Disneyland Books

[waltopia]

Mmm, hadn’t noticed that silly troll-talk / “reviews”.

Mind you I am still reading it, but what I did notice, is that ‘Inventing Disneyland’ backs up all the various sources of info from my vast library of books, magazines and articles from a lifetime of research, with exact dates, names and places that round out previously vague stories...like just when and why Walt gave up his beloved Carolwood Pacific Railroad. And why all these art directors from 20thFox were available to work for Walt.

It takes several recent books just to glean the importance of, and reasons for, the Zorro TV series; the secret commercials created on the Disney lot; the hidden history of his various nieces and the significance of their marriages; how it all relates to Hollywood glamour photography of the 1920s, ETC.

My own interviews all contain an element I call ‘myth-making’, a human tendency to tell the stories the way you want them remembered. To claim otherwise is the misnomer. I enjoy the ongoing research.

[CASurfer65]

I just picked up the Nichols book. It's really good. As a total purist and a fan of everything Walt and those who worked by his side, it provides some great photos. Some pictures I have never seen before. The best thing is very little is mentioned about Star Wars Land. It's pushed to the very end with only a couple of pages. Even Indiana Jones and Star Tours get very little air play. It's predominantly vintage. Which is great.

[Right Down Broadway]

Mouse Tales by David Keoing is my favorite book of all time!

Looks like David has an awesome-looking coffee-table book coming out about the folks that created Disneyland in 1955!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/373772146/the-55ers-the-pioneers-who-settled-disneyland

[DarthBrett78]

I have a lot of DL and WDW books in my collection, but missed out on the Nickel Tour book. Crazy that it goes for $200+ now on places like eBay. I need to pick a copy up at some point!

[Kat95242]

Looks like David has an awesome-looking coffee-table book coming out about the folks that created Disneyland in 1955!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...led-disneyland

I love this topic. I am so excited about David Koenig's upcoming book. It will be Christmas in August for me when my new book arrives! I, too, have a vast library of Disneyland books. A recent favorite is Eat Like Walt, The Wonderful World of Disney Food by Marcy Carrier Smothers. It is rich in history and trivia and beautiful photos. I just finished reading Three Years in Wonderland by Todd James Pierce and found it very interesting and informative. I learned many new things from this treasure.

[Right Down Broadway]

I was fortunate to be able to assist David on a few things with this book, including providing contact information for family members from a couple Club-55'ers. I am looking forward to seeing the stories of their loved ones who were there in 1955.

[oldhotelguy]

Got a new book coming out (hopefully) in September: "Disneyland Hotel 1960-1969: The Little Motel Grows Up" New Cover!!!

[Mr Wiggins]

Got a new book coming out (hopefully) in September: "Disneyland Hotel 1960-1969: The Little Motel Grows Up"

Thanks, Don! Can't wait!!!

[Eagleman]

Thanks, Don! Can't wait!!!

X2.....I miss the Old Disneyland Hotel

[Right Down Broadway]

I love this topic. I am so excited about David Koenig's upcoming book. It will be Christmas in August for me when my new book arrives! I, too, have a vast library of Disneyland books. A recent favorite is Eat Like Walt, The Wonderful World of Disney Food by Marcy Carrier Smothers. It is rich in history and trivia and beautiful photos. I just finished reading Three Years in Wonderland by Todd James Pierce and found it very interesting and informative. I learned many new things from this treasure.

I received my copy of David's new book, "The 55'ers." It is amazing. It's almost 300 pages, filled with stories and mini-biographies of over 1,000 people who were employed at Disneyland in 1955. We're talking everyone from the train crews to Trinidad the White Wing to the parking lot attendants and balloon sellers. The shop keepers on Main Street. The ride operators. The Indian Village dancers. The sheer scope of this work is really amazing, and fills in a huge gap in Disneyland history. It's filled with black-and-white photos on every page, nearly every one never-before-published. This is a must-have for aficionados of early Disneyland history, and may make you long for what once was...

[teacherlady19]

missed out on the Nickel Tour book. Crazy that it goes for $200+ now on places like eBay. I need to pick a copy up at some point!

I just checked again. It's difficult to find on the California "Link" service, which is a bunch of libraries that do Interlibrary Loan here in CA. That book, and Inventing Disneyland, are not available for those that may want to read it (but not own it).


Donna

[Kat95242]

I'm glad you enjoyed the book "The 55'ers" too. I'm almost finished reading mine and am enjoying it immensely. I agree with you that it fills in a huge gap in Disneyland History. Thank you David Koenig. I'm going to be a walking encyclopedia on Disneyland History now!!

[Right Down Broadway]

I have a lot of DL and WDW books in my collection, but missed out on the Nickel Tour book. Crazy that it goes for $200+ now on places like eBay. I need to pick a copy up at some point!

You better do it sooner than later. 1st Editions are going for well over a $1000 now! $200 seems cheap in comparison.

[Bubu]

Don, many thanks for posting on Youtube the rare film you discovered, "1961-62 Vintage Disneyland Hotel: 'A Special Place'" -- a promotional film for the construction of the Hotel's first tower.

Eagleman, who is as much a fan of the old Monorail Bar as I am, will especially like the scene at 11:16 -- and the photo at 7:12 in your video compilation, "Vintage 1956, 1961 Disneyland Hotel Clips & Still Images."

Thanks for the link to the DL Hotel Video...awesome!...and very interesting that they had female Cast Members working the Monorail. Only men, handsome, slim (to wear the jump suit), and 6ft and over in my time when Retlaw still owned it.

[mariew21]

This isn't a history book, but there is a cute little novel called "The Disneyland Quest" that is currently free on amazon for kindle. I enjoyed it. It is about a kid who is a disney trivia junkie going through the park in a scavenger hunt type of scenario to compete for a prize. Fun read!

[Right Down Broadway]

Just saw a review in the local Sunday paper for a book called "Disney's Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park." Amazon has it for about $20 bucks. Hopefully I'll have my copy before Christmas.

[Right Down Broadway]

Just finished reading "Disney's Land." This is probably as good a primer on the dream, the design and the building of the Park out there. It is well-written, and the author, Ricard Snow, is no slouch, having won the RADM Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature for one of his previous books on the first two Civil War ironclads, and helming "American Heritage" magazine for 17 years as editor in chief.

At over 400 pages, including index and extensive bibliography, it definitely packs in the details, although, honestly, there wasn't much in there that most folks on this board aren't already aware of. There are only 21 small black-and-white photos, but this is not a picture book--it's a thoughtful, historical treatise on Disneyland and the men (and women) who built it.

But for those out there who are younger, or newer Disneyland fans who want an all-in-one history of the park and it's creation, I recommend this highly.

[glogin48z]

Right Down Broadway, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm gonna read it as well. Talking of which, I do love electronic and digital copies of books more than physical books, cause it's easier to handle with them. And it's way easier to find a classic books pdf online library, which can provide you in downloading any book you want, with no limits.

[serenalai2005]

I thought this thread is about Walt Disney book because my daughter is learning about him in the study group and her tutor sent me this https://www.twinkl.com.hk/resource/a...oint-t-tp-6413 PowerPoint so I wanted to know if this is any good for us to teach our younger one?

[Babyfirefly45]

Years ago my boss had a book on her desk about weird things Guests do at the parks and weird things guests bring into the parks. I cant remember what it was called but if anyone knows please let me know! I would love to find it!