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Since the World Began: Walt Disney World--The First 25 Years
Traces the development of Walt Disney World using original concept drawings, photos of the park's construction, environmental awareness programs, and descriptions of park technology
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 6, 2021
Prepping for an (eventual) Disney vacation and the upcoming 50th anniversary by perusing a history of Walt Disney World circa 1996. It's weird to see how much has changed in 25 years. New rides that the author was extremely amped for have since disappeared. Discovery Island? River Country? Two whole Epcot pavilions? Long gone.
I can't give negative marks for the book being outdated - honestly, that was part of its charm. The Disney of the 90s was ambitious and colorful and odd. However, the author's rah-rah excitement for all things Walt Disney World comes across as an inside job. Many rides and hotels are described as if this were a travel guide offering ratings, recommendations, and room counts. And then we get to a chapter on the forthcoming Animal Kingdom park, where the author spends a few pages listing out the board of directors for the park. Weird!
Hopefully the eventual 50th anniversary book spends more time describing what it takes to create and run such an enormous venture as Walt Disney World and spends less time cheering after the minutiae.
I can't give negative marks for the book being outdated - honestly, that was part of its charm. The Disney of the 90s was ambitious and colorful and odd. However, the author's rah-rah excitement for all things Walt Disney World comes across as an inside job. Many rides and hotels are described as if this were a travel guide offering ratings, recommendations, and room counts. And then we get to a chapter on the forthcoming Animal Kingdom park, where the author spends a few pages listing out the board of directors for the park. Weird!
Hopefully the eventual 50th anniversary book spends more time describing what it takes to create and run such an enormous venture as Walt Disney World and spends less time cheering after the minutiae.
July 4, 2012
SPOILER ALERT: Walt Disney World is awesome!! Ipso facto, this book is awesome. If you are willing to take the time to sit and read this then this book probably is not going to reveal any great knowledge you don't already possess regarding WDW. But it is still lots of fun to read about the greatest place on this our spaceship earth and look at the awesome collection of photos. Be warned though, reading this book will result in the additional expense of thousands of dollars because you will need to book a trip immediately.
March 18, 2017
I picked this up thinking it was a coffee table book, but it's actually a surprisingly dense snapshot-in-time of the Walt Disney World in 1996. The level of detail it provides on the origins and production of Walt Disney World as a resort is satisfyingly deep, and the breadth of its coverage of the resort is very wide (which necessarily means some topics get short shrift - in this, the actual theme parks get coverage focused on the aesthetics rather than the attractions themselves). The artwork is a nice addition that supports the narrative, rather than being the focus of the book.
That being said, it is woefully out of date now. At the time of its writing, Animal Kingdom was in the early phases of construction; Discovery Island, River Country, and Pleasure Island were still going concerns; and the first ships of Disney Cruise Lines were still under construction. It makes for an interesting review of Disney's Past, but I can't recommend it as a resource for anyone planning to go to the resort in the future.
That being said, it is woefully out of date now. At the time of its writing, Animal Kingdom was in the early phases of construction; Discovery Island, River Country, and Pleasure Island were still going concerns; and the first ships of Disney Cruise Lines were still under construction. It makes for an interesting review of Disney's Past, but I can't recommend it as a resource for anyone planning to go to the resort in the future.
October 26, 2022
Since the World Began is a comprehensive look at Walt Disney World in Florida, from concept inception through dreams still coming true in 1996. The book is split into logical chapters: an introduction, a chapter on Walt Disney, one on Imagineering, a chapter on each of the 4 theme parks (Animal Kingdom's being shorter with it still in its development stage), one about the rest of the "World" (meaning resorts, water parks, Pleasure Island, Disney Vacation Club, and more), and the last chapter covering still in-progress projects (new resorts, Wide World of Sports, Disney Cruise Line). The level of detail dedicated to describing each place, not only as it was built but as it appears today and all its changes over the years, is incredible. For instance, the Magic Kingdom opened with a set of rides and attractions, which have changed over the years, and reading that chapter you can picture each instantiation. Gorgeous color photographs and concept art accompany the text, with informative captions. Throughout the book there are "asides" - pages in blue that go into detail about one project or another, from the wastewater treatment experiment to Walt's True Live Adventures, from Environmentality to The Disney Wilderness Preserve. In the back there is an index, to guide you to the person or place you want to read about. The dust cover on the hard cover edition showcases the incredible nightly fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom.
You can not go wrong with this beautiful commemorative volume, whether you want a coffee table book with lovely pictures to look at or a thorough overview of Walt Disney World - what it was meant to be and what it has become. It was fun to reminisce - matching my memories of attractions long gone to the vivid descriptions shared by the author. It's easy to see the constantly shifting landscape through his eyes. I love having this snapshot in time - Walt Disney World has changed, and will change, so much that it's a treat to have captured what it was and what was hoped for at a pivotal moment (the 25th anniversary) in its history. The only thing I could have asked for (and this is being picky) would be a series of park maps over time, to actually see the changes each park's layout underwent. Still Kurtti is so detailed and specific when describing changes that my want for it could be considered superfluous. This book is more about the place than the people, and at under 200 pages it can't get it all, but I think that it captures the spirit of the ever-changing parks, of the breadth and depth of the Florida property, and of all the nostalgia that those who have visited the park over the years (particularly over the time period covered in the book) could want. I'm very satisfied with this piece of Disney history.
You can not go wrong with this beautiful commemorative volume, whether you want a coffee table book with lovely pictures to look at or a thorough overview of Walt Disney World - what it was meant to be and what it has become. It was fun to reminisce - matching my memories of attractions long gone to the vivid descriptions shared by the author. It's easy to see the constantly shifting landscape through his eyes. I love having this snapshot in time - Walt Disney World has changed, and will change, so much that it's a treat to have captured what it was and what was hoped for at a pivotal moment (the 25th anniversary) in its history. The only thing I could have asked for (and this is being picky) would be a series of park maps over time, to actually see the changes each park's layout underwent. Still Kurtti is so detailed and specific when describing changes that my want for it could be considered superfluous. This book is more about the place than the people, and at under 200 pages it can't get it all, but I think that it captures the spirit of the ever-changing parks, of the breadth and depth of the Florida property, and of all the nostalgia that those who have visited the park over the years (particularly over the time period covered in the book) could want. I'm very satisfied with this piece of Disney history.
March 26, 2018
Very informative. Expectedly dated, but a very fun read as we prepared to go to Walt Disney World. $5 used on Amazon was a steal. Incredibly detailed about everything from the park's original planning through everything that happened in its first 25 years (ending in the mid-90s).
April 13, 2022
This has a lot of good pictures. It gives a good overview of DisneyWorld up to about 1996.
So while there are some descriptions of Animal Park, it hadn't been built when th is was written.
It's a happy book about a happy place.
So while there are some descriptions of Animal Park, it hadn't been built when th is was written.
It's a happy book about a happy place.
August 17, 2023
I bought this book as a souvenir during a Disney visit in the 1990s but never got around to reading it. Now, I find it a fascinating reminder of the way things used to be. The text and photos brought back a lot of memories, especially of attractions long gone and replaced.
November 25, 2017
Dated, but an interesting read
November 7, 2019
It was really interesting to see how Disney World came to be, and to compare what is was at the time the book was written to how it is now. Highly recommend for any lover of Disney!
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September 4, 2011This year, Walt Disney World turns forty. It's a shame that this, the most recent, most thorough official history of the Vacation Kingdom, is itself fifteen years old. Jeff Kurtti has said in interviews that Disney has no plans to commission an updated edition of this book (though he would be interested in doing one), which is unfortunate as Since the World Began is one of the essential volumes for the Disney historian, professional or amateur.
Despite the fact that it is an official, authorized production, Since the World Began only occasionally bears the hallmark santized, sterilized quality that often marks such works. Instead, what one finds within the pages of the book are genuine insights into the history, design, and philosophy of Walt Disney World and how these mesh with the larger concerns of the Walt Disney Company. Kurtti's observations on this latter question are among the book's most interesting features.
Since the World Began is illustrated throughout with beautiful color photographs and concept artworks. Full-page sidebars cover the water parks, the resorts, and specific themes in Disney World history, including the parks' environmental commitments (the reading here is surprisingly undated for a fifteen-year-old study).
Kurtti doesn't provide much insight into the individual players in the creation of WDW; his Imagineering Legends is a better source if one's interest are in the personalities and gifts of individual imagineers. This is, nonetheless, an essential overview of the early history of the world's most popular tourist destination.
Despite the fact that it is an official, authorized production, Since the World Began only occasionally bears the hallmark santized, sterilized quality that often marks such works. Instead, what one finds within the pages of the book are genuine insights into the history, design, and philosophy of Walt Disney World and how these mesh with the larger concerns of the Walt Disney Company. Kurtti's observations on this latter question are among the book's most interesting features.
Since the World Began is illustrated throughout with beautiful color photographs and concept artworks. Full-page sidebars cover the water parks, the resorts, and specific themes in Disney World history, including the parks' environmental commitments (the reading here is surprisingly undated for a fifteen-year-old study).
Kurtti doesn't provide much insight into the individual players in the creation of WDW; his Imagineering Legends is a better source if one's interest are in the personalities and gifts of individual imagineers. This is, nonetheless, an essential overview of the early history of the world's most popular tourist destination.
June 5, 2017
Strictly for nostalgia reading at this point, but it is a snapshot of a moment in WDW's history - particularly of interest as we quickly approach the 50th anniversary of its 1971 opening. There are a few interesting sidebars I hadn't encountered elsewhere, such as a description of Disney's Water Hyacinth Wastewater Treatment System. Something of a cross between Birnbaum Travel Guides and a more design oriented tome like Designing Disney or Designing Disney's Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance. It definitely has the stamp of the Disney Corporation on it, but it feels like they gave Jeff Kurtti a little more leeway than the authors of say The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
April 17, 2011
Written in 1996, this Disney-authored book has some pro-company bias, but provides a nice overview of the history of Walt Disney World, leading up to the opening of Animal Kingdom. It's funny to read about the grand hopes and dreams of Animal Kingdom, as much of what was discussed never came to be.
There is some great concept art featured in the book, and Jeff Kurtti's writing isn't that bad. I even learned some stuff!
There is some great concept art featured in the book, and Jeff Kurtti's writing isn't that bad. I even learned some stuff!
March 30, 2014
A good read, especially for fans and visitors of Walt Disney World. This book is now, unfortunately, a little dated. It is a wonderful telling of Walt and Roy Disney's dreams and plans becoming reality. It's also fun to see, in hindsight, what actually happened to many of the attractions that no longer exist. It would be fun to see this book updated and expanded, now that we're 43 years in. Perhaps for the 50th anniversary!
November 22, 2008
Such a shame that it's out of print!
I received this book during my first trip to Walt Disney World - my honeymoon, in 1997. Perhaps that colors my opinion, but this remains my favorite book about Walt Disney World. The photos are stunning, and the writing just makes you fall in love with the place all over again. Some of the magic that this place holds clearly found it's way into this book.
I received this book during my first trip to Walt Disney World - my honeymoon, in 1997. Perhaps that colors my opinion, but this remains my favorite book about Walt Disney World. The photos are stunning, and the writing just makes you fall in love with the place all over again. Some of the magic that this place holds clearly found it's way into this book.
September 4, 2015
This book does what it set out to do. It gives a comprehensive overview of the first 25 years of the Disney parks--not a ton of new information there. The photos and concept drawings were interesting. The book is of course dated now that its almost 20 years later--some things don't exist anymore and things like animal kingdom were only a concept at the writing of the book.
May 12, 2010
One of the most comprehensive books on how Walt Disney World came to be. Many fine resources used- not published by Disney Corp. Great pictures too. This book gets into the political and governmental dealings that allowed disney come to be. Part infomercial-part great unbiased resource.
March 20, 2008
So much information about Disney World. How it beagn, the thoughts behind it, the building of the different parks, great reading for any Disney enthusiast.
July 28, 2010
Very in depth book which is fully illustrated
July 8, 2011
This wasn't as in-depth as I was hoping for.
October 7, 2011
Planning 1st trip to Disney World this winter, so this was a very interesting read.
June 25, 2012
I did a video book review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB48gr...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB48gr...
January 18, 2013
Todo lo que tenga que ver con Walt Disney y su obra de vida me llama. Y este libro contiene historias maravillosas.
October 14, 2013
A brochure for Walt Disney World, inflated into an over-written book. It's a massive topic to cover, but synopsizing every aspect of the resort is a pretty dull way to cover it.
July 27, 2015
Nothing I didnt know, which bores me. But, great info!
April 9, 2015
This is mostly a propaganda book for Disney, which is no surprise. It is worthwhile however, as a historical document, as it gives a good idea of what Disney World was like in the late 1990s.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews