Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Understanding the Contemporary Theme Park : Theming, Immersion and Fandom
- 3 Fandom, Brandom and Plandom : Haptic Fandom, Anticipatory Labour and Digital Knowledge
- 4 Extending the Haunted Mansion : Spatial Poaching, Participatory Narratives and Retrospective Transmedia
- 5 Of Mice and Minions : ‘Ani-embodiment’ and ‘Metonymic Celebrity’ in the Theme Park Character Encounter
- 6 Turkey Legs, Dole Whip and Duff : Consumables, Diegetic Paratexts and ‘Cult-Culinary’ Objects
- 7 Embodied Transmedia and Paratextual-Spatio Play : Consuming, Collecting and Costuming Theme Park Merchandise
- 8 Replacing and Remembering Rides : Ontological Security, Authenticity and Online Memorialization
- 9 Conclusion: Ways Forward for Theme Park and Fan Studies
- Index
6 - Turkey Legs, Dole Whip and Duff : Consumables, Diegetic Paratexts and ‘Cult-Culinary’ Objects
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Understanding the Contemporary Theme Park : Theming, Immersion and Fandom
- 3 Fandom, Brandom and Plandom : Haptic Fandom, Anticipatory Labour and Digital Knowledge
- 4 Extending the Haunted Mansion : Spatial Poaching, Participatory Narratives and Retrospective Transmedia
- 5 Of Mice and Minions : ‘Ani-embodiment’ and ‘Metonymic Celebrity’ in the Theme Park Character Encounter
- 6 Turkey Legs, Dole Whip and Duff : Consumables, Diegetic Paratexts and ‘Cult-Culinary’ Objects
- 7 Embodied Transmedia and Paratextual-Spatio Play : Consuming, Collecting and Costuming Theme Park Merchandise
- 8 Replacing and Remembering Rides : Ontological Security, Authenticity and Online Memorialization
- 9 Conclusion: Ways Forward for Theme Park and Fan Studies
- Index
Summary
Abstract
This chapter considers food and drink within theme parks as consumable paratexts which may occupy different levels of status depending on fan distinctions surrounding their perceived authenticity, adherence to expectations about the product, and status as branded or non-branded products. The chapter considers the immersive potential of such items, as well as themed restaurants and bars, and also analyses the cult following that theme park fans have afforded to certain products that originate within the parks themselves such as the Dole Whip (a pineapple ice-cream that has a cult fandom amongst many Disney fans). It also examines the implications when pre-existing fans of other artists (in this case, American singer Jimmy Buffett) may clash with the commercially owned spaces of the theme park.
Keywords: culinary paratexts, diegetic paratexts, paratexts, cult-culinary items, food and drink, themed restaurants
Introduction
This chapter focuses on a different element of the fan visit to theme parks by exploring the importance of non-ride experiences. It considers food and drink as potential paratexts (Gray 2010), and restaurants and bars as themed spaces. There are numerous online spaces dedicated to discussing the food and drink available at the Disney and Universal theme parks and many of these meticulously list restaurants, food and drink options and prices, and tips on the best choices to make when in the parks. As well as performing informational functions for future guests, such archiving also allows visitors to review and remember their own visits by passing on advice to others and discussing their own experiences as part of the cyclical nature of fannish trips. For example, certain restaurants within the Disney theme parks are considered to be extremely poor and those who end up eating in them are often dismissed as ill-informed ‘newbies’.
The chapter also considers how food and drink as an important element of the immersive theme park experience. The provision of food and drink is clearly key to themed spaces, especially in relation to its links to immersion and world-building; as Milman notes, ‘In today's theme parks […] theming is reflected through architecture, landscaping, costumed personnel, rides, shows, food services, merchandising, and any other services that impact the guest experience. (2010, p. 221).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Theme Park FandomSpatial Transmedia, Materiality and Participatory Cultures, pp. 153 - 180Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2020