Chapman University in Orange, California is located only a few miles from Disneyland. — Photos: KEVIN SULLIVAN/Orange County Register/ZUMA/dpa
Just a few miles from Disneyland, Chapman University and its students have built a connection to Disney that runs deep.
Not only do students plan trips to Disneyland during weekdays, after work or on a weekend, but the university embraces the magic of Walt Disney on campus, too.
Located in Orange, California, the United States - and so close to Disneyland that the nightly firework displays are visible from campus - Chapman University plans annual student trips to the park, hosts Disney exhibitions and is the home of first Disney president Jack Lindquist's memorabilia collection.
Some professors incorporate Disney into classes; and now, the university is considering a Walt Disney academic programme.
"One reason why I picked Chapman is kind of how close it was to Disney. And because we are so close, there's so many people that love it and just want to go all the time," said Becca Grae, student and director of communications and marketing at Club 55.
Visitors to Disneyland walk up Main Street USA just after the gates opened in Anaheim, California, on April 30, 2021. — JEFF GRITCHEN/Orange County Register/ZUMA/dpa
Grae, who has an annual pass, added that she just went to the park "literally this morning".
Founded in 2013, the Disney-focused student organisation Club 55 takes its name from Club 33, the private Disneyland club.
Fifty-five is a reference to the year Disneyland opened. Club 55 is one of the largest clubs at Chapman. Members often compete in games for prizes and host get-togethers at Downtown Disney.
Upon joining, members take a Disney-themed personality test. They're asked questions like which Disney hero they'd like to meet most and which Pixar film deserves a sequel.
Students cross the Bert Williams Mall in front of Memorial Hall at Chapman University.
The quiz, like a Hogwarts sorting hat, assigns each member to a "land", which they'll be a part of for the semester. Fantasyland usually has the most people.
"Our club is really well known since we're so close to Disney and everything. Everyone's pretty excited about it," Amy Walker, student and president of Club 55, said.
"I feel like it's nice for students to have a break from their studying to get to escape to Disney magic."
They say many Chapman students have annual passes, regardless if they are Club 55 members or not, and a lot of students work at the parks.
"Two people on the [Club 55] board actually do work at the park. One works for Guardians, and one works for the Ferris wheel," said Grae.
Chapman University plans annual student trips to the park, hosts Disney exhibitions and is the home of first Disney president Jack Lindquist's memorabilia collection.
The proximity to the theme parks is not lost on prospective students who are considering attending Chapman. Although Disneyland is not part of any formal presentations at new-student events, parents and students often bring it up.
"I can't recall doing a session where a question about Disney has not come up," Chris Hutchison, associate vice president and associate dean of students at Chapman University, said.
"'Do students get annual passes?' 'Do students go to Disneyland?' 'Is this something that I could get a job at?' Those kinds of questions, either by parents or students or prospective students themselves."
Disneyland Resort is Orange County's largest employer, generating US$16bil (RM67.7bil) in total economic activity in 2023 and creating 74,000 direct and indirect jobs in the county.
Hutchison said internships and jobs at Disney are popular with students, especially those in majors related to performing arts.
"It is definitely a presence for those who are looking for it, and I think even for those who don't necessarily come in seeking that proximity or closeness with Disney. But the energy, I think, is hard to ignore," Hutchison said.
Last year, Chapman University appointed presidential fellow Jeff Kurtti, a prolific Disney author and Walt Disney historian, to look into the feasibility of a Walt Disney studies programme at the university.
Kurtti said his greatest fear was that faculty would "turn up their noses and go, 'This is a stupid waste of time'", but he said it's been the complete opposite.
"I think the simplest analogy is every tertiary education institution in the world has some kind of Shakespeare studies. You can get a PhD in Shakespeare," Kurtti said, adding that Shakespeare's body of work is much smaller than Walt Disney's.
"But there's no serious academic or scholarly attention paid to Walt Disney and who he was and what he did and how that influenced culture and society and technology and the world," he added. "And within Chapman, you have a great many faculty and administration people who are actually just Disney fans."
Kurtti said the aim would initially be to create an academic minor and then build a curriculum crossing different disciplines, from film to communications and engineering to entertainment law, and there wouldn't be another programme like it in the nation.
As part of the fellowship, he's held four speaker events to gauge types of courses that could be created, and they drew hundreds in attendance.
The president will ultimately decide whether to move forward with the academic programme, and Kurtti says that decision could come as early as the end of this summer.
Kurtti sees great potential for the programme at Chapman, with the parks, studios and other Disney creative hubs nearby. He also said Chapman's vibe corresponds well with Disney.
"I think it's interesting: the location within Orange County and the adjacency of Disneyland, the culture of Chapman and the culture of Disney, and I mean, the sheer number of fan people that exist at Chapman, from students to faculty to administration," he said. "It was surprising to me." – By CHRISTINE HITT/dpa
