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Walt and the Promise of Progress City
Walt Disney’s vision for a city of tomorrow, EPCOT, would be a way for American corporations to show how technology, creative thinking, and hard work could change the world. He saw this project as a way to influence the public’s expectations about city life, in the same way his earlier work had redefined what it meant to watch an animated film or visit an amusement park. Walt and the Promise of Progress City is a personal journey that explores the process through which meaningful and functional spaces have been created by Walt Disney and his artists as well as how guests understand and experience those spaces.
374 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 28, 2016
1. The book was drowned with too much quotes. (I read that in someone else's review as well).
2. Only the last few chapters talk about EPCOT. Everything else prior to that was a history of Walt and other things here and there.
3. The author wrote as if the audience had some basic background in city planning and designing, which I don't, and so I had to stop and look up some things hence making it take forever to to read this book.
4. If you're going to talk about some artist's work and about planning a whole city, some illustrations would enhance the book. Without it, the book was a dry read.
This book was not what I expected it to be considering the title was about Progress City.
2. Only the last few chapters talk about EPCOT. Everything else prior to that was a history of Walt and other things here and there.
3. The author wrote as if the audience had some basic background in city planning and designing, which I don't, and so I had to stop and look up some things hence making it take forever to to read this book.
4. If you're going to talk about some artist's work and about planning a whole city, some illustrations would enhance the book. Without it, the book was a dry read.
This book was not what I expected it to be considering the title was about Progress City.
January 17, 2024
Gennaway shows convincingly how Walt (the man, differentiated from Disney, his company) accumulated insight, knowledge, and pragmatic wisdom at every stage of his life, as he designed but could not complete his city of the future. Along the way we see - from various vantage points - how much influence Walt had on our lives and our expectations. Even those familiar with Walt's biography and career will learn much from this interesting and well-formed book.
Addendum: Re-read. Grabbed this off the shelf when I needed something to read, without realizing I had read it before - a discovery I made only after the second reading. The first time I must have raced through without thinking much about the richness of the story Gennawey was telling. What he's doing here is telling the complicated story of Walt as a city-maker: all the paths and bypaths and wandering trails he followed as he thought about how to create the ideal city, something that would be the center of the huge Florida project now called Walt Disney World, but in its inception something meant to revolutionize human civilization.
Gennaway combines Disney history with Disney dreaming to reveal the richness of Walt's thinking while talking about what he's done and what he's doing at the time. Walt's brilliance in understanding how humans react to their surroundings places him among the world's great city planners, and reading Gennawey we discover how Walt's thinking compares with other planners'; along the way, we see that thinking forming great plans both realized (Disneyland and all the other parks) and unrealized (Mineral King among others). There's a lot of Disney history here, as well as information about and discussion of a number of the Western world's most influential and important city planners.
This book was the subject of a presentation Gennawey made at the Winter Park (FL) Public Library on May 3, 2012, where the book was on sale, a publication of Ayefour Publishing, a company apparently no longer in existence, whose other titles include Four Decades of Magic, The Vault of Walt, and Project Future. The book has a decent bibliography, and excellent Table of Contents, and no index.
Addendum: Re-read. Grabbed this off the shelf when I needed something to read, without realizing I had read it before - a discovery I made only after the second reading. The first time I must have raced through without thinking much about the richness of the story Gennawey was telling. What he's doing here is telling the complicated story of Walt as a city-maker: all the paths and bypaths and wandering trails he followed as he thought about how to create the ideal city, something that would be the center of the huge Florida project now called Walt Disney World, but in its inception something meant to revolutionize human civilization.
Gennaway combines Disney history with Disney dreaming to reveal the richness of Walt's thinking while talking about what he's done and what he's doing at the time. Walt's brilliance in understanding how humans react to their surroundings places him among the world's great city planners, and reading Gennawey we discover how Walt's thinking compares with other planners'; along the way, we see that thinking forming great plans both realized (Disneyland and all the other parks) and unrealized (Mineral King among others). There's a lot of Disney history here, as well as information about and discussion of a number of the Western world's most influential and important city planners.
This book was the subject of a presentation Gennawey made at the Winter Park (FL) Public Library on May 3, 2012, where the book was on sale, a publication of Ayefour Publishing, a company apparently no longer in existence, whose other titles include Four Decades of Magic, The Vault of Walt, and Project Future. The book has a decent bibliography, and excellent Table of Contents, and no index.
July 18, 2012
The title of this book is somewhat misleading, it's not until three-quarters of the way through that it really begins to discuss the original vision of EPCOT. Its subject is really the entirety of Walt's endeavors in urban planning - be they theme parks, backyard railroads, or entire cities. The subject matter has been meticulously researched and the bibliography is a veritable who's who of modern Disney historians. The author goes to great lengths to cite his sources, almost to a fault; often times I felt the author's voice was drowned out amongst all the quotes.
This book also falls into the all too common trap of deifying Walt Disney. The man was clearly a genius, but he was a man, complete with shortcomings, insecurities and flaws. To suggest that he walked on water, and every word that came from his mouth was gold, is doing him and readers a disservice. Isn't it all the more impressive that he accomplished what he did despite his insecurities - or that occasionally he came up short? Doesn't that mean there's hope for all of us to do the same?
There is a lot to be learned from this book, particularly in the history of architecture and urban planning. And there is plenty of Disney history and trivia satisfy the fanboy and the scholar alike. It's an interesting read and I very much hope the author continues writing on Disney history. I look forward to seeing how his writing style evolves in future books.
This book also falls into the all too common trap of deifying Walt Disney. The man was clearly a genius, but he was a man, complete with shortcomings, insecurities and flaws. To suggest that he walked on water, and every word that came from his mouth was gold, is doing him and readers a disservice. Isn't it all the more impressive that he accomplished what he did despite his insecurities - or that occasionally he came up short? Doesn't that mean there's hope for all of us to do the same?
There is a lot to be learned from this book, particularly in the history of architecture and urban planning. And there is plenty of Disney history and trivia satisfy the fanboy and the scholar alike. It's an interesting read and I very much hope the author continues writing on Disney history. I look forward to seeing how his writing style evolves in future books.
November 8, 2011
Often I have wondered what the Walt Disney World Resort would have looked like if Walt Disney had lived to see his last dream come to completion. I am sure that many of you have wondered the same thing. Walt Disney’s hopes for his Florida property were for so much more than a theme park; after all he did not do sequels. The Walt Disney World Resort we have today is more than a clone of the Disneyland that opened in 1955 due to lessons learned from the California park, but it is still only a shadow of what Walt Disney dreamed.
Sam Gennawey of the SamLand blog provides his insight as an urban planner to detail Walt Disney’s dreams for his Florida project, its evolution and its development in Walt and the Promise of Progress City. Gennawey introduces his readers to concepts used by urban planners when developing an area, often referring to specific examples within the Disneyland Resort to demonstrate them in action. This is followed by a detailed examination of Walt Disney’s own property development projects including the Burbank studio, Disney’s Carolwood Drive home, Disneyland, the failed Mineral King development, and finally the Florida project. This historical journey makes it clear that Disney’s projects were becoming more complex and that Disney’s true interest in building in Florida was not another theme park, since he had already built one, but the development of a working city that could demonstrate solutions to the problems of urban living through the use of technology. Genneway then walks his readers through the EPCOT of 1982 that might have been, Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, not the Epcot theme park that we have today. Instead this EPCOT is a functioning city with shopping, recreational areas (including a theme park), residential areas and even a theme park much like seen in the Progress City model found in the exit of the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland during Gennawey’s childhood. Gennawey concludes his book with a brief answer to if Disney’s plans would have worked.
This book is full of the language of the urban planner. And though that could be seen as a drawback, I believe it is a benefit. I do not have a background in planning cities, I am not aware of the vocabulary that urban planners use and I’m definitely not aware of historic urban planning thinkers. Typically when I read a Disney book I learn a few facts that I have never been aware of before, but honestly many Disney books revisit the same material. Instead with Walt and the Promise of Progress City I learned about the world of the urban planner and because of this I was finding myself having conversations using this new vocabulary. And I was able to understand it because of the Disney linkages Gennawey provides his reader. Instead of being intimidated by these new concepts I was learning about them since he presents them in terms I can understand. Concepts like “The Quality Without a Name” can be easily understood when demonstrated in action within the Disney parks.
As a historian I truly enjoyed Gennawey’s presentation of Walt Disney’s evolution of building bigger and bigger projects eventually arriving at his dream of EPCOT, an entirely new city within the Disney Florida property. By linking together the various building projects that Disney oversaw, the reader can see Disney’s desire for the inclusion of new technologies and improving the quality of life even if it was just an animator’s desk for his Burbank Studio. Additionally, I found his discussion of the Mineral King project fresh and filled with possibilities of what could have been if the property had followed Walt Disney’s designs. It is also clear that urban planners like Victor Gruen who were foremost thinkers in the city planning were influencing Disney’s thoughts on cities. But Genneway makes it clear that Disney was not attempting to innovate new ideas about cities but to use the best thinking and technology to create spaces that people could truly use and enjoy. Disney’s dream was gift humanity with a model of better ways to live and solve urban problems, not just an enjoyable family vacation.
Genneway’s visit to the EPCOT 1982 is inspiring. First, it is not a theme park, but is instead a place where people live and work. Theme parks and hotels do not dominate this space. Instead it is a city with shopping, residential housing, schools, greenbelts, and yes that moneymaking theme park. Most surprising to me was the industrial park where companies would display the latest technology and processes. Though this EPCOT looks different than what we have today, it still includes shopping, hotels, and green spaces that exist today. While Walt’s dream of a city is clearly not fully achieved by the current profile of the Walt Disney World Resort, it is amazing how much of the plans for a full city exist. For example as Genneway discusses the reading for the shopping district to be an attraction on its own right, I thought my families inclusion of Downtown Disney alongside the parks as part of our vacation planning.
If I could change one thing about Walt and the Promise of Progress City, it would be the inclusion of an index. There is so much good information about Walt Disney, the Disneyland Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort and urban planning, many readers will likely dog their copy with notes and highlighting and be used as a constant reference for what will have been. This text is an essential for any good Disney library due to its content. Interest for this book also can be found beyond Disney fans, I have friends who are not Disney enthusiasts asking to borrow my copy due to the historical content out of their own general interest. Sam Genneway in Walt and the Promise of Progress City offers a well-written, highly educational and highly interesting book that fans and non-fans of the Walt Disney World Resort will enjoy.
Review copy provided by Ayefour Publishing
Sam Gennawey of the SamLand blog provides his insight as an urban planner to detail Walt Disney’s dreams for his Florida project, its evolution and its development in Walt and the Promise of Progress City. Gennawey introduces his readers to concepts used by urban planners when developing an area, often referring to specific examples within the Disneyland Resort to demonstrate them in action. This is followed by a detailed examination of Walt Disney’s own property development projects including the Burbank studio, Disney’s Carolwood Drive home, Disneyland, the failed Mineral King development, and finally the Florida project. This historical journey makes it clear that Disney’s projects were becoming more complex and that Disney’s true interest in building in Florida was not another theme park, since he had already built one, but the development of a working city that could demonstrate solutions to the problems of urban living through the use of technology. Genneway then walks his readers through the EPCOT of 1982 that might have been, Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, not the Epcot theme park that we have today. Instead this EPCOT is a functioning city with shopping, recreational areas (including a theme park), residential areas and even a theme park much like seen in the Progress City model found in the exit of the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland during Gennawey’s childhood. Gennawey concludes his book with a brief answer to if Disney’s plans would have worked.
This book is full of the language of the urban planner. And though that could be seen as a drawback, I believe it is a benefit. I do not have a background in planning cities, I am not aware of the vocabulary that urban planners use and I’m definitely not aware of historic urban planning thinkers. Typically when I read a Disney book I learn a few facts that I have never been aware of before, but honestly many Disney books revisit the same material. Instead with Walt and the Promise of Progress City I learned about the world of the urban planner and because of this I was finding myself having conversations using this new vocabulary. And I was able to understand it because of the Disney linkages Gennawey provides his reader. Instead of being intimidated by these new concepts I was learning about them since he presents them in terms I can understand. Concepts like “The Quality Without a Name” can be easily understood when demonstrated in action within the Disney parks.
As a historian I truly enjoyed Gennawey’s presentation of Walt Disney’s evolution of building bigger and bigger projects eventually arriving at his dream of EPCOT, an entirely new city within the Disney Florida property. By linking together the various building projects that Disney oversaw, the reader can see Disney’s desire for the inclusion of new technologies and improving the quality of life even if it was just an animator’s desk for his Burbank Studio. Additionally, I found his discussion of the Mineral King project fresh and filled with possibilities of what could have been if the property had followed Walt Disney’s designs. It is also clear that urban planners like Victor Gruen who were foremost thinkers in the city planning were influencing Disney’s thoughts on cities. But Genneway makes it clear that Disney was not attempting to innovate new ideas about cities but to use the best thinking and technology to create spaces that people could truly use and enjoy. Disney’s dream was gift humanity with a model of better ways to live and solve urban problems, not just an enjoyable family vacation.
Genneway’s visit to the EPCOT 1982 is inspiring. First, it is not a theme park, but is instead a place where people live and work. Theme parks and hotels do not dominate this space. Instead it is a city with shopping, residential housing, schools, greenbelts, and yes that moneymaking theme park. Most surprising to me was the industrial park where companies would display the latest technology and processes. Though this EPCOT looks different than what we have today, it still includes shopping, hotels, and green spaces that exist today. While Walt’s dream of a city is clearly not fully achieved by the current profile of the Walt Disney World Resort, it is amazing how much of the plans for a full city exist. For example as Genneway discusses the reading for the shopping district to be an attraction on its own right, I thought my families inclusion of Downtown Disney alongside the parks as part of our vacation planning.
If I could change one thing about Walt and the Promise of Progress City, it would be the inclusion of an index. There is so much good information about Walt Disney, the Disneyland Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort and urban planning, many readers will likely dog their copy with notes and highlighting and be used as a constant reference for what will have been. This text is an essential for any good Disney library due to its content. Interest for this book also can be found beyond Disney fans, I have friends who are not Disney enthusiasts asking to borrow my copy due to the historical content out of their own general interest. Sam Genneway in Walt and the Promise of Progress City offers a well-written, highly educational and highly interesting book that fans and non-fans of the Walt Disney World Resort will enjoy.
Review copy provided by Ayefour Publishing
June 2, 2021
A truly amazing and at times astonishing book. Sam Gennawey weaves together history, urban planning and the Disney of it all. Sam was moved as a child by the model of Progress City you got a look at upon exiting the Carousel of Progress when it was installed at Disneyland, just like I was. I saw that model at the age of four and never forgot it. That model was more than just a cool miniature. It was a vision of the world as you expected it to be/become. Gennawey was so moved, he grew up to be an urban planner himself!
In this book you get a look at the urban planner and visionary who was a large part of Walt Disney, the man. There are tales of what is, was and what might have been presented with well-researched anecdotes and facts. The book is informed by interviews with the people actually involved as well as the contemporary writing and articles. I learned more than expected about urban planning and architecture philosophy. Along the way there many gems that even person who is well read in Disney related non-fiction found to be new.
In this book you get a look at the urban planner and visionary who was a large part of Walt Disney, the man. There are tales of what is, was and what might have been presented with well-researched anecdotes and facts. The book is informed by interviews with the people actually involved as well as the contemporary writing and articles. I learned more than expected about urban planning and architecture philosophy. Along the way there many gems that even person who is well read in Disney related non-fiction found to be new.
December 16, 2011
I have to be honest...I thought I was going to be a bit biased when it came to this book.
You see, I have been reading Sam's work online for the past few years, both on his own website, SamLand, and on MiceChat. I've enjoyed pretty much everything he's written about, and his writing style in general. Sam has always taken a very scholarly approach to every subject pertaining to Disney, and really helped me (and others) understand certain aspects of the company.
This book is more of the same, and I dare say it takes it even further than that.
I've always been a fan of Walt's original model for EPCOT; to build a brand new way that folks could live and work in a community. His Florida Project film is the stuff of legend now, and I've always had an interest in how we went from Walt's original vision of EPCOT to the Epcot we have too. Thankfully, Sam also had the same interest, and researched the subject thoroughly.
This book is an incredibly in-depth & scholarly look at Walt's vision, and just how he arrived at it. While EPCOT is the ultimate focus of the book, Sam reaches way back to the very beginnings of The Walt Disney Company to show how Walt always had an interest and an eye on city planning, even when creating Disneyland.
Sam carefully lays out Walt's vision and plans in a simple way to help the reader understand just what the heck he's talking about. City Planning, and all that it entails, is not a light subject (and doesn't really make for light reading, either!), but Sam's writing makes it easy to understand and actually fun to learn about it.
I enjoyed reading this book, and could very easily see it being used not just by Disney scholars, but in some class rooms as well. It would be a great teaching tool for those interested in city planning!
One of the things I enjoyed the most was that the last section of the book lays out, in detail, everything that encompassed Walt's EPCOT, had it been built the way he wanted it too. It was a fascinating look at a very carefully thought out plan, and really gave me a whole new appreciation for a subject I thought I already knew a lot about!
I highly recommend this book to Disney fans who want to learn more about what EPCOT could have been, and for fans who just want to expand their knowledge a little more in general. It's a fantastic read, and well worth your time.
You see, I have been reading Sam's work online for the past few years, both on his own website, SamLand, and on MiceChat. I've enjoyed pretty much everything he's written about, and his writing style in general. Sam has always taken a very scholarly approach to every subject pertaining to Disney, and really helped me (and others) understand certain aspects of the company.
This book is more of the same, and I dare say it takes it even further than that.
I've always been a fan of Walt's original model for EPCOT; to build a brand new way that folks could live and work in a community. His Florida Project film is the stuff of legend now, and I've always had an interest in how we went from Walt's original vision of EPCOT to the Epcot we have too. Thankfully, Sam also had the same interest, and researched the subject thoroughly.
This book is an incredibly in-depth & scholarly look at Walt's vision, and just how he arrived at it. While EPCOT is the ultimate focus of the book, Sam reaches way back to the very beginnings of The Walt Disney Company to show how Walt always had an interest and an eye on city planning, even when creating Disneyland.
Sam carefully lays out Walt's vision and plans in a simple way to help the reader understand just what the heck he's talking about. City Planning, and all that it entails, is not a light subject (and doesn't really make for light reading, either!), but Sam's writing makes it easy to understand and actually fun to learn about it.
I enjoyed reading this book, and could very easily see it being used not just by Disney scholars, but in some class rooms as well. It would be a great teaching tool for those interested in city planning!
One of the things I enjoyed the most was that the last section of the book lays out, in detail, everything that encompassed Walt's EPCOT, had it been built the way he wanted it too. It was a fascinating look at a very carefully thought out plan, and really gave me a whole new appreciation for a subject I thought I already knew a lot about!
I highly recommend this book to Disney fans who want to learn more about what EPCOT could have been, and for fans who just want to expand their knowledge a little more in general. It's a fantastic read, and well worth your time.
February 14, 2012
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. Having read a fair amount about Disney's plans for EPCOT and the "Florida Project" ("Walt Disney and the Quest for Community", "Project Future", and others), I was pleasantly surprised at how much new and thought-provoking material was in this book. The author's writing style is very reader-friendly, even when he addressed fairly technical and stuff content.
This book leads the reader through a history of various projects that Walt Disney (and the Disney company) were involved in over the years that formed and informed the ideas and plans developed for Disney World, EPCOT, and Progress City. These projects included the Animation studio, Disneyland, Walt's Holmby Hills home, the 1964 World's Fair, the Mineral King Resort, and others.
I especially liked the explanations of urban planning concepts and how they were used/manifested in Disney's various projects.
My only quibble (and it's very minor) is that in his "speculative 1982 visit" to Disney World and Progress City, the author assumes that it would have been built just as presented in the EPCOT film. I suspect that many aspects might have changed (as Walt himself predicted in the EPCOT film). I certainly understand why he did this, since planning and work on the project likely stopped shortly after that film was made (which was only 2 months before Walt's death), and the plans in the EPCOT file represent the last know vision for Disney World. As I said, this is a VERY minor quibble.
I strongly recommend this book to any fans of Disney parks or Walt Disney. You will learn something new from this book. I can almost guarantee it. This is definitely going in my "read this again" pile.
This book leads the reader through a history of various projects that Walt Disney (and the Disney company) were involved in over the years that formed and informed the ideas and plans developed for Disney World, EPCOT, and Progress City. These projects included the Animation studio, Disneyland, Walt's Holmby Hills home, the 1964 World's Fair, the Mineral King Resort, and others.
I especially liked the explanations of urban planning concepts and how they were used/manifested in Disney's various projects.
My only quibble (and it's very minor) is that in his "speculative 1982 visit" to Disney World and Progress City, the author assumes that it would have been built just as presented in the EPCOT film. I suspect that many aspects might have changed (as Walt himself predicted in the EPCOT film). I certainly understand why he did this, since planning and work on the project likely stopped shortly after that film was made (which was only 2 months before Walt's death), and the plans in the EPCOT file represent the last know vision for Disney World. As I said, this is a VERY minor quibble.
I strongly recommend this book to any fans of Disney parks or Walt Disney. You will learn something new from this book. I can almost guarantee it. This is definitely going in my "read this again" pile.
January 4, 2014
Thorough read!
Very well researched. A TON of information about Disney as well as basic urban planning itself. A very dry read at times, as the definitions and explanations can be mind numbing. A. Very interesting account of Walt's actual plans for Epcot. Highly recommended!!
Very well researched. A TON of information about Disney as well as basic urban planning itself. A very dry read at times, as the definitions and explanations can be mind numbing. A. Very interesting account of Walt's actual plans for Epcot. Highly recommended!!
February 2, 2017
A very interesting read that help shed more insight on city planning and Walt's Progress City. It shows that Walt Disney was a man of intellect who had structure to plans he worked on including Progress City. The book can be technical at times, but this helps the reader understand all the aspects of city planning and why Walt wanted the things he did for the city of the future.
January 22, 2012
Call me Art Vandelay because after reading this I want to be an architect or urban planner. Reading this in conjunction with the two Disneyland TV shows by Walt Disney makes for a very interesting read about America's cities and our reliance on cars.
April 4, 2014
Great book, lots of Disney history. If you can get your hands on a copy you'll not regret it.
October 26, 2020
The book is detail-oriented and comprehensive, but it lacks storytelling and clarity without images.
Strength: Research and detail. The details about urban planning, architecture, and Walt Disney's plans are breathtakingly well-researched and told, from the perspective of many of Walt Disney's associates, like Buzz Price, John Hench, Marty Sklar, and Ward Kimball. The plans, and the details that Walt planned for EPCOT, come across, and I learned a lot I didn't know.
Weakness 1: Non-Disney History. However, the book spirals into a history lesson about urban planning way too often, without much of the human element of a woven tale. Yes, the author Sam Gennawey gave us a glimpse of his first exposure to the EPCOT miniature as a child, and that gave the story the thrust it needed to get going. Descriptions of Disney plans, the Highways of America, and the influences of Victor Gruen further gave Walt's plans a human element. But then the book would diverge to talk about abstract principles from an irrelevant era, or urban planning basics, random cities in America, and other topics unrelated to Walt Disney's EPCOT. Without the human element to guide us through these studies, the discussion became dry far too often, devolving into exposition of architectural principles or examples that I had no relation or interest in reading, like a building in Chicago or Maryland that never reached commercial fruition.
Weakness 2: Lack of Visual Aids. Finally, without any images, I struggled to picture EPCOT in my mind's eye. To the author: Even if you haven't seen or licensed Walt's original plans, at least do a best-attempt sketch of the urban layout of what you're describing in words! It's ironic that so often, Sam tells us how Walt tried to be visual with his design, and at the same time, the book doesn't present so much as a line drawing or wireframe of anything! Text can only go so far when it comes to communicating new concepts like building placement and radial design. Even David Koenig's Realityland, with its rough layout diagrams, painted a clearer picture of the EPCOT's planned layout.
Summary: This book, minus the architectural and urban planning history lessons, and plus some images of EPCOT, would easily deserve five stars!
Strength: Research and detail. The details about urban planning, architecture, and Walt Disney's plans are breathtakingly well-researched and told, from the perspective of many of Walt Disney's associates, like Buzz Price, John Hench, Marty Sklar, and Ward Kimball. The plans, and the details that Walt planned for EPCOT, come across, and I learned a lot I didn't know.
Weakness 1: Non-Disney History. However, the book spirals into a history lesson about urban planning way too often, without much of the human element of a woven tale. Yes, the author Sam Gennawey gave us a glimpse of his first exposure to the EPCOT miniature as a child, and that gave the story the thrust it needed to get going. Descriptions of Disney plans, the Highways of America, and the influences of Victor Gruen further gave Walt's plans a human element. But then the book would diverge to talk about abstract principles from an irrelevant era, or urban planning basics, random cities in America, and other topics unrelated to Walt Disney's EPCOT. Without the human element to guide us through these studies, the discussion became dry far too often, devolving into exposition of architectural principles or examples that I had no relation or interest in reading, like a building in Chicago or Maryland that never reached commercial fruition.
Weakness 2: Lack of Visual Aids. Finally, without any images, I struggled to picture EPCOT in my mind's eye. To the author: Even if you haven't seen or licensed Walt's original plans, at least do a best-attempt sketch of the urban layout of what you're describing in words! It's ironic that so often, Sam tells us how Walt tried to be visual with his design, and at the same time, the book doesn't present so much as a line drawing or wireframe of anything! Text can only go so far when it comes to communicating new concepts like building placement and radial design. Even David Koenig's Realityland, with its rough layout diagrams, painted a clearer picture of the EPCOT's planned layout.
Summary: This book, minus the architectural and urban planning history lessons, and plus some images of EPCOT, would easily deserve five stars!
August 11, 2019
Boy oh boy was this book a chore. It was completely schizophrenic in it's approach and, while I learned a thing or two, I found myself jumping between interesting chapters and meandering chapters on the most boring subjects possible. This is absolutely a book which you can jump from section to section or chapter to chapter and suffer no ill effects.
This book is many things, it is a book about Walt Disney and Progress City yes, it is also a book on the history of architecture, a book on city government, and a speculative book on what EPCOT might have looked like. These things do not blend as well as they seem or could have been. One minute we are talking about Disney History, then we take a hard right into the various theories of New Urbanism or on Rural development theory, then we go back to Disney, then talk about various municipal organizational structures. It is just all over the place.
This book also references several better books, biographies on Disney, Married to the Mouse (a book on government that operates at Disney), and Disney History Books like DisneyWar or Marty Sklar's biographies. However it never surpasses them to make it's own mark. If it does, I would say what this book does uniquely is create a comprehensive understanding of what EPCOT as Walt planned it would have been like, but even that was so married to concepts I found boring and uninteresting that I put the book down several times.
It is an ambitious book and I think it could have been done well, however the organization and structuring of the book's "narrative" was so haphazard and random that I found it really unappealing. It was like a half peanut-butter & jelly, half tuna fish and cheese sandwich. They don't go together and the minute you are getting used to the taste of one, you are hit with the other so jarringly you have to readjust.
I would not recommend this book unless you are morbidly curious about Walt's vision of EPCOT. If not, then use this book as a bibliography of much better books to read since he sources pretty much every decent book on Disney and Walt Disney World I have read.
This book is many things, it is a book about Walt Disney and Progress City yes, it is also a book on the history of architecture, a book on city government, and a speculative book on what EPCOT might have looked like. These things do not blend as well as they seem or could have been. One minute we are talking about Disney History, then we take a hard right into the various theories of New Urbanism or on Rural development theory, then we go back to Disney, then talk about various municipal organizational structures. It is just all over the place.
This book also references several better books, biographies on Disney, Married to the Mouse (a book on government that operates at Disney), and Disney History Books like DisneyWar or Marty Sklar's biographies. However it never surpasses them to make it's own mark. If it does, I would say what this book does uniquely is create a comprehensive understanding of what EPCOT as Walt planned it would have been like, but even that was so married to concepts I found boring and uninteresting that I put the book down several times.
It is an ambitious book and I think it could have been done well, however the organization and structuring of the book's "narrative" was so haphazard and random that I found it really unappealing. It was like a half peanut-butter & jelly, half tuna fish and cheese sandwich. They don't go together and the minute you are getting used to the taste of one, you are hit with the other so jarringly you have to readjust.
I would not recommend this book unless you are morbidly curious about Walt's vision of EPCOT. If not, then use this book as a bibliography of much better books to read since he sources pretty much every decent book on Disney and Walt Disney World I have read.
February 2, 2024
As soon as I discovered the true EPCOT project I have been absolutely fascinated. I was so excited to see that a book was actually written on the subject! I went through a rabbit hole of watching YouTube videos and when that ran out and I still felt like my curiosity was unanswered, I discovered this book. I got it on my kindle and enjoyed my time with it. It was a bit dry in areas so I read this over a VERY long time. I had lots of major life events happen during the span of this read so it’s kind of exciting to finally be here at the end!
My burning question of “would Epcot have worked?” Was answered right at the end and honestly the end was quite an abrupt stop. I was shocked when it was the last page 😆
Overall, enjoyed reading and learning and only took off a star because the super dry parts had me take long breaks, but I’m very happy I read it! I’d recommend to anyone else interested in this very niche subject. It had much more on Walt himself than I was expecting but on retrospect it makes sense.
Thanks for writing this book Sam!
My burning question of “would Epcot have worked?” Was answered right at the end and honestly the end was quite an abrupt stop. I was shocked when it was the last page 😆
Overall, enjoyed reading and learning and only took off a star because the super dry parts had me take long breaks, but I’m very happy I read it! I’d recommend to anyone else interested in this very niche subject. It had much more on Walt himself than I was expecting but on retrospect it makes sense.
Thanks for writing this book Sam!
January 28, 2023
It reads like an extremely well-researched thesis, building a mountain of evidence to support the author’s hypothesis of what EPCOT would have looked like on a granular scale and his opinion that the project would have been a success. Some other reviewers have complained that discussion of EPCOT doesn’t occur until the latter portion of the book, but I would argue that the historical context the author lays out in terms of Walt’s career trajectory and vision as well as prevailing urban planning tactics is necessary to meet the challenge of going beyond the nebulous idea of EPCOT that was presented to the public.
April 8, 2018
Although this book has some interesting information, I, like other reviews I've seen find the title of this book more than a little misleading, the first half is just an abriged biography of Walt, but once you finally get to EPCOT it gets bogged down in architectural jargon very fast and is just boing to read. I would give this one a pass.
August 22, 2017
Great for Disney history buffs
This is a great dive into the history of Disneyland and Walt Disney's version of EPCOT. I really enjoyed learning about the proposed city and the history of Disney theme parks. Well written and engaging.
This is a great dive into the history of Disneyland and Walt Disney's version of EPCOT. I really enjoyed learning about the proposed city and the history of Disney theme parks. Well written and engaging.
January 30, 2023
We can visit EPCOT today, but we will never get to visit what originally intended. Sam walks us through the history and the ultimate build-up to Walt's original vision for the Florida property.
May 20, 2023
It’s a very thorough look at Walt’s life, but doesn’t start talking about EPCOT until the very end of the book. Very informative, but be ready for a lot of info not about EPCOT
November 17, 2024
3.5. Really interesting read, there were things I wanted more when reading and then also things I felt didn’t fit.
June 2, 2013
So ultimately Walt and the Promise of Progress City was disappointing to me. If the author reads this, please just discard my review, don't be offended or anything, you wrote a very well written book on city planning and what Progress City/EPCOT would have been from that aspect. It's just not what I wanted or was looking for, so maybe it was my own expectations of the book that failed, rather than what I actually ended up reading.
What I wanted, was a fun look into the EPCOT that Walt envisioned, an alternate look, however briefly, into what it was that Walt Disney wanted to create in Central Florida. That's here in this book, but that's not the focus of the book. This book is focused on the design philosophies of city planning that led Walt to designing EPCOT. From that aspect, the book is very well written and interesting. I wanted a tour of the city and become excited about the possibilites that the city held and the solutions for many of our problems that we face today that the city would have inspired.
What I wanted, was something akin to the Walt Disney World attraction, The Carousel of Progress, about EPCOT the city, in book form. That fun look at technology, that is one of my favorite attractions at WDW, where you not only learn a bit of history, but even has a fun "here's what could have/might have been" scene. That's not what this book is and it's no fault of the author. If what you're looking for is the same thing that I was looking for, I couldn't recommend this. If you're looking for a well written, academic-esque book on what EPCOT the city might have been from a city planning perspective, this is definitely for you!
What I wanted, was a fun look into the EPCOT that Walt envisioned, an alternate look, however briefly, into what it was that Walt Disney wanted to create in Central Florida. That's here in this book, but that's not the focus of the book. This book is focused on the design philosophies of city planning that led Walt to designing EPCOT. From that aspect, the book is very well written and interesting. I wanted a tour of the city and become excited about the possibilites that the city held and the solutions for many of our problems that we face today that the city would have inspired.
What I wanted, was something akin to the Walt Disney World attraction, The Carousel of Progress, about EPCOT the city, in book form. That fun look at technology, that is one of my favorite attractions at WDW, where you not only learn a bit of history, but even has a fun "here's what could have/might have been" scene. That's not what this book is and it's no fault of the author. If what you're looking for is the same thing that I was looking for, I couldn't recommend this. If you're looking for a well written, academic-esque book on what EPCOT the city might have been from a city planning perspective, this is definitely for you!
June 19, 2013
A well-researched, lovingly organized and intimate insider's look at Walt's vision for an ideal community, this book should be of interest to fans of urban design, utopian futrism and Disney.
While most people know that Walt intended Disneyworld to be a working city, few have bothered to reveal the thinking behind Walt's vision. Gennawey reveals Walt's EPCOT not to be a Westworld-like fantasy, but a reaction against urban sprawl and freeway gridlock. Here is a vision of the future meant to capture the rhythms and pace of small town life through new technology.
While the New Urbanists would later scoff at city-planning efforts like EPCOT for being soulless, through this illuminating portrait of a city that never was, Gennaway uncovers its beating heart -- and the heart of the man whose dying wish was to see it come to life.
While most people know that Walt intended Disneyworld to be a working city, few have bothered to reveal the thinking behind Walt's vision. Gennawey reveals Walt's EPCOT not to be a Westworld-like fantasy, but a reaction against urban sprawl and freeway gridlock. Here is a vision of the future meant to capture the rhythms and pace of small town life through new technology.
While the New Urbanists would later scoff at city-planning efforts like EPCOT for being soulless, through this illuminating portrait of a city that never was, Gennaway uncovers its beating heart -- and the heart of the man whose dying wish was to see it come to life.
July 30, 2012
An interesting look at what makes the Disney theme parks such inviting and enjoyable places to be, and the story of Walt Disney's greatest dream that never fully came to fruition. Sam Gennaway, a fan of Disney history and an urban planner, introduces readers to concepts from his line of work that set the parks apart from many other places, and explains how Walt's fascination with theories on how to solve the problems of our cities led him to start working on a city of his own.
The book gets off ot a bit of a confusing start - more than once in the beginning I thought to myself, "where is Sam going with this?" - but stick with it and your patience will be rewarded with a fascintating and maybe a little melancholy story of one of Walt's last projects.
The book gets off ot a bit of a confusing start - more than once in the beginning I thought to myself, "where is Sam going with this?" - but stick with it and your patience will be rewarded with a fascintating and maybe a little melancholy story of one of Walt's last projects.
March 8, 2015
"Walt and the Promise of Progress City" is an interesting chronology of Walt Disney's building projects with a mind toward the key influences in Walt's interests and life that led to EPCOT. While it is not the critique of EPCOT and Walt's vision from an urban planning and architectural point of view that I had hoped (it is entirely too sympathetic to be even close to a critique), it is an interesting book nonetheless. Gennaway does bring in some references to architectural and urban planning trends and themes, though only to reinforce the thesis that Walt's vision would have worked and was soundly based in an understanding of what people wanted. Readers looking for a solid description and critique of the EPCOT plan will be disappointed.
June 4, 2013
An amazing book detailing Walt Disney's interest in urban design. Quotes material from rare books (such as vinyl leaves), and is a valuable read in that regard. Lots of insight on Disney's design values. There is so much wind up, however, that once I got to to central premise of the book (what would the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow have looked liked had it been built?) I was pretty much worn out
September 6, 2015
The part about Disney's vision for a progressive, indoor Jetsons city was very engrossing, but despite the title of the book, this wasn't really discussed until the last 100 pages or so. The rest of the book was an interesting, if biased, history of the various Disney buildings and theme parks, and an homage to a revolutionary (but, in my opinion, a bit crazy) thinker, written by someone who probably has a lot of Disneyland/World buttons.
July 21, 2015
This book explores the ideas and history that led Walt Disney to imagine his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. While the book does drift into the realms of academia on occasion, it does lead up to the climatic narration of what EPCOT would have been like. The tone is optimistic and inquisitive, not cynical - like Walt himself. This is required reading for Disneyphiles!
November 8, 2012
I like urban planning, so I enjoyed the book. Gennawey explains u.p. theories, so it's a good intro too. A Disney Geek might be bored with the history of Disney, as the book doesn't offer anything bee.
July 12, 2012
Confusing changes between reality (what was built) and what was proposed (EPCOT) made it less enjoyable than expected. That, and it felt a little too over the top like a non-stop praise book for Walt Disney and his colleagues. Likely just needed more editing.
September 25, 2014
Would Walt's EPCOT have worked? Read the thorough coverage and decide for yourself. I'm not sure.
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