On August 24, 1948, Walt Disney toured the River Rouge Plant, which was one of the biggest Ford Motor Company industrial complexes located outside Detroit, Michigan. At first glance, there may not be any connection between the tour and the establishment of Disneyland. However, recent research suggests that the relationship between the two events may not be what one would think.
While River Rouge was a large car factory built around the idea of efficiency, Disneyland became one of the world's most recognizable entertainment venues. The University of California, Irvine School of Humanities claims that modern scholars believe that Disney's visit to River Rouge played a role in shaping his ideas about creating Disneyland.
