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

by Aaron Wallace

The Thinking Fans Guide is a different kind of guidebook for a different kind of theme park experience. Aaron Wallace avoids the ephemera of prices and menus to explore the heart of the Disney experience, the attractions themselves.

He provides a lighthearted but scholarly look at the history, lore, and literature that inform the designs and storylines of every ride and attraction in the Magic Kingdom s Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland, as well as the Walt Disney World Railroad, the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game, the Celebrate a Dream Come True and SpectroMagic parades, the Wishes fireworks show, and Main Street, U.S.A. itself.

Far from being mere amusements, these 36 attractions provide a complex, multi-layered narrative that can be experienced and appreciated just like a great novel, play, or film. The Thinking Fan s Guide will fascinate Disney buffs with the sometimes surprising insights it offers into old favorites while offering newcomers to the Disney magic a much richer experience. If you are ready to immerse yourself in the magnificent achievement that is Walt Disney World s Magic Kingdom, this is the guide for you."

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2011

About the author

Aaron Wallace is a writer, podcaster, and attorney who studies movies, music, television, theatre, theme parks, the 1980s and ’90s, and why we love them. He is the author of three bestselling books about Disney, travel, and entertainment, available now at Amazon.com and in bookstores around the world:

• The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom
• The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Walt Disney World: Epcot
• Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Disney’s Halloween Classic

Disney fans know Aaron as the host of On Main Street with Aaron Wallace, the web’s longest-running Disney fan podcast. The show is one of the most-downloaded podcasts about Disney and has repeatedly been recognized by Apple as a “Featured Travel Podcast,” a fixture on the iTunes Travel Top 10. He also reviews live theatre and entertainment and conducts celebrity interviews as a Contributing Editor at BroadwayWorld.com, the web’s #1 source for live entertainment coverage. His more than two hundred movie, music, and television reviews have reached an audience of millions across multiple outlets, including the popular DVDizzy.com.

He has been featured in The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, Buzzfeed, Attractions Magazine, and The Orlando Sentinel, among other publications, and is a frequent guest on podcasts such as The Mad Chatters and Dizney Coast to Coast.

Aaron’s passion for Disney dates back to childhood, when he developed an early love for Disney’s movies, theme parks, and everything in between. He first started thinking critically about the company’s artistic output during his time at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Communication Studies (concentrating in Film, Television, and Media Studies) and English. While enrolled, he also taught a recitation course in analyzing popular children’s literature, becoming one of the first undergraduates in the program to lead a course.

He later pursued an interest in law, earning a Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University and practicing as an attorney before transitioning full-time to his career as a writer, critic, podcaster, and public speaker.

Today, Aaron lives in Orlando, Florida, where he visits the Walt Disney World Resort on at least a weekly basis and shares his adventures (and myriad thoughts on the entertainment world at large) on Instagram (@aaronhwallace) and Twitter (@aaronwallace). His website is available at www.AaronWallaceOnline.com.

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of Disney World guides. A lot. So I think I can say, with some authority, that The Thinking Fan's Guide is not your average travel guide. You won't find information about local hotels, or how to best use your money. Instead, Wallace has filled this book with analyses of virtually every attraction in the Magic Kingdom. You'll get a complete history of the attraction (including prior attractions that filled the same space), how the attraction fits into the overall park, and essentially everything else that you can fit into a few pages. I say attractions, because Wallace even gives this treatment to frequently ignored non-rides, like the shooting gallery in Frontierland. Keep in mind that book was written before the Fantasyland expansion was fully open, so there is a fair bit of the new stuff that just couldn't be covered.

I'm an admitted Disneyphile, so this book was right up my alley. It could be read by somebody new to the park, sure, but I doubt they'd get quite as much out of it as an obsessive like me. Like the very similar The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, this would be a great book to lug around the park with you. Luckily, it wouldn't weigh you down too much. The title implies that there will be other guides in the series, covering the other parks at Walt Disney World. I'll be all over those, if they see the light of day.

Edited July 2020: Did a re-read, since Wallace released a new and updated edition with all of the new Fantasyland stuff covered. Just as enjoyable as the first time around, with some decent insights. Also, it's now apparently a tradition that Wallace releasing an in-depth book about a park, even just an updated edition, will coincide with significant changes to the park in question. Three for three!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I was expecting (and wanting) from this book was history of the attractions at the Magic Kingdom. Although Aaron Wallace touched upon some of the history what he gave was more of a sense of being on the ride. He gave the five senses of what you see, what you will feel, and what you will hear. He gave a more in depth description of what it will be like being in line, around, and near the rides. I felt his reviews were very biased based on his opinions of the attractions. If he didn't like them than you can really tell and if he did like them he was a bit too excited (Way too much attention given to the Sorcerers Card Game.

I did enjoy his "watch this" commentaries on movies, tv, or shorts that were a similar "air" as the attraction.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a travel guide, this book is more of an exploration of the how, what, and why behind each of the attractions at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. As an obsessed fan of all things Disney, I enjoyed it a lot, but I did notice the author’s occasional drift into opinion rather than fact; take that with a grain of salt. My edition is also somewhat dated, as it was written before the Fantasyland expansion (so no Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc); I don’t know if there has been an update. But a huge win is the “watch this” movie recommendations after each attraction write-up. I now have a whole lot of new-to-me old Disney movies in my queue!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit out of date now that there's a second (and possibly an upcoming third) edition, but still enjoyable after having just been to the park. I thought the Epcot one was better, but there just may be slightly more to say about Epcot. If you're looking for a critical eye, though, look elsewhere. Both the Tiki Room and the Country Bears get a much more glowing review than they deserve, in my opinion, although the Country Bear section may be the most interesting one as far as history of the attraction goes.

[Leeann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read for any major Disney fan. It made even my least favorite rides seem to deserve a second chance based on their history and cultural significance. Plus, the Wishes tribute at the end made me tear up (RIP Wishes). Really a 3 1/2 stars, I had to dock a couple for some weird wording and sentence structure throughout and a failure to consider some of the tricker social failings of a few rides (like Splash Mountain).

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book has "guide" in the title, don't mistake it for a travel guide. The only thing covered in the book is the attractions, but it goes more in depth here than the dozens of WDW travel books already on the market. This is more of a background look on the "why" of each ride or show, referencing Disney history, the films, and so on.

If you like this book and are open to less pixie dusted accounts, you may also enjoy David Koenig's Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation and Theme Parks.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of interesting thoughts on the stories and storytelling behind the rides/attractions at WDW Magic Kingdom... occasionally a bit wordy but still filled with intriguing ideas. The endnotes have a lot of great content as well.

Not recommended as a travel guide for first-time guests... but worth your time if you are a Disney parks aficionado.

[Gena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the story behind many of the attractions we know and love at the Magic Kingdom. The recommendations for films and tv shows that are posted alongside are great too, and inspired me to watch some of them with my own children. I wish a map had been included as well as some photos or illustrations but that’s just a nitpick. Overall a good read for any WDW fan.

[Beth Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting backstory on all of the rides. Informative footnotes. Would have been nice to have a map included.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outdated, but kind of fun if you are going or just got back from a WDW trip.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I like the idea of the book: a ride-by-ride philosophical debate on the ride's impact on the rider. You can ponder with the author whether the Carousel or Progress is sexist or not, if the 7 Dwarves Mine Train is the land's first storycoaster as Disney advertised, why the Tiki Room's Under New Management was a disaster, and why fans of the park wax eloquent about a slow moving boat ride whose only purpose is to stare at mannequins all with the same face and singing the same 15 sentences over and over (It's a Small World, natch).

Of note: a Kindle version was not available so I received a print copy through Amazon Poland printing in the EU. The print face was excruciatingly small and tightly packed together, as if to make sure the page count was kept low as possible (and at the expense of a pleasant read). Fortunately, the book is broken down by park land and then the rides in that land. As well, for quick reference, the park land is located at the top of each page. So it was easy to read the book in short bouts.

Each ride has a call out square containing ride: type, duration, height requirements, crowdedness, fear factor, fast pass, wet factor, a preshow, and best time to wait. But those are the only tourist infos - the paragraphs themselves are the opinions on the existential nature of the ride. The author does keep the tone light and conversation and adds his own humor throughout (e.g., in the callout box for It's A Small World, the fear factor is 0 (unless singing dolls give you nightmares).

There are notes at the back for each chapter and they contain more specific info - frequently interesting tidbits such as the Haunted Mansion being located in a different land in all theme parks, info on a particular person/engineer, or origins of an opinion. One of the things that I enjoyed most about the book is that the author often referenced the Disneyland versions and made comparisons.

Since this is an opinion piece, you may or may not agree with his opinions. Clearly, the ones he loves are given long loving reviews (Carousel of Progress) and the ones he does not typically warrant a few pages of why. What you won't find is a lot of information on the history of the ride. You can take the Tiki Room section as a good example: two pages of undisguised sarcasm discussing the 'disaster' of the Under New Management rework and then a discussion of why people still love the Tiki Room (a nostalgia for 1960s Hawaii, even with the (still noticeable) casual sexism).

What this book will give you that you will get no where else is feel for every ride as well as the emotional response the imagineers wanted you to feel pre-during-and-post ride. In that regard, I think the author did a good job of getting to the heart of the 'magic' of the Magic Kingdom. But on the other hand, he does overreach several times, coming to conclusions that feel they were trying a bit too hard to support an unsupportable opinion. As well, there will be odd assertions - such as saying that the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card game was a result of nerd culture like Dungeons and Dragons (when the fare likelier influence are kids trading card games like Pokemon, YugiOh, and Magic The Gathering).

Finally, I know that an entrepreneur has to bring in revenue but self promotion can often cross an egregious line. In this case, it was hard not to stumble over the frequent references to go see his podcast or his other books. In an opinion piece such as this, I do find it odd to reference himself as the origin of an opinion on his opinion.

In all, inveterate fans won't find too much new here but it still makes for an interesting read to compare his thoughts on the rides with your own. For those less versed on Disney Parks, it can also be a very interesting read to help you appreciate and respect the often lookover and missed nuances for each ride in the park.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As advertised, The Thinking Fan's Guide is not your typical guidebook, but then again, Walt Disney World is not your typical theme park. You get some of the "typical" information about attractions like wait times, best time to visit, and "fear factor", but there is so much more as well. Playing on the fact that Disney is more about the story than the spectacle and thrill, Wallace gives you more of the back story and notes on the theme and development of the attractions in Walt Disney World as well as some of the hidden meanings behind them. The result is a guide that allows new visitors and veterans alike to Walt Disney World to see the park in a totally new light and hopefully gets them to slow down on their race to the next ride.

Broken into chapters based on the themes lands of Walt Disney World (Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street, USA), The Thinking Fan's Guide serves as a vitrtual tourbook of the park, taking guests on a morning ride on Jungle Cruise straight through to a spectacular view of Wishes at the end of the day. Wallace's easy to read writing style also adds to this relaxing tour as well. He is able to introduce attractions in a way that doesn't make old WDW vets feel as though they are being talked down to, but also allows the uninitiated to understand what they are looking for without even having seen the actual attraction itself.

Learning about the history, subtle differences between the Walt Disney World and Disneyland attractions, and discovering some of the hidden secrets and meanings to these attractions helps you to understand why the Disney properties have been so successful over time. More time is spent in the details, making it so that each time you visit you will see something new that you may have missed or overlooked before. Books like The Thinking Fan's Guide only help to remind us of these subtleties and gives a new incentive to look during the next visit -- I know I will be when I am in WDW in August!

My only criticism (and this is almost unfair) of The Thinking Fan's Guide is that there is very little on the attractions in the New Fantasyland expansion that took place in the Magic Kingdom recently. The two attractions I was looking forward to reading about, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Journey of the Little Mermaid are missing here, apparently a victim of time constraints for publication as they only opened in December, 2012. Hopefully there will be a new edition with these new attractions (as well as the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) will come in the future.

I highly recommend The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom to old and new fans alike. Make sure this book is either a pre-visit read, or take it along with you so you can fully appreciate all that the Magic Kingdom has to offer. I sincerely hope that with the success of this edition, we'll soon see similar guides for the other three parks that make up the Walt Disney World Resort.

[kylajaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guidebook is what most guidebooks are not: unique. I waited so long to finish this because I couldn't bear for it to end. I'm still sad it's over, though I'm buoyed by the hope that it is part of a continuing series (The Thinking Fan's Guide to Epcot, etc.). Having been released this year, I figured this book would have covered the new Fantasyland expansion rides as well. The only complaint I have with this book is that the majority of these new rides were left out - though Wallace's Fantasyland chapter is the longest in the book, it is still an almost bare bones reading of Fantasyland. It is understandable that the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train wasn't included, as it doesn't open until 2014, but he also left out Ariel's Grotto, Enchanted Tales with Belle (I think this was open as he went to press, though he may have said this was another that wasn't), Princess Fairytale Hall, and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. In fairness to the author, all of these might still have been under construction as he went to press, but it's a shame the book couldn't have been delayed a little longer in that case. All of New Fantasyland deserved to be included.

That one complaint aside, I can find no other faults with this book. The basic premise is that while this is a guidebook, this book is designed to be an in-depth look at the heart of Walt Disney World: the attractions. There is nothing about shops, eateries, turkey leg stands, etc. Instead, Wallace invites us to reconsider each and every ride in the Magic Kingdom. And, in the case of Main Street, he considers some parades and firework shows too. Not only does Wallace give a several page analysis of each ride, but he also suggests a movie to view in tandem with each ride. Most are Disney and most are fairly, if not entirely, old. But whatever movie he recommends, he relates it to the ride in some way. Each movie suggestion is meant to enhance the reader's experience with every single attraction in the Magic Kingdom. Because every attraction is so carefully considered, this book becomes somewhat of a history lesson as well. I learned many, many things I did not know about the Magic Kingdom and Disney in general.

If you are a thinker who prefers to stop and smell the roses, then this book is for you. If you have a phobia of guidebooks - don't worry! - because this book hardly seems like one. This book is one of the best little gems I've read all year. I wish more books contained this much substance.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Review at That Dis Family

The Thinking Fan’s Guide puts the Magic Kingdom in a different context for a visitor who is merely interested in Disney, rather than sort of obsessed with it. As an examination of the myriad factors, stories, and personalities that went into the design and building of the Magic Kingdom Park and its attractions old and new, it’s a fascinating journey for the uninitiated.

As a guide-book, The Thinking Fan’s Guide is fairly useful: a listing before each attraction describes the typical wait time, the fear factor, whether or not you’ll get wet — things that an average guest would want to know.

But the detail here makes for an amazing pre-trip read for anyone who wants to get a deeper, more satisfying experience than just going to Disney to ride the rides.

[Louis Prosperi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting guide book that shows a different side of the Magic Kingdom.

This book is part "standard" guide book in that it provides basic information about many of the attractions in the Magic Kingdom (location, typical wait time, brief description of the attraction, etc.), but it also includes information that you will not find in many other guide books.

Beyond the basic information, this book also provides other sorts of information about each attraction, such as the history of the attraction and how each attraction relates to other Disney properties. In addition, for each attraction, the book provides "Watch This" sidebars that suggest movies and TV shows that relate to the attraction.

I recommend this book to any and all fans of Disney parks in general, and fans of the Magic Kingdom in particular.

[Kristen Mohr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well put together book, though I had to knock the author down a bit for his pedantic tone that came out at times, as well as his strange insistence upon the "masculinity" of certain rides. He seemed to discount certain rides because he didn't like/understand the film properties behind them. This was most obvious with his discussion of the rides Mad Tea Party and Buzz Lightyear. Still, this book was full of interesting facts and I mostly enjoyed my reading experience.

[Peter Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so much more than a mere guidebook. First and foremost, it's a love letter to Walt Disney World's first park from an adoring fan. It's also a detailed look, not just at their experiences, but at their creations and, in many cases, their evolution over time. As a bonus, the author suggests movies that thematically tie in with each attraction, often in ways you wouldn't expect.

This is a Disney park guidebook unlike any other, and that is a very good thing!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was excellent as well! I don't like Magic Kingdom as much as EPCOT just out of personal taste and nostalgia. But, any tidbit of fun information that can be sprinkled into a trip to annoy the people traveling with me is a win in my book. Also, the "Enchanted Tales with Belle" chapter breaks down so humorously and succinctly why I think that attraction is fundamentally weird. 4/5

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a lot of Disney history and guide books. This one was pretty well written but I didn't learn anything that I hadn't already known, hence the three star review. The book covers all of the attractions in the Magic Kingdom sans new Fantasyland. There are promises of future coverage of other parks and I would certainly pick them up.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the information in this book was fascinating, especially when the author discusses the evolution of a ride. But sometimes it seems that he really has to reach to make his point, and a lot of his connections seem purely fantasy. But Disney is Disney.

[Chelsea Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of cool history and tips about the Magic Kingdom. It's definitely for the Disney fanatic who appreciates the company and the parks in an intellectual way.