• Byzantine artisans understood much about the natural world, able to create artificial stony surfaces
  • Disneyland does the same thing; the stone used near the Disneyland castle is artificial, manmade stone that gives a sense of whimsy
    • Disneyland castle was inspired by European castles
      • One of the inspirations, New Swanstone Castle, was also a copy of a medieval castle, meaning that the Disneyland castle is a copy of a copy
  • Much of Disneyland is all artificial and manmade; each aspect is carefully tailored to produce a “show” for theme park goers, and the entire park can be thought of as a “stage”
    • Consider the Matterhorn Bobsled ride: snow is really white paint, “snow noise” is generated from polyurethane tires, etc.
    • Manmade structures turn into “natural” landscapes
  • The Venetian in Las Vegas was also based off of European landscapes (Venice, St. Mark’s Plaza)
    • Similar to Disneyland in the sense that it is a copy of a copy; St. Mark’s is based off of the Byzantine Empire
  • Simulation is a form of deceit, challenges one’s own observations and asks them what is real or not
    • Examples include fake sky backdrops, lighting hidden by rocks, technology concealed by both natural and manmade objects
    • Sometimes, Disneyland allows you to see behind the curtain, such as in Main Street where you can see the infrastructure behind the buildings