Books on "history" of WDW/DL

[Machta]

Good morning, all! Does anyone have good recommendations for books on either the "history" of WDW or the inner workings? We find it lots of fun to know the story behind the story . . .

Thanks in advance!

 

[spiceycat]

In the Disney's Treasures - the last couple of pages are about WDW.

I also have a book at home that has construction sites of the Contemporary.

I will see if I remember to write down the name tonight for you.

 

[bobbiwoz]

There's a book, "Disneyland, the First Thirty-Five Years," that has great pictures, including Walt with the hippos of the Jungle Cruise. We bought it at WDW awhile back.

Bobbi

 

[zcasper]

Here is my list of Disney books. Most are related to WDW:

* Since the World Began : Walt Disney World the First 25 Years by Jeff Kurtti
* Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America (Institutional Structures of Feeling) by Stephen M. Fjellman
* Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers by Harrison Price
* Designing Disney's Theme Park: The Architecture of Reassurance by Karal Ann Marling

There are lots of other really good books out there. You can do a search on Amazon but you get a whole bunch of tour guides. Find one of these books on Amazon and browse through the "other customers bought..." section.

Zach

 

[tjkraz]

Here are a few suggestions for books that shouldn't be too hard to find:

"Since the World Began : Walt Disney World the First 25 Years" by Jeff Kurtti We actually received this as part of our vacation package back in the late-90s, and I finally got around to reading it about 6 months ago. It takes you through the history of WDW chronologically with a page or two dedicated to each resort, water park and other minor destination.

The main drawback of this publication is that it's almost 10 years old. Still, you should be able to find it for about $10 via discount booksellers on the Internet. I found it to be surprisingly good and well worth that price.

"Walt Disney Imagineering : A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real" This book covers all of the Disney theme parks worldwide, with pretty heavy emphasis on the Tokyo parks. Great photos.

"The Haunted Mansion : From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies" by Jason Surrell This book should be required reading. I didn't always care for the way that it simultaneously takes you through three different versions of the HM (WDW, DL and DLP), but it will definitely give you new insight into this grand old attraction. (The author is currently working on a Pirates of the Caribbean book to be published when the next film is released.)

In June there's a book coming called "The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World." I'm really looking forward to that one.

There are a lot of unofficial books that take more of a tabloid viewpoint toward WDW. Not sure if that's really what you're looking for or not. Search Amazon.com for "Disney World" and you'll get quite a few hits.

Also, check out the website www.jimhillmedia.com for daily stories and tid-bits about Disney-related topics.

 

[Granny]

If you are interested in a fun way to pick up a ton of facts about WDW, I highly recommend "Walt Disney World Trivia Book" by Lou Mongello. Not only a fun way to learn about WDW, but a good way to get the family geared up for upcoming trips!

Here's a link to some information about the book: http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/about.php

 

[JimC]

The following three are excellent on the company and its founders:

Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas

Building a Company: Roy O Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire by Bob Thomas

Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando by Richard E Foglesong
(This book does an excellent job on the history and background of the relationships that the Walt Disney Company had and has with the State of Florida, Orange and Osceola Counties and Orlando.

For books on the Disney approach to guest service try the following:

Be Our Guest by the Disney Institute

The Disney Way: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson

Inside the Magic Kingdom: Seven Keys to Disney's Success by Tom Connellan

I second the recommendation on Walt's Revolution! By the Numbers by Harrison "Buzz" Price (Buzz is the man who conducted many of the economic and siting studies for Walt Disney and many others in the theme park business. This is an interesting look from the consummate insider about the theme park industry)

On my list to read next is Disney War by James Stewart. He is the author of Den of Thieves and Heart of a Soldier. He had unprecedented inside access to write this book.

 

[AKQJ10]

If you are interested in a fun way to pick up a ton of facts about WDW, I highly recommend "Walt Disney World Trivia Book" by Lou Mongello. Not only a fun way to learn about WDW, but a good way to get the family geared up for upcoming trips!

Here's a link to some information about the book: http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/about.php

Granny,

Thanks for the kudos about the book! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it, and sincerely appreciate the endorsement!

 

[tjkraz]

I thought I'd bump up this thread and make sure everyone knows about the special edition of Dave Koenig's Mouse Tales currently available. Dave has updated the book since its original 1994 publication, and this edition also includes a CD with a virtual audio tour through Disneyland as it existed on opening day.

Most importantly, this special edition is limited to only 4000 copies!!! I ordered over the weekend and already have mine. It's exceeded my expectations thus far.

Amazon is currently backlogged on orders, so it will be a few weeks before they begin to ship again. But if you want a copy of this very limited edition book, now is the time to order.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...media-20/104-9428066-7081562?v=glance&s=books

 

[DukeStreetKing]

"Work In Progress" by Michael Eisner and Tony Scwartz was also a very good read.