Disney’s Utopia

To create a perfect society. That was the dream that Walt Disney had in the 1960’s when he dreamt up the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (1). Today, this is better known as Disney’s theme park, EPCOT. In 1995, however, the Disney people established their own town, making another of Walt’s dreams come true. Simply named Celebration, it is located in central Florida. In order to live in the utopian community, there are strict guidelines that each and every citizen must follow, known in the legal world as a “covenant”. Disney’s covenant to live in Celebration is known as Celebration’s Declaration of Covenants. It is an extensive 166-page document that has both its positives and negatives for citizens living in this “perfect” little town.

The covenant signed by the citizens of Celebration has many positives to it. One of them is that it does not allow an established church or government in the town (4). This is a positive because there cannot be a division of the citizens by any type of local politics or religious affiliations. It keeps everyone on an equal level and no one is looked at differently. Another positive that is a direct effect of the covenant is the sense of unity that is found in Celebration, Florida. Certain specifications found in the 166-page Celebration’s Declaration of Covenants include certain shrubs that can be planted in yards, each house is a certain number of feet away from the street, and fences can only be a certain height (1). Other specifications include: the positioning of garden gnomes and birdbaths, and only one campaign poster is allowed during election season and can only be displayed for forty-five days (3). This sense of unity makes people feel equal to everyone else, and allows for people to not worry about physical appearances as they do in the real world.

The layout of the town, which is specified in the covenant, is also something that positively affects the town. Ridding the town of cul-de-sacs and having narrow streets helps to slow down traffic and encourages people to walk to different places (2). Downtown is conveniently located very closely to all of the original houses built in the town (2). This makes the citizens of this utopian town interact in a way in which almost every single other town has forgotten. Most American towns are so fast-paced and spread out, while Celebration is more slowed-down, representing a more 1950’s and 60’s lifestyle. A very strong sense of community can be found here, thanks to the layout and little details of the town. Also, purchasing one of the houses or properties in Celebration is an excellent investment for anyone; the long-term home equity that is built on this property is large (2). Land is something that (almost) never decreases in value, and this prime and exclusive location provides an excellent means to gain wealth in property.

Each of these houses has to follow very strict exterior specifications; however, the interior can be completely customized (4). This is a positive aspect because it adds some individuality to what seems to be a “cookie cutter” house. A family may furnish their house as they wish, as long as it is something that is reasonable.

A utopia is only something that can be conceived through theory, because of the idea that is “perfect”. Celebration is one of the few utopian societies that exist today in the United States. However, because of its corporate backing, Celebration is the most famous of these “perfect” societies. The human race is constantly looking for improvement and perfection with the formation of this town, and with such detail and care taken into account; this could be the foundation for future trials of an entire utopian society. Having a large universal covenant is something needed for a utopia, and there is no better place to test this than within the Disney Corporation. With their attention to perfection, it is the closest thing that we have today to being an equal and perfect society. Disney could have started something with laying the foundation for a future “perfect society”, all with the dreams of one man.

Although the positives are plenty, there are just as many negatives about Celebration’s Declaration of Covenants, and this is where many of the potential legal issues may stem from. A large negative is the citizen’s loss of their freedom of speech. With issues such as the schooling in Celebration, where specially trained teachers, who do not teach using grades, or textbooks, teach students, there is a severe lack in freedom of speech (2). Many parents are skeptical of the schools and their teaching methods, and they have no say in the policies that are being taught to their children (2). Another example of the citizen’s lack of free speech is the unity that