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Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks
On February 16, 1962, senior animator Marc Davis officially transitioned from Walt Disney Feature Animation to a new division of the company: WED Enterprises, the group assembled to design Walt's new theme park. The move would be a significant one. After thirty-plus years animating classic Disney features, Marc would become one of the most renowned of Walt Disney's new breed of employee-Imagineers.During Marc's time with WED (later Walt Disney Imagineering), he would become a driving force behind the designs of many of the most iconic attractions at the Disney theme parks. Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, it's a small world, Jungle Cruise, Country Bear Jamboree, and many others feature environments and storylines that were heavily influenced by his conceptual artwork.
Featuring work from the sixties through the eighties, this two-volume set includes more than 1,500 pieces from the Imagineering archives, the vast majority of which have never been published. In addition, for the first time Marc's design theories as well as many of his stories of working with Walt are featured in his own words as recorded during hours upon hours of interviews by author Chris Merritt.
Marc Davis-In His Own Words is a treasure trove for artists, students, and Disney collectors around the world.
Featuring work from the sixties through the eighties, this two-volume set includes more than 1,500 pieces from the Imagineering archives, the vast majority of which have never been published. In addition, for the first time Marc's design theories as well as many of his stories of working with Walt are featured in his own words as recorded during hours upon hours of interviews by author Chris Merritt.
Marc Davis-In His Own Words is a treasure trove for artists, students, and Disney collectors around the world.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 16, 2025
A superb book showcasing a selection of artworks (focusing mainly on his theme park work) of renowned artist, imagineer and one of the legendary 9 Old Men, Marc Davis. The book also includes Marc’s own words, as the title suggests, and other opinions and comments by associated people like none other than Walt himself and Marc’s wife Alice who’s also an artist in her own right (she designs clothing), and many more. There is a lot of insight into how they went about making the magical rides we loved. how they tackled problems a hundred times more challenging in their time than in today’s. Like the type of methods they used to program the original Audio Animatronics in a time where computers are in their infancy and beyond primitive by today’s standards. The book shows the evolution of the popular Disneyland dark rides, how it was conceived, its origins and evolution. It goes without saying, there’s tons of Marc’s artwork, fascinating stuff!
Marc’s art is simple, up to the point, yet so unique and expressive, so pleasing to look at and never generic. He’s also great at studying his subject thoroughly and utilizing his acquired knowledge in his work, as can be seen in his architectural elements and costumes and more so with his anatomy, animal and human. His understanding of anatomy is on an advanced technical/mechanical level which helped with his work on the animatronics. He’s also great at making gags simple enough to be adapted into the glued to the floor animatronics. Simple enough yet amusing, that’s the trick. The man’s got prolific imagination! No wonder he was personally handpicked by Walt to design and oversee many and many of the beloved classic rides.
Fascinating book, totally enjoyable. This is volume one of two volumes of over 600 pages between them!
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Marc’s art is simple, up to the point, yet so unique and expressive, so pleasing to look at and never generic. He’s also great at studying his subject thoroughly and utilizing his acquired knowledge in his work, as can be seen in his architectural elements and costumes and more so with his anatomy, animal and human. His understanding of anatomy is on an advanced technical/mechanical level which helped with his work on the animatronics. He’s also great at making gags simple enough to be adapted into the glued to the floor animatronics. Simple enough yet amusing, that’s the trick. The man’s got prolific imagination! No wonder he was personally handpicked by Walt to design and oversee many and many of the beloved classic rides.
Fascinating book, totally enjoyable. This is volume one of two volumes of over 600 pages between them!
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September 13, 2019
One of the best books about Imagineering I've seen (and I have a pretty extensive collection). This is a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in understanding how Imagineering and theme park design works. I'd also recommend it to serious fans of the Disney theme parks.
January 27, 2021
This is basically the best theme park book of all time. It includes so much background and concept art about many Disney classic attractions like The Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Country Bear Jamboree, and many others. It's also great to see concepts for unbuilt attractions like the Western River Expedition and others that were new to me. Marc Davis was a legend.
November 24, 2020
Marc Davis In His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks by Pete Docter and Christopher Merritt is much more than a simple book. The title is truly an experience, one which can help enlighten and raise the spirits of a Disney fan…because in 2020 more of us are Between Disney than ever before.
During the health crisis of 2020, I took eight months to read this two-volume text. And when I say read, I mean experienced. For me, every session was carefully staged in strong lighting. I played appropriate attraction or movie themes on a speaker. I never ever read so long that my mind began to wander. I truly just let the book pull me into the art, process, and finally the experience of many of Davis’ masterpieces.
The structure of Marc Davis In His Own Words is largely what one would expect. The 749 pages open with a chapter about Davis’ career in animation, a career which on its own merit was a triumph. The book then follows his path through Imagineering, being called over by Walt Disney to provide creative ideas at Disneyland for “Nature’s Wonderland” and other established attractions. Then the authors bring us through Davis’ most celebrated attractions including “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “Haunted Mansion”, “Country Bear Jamboree” and more including the transfer of many of these ideas to Florida and the Magic Kingdom Park. The book ends with a period of creative frustration for Davis as many of his ideas were never fulfilled including the “Enchanted Snow Palace.” Finally, a retired Davis continues to provide support of Imagineering creative endeavors, consulting with EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland. The chapters are picture heavy, with really the Davis art at the center of attention. Davis quotes surround his striking art along with the words of his colleagues. There is some background information provided by the authors, but they admittedly take third place to the art and words of Davis and those who worked closely with him.
I have many thoughts, and learned so much during the months of reading this book that everyone praises. First, I feel like I can now say I have experienced new Davis’ attractions such as the “Enchanted Snow Palace” as the excellent presentation of his art allowed me to sit Between Disney and experience a ride that has never been realized, and perhaps it should be! But even for the attractions I know deeply, I can see them in a new way as Davis’ art provides never included details, variations and insights that I had never considered. I also believe I know Davis the artist better. His attraction development includes numerous brainstorming ideas which he drew out so he could find the right idea. We have often discussed as fans that Walt Disney noted you cannot choose from one. This maxim is true for Davis and his own efforts to find the story as he sought multiple ideas in his storytelling. The best part is this is not told to us but shown to us through his concept art. Additionally, he did not see an attraction as true pure storytelling. An attraction was an experience and he could immerse guests into it. But the story would be different for everyone. And so Davis was not truly looking to tell stories but instead experiences.
If you are interested in Disney books, you have likely heard how great Marc Davis In His Own Words is. They are right. The two-volume book can be seen as a major investment, but the title can at times be found on sale which makes the price more reasonable for two large art of books. But in the end, for me the price was fair. Because I was able to use my time largely at home to bury myself multiple mornings into Davis’ fantastic worlds.
During the health crisis of 2020, I took eight months to read this two-volume text. And when I say read, I mean experienced. For me, every session was carefully staged in strong lighting. I played appropriate attraction or movie themes on a speaker. I never ever read so long that my mind began to wander. I truly just let the book pull me into the art, process, and finally the experience of many of Davis’ masterpieces.
The structure of Marc Davis In His Own Words is largely what one would expect. The 749 pages open with a chapter about Davis’ career in animation, a career which on its own merit was a triumph. The book then follows his path through Imagineering, being called over by Walt Disney to provide creative ideas at Disneyland for “Nature’s Wonderland” and other established attractions. Then the authors bring us through Davis’ most celebrated attractions including “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “Haunted Mansion”, “Country Bear Jamboree” and more including the transfer of many of these ideas to Florida and the Magic Kingdom Park. The book ends with a period of creative frustration for Davis as many of his ideas were never fulfilled including the “Enchanted Snow Palace.” Finally, a retired Davis continues to provide support of Imagineering creative endeavors, consulting with EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland. The chapters are picture heavy, with really the Davis art at the center of attention. Davis quotes surround his striking art along with the words of his colleagues. There is some background information provided by the authors, but they admittedly take third place to the art and words of Davis and those who worked closely with him.
I have many thoughts, and learned so much during the months of reading this book that everyone praises. First, I feel like I can now say I have experienced new Davis’ attractions such as the “Enchanted Snow Palace” as the excellent presentation of his art allowed me to sit Between Disney and experience a ride that has never been realized, and perhaps it should be! But even for the attractions I know deeply, I can see them in a new way as Davis’ art provides never included details, variations and insights that I had never considered. I also believe I know Davis the artist better. His attraction development includes numerous brainstorming ideas which he drew out so he could find the right idea. We have often discussed as fans that Walt Disney noted you cannot choose from one. This maxim is true for Davis and his own efforts to find the story as he sought multiple ideas in his storytelling. The best part is this is not told to us but shown to us through his concept art. Additionally, he did not see an attraction as true pure storytelling. An attraction was an experience and he could immerse guests into it. But the story would be different for everyone. And so Davis was not truly looking to tell stories but instead experiences.
If you are interested in Disney books, you have likely heard how great Marc Davis In His Own Words is. They are right. The two-volume book can be seen as a major investment, but the title can at times be found on sale which makes the price more reasonable for two large art of books. But in the end, for me the price was fair. Because I was able to use my time largely at home to bury myself multiple mornings into Davis’ fantastic worlds.
February 6, 2020
“This has been a very, very exciting experience, and, as I say, I am most proud of making a few million people laugh.” - Marc Davis, Animator & Imagineer
Marc Davis, known fondly by Walt Disney as one of his “Nine Old Men” of animation, has work that will live on both in in film and in the Disney Parks. To this day, Marc’s wonderful creations still dazzle and delight millions of Disney fans around the world. This set of books gives the reader an understanding of just how much Marc Davis influenced the things that we treasure about Disney to this day. Among his impressive resume you will find characters and creations such as Tinker Bell, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Cruella de Vil, The Country Bear Jamboree, and The Haunted Mansion. But even these do not cover the vast scope of his impact.
I will admit that Marc Davis is my favorite Disney Imagineer to date, so I may be a bit biased about his work. However, I feel that Pete Doctor and Christopher Merritt did an excellent job of letting Disney legends such as Marc Davis, Bob Gurr, Marty Sklar, and even Walt Disney himself tell the stories rather than summarizing it in their own words. While reading this book it felt like you were sitting in a room with a bunch of people reminiscing and telling you their own stories; playing off one another as they fondly remember the past. This way of writing made the story-telling feel more personal and intimate than simply reading a biography.
If you are a fan of the Disney parks and/or classic Disney animation then I would highly recommend this book. The pictures alone make it worth a read and will give you so much more insight into how these magical worlds were built.
Thank you Marc Davis for your amazing contributions to the parks that I cherish and love.
Marc Davis, known fondly by Walt Disney as one of his “Nine Old Men” of animation, has work that will live on both in in film and in the Disney Parks. To this day, Marc’s wonderful creations still dazzle and delight millions of Disney fans around the world. This set of books gives the reader an understanding of just how much Marc Davis influenced the things that we treasure about Disney to this day. Among his impressive resume you will find characters and creations such as Tinker Bell, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Cruella de Vil, The Country Bear Jamboree, and The Haunted Mansion. But even these do not cover the vast scope of his impact.
I will admit that Marc Davis is my favorite Disney Imagineer to date, so I may be a bit biased about his work. However, I feel that Pete Doctor and Christopher Merritt did an excellent job of letting Disney legends such as Marc Davis, Bob Gurr, Marty Sklar, and even Walt Disney himself tell the stories rather than summarizing it in their own words. While reading this book it felt like you were sitting in a room with a bunch of people reminiscing and telling you their own stories; playing off one another as they fondly remember the past. This way of writing made the story-telling feel more personal and intimate than simply reading a biography.
If you are a fan of the Disney parks and/or classic Disney animation then I would highly recommend this book. The pictures alone make it worth a read and will give you so much more insight into how these magical worlds were built.
Thank you Marc Davis for your amazing contributions to the parks that I cherish and love.
October 11, 2020
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL book! Most of the information is not new, but the images are absolutely gorgeous, and well worth the cost of the book if you are a Disney parks fan.
September 21, 2021
Marc is incredibly talented - every piece of artwork he created is enchanting! These two volumes are a treasure trove that should not be missed.
April 25, 2020
This is easily one of the best books of Disney Parks history I've read. While it focuses on one person, it focuses on one of the right people as Davis had a long and varied history at the park.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews