Floating Mountains: The Art of Imagining the Impossible

by Joe Rohde

Disney Legend and Imagineer Joe Rohde unlocks the secrets of creativity in this powerful exploration of imagination, innovation, and life lessons for turning vision into reality.

In this inspiring narrative, Imagineer, explorer, and Disney Legend Joe Rohde offers a master class in creativity on a world-spanning journey to discover the origins of personal creativity, the power and potential of enterprising groups, and the remarkable parallels between collaboration and exploring the real world.

With lessons drawn from his celebrated career and life experiences—leading projects such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom, ventures into space tourism, field expeditions to far-flung corners of the world, managing design teams, and working with corporate executives—Rohde dives deep into the nature, nurture, and practice of collaboration. He explains how to keep ideas to true to their origins while allowing for improvisation and accident to enhance, not derail, creative endeavors.

These are stories of inspiration and invention, challenge and transgression, success and failure, laced with humor, contemplation, poignancy, and even life-threatening danger. Whether your interest in creativity is personal, professional, or you just want to peek behind the curtain of a renowned creative mind, Rohde’s lessons provide a guide for connecting your creative pursuits with others and the larger world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Art, Biography, Architecture

352 pages, Hardcover

Published September 8, 2026

Reviews

[Avery Hanlon]

Can Joe Rohde be my mentor? I don't know that I'm smart enough for that, but I feel smarter, more creative, and incredibly inspired just by reading his book.

It's no wonder how Joe was able to captain such successful projects with his mind for creative process and his trust in his team. He wasn't shy about sharing his own shortcomings, instead taking it back to how his teams following the same theme filled the gaps.

Biggest lessons learned: don't stifle your creativity; let it flow. Leadership with trust and without fear leads to powerful teams. Failure leads to new opportunities.

Now I'm off to work on my own writing and world building with a new creative lens!

[Kevin Taylor]

Joe Rohde’s Floating Mountains is part memoir, part instructional, and filled with charm and heart.

The Imagineer’s story begins with a slightly bohemian childhood in Hawaii and charts his remarkable successes at Disney and his many excursions to exotic locales around the world. Learning about Rohde’s formative years provides greater insight into the methodology he brings to his creative work. He is a firm believer in creative collaboration and adaptability when it comes to solving creative challenges.

Rohde stresses that one of the most important parts of any creative challenge is determining the work’s thematic identity. If you understand what a thing is supposed to be, it becomes much easier to make it that way. Once that essential identity is clear, the creative decisions that follow become less arbitrary and more purposeful.

Three ideas lingered with me after finishing Floating Mountains: the power of dreams, the power of teams, and the conviction that the creative act itself—the challenge , the conception, the collaboration—is every bit as important as the finished result.

[Les Simpson]

Such An Apt Title

“Floating Mountains” may immediately bring to mind Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Pandora - The World of Avatar, but it is so much more. It is a perfect metaphor for the book itself: a calm, gently drifting approach to giant subjects that contain more detail the closer you look.

Part autobiography, part personal manifesto on creativity, and part how-to-guide for group collaboration, Joe Rohde has written something intimate and yet universal, practical and yet almost spiritual.

I know there is a lot to unpack in that sentence, but so it is with “Floating Mountains”. Like Rohde and his teams’ creations and contributions to Disney theme parks and resorts, this book merits multiple visits. And, just like with those creations and contributions, I know each new visit will yield fresh details and insights somehow missed before, but full of meaning that make the experience even richer.

[Chad]

Joe Rohde has to be one of the most interesting people on the planet, at least within my personal weird intersection of interests.

This is an inspiring book, it makes me want to be more creative and think about problems in different ways. I especially appreciate Rohde's broad definition of themed design as a practice, explored in a way that makes it feel applicable to almost any kind of work.

While I don't think he ever uses these words, a surprising amount of this book is actually about project management and, if you squint a little bit, my own personal biases show me very good takes on UX design practices.

Mostly, Floating Mountains makes me wish I could immediately get to Animal Kingdom and Aulani.

[Tess]

I loved this book about creativity by Joe Rohde, the Disney Imagineer behind the Animal Kingdom theme park. He talks frankly about what does, and doesn’t work, within a creative team and his stories about traveling the world and bringing cultures to life within immersive storytelling was really compelling! A must-read for any Disney parks fan, and anyone who works on creative projects. He embodies what I love about the Parks, reminding us that they are truly works of art.

[Kylie]

I adore Joe Rohde. To know my love for Disney is to also know just how much I love him.

This book was so fascinating, and I Iearned so much.

I admire Joe Rohde because he continuously gives credits to his colleagues and acknowledges the fact that so many people helped with these projects that he’s known for. He just happens to be the figurehead and the name you associate with all of these things.

Love this book, love Joe Rohde.

[Melia Killough]

Inspirational, informational, and entertaining. Everything I love Imagineering to be!!!

I love Joe Rohde and absolutely loved reading his reflections and his ideas about creative ensembles and theme. Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite places in the world, and I loved this glimpse into what it was like to make it from nothing.

This book made me want to find more creative friends and dream up our own floating mountains 🥲

[Louis Prosperi]

I've long believed that Disney Imagineering is one of the best models and examples of creativity, and collaborative creativity in particular. This idea was the basis for The Imagineering Toolbox series of books I wrote between 2016 and 2020.

This book dives deep into the keys of collaborative creativity, and should be in the library of anyone who is interested in creativity. I'd have given this book 6 stars if I could!

[Charlotte]

I rarely feel inclined to review books but this is one that will stay with me for a long time. Joe Rohde is one of the most fascinating people and you can't help but be drawn in by his stories. This book is mostly about creativity and how to collaborate with others to create. But everyone can learn something from this book, as essentially we all have to collaborate with others in our lives. This book is inspiring! An essential for Disney parks/ theme park fans.

[Lady Brainsample]

We met Joe Rohde in Animal Kingdom when we were on vacation last year, and he was so nice. His son even took our picture with him. Excited to be the first Goodreads review for this book pre-release and even more excited to read the book!

[Aranka]

This book gives you a peak into the brain of a creative genius. It also gives a look at behind the scenes of the development of Animal Kingdom. I enjoyed learning about how to look at things differently, see art in everything, and not being too stuck in one’s own creative ideas.

[Mike Johnson]

Gives great insight into how Joe leaned into his personal experiences to bring teams together to create worlds like the ones he has visited. Great story telling. Can read like a how to book about leadership at times but overall really good.

[Melanie Sisinni]

A truly interesting and academic read. I love all of the reference photos included. Very immersive. I have a newfound desire to visit AULANI in Hawaii now.

[Kendra]

Recommend for creatives, team/group leaders, Disney enthusiasts, travelers.

[Austin Lewis]

There is not enough praise I can give this book. Joe Rohde is brilliant and has many brilliant things to talk about in this memoir. Highly recommend if you’re a fan of art and creativity.

[Deranged]

Won and received a copy through a Goodreads Giveaway.