local legends. The story is a reminder that even the most whimsical places can have roots in darkness.
Frontier City: A Cowboy Facade Over Indigenous Land
Frontier City in Oklahoma City capitalizes on Old West nostalgia, but the land it occupies was once home to indigenous tribes pushed out by U.S. expansion. According to Oklahoma Historical Society archives, the park’s opening in 1958 ignored the land’s pre-existing Native American history. Instead, the attractions glorified cowboys and outlaws while erasing the memory of tribes who called the area home for centuries. The frontier myth comes at the cost of real stories left untold.
End.
Besides founding Festivaltopia, Luca is the co founder of trib, an art and fashion collectiv you find on several regional events and online. Also he is part of the management board at HORiZONTE, a group travel provider in Germany.
