Poster Art of the Disney Parks


Daniel Handke - 2012
    All of the telltale signs are there: the sound of joyful music pipes across the promenade; the smells of popcorn and cookies waft through the air; and the colorful attraction posters depict all the wonderful rides and shows created for Guests by the Imagineers. Poster Art of the Disney Parks is a tribute to those posters, which begin telling the story of each attraction even before Guests have entered the queue area. Disney attraction posters have been an important means of communication since Disneyland began displaying them in 1956. Not only are they eye-catching pieces of artwork that adorn the Parks with flair and style, they are also displayed to build excitement and disseminate information about the newest additions to the Disney landscape. When the first attraction posters made their debut at Disneyland, one such piece of art proclaimed that Guests could have a “true-life adventure” on the Jungle Cruise. And in 2012 at Disney California Adventure, a poster announced the grand opening of Cars Land—the newest thrill-filled destination at the Disneyland Resort. Both of those posters are reproduced within this book, along with posters from every decade in between. As evidenced by the evolution of the attraction posters, art styles and design techniques have certainly changed over the years. These characteristics also differ from continent to continent. Posters from Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris exhibit the nuances in presentation that give each Park’s pantheon of posters its signature look. But while artistic interpretations and color palettes may vary from Park to Park and from year to year, the spirit of Disney storytelling is a constant that ties them all together.

Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making More Magic Real


The Imagineers - 2010
    In this sequel to the best-selling Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind-the-Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real, the Imagineers serve up another dose of magic with an even closer look at who they are, what they do, and how they do it, illuminating their theories and explaining the tools they use, and where and how they use them. Contained within this deluxe tome are rough drawings, conceptual models, and behind-the-scenes stories showcasing Disney's newest attractions and innovations from the inside out. There's also an exclusive peek inside the Research and Development Lab to see what new magic will soon be appearing.The Imagineers tell their own stories, as well as how they got there, what they do on a daily basis, what they show their friends in the parks, and how you can learn what it takes to become an Imagineer.Presented in a large, lavish format, this book is sure to be a must-have for every Disney collector.

Walt Disney's Disneyland


Chris Nichols - 2017
    Together, artists, architects, and engineers transformed a dusty tract of orange groves about an hour south of Los Angeles into one of the world’s most beloved destinations.Today, there are Disney resorts from Paris to Shanghai, but the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which has been visited by more than 800 million people to-date, remains one of America’s most popular attractions. From the day it opened on July 17, 1955, Disneyland brought history and fairy tales to life, the future into the present, and exciting cultures and galaxies unknown to our imaginations.This bountiful visual history draws on Disney’s vast historical collections, private archives, and the golden age of photojournalism to provide unique access to the concept, development, launch, and enjoyment of this sun-drenched oasis of fun and fantasy. Disneyland documents Walt’s earliest inspirations and ideas; the park’s extraordinary feats of design and engineering; its grand opening; each of its immersive “lands” from Main Street, U.S.A., to Tomorrowland; and the park's evolution through the six decades since it opened. It is a treasure trove of Disney original documentation and expertise, with award-winning writer Chris Nichols drawing on his extensive knowledge of both Disneyland and Southern California history to reveal the fascinating tale of “the happiest place on Earth.”

Walt Disney's Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park


Jeff Kurtti - 2007
    Using his innate talent for combining disparate skills and personalities, he assembled a creative team that blended imagination with engineering. Walt called this group his "Imagineers."Walt Disney's Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park introduces a core group of the originators of Disneyland and the other Disney parks. It explores their individual relationships with Walt and each other, their creative breakthroughs and failures, and their rivalries and professional politics. This candid narrative of their lives and contributions to a very special form of entertainment illustrates why, half a century later, their work continues to be vital and important to millions of people every day, and all over the world.Lavishly illustrated throughout with rare and never-before-seen artwork and photographs, Walt Disney's Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park will further enrich the reader's appreciation of the exceptional talent behind Disneyland's creation and ongoing evolution.

Designing Disney


John Hench - 2003
    His principles of theme park design, character design, and use of color made him a legendary figure, not only for Disney fans but also for students and aficionados of architecture, engineering, and design.Designing Disney reveals the magic behind John's great discoveries and documents his groundbreaking in several key areas: "Design Philosophy" examines the values, attitudes, aesthetics, and logic that went into the original concepts for Disney theme parks. In "The Art of the Show" and "The Art of Color," Hench reveals the essence of what makes the parks work so well. And in "The Art of Character," he lets the reader in on the how and why of the Disney characters' inherent popularity-their timeless human traits, archetypal shape and gestures that suggest these qualities graphically, and their emotional resonance in our lives.

Walt Disney's EPCOT Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow


Richard R. Beard - 1982
    Offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of EPCOT, a showcase of urban planning, technological developments, and world cultures

The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak


Jason Surrell - 2007
    This text details the current Disney range of rides, and takes readers on a journey into the future, where bigger, higher, faster Mountain rides await!

Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career


Kevin P Rafferty - 2019
    For a young man who began studying for the priesthood at a seminary, the journey to halls of Imagineering has truly been a magical one. A master storyteller, Kevin chronicles his unimaginable career with great humor, honesty, and heart.

Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt's Dream Spotless


Ken Pellman - 2015
    The authors are two former Disneyland Custodial cast members, and they share their experiences keeping the Magic Kingdom clean for guests from all over the world while working with an assortment of characters. You will encounter hilarious, unbelievable, heartbreaking, and magical stories. Documenting a time of growth and controversy at the Disneyland Resort, this book answers the question, "Just how do they keep the place so clean?"

Building a Dream: The Art of Disney Architecture


Beth Dunlop - 1996
    With the aid of extensive interviews with architects, designers and executives, this book sets out to show how a range of architects, from leading professionals to theme-part designers originally trained as animators, have integrated spectacular buildings into the far-flung Disney empire of theme parks, film studios and resorts.

The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World


Alex Wright - 2006
    Who better to tour you around the Disney parks than the Imagineers who created them?

Boundless Realm: Deep Explorations Inside Disney's Haunted Mansion


Foxx Nolte - 2020
    This ride has legions of devoted fans and influenced tributes, spinoffs and an entire entertainment genre: the seasonal haunted house. Why is this?Boundless Realm is a wry tour of the creaky old house on the hill, brushing aside cobwebs, uncovering obscure corners, and prying up the floorboards in search of the answer. Not just an attraction history, this critical appreciation - written with a connoisseur's eye for detail - encompasses American history, popular culture and folklore, and a sharp understanding of design to make a case for The Haunted Mansion as the 20th century's definitive haunted house. Entertaining and opinionated, Boundless Realm will give you a new appreciation for Disney's ultimate cult attraction.

Eat Like Walt: Disney's Love of Food and Flavors


Marcy Carriker Smothers - 2017
    Although Disneyland opened in 1955, its culinary history dates back to 1923 when Walt Disney first arrived in Hollywood. Walt was a simple eater yet a big dreamer. By 1934, four years before his first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, would be released, Mickey Mouse had made him famous enough to have a recipe published in Better Homes & Gardens magazine. Ask fans what Walt's favorite food was and most will say, "Chili." Chili has a cult status at Disneyland. People want to eat what Walt ate, the way he ate, where he ate it.

The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom 2020


Aaron Wallace - 2011
    Wallace provides a lighthearted but scholarly look at each attraction in the Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street, U.S.A., including the parades and fireworks show. Far from being mere “amusements,” these attractions provide a complex, multi-layered narrative that can be experienced and appreciated just like a great novel, play, or film. The book will fascinate Disney buffs with the surprising insights into old favorites while offering newcomers to the Disney magic a much richer experience during their first Disney days. This updated third edition, new for 2020, adds coverage of The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History, the new Happily Ever After fireworks, and the Trump-era Hall of Presidents. Additionally, Wallace has written brand-new entries for Pirates of the Caribbean and Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, diving much deeper than the previous editions did. Other expanded and revised entries include: Jungle Cruise, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Cinderella Castle. The book has been updated from front to back to reflect the very latest at Walt Disney World. The 2020 edition also sports gorgeous new cover art and an all-new layout.

Buying Disney's World: The Story of How Florida Swampland Became Walt Disney World


Aaron H. Goldberg - 2021
    He announced to the public his grandiose plans for the thousands of acres he had secretly purchased.For the eighteen months prior to the announcement, Walt entrusted a small group of men to covertly make these purchases. Next, they were tasked with drafting a legislative act to submit to the state of Florida that would allow Disney to wield nearly absolute legal control over the property under a quasi-government municipality.Staying true to its storytelling roots, Disney wove a tale of mystery centered around a high-ranking CIA operative, who was rumored to have been, just a few short years before, the paymaster behind the Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba.This savvy and well-connected CIA agent became the de facto leader for the group of Disney executives and attorneys who orchestrated and executed a nearly perfect plan to keep Disney’s identity a secret from the public by utilizing aliases, shell corporations, and meandering travel itineraries, all in an effort to protect the company’s identity during the land acquisition process.As told through the personal notes and files from the key figures involved in the project, Buying Disney’s World details the story of how Walt Disney World came to be, like you’ve never heard before.From conception to construction and everything in between—including how a parcel of land within Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort was acquired during a high-stakes poker game—explore how the company most famous for creating Mickey Mouse acquired central Florida’s swamps, orange groves, and cow pastures to build a Disney fiefdom and a Magic Kingdom.