Need a WDW History Book rec

[Sloth_White]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book about the history of WDW? I'd be interested in something that talks about how the rides were thought of and designed, some "behind the scenes" info, etc. I went to look on Amazon and there were seemingly endless options, so I thought I'd crowd source a little to see if anyone had a favorite or must read. Thanks in advance!

 

[Tom]

Paging @marni1971

 

[Lsumatt72]

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

 

[Sloth_White]

Thanks everyone! Great suggestions so far

 

[jme]

Here's my list. All of them are available on Amazon. In no particular order, but Since the World Began is my number 1 recommendation as a starting point for Disney History recommendations. Obviously it's a bit out of date now, and I believe Jeff Kurtti said we wouldn't get another one until the 50th. The Surrell books are definitely a lot more of a specified look at certain attractions. As is Heimbuch's look at the Main Street Windows.

Since the World Began: Walt Disney World - The First 25 Years
by Jeff Kurtti
Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia (Third Edition)
by Dave Smith
Walt Disney's Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow
by Richard R. Beard
Walt Disney World: Then, Now, and Forever
by Jeff Kurtti, Bruce Gordon
Main Street Windows: A Complete Guide to Disney's Whimsical Tributes
by Jeff Heimbuch
Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empires
by Bob Thomas
The Story of Walt Disney World: 1971 Commemorative Edition ~ A behind the scenes visit to the Vacation Kingdom
by Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World Hidden History Second Edition
by Kevin Yee
The Disney Mountains: Imagineering At Its Peak
by Jason Surrell
Pirates of the Caribbean
by Jason Surrell
The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies -- Updated
by Jason Surrell
Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America (Institutional Structures of Feeling)
by Stephen M. Fjellman

 

[marni1971]

Wait till I'm home and I'll look for me list.

 

[marni1971]

Try this

Here's a list I did many years ago for a very old thread. I'll get to updating it one day!




Here again is a list of the books I have - not complete by any means, but a lot of these books shows what goes into the design and operation of the parks:

*Project Florida, Walt DIsney Productions 1967. Not commercially available
*Master Planning for Walt DIsney World, Walt Disney Productions 1969. Not commercially available
*Preview Edition Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Productions 1970
Pictorial Souvineer of Walt DIsney World 1972
Pictorial Souvineer of Walt DIsney World 1972 2nd ed
*The Story of Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Productions 1976 2-76-3
Walt Disney World: The first decade 1981
*Walt Disney World EPCOT Center, Walt Disney Productions 1982
*Walt Disney Worlds`s EPCOT Center - Creating the new world of tomorrow 1982 0 8109 0819 0 1st ed
The Art of Walt Disney 1983 0 8109 8052 5 2nd ed
A pictorial souvineer of Walt Disney World 1989 Disney 0127 100005 1189
Walt Disney World 1989 Disney w0127 10003 989
Walt Disney World 20 magical years Disney w0127 10003 1190
The Disney Touch 1991 1 55623 385 x
The Man Behind the Magic 1991 0 670 82259 0
The Music of Disney (part of 3cd box set 1992)
Walt Disney - Hollywoods Dark Prince 1994 0 06 100789 7
Walt Disney World 1994
*The Art of Walt Disney 1995 I 85227 503 0 3rd ed
*Since the World Began 1996 07868 8219 0 (pb) 6248 3 (hb)
*Building a Dream - The Art of Disney Architecture 1996 0 8109 3142 7
*Walt Disney Imagineering 1996 0 7868 6246 7
*Designing Disneys Theme Parks - The architecture of reassurance 1997 2 08013 639 9
*The Disney Touch 1997 0 7863 1002 2 2nd ed
Team Rodent 1998 0 345 42280 5
Michael Eisner - Work in Progress 1998 0 14 0 28198 3
*The Making of Disneys Animal Kingdom Theme Park 1998 0 7868 6402 8
The Celebration Chronicles 1999 0 345 41752 6
Celebration, USA 1999 0 8050 5560 6
Walt Disney World, a souvineer for the new Millenium 1999 0 7868 5406 5
Once upon an American Dream - The story of Euro Disneyland 2000 0 7006 0989 x
The Keys to the Kingdom 2000/1 0 06 662109 7
Married to the Mouse 2001 0 300 087071 hb 098286 pb
*What would Walt do? An insiders story about the design and construction of WDW 2001 0 595 17203 2
Inside Disney 2002 0 7645 6443 9 2nd ed
Disneyland Paris AA guide 2002 0 7495 3374 9
Disneyland Paris 2002 souvineer guide
*Disneyland Paris from sketch to reality April 2002 1st ed
Disney the ultimate visual guide 2002 0 7513 3913 x
*Designing Disney (John Hench) 2003 07868 5406 5
The Imagineering Way 2003 0 7868 5401 4
*The Haunted Mansion 2003 07868 5419 7
The Art of Walt Disney 2004 I 85227 230 9 4th ed (the 2nd edition features more of phase one of WDW)
Disneyland Hotel The Early Years 1954-1988 0-9768779-1-0
*Vinyl Leaves 0-8122-1472-0
*Pirates of the Caribbean 0-7868-5630-0
Celebration - The story of a town 0-7868-5405-7
*A Brush with Disney 0-9646059-6-1 2nd ed
*Roller Coasters, Flumes and Flying Saucers 0-9657353-5-4
Disney War 0-684-80993-1
Paper Dreams 0-7868-6307-2

Those preceeded with an asterix have specific references to design. Yes, I did finally get Coasters, Flumes and Saucers :lol: