Roland Betancourt & Sara Velas discuss Disneyland & Automation

Author's talk at Book Soup in West Hollywood

Friday, May 15, 2026 - 7:00pm

Friday May 15th 7:00pm

OFFSITE at Book Soup

8818 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA

 

Velaslavasay Panorama Founder and Director Sara Velas leads a talk with writer Roland Betancourt, author of Disneyland and the Rise of Automation: How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth. A history of the engineering marvels behind one of America's most innovative and beloved entertainment experiences. Pre-purchase your copy today! - https://booksoup.com/event/2026-05-15/roland-betancourt

When Disneyland opened to the public in 1955, it demystified the hidden world of factory automation through its extraordinary new attractions. 

Disneyland and the Rise of Automation traces the origins and evolution of these technical innovations during the theme park's first three decades in operation, exploring how engineers reimagined the systems and machines of industrial manufacturing and the military. The magnetic tape used to test ballistic missiles was repurposed to animate the talking macaws in the Enchanted Tiki Room. Programmable Logic Controllers, widely used on automotive assembly lines, brought to life the spectacular rides of the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Space Mountain. Betancourt shows how these and other attractions helped to allay fears about automation and job displacement in 1950s America. Along the way, he situates Disneyland's remarkable creations within a broader history of the technologies that increasingly order and construct the world around us, from the Fordist factory to artificial intelligence.

 

**Note: this is an offsite event. Velaslavasay Panorama will be closing early on the 15th to attend the reading.**