Disneyfication describes how the real world is becoming more and more like a theme park - like Disneyland. It has occurred throughout the world and Malaysia is not an exception.
There is already a strong presence of many international brands in Malaysia, including Starbucks, McDonald's, Pepsi, KFC, Nike, Reebok and many more. This economic globalization tends to push local variety aside. So instead of going to Malaysia to savour the Penang hawker street fare, tourists may now be able to choose to have fast food from McDonald's as well.
Disney’s theme parks in Florida, California, Tokyo and Paris were the first and most successful attempts to meld entertainment with consumerism. They are fantasy worlds where we can go to, to escape the stress of daily life from time to time. But the Disney theme park idea has metastasized and in the process it’s become a dominant model for both urban and commercial development. Several theme parks in Malaysia incorporate the elements of entertainment with consumerism as well. The parks include A'Famosa Resort, Melaka; Sunway Lagoon, Kuala Lumpur; Genting Theme Park; Pahang; Mines Wonderland, Kuala Lumpur and many more.
Another aspect of disneyfication is the adoption of Western culture. This is evident in Malaysia as the youths these days wear t-shirts and jeans instead of the traditional Malay attire of baju kurung and baju melayu.
Works Cited:
Disneyfication of the World