How the theme park got its power: the world's fair as cultural form

The first sense that the guest experiences is one of awe. From the minute that she steps through the front gate, she is transported to a place that looks nothing like the outside world. There are extravagant minarets that line the entrance, a series of castle walls, and multicolored fabrics that might never have existed outside this place. She further explores the space, discovering new surprises around every corner--an elaborate fountain that appears to have taken years and years to produce, a breathtaking video screen display that flashes evocative image after image, street performers who aim to delight her, and rides and machines that could have only been designed by technological wizards. She reflects on how there is so much to do and perhaps not much time to see everything, but the smells, sights, sounds, and sensations that seem to evoke multiple emotions at once compel her to seek out more, to explore, and to reflect on herself and the world.