The most effective factor about Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary is that this e book. This evaluation explains the way it’s the final word love letter to the Trip Kingdom of the World, and a must-own for any fan who desires to be taught and see extra about how the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and the remainder of the Florida Venture got here to fruition. (Up to date March 22, 2024.)
The newest replace is that A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth is again in inventory on Amazon and is over 50% off for the Massive Spring Sale, which is the bottom value we’ve seen for the e book in 2024. In response to value trackers, the e book had by no means dropped under $30 earlier than final Christmas season. The present value is $28.79, which is the bottom it’s been since Black Friday.
That is an insanely good value for an unimaginable espresso desk e book and we hope that almost all of you already personal this e book. In case not, we’re reminding you as soon as once more. We’d additionally extremely advocate that you simply cease procrastinating, as this yr could be your final probability to purchase the e book under MSRP. Now that Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary is over, this e book will possible exit of print quickly and find yourself costing a fortune in a couple of years. (There are tons of OOP Walt Disney World artwork books from a decade in the past that now value a whole lot!) As such, we extremely advocate ordering it ASAP. It’s among the finest Walt Disney World books of all time, and effectively well worth the cash!
We’ve collected tons of books about Walt Disney World over time. When sharing Our Disney Theme Parks Library, I’ve supplied the cautionary story in regards to the many packing containers of books we’ve handled when shifting. Nonetheless, we hold shopping for extra, obsessive about previous idea artwork, studying tales from Imagineers, and studying the historical past of our favourite locations.
there are a lot of Walt Disney World titles we love, however the very best books have all the time skewed in the direction of Disneyland and Imagineering. Walt Disney’s unique magic kingdom (decrease case) has obtained a treasure trove of deep dives into the park’s creation and historical past. Disneyland Nickel Tour, Disneyland: Inside Story, and Walt Disney’s Disneyland are a couple of examples of extra exhaustive titles that attraction to California’s extra ardent fanbase.
Not like Disneyland, most official books about Walt Disney World over time have been superficial memento guides geared toward being keepsakes from journeys. There have been robust area of interest titles, specializing in a particular park and even attraction. A few of that is by necessity, as Walt Disney World is extra sprawling than its California counterpart, and hard to do correct justice in a single quantity.
About the one title to attempt is For the reason that World Started, the twenty fifth Anniversary e book by Jeff Kurtti. This has been a centerpiece of many Walt Disney World libraries for the final 25 years, and plenty of followers hoped that Kurtti would creator a follow-up to that title for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary.
Admittedly, I used to be skeptical. Whereas Walt Disney World’s fandom resembles that of Disneyland extra with every passing yr due to Disney Trip Membership, D23, an growth of the native fanbase, and so on., the corporate nonetheless appears to view Walt Disney World largely as a spot for vacationers. To make certain, there are the merchandise deep dives, however they’re scattershot. All the pieces “large” appears to go for the low-hanging fruit of informal guests.
Not so with A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth. Whereas it’s a Disney Editions title, that is extra like one thing painstakingly produced by TASCHEN than the corporate’s publishing arm. It’s additionally not like the common espresso desk e book. Though it’s a visible feast with uncommon idea artwork and photographs, it’s additionally extensively researched, sourced and cited. I don’t recall ever paging by one other espresso desk e book with a dozen-plus pages of endnotes.
Greater than anything, this e book strikes me as a ardour challenge–a love letter to Walt Disney World from authors Kevin Kern, Tim O’Day, and Steven Vagnini. These names must be acquainted to longtime members of the Walt Disney World fandom, as this trio has been concerned in the whole lot from the Archives to D23 to Imagineering initiatives.
The e book begins with chapters in regards to the historical past of Florida earlier than Disney and the Trip Kingdom’s Preview Heart, virtually as warning to informal guests paging by within the Emporium that that is no easy memento for remembering their as soon as in a lifetime journeys. This title is wholly devoid of regurgitated advertising copy and the identical generic inventory photographs you’ve seen recycled for many years.
Even the very best Walt Disney World books typically focus an inordinate portion of their pre-1971 historical past on Walt Disney himself. To a level, that’s comprehensible. The inimitable American unique casts a protracted shadow, and his artistic imaginative and prescient for the Florida Venture actually deserves consideration. Usually it seems like one thing apart from that, with extra generalized Walt lore borrowed from biographies to fulfill a web page rely.
The primary two chapters of this fiftieth Anniversary tome are as laser-focused as Walt Disney’s ambitions for his Florida Venture, weaving historical past with amusing anecdotes with colourful quotes. It’s comparatively dense materials, however by no means feels that manner. Fairly, the reader is pulled into the story of Disney and Florida, the surreptitious land acquisitions and the early years of improvement.
Even in the event you’re conversant in the story–and I’m effectively acquainted with it–the framing right here is completely different, with extra element and descriptions straight from these concerned. It reads much less just like the polished company historical past and extra like firsthand accounts, warts and all, instructed over drinks. The events concerned come throughout as precise individuals with personalities, which can be a refreshing change of tempo, and one which makes the historical past all of the extra engrossing.
Considered one of my greatest frustrations with official Disney historical past is that it’s introduced as “company canon” that has been meticulously sculpted over time. Even the imperfections are calculated, an try and feign authenticity that rings hole. Walt Disney is the protagonist (and solely main “character”), and he’s a one-dimensional caricature of an actual one that speaks in sound bite-sized quotes. Normally, the result’s an fascinating premise, however surprisingly stilted and superficial. (As a fast apart, that is why Walt Disney: An American Authentic is his finest biography–it avoids these pitfalls.)
The primary two chapters of A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth take what’s undeniably fascinating historical past and inform its story in an genuine and fascinating method, presenting new data and particular person accounts alongside artwork and photographs. It may appear easy and easy sufficient, however the authors’ decisions make a world of distinction. The tales are fascinating and are available throughout organically, ensuing within the first 73 pages studying like a page-turning novel. I used to be fairly stunned to look down and see I used to be already on web page 64 when the e book “lastly” arrived at October 1, 1971!
All of that is aided by essays from some essential people who replicate upon bringing Walt Disney World to life. Dick Nunis, the previous Chairman of Walt Disney Sights and Disney Legend, displays on the choice to construct in Florida, surveying the location, and attempting to carry out rudimentary customer analytics.
Debby Dane Browne recollects her whirlwind expertise going from studying about hiring of “Disney Ladies” for the Preview Heart to turning into Walt Disney World’s first Ambassador to her recollections of opening day. Roy Patrick Disney, the grandson of Roy O. Disney, shares tales of his grandfather’s sacrifice and stewardship in making Walt’s dream a actuality. All through the e book, these essays and quotes convey contemporary views to the fabric, and imbue the e book with a way of humanity. (Some, like tales from John Stamos and Kevin Feige, hopefully make the title extra accessible to an informal viewers.)
Chapter 3 offers the framework for the remainder of the e book, drawing inspiration from the plaque underneath the Prepare Station: “Right here You Go away At this time And Enter The World Of Yesterday, Tomorrow And Fantasy.” This units the desk for subsequent chapters, which divide parks, resorts, lands, points of interest, and the remainder of Walt Disney World into 4 classes: Nostalgia (An Idealized Yesteryear), Fantasy (The Artwork of Make Imagine), Discovery (Journey and Exploration), and Tomorrow (A Step into the Future).
The ultimate two chapters are shorter, trying again at previous celebrations and ahead to the World’s Most Magical Celebration. They’re nonetheless fascinating, however are extra geared toward wrapping up the e book with a fiftieth Anniversary presentation. They’re not as thorough because the three chapters that make up the core of the e book, although.
The primary of these major chapters is Nostalgia, which presents examinations of Predominant Road U.S.A., Liberty Sq., Nation Bear Jamboree, Crescent Lake, Grand Floridian, Nice Film Trip, Tower of Terror, and extra. The Fantasy chapter is, naturally, house to Fantasyland, plus Pandora, Star Wars, Maelstrom, nighttime spectaculars, and Figment & Dreamfinder.
The Discovery chapter presents perception into Adventureland, Outdated Key West, Wilderness Lodge, River Nation, Fort Wilderness, Storm Lagoon, Disney Springs, it’s a small world, a lot of Epcot and most of Animal Kingdom. As with the opposite chapters, there are quotes and engaging anecdotes from key figures, comparable to Aunty Kau’i, the longtime cultural ambassador and educator on the Poly.
The chapter about and idea of Tomorrow is maybe extra clearly outlined, with a transparent deal with futurism and house. That is unsurprisingly house to Tomorrowland, Spaceship Earth, Horizons, Modern Resort, and the infrastructure that underpins the advanced grid of the Trip Kingdom of the World–transportation, vitality, Utilidors, DACS Central, and extra.
When you’re in search of a compendium of all issues Walt Disney World, these chapters would possibly disappoint. There’s nothing encyclopedic about this (that e book already exists), which is the kind of factor you’d usually discover in a extra easy memento e book.
Fortunately, the authors eschew such an strategy in favoring of providing fascinating perception, anecdotes, and morsels of data that you simply in any other case won’t know. For instance, there’s no scene-by-scene description of Mickey’s PhilharMagic, however there’s a tidbit about Tinker Bell initially being the “featured foil” slightly than Donald Duck. That is then a leaping off level for an extended passage in regards to the long-extinct Mickey Mouse Revue. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh followers (do they exist?) could be dissatisfied that it’s solely given passing point out over the course of a pair pages about Mr. Toad’s Wild Trip.
You gained’t be misplaced if arriving to this e book with zero familiarity with Walt Disney World, however there’s undoubtedly some background information that’s assumed all through the e book. That is essentially the case, because the authors are tasked with the formidable problem of distilling 50+ years of historical past, parks, points of interest, resorts, and extra into a little bit over 300 pages. With out query, the strategy they took was the appropriate one.
Finally, A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth is the very best e book in regards to the Trip Kingdom of the World and one of many highlights of your complete fiftieth Anniversary celebration. Whereas there are a variety of wonderful topical titles centered on one thing particular, nothing earlier than has tackled Walt Disney World as an entire with such curiosity and perception. That is Walt Disney World’s “Nickel Tour,” which is the very best reward potential. It’s going to be the memento that creates new lifelong followers amongst Walt Disney World first-timers, and the spark that units younger youngsters on a lifelong profession path.
That is an unimaginable testomony to authors Kevin Kern, Tim O’Day, and Steven Vagnini. It’s evident their objective was a e book by followers, for followers–and that’s precisely what they achieved, whereas additionally making it simply accessible. The authors managed to take such a sweeping topic and current it in “one thing for everybody” format. Whether or not you’re after a espresso desk e book with stunning artwork and photographs or a riveting learn in regards to the historical past of Walt Disney World, this has you coated. As must be evident from my effusive reward, A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth is an absolute must-buy for all followers of the Florida parks.
A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth retails for $60 and is obtainable from Amazon.com, within the parks, and at impartial booksellers. It’s incessantly bought out on-line and at Walt Disney World, and infrequently backordered on Amazon. We extremely advocate shopping for is ASAP if you would like it in time for Christmas. Click on right here to buy A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth. We obtain a small fee out of your buy, so shopping for by that hyperlink helps assist the location!
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