WDW books???

NonnaT

NonnaT

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello all! I have read every single guide book I could ever get my hands on about WDW. But what about the books written by CMs, or management? How about Disney "secrets". I love to read and am always looking for ideas. If anyone has a read a great book about WDW share the title here, s'il vous plait!
 
JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
I just picked up and started reading MouseTrap by Kevin Yee..... a DL CM. It's starting out very well.
Just finished reading Cast Member Confidential by Chris Mitchell... Has some decent parts and tragic parts about his time as a CM in WDW.
A good read was Spinning Disneys World by Charles Ridgeway, a Disney press agent. Fascinating book about the early days promoting Disney and going into the 1990s.
Theres The Dark side of Disney by Leonard Kinsey... an irreverent look at the parks and things Disney.

But look into Amazon... there are plenty of others that fill my overflowing bookshelves.
 
yoda_5729

yoda_5729

Well-Known Member
I find the Complete Guide to Walt Disney World by Julie Neal a very good book. The author also has a book out now about Fun Finds and Hidden Mickeys. It mostly centers on Magic Kingdom. Celebrations Magazine is also cool as are the imagineering field guides
 
UnhealthilyObsessed

UnhealthilyObsessed

Well-Known Member
It's not exactly about WDW per se, but Neal Gabler's Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, in addition to being an unbelievably detailed look at the golden age of ink-and-paint animation, goes pretty deep into the creation of Disneyland and the beginnings of The Florida Project.

Also just bought Jim Korkis's The Revised Vault of Walt and it has a whole section about Disney Parks secrets.

But the purchase I'm most excited about is a pop-up book called A Fun-Filled Visit to Walt Disney World With Mickey Mouse. It's from 1972, the year after the park opened and it's the cutest. I found it for two bucks at a flea market in Buffalo last weekend. It's kind of a big deal. Mickey actually walks onto the Monorail sort of! :p
 
RonAnnArbor

RonAnnArbor

Well-Known Member
While it is basically an anti-disney-fanboy book, Realityland is a great read about the problems that have plagued WDW since its earliest days -- its basically written from union grievances, public records of the police, fire departments, EMS, and rescue squads, and it presents a less than magical look at the world that is WDW....
 
BuddyThomas

BuddyThomas

Well-Known Member
There is an amazing, amazing book that reads like a suspense thriller called Disney War by James B. Stewart. It is a gigantic book that would kill a mugger if you threw it at his head and covers all of Disney, with a specific focus on the Eisner years. The first chapter is an up close and personal account of what it is like to be inside one of those character costumes:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/07432...disney+war&dpPl=1&dpID=51Z2MS31H5L&ref=plSrch
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Building a Better Mouse: The Story of the Electronic Engineers Who Designed EPCOT by Steve Alcorn and David Green
Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America by Stephen M. Fjellman

RonAnnArbor said:
While it is basically an anti-disney-fanboy book, Realityland is a great read about the problems that have plagued WDW since its earliest days -- its basically written from union grievances, public records of the police, fire departments, EMS, and rescue squads, and it presents a less than magical look at the world that is WDW....
Click to expand...
Realityland is a love letter compared to Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando by Richard E. Foglesong.
 
redfarmer06

redfarmer06

Member
Hello, everyone! Shameless plug...my new book, A Historical Tour of Walt Disney World Volume 1 is out on the Amazon kindle and paperback stores. I examine the historical backstories of many popular attractions, such as what the Crystal Palace really was, the reason why the Jungle Cruise takes place in the early 1900s, and examine all the references the father makes in Carousel of Progress, along with many more. In fact, I am currently working on Volume 2, which I anticipate being out for Christmas.

The reason I post this is that I will be at WDW from Aug. 9-12 and will be handing out three free copies of Volume 1, autographed, while on vacation (aka "research trip" ;)). I will be posting updates of where I will be on Twitter (@HistTourWDW), and the first person to come find me will receive their free, autographed copy. Please spread the word!

Thanks!

Andrew
 
Cosmic Commando

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
RonAnnArbor said:
While it is basically an anti-disney-fanboy book, Realityland is a great read about the problems that have plagued WDW since its earliest days -- its basically written from union grievances, public records of the police, fire departments, EMS, and rescue squads, and it presents a less than magical look at the world that is WDW....
Click to expand...
This is my favorite book about WDW. I didn't think it was anti- per se, but more just a dose of reality to balance all the pixie dust out there. My only complaint is that I wish there were more from the MGM and DAK era. It's been a few years since I read it, but I remember thinking there was a ton about the 70s and EPCOT construction, then almost nothing about more recent times; those people probably haven't retired and loosened their lips yet.
 
fireworksandfairytales

fireworksandfairytales

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
There's an entire series about what it's like to work on the Disney College Program called "Earns His/Her Ears". The one I read (which was the first one in the series) was called Amber Earns Her Ears. It was really interesting and it was very informative for me when I was preparing to start my cp.

Hidden Magic that officialtom mentioned is also very good.
 
NiarrNDisney

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
I love all of the Imagineering Field Guide books!!!
Around the World with Disney (great coffee table book and read)
Designing Disney by John Hench and others (Loved it)
The Disney Mountains by Jason Surrell (Awesome)
The hidden Magic of WDW by Susan Veness (Ok though I believe some of her facts may be wrong)
Little Known Facts About Well Known Places WDW (Cute read)
Mousejunkies by Bill Burke (Great book)
Since the World Began (Great coffe table book and read)
Today in History Disney (loved it)
Walt Disney Imagineering a behind the dreams look at making the magic real (awesome)
WDW Hidden History by Kevin Yee (Ok not my FAVORITE)
And so many others but I think that's a good start
 
Horizons1

Horizons1

Well-Known Member
RonAnnArbor said:
While it is basically an anti-disney-fanboy book, Realityland is a great read about the problems that have plagued WDW since its earliest days -- its basically written from union grievances, public records of the police, fire departments, EMS, and rescue squads, and it presents a less than magical look at the world that is WDW....
Click to expand...
And it's a very good book. Also, Dark Side of Disney.
 
Courtney6682

Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
I was following...so thanks for posting...leaving in 3 days...gonna order something and hope it gets here in time! Such a procastinator!!!!
 
Courtney6682

Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
Ok...just ordered 2 for my trip...
Disney Declassified...Tales of Real Life Disney Scandals, Sex, accidents and Deaths

Ride Delegate Memoir of a WDW VIP tour guide
 
NiarrNDisney

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member

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