Week #7 Site Specific Blog: Downtown Disney

This is a photo I took of Downtown Disney, at around 9:00 pm on a Wednesday evening. My aim was to capture the lively and fun environment created by the bright lights, live band, and crowds of people walking in and out of stores and restaurants. As soon as I entered the cool and fancy shopping center, I felt different energies coming from each direction. Some people were tired after a clearly long day walking through the amusement park. There were sleeping children being carried by their parents and pushed along in strollers towards the parking lot. This tired energy was reflected in the blanket of night that was the backdrop of the scene. The sky was almost black, as the stars and moon seemed to be hiding. There were also energized and excited teens and young adults. Clearly this group was just beginning their night, anticipating a memorable evening with friends in a festive environment. This mood was reflected in the neon lights adorning the front doors of many of the restaurants and stores. These bold colors and blinding intensities screamed adrenaline and fun! Along with the tired and the excited, there were certain people who seemed relaxed and at ease; strolling along, browsing through stores, and maybe stopping at a stand for a churro or ice cream. This mellow energy was reflected in the twinkling lights on the trees, and the strings of subtle Christmas lights bordering the rooftops. The lighting story being told was that this was a place for everyone to come together and enjoy themselves in different ways. I found it to be successful in the variety of lights mirroring the variety of people and moods.



This is a photo of a store called Wonderworld. I found the lighting of this store to be particularly unsuccessful. While the rest of the shopping center seemed warm, friendly, and inviting, this store seemed out of place. The environment felt sterile and unwelcoming. I felt there was too much white, as each piece of furniture, as well as the walls, were a cold, stark, paper-white. The lights coming from the ceiling were also harshly white, beating down on the customers, providing an over-exposed, unpleasant environment. If this store had been lit in warmer, yellow tones, the rest of the white-on-white motif may have worked better. Because this store sold art work, I felt that its aesthetic was particularly important in attracting customers. I was definitely not attracted to this store, as it grabbed my attention in a negative way. This felt like an asylum rather than a place to look at art and take home a souvenir.



This is a photo of a store called World of Disney. I found the lighting and aesthetic of this store to be very successful. The wood, combined with the orange-yellow tone of the walls, automatically created a warm and inviting environment. Walking by, I immediately wanted to walk in and buy something. The decorative details provided texture and contrast that reflected the overall theme of the Downtown Disney shopping center. The pale green lights coming from above were a surprising choice, but were subtle enough to work. They complimented the yellow walls and the wooden panels and structures in the store. There were other small lights dispersed throughout the store, which added interest and another dimension of fun. There was a twinkling decoration which hung from the ceiling like a chandelier for children. This captured the imagination and added to the whimsy of the environment. Because the merchandise was cute and colorful, it added to the overall aesthetic and became decorative elements themselves. The happy and cheerful, yet subdued and classy ambiance of World of Disney, no doubt attracted many customers.