Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream

by Sam Gennawey, Jeff Kurtti (Foreword)

The Disneyland The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream is the story of how Walt Disney’s greatest creation was conceived, nurtured, and how it grew into a source of joy and inspiration for generations of visitors. Despite his successors' battles with the whims of history and their own doubts and egos, Walt’s vision maintained momentum, thrived, and taught future generations how to do it Walt Disney's way.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel, Audiobook, Society, Biography

522 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2013

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make no secret of my lifetime love for all things Disney. Sunday nights, when "Wonderful World of Disney" came on at 7:30 PM (after "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom") were my favorite night of the week - and not just because I got to stay up a whole 30 minutes past my regular bedtime of 8 PM.

I didn't visit Disneyland for the first time until I was 23 years old. At that time, I rode a lot of the attractions that can no longer be found in the park, because those were the ones I remembered from my mother's colorful souvenir guidebook.

They are also the ones that make up the history of the park as told in this book, which is why I gave a rather lengthy introduction to my review.

Author Sam Gennawey traces the history of Disneyland through its financing, construction, and even ride design. The ups and downs of getting everything to work just right so that visitors would have an outstanding experience with each visit are discussed quite frankly through the pages, with an eye to understanding how we got to where we are. Gennawey also examines the corporate and leadership changes at the Walt Disney Company, and how they affected the park for both good and ill.

This is an honest look through a historian's eyes at the growth and development of a now 60-year-old iconic landmark that delights visitors daily without us ever having looked behind the scenes. Doing so, via this book, gives me both a greater understanding and a greater appreciation.

Highly recommended for Disneyphiles.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first five star review of 2014. This book is an excellent history of Disneyland, and is a must for any DIsneyland enthusisast. This book begins with the conception of the park and ends with the present time and covers the history and creation of nearly every ride you could think of, along interesting statistics and figures relating to the Disney parks as a whole. There are tons of quotes from famous imagineers as well as great descriptions of various events. This book took me a while to get through because it was chock full of information. I highly recommend if you have any interest in the Disney corporation, specifically Disneyland

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitate to add this to my "Read" shelf since I didn't read every single word. I did skip past some of the early history. This was a thorough review of Disneyland's past. I appreciated that the book struck the right balance; for a history book, it felt neither too opinionated nor too dry. It was intriguing to read of the various plans that never made it to fruition, whether the plans were for attractions or additional parks. I was disappointed tonight that I'd already finished the book and couldn't keep reading it!

[Charlie Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting. Dry, but not off-putting. It answered all the questions I had about the park and ones I never knew I had.

[Meg GlitteryOtters · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Kyle Kowalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Disneyland Story by Sam Gennawey is a very good read. It is a well structured timeline of Disneyland’s extensive history from the time Walt Disney had the idea to the current day Disneyland. Every chapter is filled to the brim with intriguing facts and information that I wasn’t previously aware of. For example in one chapter that discusses the park called Adventureland and a ride called The Jungle Cruise talks about how when building the ride a crew of Disney workers bought trees from the near by Los Angeles-area freeway system which was at that time under construction) to line the banks of the man-made river. This book was an obvious read for me because Disneyland is probably my favorite place to go and I was curious to learn about the park’s history and how it has changed since it opened in 1955.


As I previously mentioned this book is absolutely jam-packed with facts about the park from the planning of rides and attractions to how they operate. An excerpt which exemplifies this well is one that talks about the Mark Twain river boat which sails the Rivers of America in Frontierland.


The Mark Twain was 105 feet long, and 28 feet high, and 26 feet 6 inches wide. The draft was only 2 feet 3 inches. It had a displacement of 150 tons and could carry 350 passengers, plus freight. Top speed was 1.3 knots. The custom-built propulsion system was on the Main Deck. the stern wheel ship was powered by two single-cylinder long-stroke steam engines connected to the paddles by a rod. The diesel-fired boiler was controlled from the engineer’s cage on the Main Deck. There was a Johnson Bar floor lever, brass fuel and steam pressure gauges. and a large steam valve that was opened and closed with an iron wheel this size of a plate. This was the throttle valve and controlled the actual speed. The Mark Twain was fitted with a number of automatic devices that control such things as water levels(from a matched pair of steam operated feed water pumps), a fire-eye that fires the boiler when necessary, and a periodic blowdown of the boiler to remove and sediment that may have accumulated. Unlike locomotives , which blowdown dramatically, shooting steam sideways a great distance, the Mark Twain vents its steam quietly downward onto the river. if you see smoke coming from the crown stacks , then something is wrong. The steam is vented through small vent stacks near the rear.
The second level was the Promenade Deck. Here guests could get sternwheeler mint juleps and listen to Dixieland jazz from the band-stand. The upper level was the Texas Deck. It was said passengers on river boats that used to ply the Rio Grande would climb to the top of the deck to get the best view of the north shore and Texas. At the very top where the wheelhouse and the captain’s quarters, where the river pilot rang the bells, blasted the steam whistle, and manned the ship’s wheel.(p. 77)


It is passages like this one which make this book so captivating and enjoyable to read because they describe the attractions so well they just come to life in my head. Since a fair amount of this book is about attractions that have come and go or changed over time the ability to “see” what they were like.


I had a great time reading this book. Learning about small things like how Walt Disney had an apartment made for him to stay in above the Main Street fire station just absolutely captivates me. I have no real complaints about this book and would rate it a ten out of ten, just amazing. Now that I have all this knowledge of the changes the park has been through since its opening I have a much greater respect for how it has captivated countless people over the years.


Though this book is quite long it is definitely worth the read and if you’re anything like me once you get engrossed in the story the pages will fly right by. I would recommend this book to any Disney, anyone who wants to know the history of the park, or even somebody who just enjoys learning about theme parks.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disneyland is one of my favorite places, and I've been visiting it for years. I know a lot about the park, but I haven't been obsessive about how things have changed and developed over the years. I also don't know that much about its history, beyond what I've seen in various TV specials, at the park, and at the Walt Disney Family Museum. I recently decided I wanted to learn more about Disneyland, but found there weren't a whole lot of comprehensive histories of the park. Fortunately, one was due to come out, and I purchased it as soon as it was released: The Disneyland Story, by Sam Gennawey.



Gennawey tells the entire history of Disneyland, from its earliest conception in the mind of Walt Disney, all the way up to 2012. The book shows the obsession to detail of a true fan, but Gennawey presents his history objectively, without judgment. This doesn't read like an Internet obsessive's guide to the good old days followed by where things went wrong. Instead, we get a true sense of how the park has always been a growing, evolving thing. There were attractions that Walt Disney championed at opening day that failed to catch the public's imagination. There are more recent additions, created long after Walt's passing, that because hugely popular. Gennawey treats all those stories equally.



While he doesn't seem to have an ax to grind as far as favoring nostalgia over innovation and change, he doesn't shy away from problems, either. This is particularly evident in the details of the park's ongoing negotiations with the City of Anaheim and its residents, trying to work out the best deal for a business that has tremendous impact on the community around it. As a Disney fan, I was more interested in the history of the park, but Gennawey keeps the politics to a minimum, getting the important information across without getting caught up in dry minutae.



Overall, this sums up the approach to the book: we get a timeline for new attractions opening, and details about them as they open, but things are kept brief enough that the story keeps moving along. If the book is lacking in anything, it is in illustrations, presumably due to this being an unofficial publication. However, Gennawey creates enough images through his prose that we can almost see the park in the eyes of our minds.



Fans looking for a guidebook to Disneyland will be better off with other publications, as will fans looking for an opinionated document written to advance a specific point of view. What readers will find here is an interesting recounting of the development of what has become, for many visitors, a magical place. He doesn't skimp on the park's successes, and it's fascinating to see how a place that means so much to so many people developed the way most businesses do, driven by ordinary men. A definite must-read for people who want to see the evolution of Disneyland over the decades.

[Ben Iverson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few individuals are as well-known worldwide as Walt Disney, and few places are as patently American as Disneyland. So, it is surprising that a comprehensive "biography" of Disneyland hadn't really been written before 2013, when Gennawey published The Disneyland Story. I'm a pretty big Disney fan, and I found all of the details of the creation of the world's first theme park absolutely fascinating. I especially liked how the book described how The Disney Company's experience with movie-making affected the creation of Disneyland. It wasn't just a place to go have fun with your family. It is essentially a true 3-D movie, where you are the main character experience adventure after adventure. Each scene was carefully created at Disneyland, helping kids and adults alike suspend their disbelief for a day. That's the key thing that sets Disneyland apart - each detail is taken care of so that the fantasy is maintained continuously. Anyway, the book was super detailed, with tons of source material and careful attention to detail. My only complaint with the book is that at times it reads like a timeline rather than a story. "First this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, etc." Still, overall, if you love Disneyland and are interested in true innovators, you would enjoy this book.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it. Some people have Burning Man, I have Disneyland. This book was a really interesting and "clinical" review of Disneyland's growing pains. It addresses the year by year memories of the first 50 years in a "hands-off" way (failing to mention the 50th was celebrated by TDA for five years?) but I learned a lot about the City of Anaheim's reaction to the golden opportunity at their sleepy burg and felt like I was allowed to cut through the official Disney rhetoric (Lillian, Walt's widow remarried?? Whaaa??). It was a great "story" and with extensive source material referenced so I "don't have to take their word for it". For more scandalous or in-depth reviews of the Disneyland in the past I recommend anything by David Koenig, but this book is my new favorite about the reality of the last 50+ years, and it really helped my numerous visits from the past be put into perspective. A fun book and well worth the time.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have been many books written about the Disney theme parks, but precious few that I'd consider to be informative and well-written enough to recommend to someone interested in learning about them. I'm happy to say that there's a new addition to that list.

Sam Gennaway's book is an excellent general history of Disneyland, full of fascinating facts about the Park and its attractions. Sam deftly treads the fine line between the Disney official line and some of the more sensational works out there, providing a unbiased look at how the Park came to be and developed. There are a couple of omissions in Sam's timeline that surprised me and there are a couple of glaring typos, but otherwise the book is well-written and comprehensive without being overwhelming.

If you're a fan of the Park and want to learn more about how it came to be, Sam's book is a great place to start.

[Jennye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since hearing Gennawey on a podcast speaking about his upcoming book, it was on my to be read list. I bought it as soon as it came out and it did not disappoint. I liked that this was basically a biography of the park and the personalities who shaped it entered the story only as it related to the park. Even when it came to Walt Disney's death, it was mentioned as an aside during the history of Pirates of the Carribean. My one criticism is that, particularly near the end of the book, the timeline gets a little skewed and seems to jump around so much that holding things in order gets challenging. All in all, a fantastic book that tells the story of the Happiest Place on Earth as if it were a living being, which it almost is.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read meany stories about the origins of Disney World and Disneyland. That made me a bit nervous that this book would just be a rehash of stuff I had previously read, but that was not the case. I really enjoyed the different approach that this author took to describing the history of Disneyland. In particular I liked how he focused on each particular ride giving detailed walk through and the history of the various changes. As someone who has only been able to visit Disneyland twice these descriptions made me feel as if I was experiencing the rides in person instead of through a book. I really enjoyed this story and felt it was a great way to document Disneyland over the years.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gennawey tours us through the Disneyland we know, the one we may have known at different times in its history, and the ones that never were. Here we see the way Walt's mind worked, how he interacted with his Imagineers, how the physical constraints of the property within the berm (and, later, outside it) shaped what was possible. This tangle of events, facts, and stories has no plot, but it enables the reader to understand better an enormously complex and culture-changing enterprise, one that continues to change and grow.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is comprehensive, complete, and far from the corporate coffee-table book. It devotes nearly six pages just to a “selected” bibliography, and about 25 more pages to the end-notes that cap every chapter. Extensive research went into this book — and it shows. From early ideas for a Mickey Mouse Park, to attraction and show design, to the in-house rows and dramas that would characterize Disneyland’s history, The Disneyland Story is a meticulous recounting of an American institution.

Full review: http://www.thatdisfamily.com/2014/01/...

[Gregr209 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a MUST read book for any Disneyland fan. It is an excellent reference to all things in regards to the creation and running of Disneyland from the beginning to now. If I had any complaints about the book it would be there should probably be more sub headers to break up some of the paragraphs. One minute your reading about one thing and then the next paragraph you move on to something completely unrelated. But other than that I highly recommend this book.

[Scott Southard · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS is the book on Walt's park I always wanted to find.

Definitely a fun and in-depth read for someone like me, a Disneyland nerd who really wants to know the struggles and leaps needed behind the scenes. Fascinating stuff.

Would recommend it to any fan of Walt and the Happiest Place on Earth.

[Hots Hartley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an easy read.

The book contains lots of factual information, carefully researched and cited. It reads like a history textbook, minus pictures.

Three main issues confront the reader:

1.) Dry as a bone -- Sam Gennawey doesn't tell a story. He states facts and occasionally inserts anecdotes, mostly in the form of quotations or news clippings. The research is well documented and organized clearly, but it just isn't pleasing or interesting to read unless you have your own memories or recollection of the Disney character or attraction being discussed. The book has no consistent flow, no main character(s), no thread of storytelling. It reads like a history textbook, which makes it feel like a chore to get through. I fell asleep many nights after reading just a page, and often had to reread key passages to fully understand and digest the dense information. It took me a year of willpower to finish the book.

2.) No pictures -- When describing theme park layout, you need pictures: maps, photos, anything to break up the wall of text. If you haven't visited every iteration of Disneyland, you'll find yourself wondering -- or trying to picture in vain -- the kinds of architecture and layout described in this book. It's a struggle if you haven't been to the exact park, since the book doesn't contain inline images to offset the textual descriptions. Even with the most glittering, descriptive prose -- not how I'd describe Sam's writing -- a simple brochure map would have helped clarify so much that's just left to the imagination.

3.) Confusing language -- So much shorthand obfuscates the real message. The writing could be so much simpler if Sam just told it like it is. For example, for several chapters, Sam speaks about a second Anaheim theme park as a "second gate" as if Disneyland would have two entrances. For more than half the book, I was trying to picture where this gate would go, and how many problems it would introduce to counting guests or streamlining traffic. Only when he started using it synonymously with the California Adventure did I realize that Sam was trying to say, "second theme park." Examples like this abound through the book, from discussing parts of rides to Disney animation or showtime terminology. The prose never reads smoothly, or clearly. You have to concentrate to pick up all the facts and clarify the imagery.

That said, the book contains good information organized chronologically. I learned a lot. Unfortunately, despite his expertise, the author has lost touch and doesn't respond to feedback or communications. He seems to be traveling the countryside in an RV these days, further detached from all the research and interest he put into this book. Otherwise, this book could have become a classic with a more reader-friendly writing style. :(

[Ralphz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had intended to read a book about Walt Disney World and its role in America ("Vinyl Leaves"), but a quick look told me what the author was going to say. Although he said he was a fan, you could feel the disdain welling up (Karl Marx was mentioned twice, positively, in the first few pages).

I said "Nope" and headed instead for this Disneyland overview, and was happier for it.

This is more of a chronology of Disneyland and its development, roughly from decade to decade. It tells the tale, accounts for the plans and changes to them, and surveys the important personalities, even the ones that don't usually make the official history.

This author doesn't hold back in criticizing or chronicling the criticism that the park and company have faced, from politicians to academics to internet keyboard warriors. It's just not the main reason for the book.

It mostly tells the story of how the park developed, grew, and stumbled somewhat after Walt died, and how by 2013 (the publication date) it was working to right the ship. It also intriguingly discusses plans that were abandoned for various reasons, from lagging technology to money to political pressure.

This book was what I was looking for, but did come up short some times. The photos were inadequate (a tiny speck in one was identified as Annette Funicello, but I'll have to take their word for it), and the author needed an editor (for example, at one point he identifies Disneyland president Matt Ouimet as Matt Quiment).

As a Disneyland fan, there are tales I hear again and again, but this author cites a few stories I had never heard before. That was enough to make this worthwhile.

[Les Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love for Disneyland far surpasses my fondness for Disney World because it still feels close to Walt’s original vision. A place he declared would never be completed, Disneyland manages to honor its past while evolving to the needs of the current day. This book documents that journey in meticulous detail, from pre-planning and construction through operations in late 2012. Of course, there have been several changes to the Disneyland Resort in the following eight years post-publication (and there is no doubt the impending opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge “land” will dramatically alter things even further), but these changes still feel like a continuation of the dream of an innovative artist who wanted to create a special place families can enjoy together.

My favorite parts of this book dive into the details of attractions still in operation and those that have been discontinued, providing insights to the innovative problem-solving and storytelling that make Disneyland, in my mind, the most iconic American destination of the 20th century.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice presentation of the story of Disneyland.

Her genesis, her growth, the changes made to her, and even the tragedies that occurred there.
As a long time fan of the park & company, a lot of familiar names were there, as well as new ones.
(Now I have a name for the person who I blame for the politically correct changes to Pirates.
Bob Baranick!!!!) ;)

Reading this, I felt like a fly on the wall during key decisions & moments of the park.
Sam Gennawey clearly guides you to locations in and around the park.
If you've been to Disneyland often enough, it becomes a "Yep! I know exactly where you're writing about."

I also appreciated the history of the city of Anaheim government & residents fighting with the company over proposed projects & expansions & eminent domain issues.

[Lee Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well-written history of the Anaheim amusement park, its development and construction, ride changes and behind-the-scenes technical information. The emphasis is on the 1950s and 1960s, though it tells the story of the park’s evolution up to 2012. The author’s writing style is straightforward, just-the-facts, with no wasted words. Gennawey used a wide variety of source material. For example, I was pleased to learn about Ray Bradbury’s 1965 essay about the park, “The Machine-Tooled Happyland,” which I found in its entirety online. It’s true that there are only a few B&W photos, but there are plenty of photo books out there if that’s what you’re looking for. For a concise, detailed history of the park, you can’t do better than this book.

[Robert F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, loved it, loved it. A great book filled with stories, trivia and anecdotes about the history of the Happiest Place on Earth. From information about the development of (almost) every attraction, to even little bits about the political history and backstory in dealing with the city of Anaheim and Orange County. Some of it I already knew, but a lot of it I did not. I cannot recommend this book highly enough especially if you are a Disneyland buff and want to know as much about it as possible.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. I read it for the longest time, just to savor it and get that 'Disney feeling' every time I sat down to read a chapter. This was so comprehensive, and it was just beautifully written. I felt like I was at Disney, every single time I read it. I will say the stark contrast between when Walt was alive and now is so disappointing. I hope they're able to recover from their mistakes and come out to the vision that he originally held. Beautiful book. I recommend to any Disneyland fan.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best book that extensively details not only the history of Disneyland (first only park, than the Disneyland Resort), but also the changes that it has gone through throughout the years. Gennawey provides a wealth of knowledge about the evolution of Walt's park.

Hopefully Sam Gennawey will one day be expand upon this book and create a series detailing the history of other Disney parks, such as Magic Kingdom park in Florida.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed data of the formation of Disneyland as well as the history of each attraction. Thought it's sort of a list, it's engaging and entertaining. It includes details that are not found in any other Disneyland history. The narration of this edition is excellent. It's as if the author himself is reading it. If you are a Disneyland person who loves pouring over images and videos of the park throughout its history, this is an aural version of that experience.

[Brad Bevers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third or fourth book I have read on Walt Disney. This one is really a biography of the park more than the man, covering the evolution of the park and the rides since its opening. It's worth reading if you enjoy Disneyland and have been there, probably too dry unless you are a fan. Walt Disney is one of the most creative founders we have seen and his ability to turn his own dreams into reality is well worth studying. Recommended.

[Jenni Frisby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some great information and it was fun to read about the evolution of Disneyland. However, some maps and photos would’ve been very helpful to the reader and there were only a few included. The writing was just ok and the author skipped around a bit, to the point that some parts were a bit hard to follow. Still, it was a good history of the park and fun to read.

[John Gregory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too dry. Far too few anecdotes, insight or personality and too much bland repetition of ride descriptions. It especially falls flat with covering the problems with DCA, an unforgivable sin considering that had happened just a few years prior.

[Hettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually loved this book. It’s not something I would recommend to everyone because it’s a heavy read and includes details a lot of people perhaps wouldn’t care about (e.g. planning permission, parking) but to a massive fan of Disney this was amazing. So well researched and detailed

[Curtis Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of material that I already knew from watching The Imagineering Story on Disney+, but there was a lot here that I didn't know as well. For a Disneyland junkie, I thought this was a fun read. 4 stars.