Recommended book club readings for Disney Addicts

[bgoebel]

So I work in the schools as a speech therapist and thus am off all summer long. I keep promising myself I'll read "the last lecture", "the curious incident of the dog at midnight", another Harlan Coben novel..... but instead anytime I have a chance (even keep one in the mommy's office AKA bathroom). I read through the hints, read the ride details, etc. I think it began when I was a child and my parents would order the Steve Birnbaum guidebooks every year and I would read the ride descriptions, restaurants, etc.
My favorites now are Unofficial Guide to Disney World
and Frommers Guide to Orlando and Disney World (although can be negative). Walt Disney World with Kids (by Wiley) is alright but not alot of thorough info. Some are library books, some are ones I treated myself to with Borders Gift Cards.
If we were to start a Oprah style Disney book club, which book would you recommend (including guidebooks, informational books, trivia, hidden mickeys references, etc.)???

 

[crlachepinochet]

As far as guidebooks go, I really love the Passporter, but I never hear it mentioned on the boards at all! It's basically a guidebook with a trip diary at the end and the pages at the end have pockets to hold maps, receipts, EMH wristbands, etc. It's like buying a guide and a souvenir at the same time. I really like it because I think it stands on its own just as a guide and the trip diary part is a great bonus.
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/guidebook.asp

As far as reading, I bought myself Realityland by David Koenig for Christmas and I couldn't put it down! A very well-written history of WDW. It's mostly history with some Mousetales-style CM anecdotes thrown in. The book gets pretty in depth about the construction and early years of the MK, gives a good bit about EPCOT, and then pretty much glosses over MGM and DAK. It kinda reminded me of how I'd write essays in school: very verbose at the beginning until I got to the required number of pages, and then rushing through the rest of my points. Still a great read, though.

http://www.amazon.com/Realityland-True-Life-Adventures-Disney-World/dp/0964060523/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216263132&sr=8-1

 

[mickey's mamu]

My daughter gave me a Passporter Guide Book for Mother's Day and I love it. I use to buy Birnbaum's every year and then I started getting the Unofficial Guide, which I like, but it is so big! The Passporter is perfect! All the information you need presented in an easy to find and use manner.

I cried when I opened the present and I don't think I've ever received a gift I liked more!

 

[julsie]

i have the unofficial guide to walt disney world! and its great been really helpful with stuff that i didnt know. has anyone used their touring plans??

 

[frankd1962]

I bought Passporter for my trip last year and used it for my planning guide. On the pocket pages I had the infor for my ADR and kept the book with me all through the trip Super useful.

 

[lilclerk]

Definitely the Imagineering Field Guides to the parks. Here's the MK's and they also have ones for Epcot and Animal Kingdom, and I think Disneyland's comes out some time this year. These are great reads, and they're small so they're easy to carry around.

I enjoyed Realityland quite a bit as well.

There's also Jason Surrell's books. Pirates of the Caribbean: From The Magic Kingdom to the Movies, Haunted Mansion: From The Magic Kingdom to the Movies (the movie was terrible, but this book has lots of info on the attraction) and The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at its Peak. Those three are bigger and not so easy to carry around, but they're stuffed with photos and information.

I also really enjoyed this book for all the concept art. It's gorgeous.

Happy reading! :wave:

 

[pacochran]

I would also recommend the Imagineering Guides they are good reading.

If you want some fiction "Waking Walt" is a good book.

Birnbaum as well as having information is written so that you can read it, to me it is more like a book than a guide.

 

[lilo091701]

I enjoy pretty much any guide book. But right now I am reading The Gospel According To Disney by Mark I. Pinsky and next week on vacation, for fun, I am going to read The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson.

I also have read most of Hidden Mickeys (3rd edition) and just finished all 7 books of Narnia!!

 

[bgoebel]

i have the unofficial guide to walt disney world! and its great been really helpful with stuff that i didnt know. has anyone used their touring plans??

I am logged in to use their touring plans, but am finalizing my itinerary before I input it all into the touring plan. It does seem pretty useful and easy to use.

I'll have to take a look at the Realityland and imagineering guide. I did see the passporters guide and liked the organization of it but got distracted by Frommers size and bought it instead.

 

[JerseySkiddie]

there are a lot of great books out there so im just going to list the ones i can think off of the top of my head. ill probably forget some its been a long week...

Spinning Disney's World by Charlie Ridgeway
Vinyl Leaves by Steven Fjellman (SP?) this one is more academic but its good i used it a lot for my thesis
The Unofficial Guide
The Imaginneers Field Guides
WDW Triva books from Lou Mongello

I'm currently reading Disney War and so far so good and there are a lot of Walt biographies out there too.

I love reading my Disney books on the beach down the shore! Happy summer reading!

 

[MMFanCipher]

i have the unofficial guide to walt disney world! and its great been really helpful with stuff that i didnt know. has anyone used their touring plans??

Yes, we used their plans last year and they were great.