Disney100: The Exhibition
Produced by the Walt Disney Company, ‘Disney100: The Exhibition’ is very much a Disnified version of Disney history. You’d expect nothing different from this globetrotting exhibition, which runs at the ExCel Centre until January. It is, after all, billed as a celebration of the family-friendly megacorp in its centenary year, not a dispassionate interrogation of its cultural impact. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but get the ick during the opening sequence, in which a twinkly-eyed projection of Walt Disney himself takes centre stage in a room that’s essentially a hagiographic shrine to the company’s founder, which we’re required to stay in for a fixed amount of time (unlike the rest of the exhibition, which we wander freely). Whether or not old Walt was a nice guy or not is a matter of some considerable debate, but this feels quite a lot like indoctrination. I mean I don’t think it brainwashed my kids or anything, but it’s a weird note to start on. That out of the way, it’s a slick, fun-for-all-ages showcase for Disney’s many creations and acquisitions over the years, from cartoons to ‘Star Wars’, theme parks to theme tunes. Each room hits a decent balance between cool props – the real BB8! Cinderella’s glass slipper! – interactive touch screen displays – particularly fun in the music room – and informed written panels that gives adults something to fasten on to. There are, naturally, copious selfie opportunities. Of course, it totally ignores the spicier episodes in the company