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Disney's Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park That Changed the World
A propulsive and “entertaining” ( The Wall Street Journal ) history chronicling the conception and creation of the iconic Disneyland theme park, as told like never before by popular historian Richard Snow.
One day in the early 1950s, Walt Disney stood looking over 240 acres of farmland in Anaheim, California, and imagined building a park where people “could live among Mickey Mouse and Snow White in a world still powered by steam and fire for a day or a week or (if the visitor is slightly mad) forever.” Despite his wealth and fame, exactly no one wanted Disney to build such a park. Not his brother Roy, who ran the company’s finances; not the bankers; and not his wife, Lillian. Amusement parks at that time, such as Coney Island, were a generally despised business, sagging and sordid remnants of bygone days. Disney was told that he would only be heading toward financial ruin.
But Walt persevered, initially financing the park against his own life insurance policy and later with sponsorship from ABC and the sale of thousands and thousands of Davy Crockett coonskin caps. Disney assembled a talented team of engineers, architects, artists, animators, landscapers, and even a retired admiral to transform his ideas into a soaring yet soothing wonderland of a park. The catch was that they had only a year and a day in which to build it.
On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates…and the first day was a disaster. Disney was nearly suicidal with grief that he had failed on a grand scale. But the curious masses kept coming, and the rest is entertainment history. Eight hundred million visitors have flocked to the park since then. In Disney’s Land , “Snow brings a historian’s eye and a child’s delight, not to mention superb writing, to the telling of this fascinating narrative” (Ken Burns) that “will entertain Disneyphiles and readers of popular American history” ( Publishers Weekly ).
One day in the early 1950s, Walt Disney stood looking over 240 acres of farmland in Anaheim, California, and imagined building a park where people “could live among Mickey Mouse and Snow White in a world still powered by steam and fire for a day or a week or (if the visitor is slightly mad) forever.” Despite his wealth and fame, exactly no one wanted Disney to build such a park. Not his brother Roy, who ran the company’s finances; not the bankers; and not his wife, Lillian. Amusement parks at that time, such as Coney Island, were a generally despised business, sagging and sordid remnants of bygone days. Disney was told that he would only be heading toward financial ruin.
But Walt persevered, initially financing the park against his own life insurance policy and later with sponsorship from ABC and the sale of thousands and thousands of Davy Crockett coonskin caps. Disney assembled a talented team of engineers, architects, artists, animators, landscapers, and even a retired admiral to transform his ideas into a soaring yet soothing wonderland of a park. The catch was that they had only a year and a day in which to build it.
On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates…and the first day was a disaster. Disney was nearly suicidal with grief that he had failed on a grand scale. But the curious masses kept coming, and the rest is entertainment history. Eight hundred million visitors have flocked to the park since then. In Disney’s Land , “Snow brings a historian’s eye and a child’s delight, not to mention superb writing, to the telling of this fascinating narrative” (Ken Burns) that “will entertain Disneyphiles and readers of popular American history” ( Publishers Weekly ).
408 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
July 26, 2020
"You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world - but it requires people to make that dream a reality." -- Walt Disney
I suppose that for the majority of us on this site we sort of take for granted that Disney's parks have always seemed to be in existence. They're just a couple of examples of pop cultural-related slices of Americana that now seem like they've been around forever, both physically and in our imaginations. (Having family in California, I have been fortunate to visit Disneyland, and its related neighbor site California Adventure, twice since 2013 - the parks were wonderful, and exceeded my expectations.)
Of course it wasn't always that way - when 'Uncle Walt' set out to build his very first park in the early 1950's, he faced all sorts of tribulations. Finding a suitable location was a problem, labor and material costs kept ballooning, things on the mechanical end had to be invented or perfected 'on the fly.' It was also thought that the entire project itself was a folly, and would bankrupt the man and his studio. (At the time, amusement parks in the U.S. were usually smaller-scale, low-rent carnivals - not always clean, safe or even family-friendly; Disney wanted a build a vacation destination for all ages.)
Snow's outstanding Disney's Land is an entertaining and meticulously detailed account on the origin / construction / opening of the Southern California-based Disneyland, which came to life and entered our lexicon in the summer of 1955. Disney (the man, that is) was smart, shrewd, and sometimes just blindly lucky enough that he surrounded himself with a production crew of the best and/or brightest folks - often WWII veterans, the 'citizen soldiers' of our Greatest Generation - to help him bring his unique vision to fruition. Sort of like the animated films his studio had made by that time, Disney's assemblage of this behind-the-scenes talent was a real cast of characters. I much enjoyed reading the stories and anecdotes of these various men and women who inadvertently helped give birth to, and then quietly revolutionized, the amusement park industry as we know it today.
I suppose that for the majority of us on this site we sort of take for granted that Disney's parks have always seemed to be in existence. They're just a couple of examples of pop cultural-related slices of Americana that now seem like they've been around forever, both physically and in our imaginations. (Having family in California, I have been fortunate to visit Disneyland, and its related neighbor site California Adventure, twice since 2013 - the parks were wonderful, and exceeded my expectations.)
Of course it wasn't always that way - when 'Uncle Walt' set out to build his very first park in the early 1950's, he faced all sorts of tribulations. Finding a suitable location was a problem, labor and material costs kept ballooning, things on the mechanical end had to be invented or perfected 'on the fly.' It was also thought that the entire project itself was a folly, and would bankrupt the man and his studio. (At the time, amusement parks in the U.S. were usually smaller-scale, low-rent carnivals - not always clean, safe or even family-friendly; Disney wanted a build a vacation destination for all ages.)
Snow's outstanding Disney's Land is an entertaining and meticulously detailed account on the origin / construction / opening of the Southern California-based Disneyland, which came to life and entered our lexicon in the summer of 1955. Disney (the man, that is) was smart, shrewd, and sometimes just blindly lucky enough that he surrounded himself with a production crew of the best and/or brightest folks - often WWII veterans, the 'citizen soldiers' of our Greatest Generation - to help him bring his unique vision to fruition. Sort of like the animated films his studio had made by that time, Disney's assemblage of this behind-the-scenes talent was a real cast of characters. I much enjoyed reading the stories and anecdotes of these various men and women who inadvertently helped give birth to, and then quietly revolutionized, the amusement park industry as we know it today.
February 11, 2020
Richard Snow covers Walt Disney's dream of Disneyland from initial pipe dream to the "The Happiest Place on Earth". Snow details the massive undertaking Disney and his core people took on by giving a self-imposed deadline of two years. My favorite parts were all the engineering and construction techniques they pioneered to make Disneyland happen, like the first use of fiberglass in boats and cars. You have to remember at the time, there had never been an amusement park of this scale. Disney's meticulous attention to detail was both a help and hindrance as they marched closer and closer to the opening date. While gorgeous to look at, it was put together rather slapdash at first. Things like a sprinkler in front of a snack shack watering the lawn with orange juice happened as the plumbing was put in place even the day before. The rides broke down constantly due to the overwhelming people who turned up. I loved reading about these engineering conundrums and how they were tackled. Walt Disney was a once in a generation type individual which Snow captures through the building of Disneyland.
Received a review copy from Scribner and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Scribner and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
September 5, 2019
Richard Snow was quite ambitious with this informative book. There is so much information in here, but it doesn't read like a book report. The book is laid out in chronological order, from Walt building a train set on his property, to dreaming up the park, to opening day and beyond. They created so many parts and vehicles just from ingenuity. The imagineers have big shoes to fill when Walt just tells them to figure it out.
A good book with a lot of snippets from the park. Good writing, good stories.
A good book with a lot of snippets from the park. Good writing, good stories.
January 16, 2020
"To all who come to this happy place: Welcome."
I'll never forget my first trip to Disneyland in California. I was fifteen years old and was visiting the park on a trip with my high school band. Because we were performing in the park, our bus went through a security checkpoint that dropped us off in the backstage area located in the back of the property. My first views were not of the historic walk down Main Street USA leading to Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Instead, I exited the utilitarian buildings of the backstage portion into the stylized Toontown section of the park. I was instantly obsessed, amazed at the stark contrast between the idyllic world inside the park and the industrialized outside.
In Disney's Land, author Richard Snow chronicles the journey of bringing Disney's dream to life. There are countless stories about what inspired Walt to create the park. Snow points to truths on several fronts. Partly disillusioned by the state of the animation business, partly inspired to create a place where children and parents could play together, and perhaps mostly looking for a new outlet for creative development, the germ of the idea that would become Disneyland started as a miniature train set in Disney's back yard. For months, craftsmen in Disney's studio machine shop labored to make a working scale version of a steam locomotive. Walt obsessed over each detail, painstakingly ensuring all the materials were correct, and even buying a new home with the perfect backyard to set the tracks. This not only foreshadowed the strict adherence to quality that would define Disney's park but created relationships that would be vital to bringing the park to life.
At a time when the bright lights of amusement parks were thought more of in terms of decaying glory, Walt sought to build a new type of park. Everyone who heard of his plans told him he was crazy. It would cost too much money. No one was going to travel all the way to the small orchard town of Anaheim. He was throwing good money after bad. Whatever objections were raised, Walt quietly moved past them to achieve his dream.
Disney's Land combines weaves many historical excerpts into a stunning tale of one man's willful ambition to achieve his ultimate dream. As an avid Disney Parks fan, there was little new information gleaned from this book, but Snow imparts his writing with the small human details that make the events jump from the page. I was struck by just how much new ground was being covered by Walt and the men and women he employed. It is difficult to imagine a time where Disneyland did not exist. The famed attractions have become engrained into the very being of American culture. But before Walt dreamed it, there was no precedent for the kind of place he created. As an adult, I visit a Disney Park each year and continue to be transported to new worlds that allow me to escape from everyday life. Disney's Land by Richard Snow expertly tells the tale of how the place that so many find magic in came to be.
I'll never forget my first trip to Disneyland in California. I was fifteen years old and was visiting the park on a trip with my high school band. Because we were performing in the park, our bus went through a security checkpoint that dropped us off in the backstage area located in the back of the property. My first views were not of the historic walk down Main Street USA leading to Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Instead, I exited the utilitarian buildings of the backstage portion into the stylized Toontown section of the park. I was instantly obsessed, amazed at the stark contrast between the idyllic world inside the park and the industrialized outside.
In Disney's Land, author Richard Snow chronicles the journey of bringing Disney's dream to life. There are countless stories about what inspired Walt to create the park. Snow points to truths on several fronts. Partly disillusioned by the state of the animation business, partly inspired to create a place where children and parents could play together, and perhaps mostly looking for a new outlet for creative development, the germ of the idea that would become Disneyland started as a miniature train set in Disney's back yard. For months, craftsmen in Disney's studio machine shop labored to make a working scale version of a steam locomotive. Walt obsessed over each detail, painstakingly ensuring all the materials were correct, and even buying a new home with the perfect backyard to set the tracks. This not only foreshadowed the strict adherence to quality that would define Disney's park but created relationships that would be vital to bringing the park to life.
At a time when the bright lights of amusement parks were thought more of in terms of decaying glory, Walt sought to build a new type of park. Everyone who heard of his plans told him he was crazy. It would cost too much money. No one was going to travel all the way to the small orchard town of Anaheim. He was throwing good money after bad. Whatever objections were raised, Walt quietly moved past them to achieve his dream.
Disney's Land combines weaves many historical excerpts into a stunning tale of one man's willful ambition to achieve his ultimate dream. As an avid Disney Parks fan, there was little new information gleaned from this book, but Snow imparts his writing with the small human details that make the events jump from the page. I was struck by just how much new ground was being covered by Walt and the men and women he employed. It is difficult to imagine a time where Disneyland did not exist. The famed attractions have become engrained into the very being of American culture. But before Walt dreamed it, there was no precedent for the kind of place he created. As an adult, I visit a Disney Park each year and continue to be transported to new worlds that allow me to escape from everyday life. Disney's Land by Richard Snow expertly tells the tale of how the place that so many find magic in came to be.
August 5, 2022
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This is definitely one of the better histories of a Disney topic that I've read in a long time. Any good biography of a person or place requires a careful mastery of balances - how much information, how it is written, if the author has a bias or agenda, and if the book provides good information/perspective. There are many Disneyland books out there but author Richard Snow gives us a biography of the park that hits all the right notes for a very enjoyable (and interesting) read.While we've likely all heard the story that Walt dreamed up Disneyland on a Griffith Park wooden bench, upon which he sat while his daughter was on the carousel, in this book author Snow uncovered many inspirations for what would become the standard for amusement parks: themed lands. That segues into interesting information about how the park was almost built in Burbank (next to the studio) and the decisions to use Anaheim instead. There is an emphasis on the people involved - from Stanford Research Institute surveyors to the people behind the architecture, planning, landscaping, and constructing of the park. That humanizes what is often an over-idealized subjects, reminding that Disneyland was the result of a lot of hard work, sweat, tears, and risk by some amazing people.
There were issues with the construction, of course, and not everything was finished on time. But the attention to detail and Walt's very pervasive presence during all aspects of the building were noted throughout the book. Problems during the opening day ("disaster") are discussed with amusing anecdotes from those who were there (both guests and cast members). The book ends with discussions about the first few rides to be added (or removed, in the case of the Circus) after the opening year.
What I appreciated most is that the author does not have a hidden agenda nor does he lionize or demonize anyone, including Walt Disney. It wasn't all rainbows and pixie dust (e.g., Wood's grafting on top of promotional contracts) and Walt wasn't universally loved (he was often called the "Prince of Darkness" behind his back). But the author takes a tone of "this is how it was back then" without attempting to interpret anything in the past through a modern lens. Thus, the emphasis really is on how Disneyland was conceived and then created - and all the lucky timing, setbacks, risk, and smart thinking that made it happen.
I suspect the author found enough information for 3 books on the topic. All the same, I've greatly appreciated that this isn't a ponderous tome of endless facts and instead is a lively and entertaining read that manages to be surprisingly informative. Read from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
March 23, 2021
Although the summary promises “told like never before” a fair amount of this book is a rehashing of stories and information that is found in more original and entertaining sources. While it’s a decent book overall, but those with any basic knowledge of Disney history will find this books retreads familiar ground. In reality almost divided into 5 separate parts: 1) A brief history of Walt Disney’s career, 2) A brief history of pre-Disneyland amusement parks, 3) The building of Disneyland 4) The opening of Disneyland 5) A brief description of Disneyland’s early years and it’s impact.
Section 1 is truncated version of the more entertaining and detailed biographies of Walt Disney. It’s hits all the high points of Disney’s pre-Disneyland career. This can be a bit boring for those familiar with Bob Thomas or Neal Gabler’s books.
Section 2 is a brief history of early amusement parks like Coney Island. It then describes Walt’s formation of the idea of Disneyland. This actually quite interesting and new material.
Section 3 is where the book begins to bog down. Much of what appears here can be found in a new streaming documentary, books by John Hench and others.
Section 4 dealing with the opening of Disneyland is perhaps the most tedious. Much of this part of the book is dedicated to a word for word recitation of what occurred in the Dateline Disneyland program that aired on ABC. You are better of just finding the original program and watching it.
Section 5 is about Disneyland’s impact and detractors. There’s really no new information about Disneyland after the death of Walt. Instead it focuses on the academic impact of the park of the amusement park business, architecture, city planning, and culture.
While overall the book is okay. I think there are plenty of well written books on the subject including Sam Greenaway’s book.
Section 1 is truncated version of the more entertaining and detailed biographies of Walt Disney. It’s hits all the high points of Disney’s pre-Disneyland career. This can be a bit boring for those familiar with Bob Thomas or Neal Gabler’s books.
Section 2 is a brief history of early amusement parks like Coney Island. It then describes Walt’s formation of the idea of Disneyland. This actually quite interesting and new material.
Section 3 is where the book begins to bog down. Much of what appears here can be found in a new streaming documentary, books by John Hench and others.
Section 4 dealing with the opening of Disneyland is perhaps the most tedious. Much of this part of the book is dedicated to a word for word recitation of what occurred in the Dateline Disneyland program that aired on ABC. You are better of just finding the original program and watching it.
Section 5 is about Disneyland’s impact and detractors. There’s really no new information about Disneyland after the death of Walt. Instead it focuses on the academic impact of the park of the amusement park business, architecture, city planning, and culture.
While overall the book is okay. I think there are plenty of well written books on the subject including Sam Greenaway’s book.
November 30, 2024
A whole bunch of really cool facts and history on Disneyland that I can’t even hope to remember. I’ll just have to listen again; and perhaps before my next visit to the park.
Content Considerations: the f-word is used once. Bullsh*t is used once along with a few mild obscenities and some blasphemy. Mentions how Walt didn’t want any “prostitute characters” in Frontierland but somehow on opening day and aired on tv, there were some raunchy looking cast women in the New Orleans area. Mentions drinking and smoking.
Content Considerations: the f-word is used once. Bullsh*t is used once along with a few mild obscenities and some blasphemy. Mentions how Walt didn’t want any “prostitute characters” in Frontierland but somehow on opening day and aired on tv, there were some raunchy looking cast women in the New Orleans area. Mentions drinking and smoking.
January 17, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this nonfiction account of Disneyland - not just its building, but also Walt’s dream and long road to realizing that dream. I’m a self-professed Disney fan, and this was full of fascinating info - Ronald Reagan was one of the hosts of the live program on Disneyland’s chaotic opening day, and at one point scaled an 8-foot fence to make it his next shot in Frontierland! I’ve only been to Disneyland one evening almost 30 years ago - need to return some day! (Own)
August 31, 2020
This was a great road trip audiobook because it was like two vacations in one: wherever you're going, plus Disneyland.
Snow has put together a balanced history of the park starting with a few chapters of Disney's career and early film successes. He nails both depth and breadth in sharing the park's vision, design, construction and opening, covering everything from financing to engineering & ride design to corporate deals to in-depth portraits of key players on the project.
The narration was great and perfectly paced. I struggled a bit with timelines, maybe this was an audiobook quirk as I kept wondering when things were taking place.
Would recommend to anyone who has been to Disneyland!
Snow has put together a balanced history of the park starting with a few chapters of Disney's career and early film successes. He nails both depth and breadth in sharing the park's vision, design, construction and opening, covering everything from financing to engineering & ride design to corporate deals to in-depth portraits of key players on the project.
The narration was great and perfectly paced. I struggled a bit with timelines, maybe this was an audiobook quirk as I kept wondering when things were taking place.
Would recommend to anyone who has been to Disneyland!
March 7, 2020
Fantastic book. I had to return it early, but put myself back on the list to recheck out the audio book and finish. I am so glad I did. To hear about the business trials and troubles along the way is fascinating. Knott's Berry Farm was the only thing close to Disneyland at the time, and he took it to a whole 'nother level. I think about how this was all executed in the 50s, post war mad men energy and ambition. There's a movie to be had in this story. I'm sure Walt would like it that way?
December 1, 2019
I really enjoyed every minute reading Disney's Land. This book was packed full of Disney history and was presented in an easy format where it felt like I was actually ' there '. Having read a few other book on Walt Disney, I can say that this one was enjoyed the most. Whether you are a casual Disney enthusiast or a veteran fan, you're sure to pick up a lot from reading Richard Snow's book.
March 8, 2020
Interesting book. A bit slow but worth reading. I admit I skipped a few pages.
April 15, 2023
I recently spent five fantastic days at Disneyland with my family during spring break, and, reluctant to leave the magic behind, I searched for a book about the place. This one was fantastic! I was in awe of everything that went into building the first-ever theme park: acquiring land, building a train and a steamboat and a fleet of miniature automobiles, acquiring and planting mature trees, securing money and advertising through television (a new medium that most Hollywood studios were wary of), hiring and training employees. So much of Disneyland was uncharted territory, and it changed entertainment and customer service in America so much that I realized I had taken it for granted.
There were lots of details about Disneyland's opening day, which was a successful disaster: parts of the park were unfinished (at least the asphalt had been poured the night before!), a gas leak in Fantasyland, a near-capsizing of the Mark Twain because it was overloaded, kids knocking out their teeth in Autopia on the metal steering wheels, no drinking fountains because they couldn't afford it yet, and hundred-degree temperatures and huge crowds (the ticketing system was not great, and many more people had managed to get in than were invited).
But, as we know, the park overcame its difficulties, and Disney went on to build the park's submarines, monorail, and Matterhorn. The book closes with Walt Disney's death -- no mentions of some of our family's favorite attractions (Space Mountain, California Adventure). There could be volumes written about Disneyland! (Our family has enjoyed the "Behind the Attraction" series on Disney+ that details a few of those rides).
While listening to this book, I could hardly keep from sharing my favorite bits of trivia with my family members -- one of my markers of a five-star book. My oldest son was interested enough that he's planning on reading this, too.
A few instances of strong language - building a theme park like Disneyland was stressful at times!
There were lots of details about Disneyland's opening day, which was a successful disaster: parts of the park were unfinished (at least the asphalt had been poured the night before!), a gas leak in Fantasyland, a near-capsizing of the Mark Twain because it was overloaded, kids knocking out their teeth in Autopia on the metal steering wheels, no drinking fountains because they couldn't afford it yet, and hundred-degree temperatures and huge crowds (the ticketing system was not great, and many more people had managed to get in than were invited).
But, as we know, the park overcame its difficulties, and Disney went on to build the park's submarines, monorail, and Matterhorn. The book closes with Walt Disney's death -- no mentions of some of our family's favorite attractions (Space Mountain, California Adventure). There could be volumes written about Disneyland! (Our family has enjoyed the "Behind the Attraction" series on Disney+ that details a few of those rides).
While listening to this book, I could hardly keep from sharing my favorite bits of trivia with my family members -- one of my markers of a five-star book. My oldest son was interested enough that he's planning on reading this, too.
A few instances of strong language - building a theme park like Disneyland was stressful at times!
November 29, 2022
Insightful, felt the magic, got inspired and motivated :)
Not sure if it's Disney, Disney's story, or the book!
But worth it!
Not sure if it's Disney, Disney's story, or the book!
But worth it!
June 3, 2024
3.5 audiobook
September 7, 2020
Although this book contains some necessary biographical details on Walt Disney, the person, dating back to his childhood, it is very specifically a history of the creation and early days of the Disneyland park itself, as the title suggests. The meat of the book focuses on the year leading up to the park's opening, in July 1955.
It is hard to imagine now, seeing what a corporate behemoth Disney has become (and how successful their parks have been, especially in the U.S.), but the idea of Disneyland itself was met with much skepticism. Even though Walt Disney Productions was already a well-respected, cutting-edge movie production company, most people could not conceptualize how Disneyland could succeed. The traditional amusement park, like Coney Island, was on the decline at this time, and not many people could understand why Walt wanted to get into this business--nor could they see how his vision was different. As such, Walt struggled to secure the financing he needed for his project and had to create a new company--WED--separate from the production company in order to house the Disneyland project. He, along with his brother, Roy, had to borrow heavily to get the capital they needed, while Walt borrowed against his own life insurance policy. If Disneyland were to fail, Walt Disney was sure to go bankrupt.
These financial strains also contributed to the park needing to be built within a very tight time frame. Walt couldn't afford to go much longer without generating revenue--and July 17, 1955 was the latest he felt he could go in the summer vacation season before opening. As such, workers were scrambling up to and including the hours before the park's opening to put the finishing touches on the paint, asphalt, etc.--in fact, many attractions didn't get finished in time to be available right away. And most of those that did were fraught with problems.
Although WED was a legally separate entity from Walt Disney Productions, Walt was able to leverage the appeal of the latter to help secure the financing for Disneyland. He struck a deal with ABC (which Disney now owns today), which at the time was a distant third in the TV ratings behind CBS and NBC. ABC would invest capital directly into Disneyland, in exchange for Disney creating a weekly show for its network. The show, titled "Disneyland", ended up being the highest rated show in its time slot, by a landslide. It was part variety show, part year-long infomercial that culminated in a live show from the park on opening day. Despite mostly scathing reviews about Disneyland from those in attendance the first few days/weeks (broken down/dangerous rides, high costs, long lines, etc.), the show did a good job of obscuring that and did enough to generate enough interest in the park to keep it going as it worked out the kinks.
As much as this book was about Walt and his park, it was also about the cast of characters that worked behind the scenes to make the park possible. Walt would pluck people from Walt Disney Productions as well as outsiders, the majority of whom had never really worked on a theme park before. Many had worked in show business, in areas such as set design, but many others were engineers and landscapers by trade, for example. There were so many names thrown out in this book that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who as they were mentioned in later chapters.
Once Disneyland got through the initial hurdles associated with opening way earlier than ready, it continued to grow, constantly making improvements and adding new attractions. Considered to be the first "theme park", it spawned many copycats around the world--none of which would ever be as successful as Disneyland and its sister parks around the world (none of which, I didn't realize until reading this book, were ever actually seen by Walt Disney before he died).
Overall this book was engaging and taught me a few interesting things that I didn't know. I felt that it dragged at times and was less interesting in parts, though. Although the fact that the entire park had to be built so quickly was shocking in and of itself, I felt that some of the more detailed examples of this were a bit over-dramatized. I would say that it met my expectations and for this I gave it 3 stars.
It is hard to imagine now, seeing what a corporate behemoth Disney has become (and how successful their parks have been, especially in the U.S.), but the idea of Disneyland itself was met with much skepticism. Even though Walt Disney Productions was already a well-respected, cutting-edge movie production company, most people could not conceptualize how Disneyland could succeed. The traditional amusement park, like Coney Island, was on the decline at this time, and not many people could understand why Walt wanted to get into this business--nor could they see how his vision was different. As such, Walt struggled to secure the financing he needed for his project and had to create a new company--WED--separate from the production company in order to house the Disneyland project. He, along with his brother, Roy, had to borrow heavily to get the capital they needed, while Walt borrowed against his own life insurance policy. If Disneyland were to fail, Walt Disney was sure to go bankrupt.
These financial strains also contributed to the park needing to be built within a very tight time frame. Walt couldn't afford to go much longer without generating revenue--and July 17, 1955 was the latest he felt he could go in the summer vacation season before opening. As such, workers were scrambling up to and including the hours before the park's opening to put the finishing touches on the paint, asphalt, etc.--in fact, many attractions didn't get finished in time to be available right away. And most of those that did were fraught with problems.
Although WED was a legally separate entity from Walt Disney Productions, Walt was able to leverage the appeal of the latter to help secure the financing for Disneyland. He struck a deal with ABC (which Disney now owns today), which at the time was a distant third in the TV ratings behind CBS and NBC. ABC would invest capital directly into Disneyland, in exchange for Disney creating a weekly show for its network. The show, titled "Disneyland", ended up being the highest rated show in its time slot, by a landslide. It was part variety show, part year-long infomercial that culminated in a live show from the park on opening day. Despite mostly scathing reviews about Disneyland from those in attendance the first few days/weeks (broken down/dangerous rides, high costs, long lines, etc.), the show did a good job of obscuring that and did enough to generate enough interest in the park to keep it going as it worked out the kinks.
As much as this book was about Walt and his park, it was also about the cast of characters that worked behind the scenes to make the park possible. Walt would pluck people from Walt Disney Productions as well as outsiders, the majority of whom had never really worked on a theme park before. Many had worked in show business, in areas such as set design, but many others were engineers and landscapers by trade, for example. There were so many names thrown out in this book that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who as they were mentioned in later chapters.
Once Disneyland got through the initial hurdles associated with opening way earlier than ready, it continued to grow, constantly making improvements and adding new attractions. Considered to be the first "theme park", it spawned many copycats around the world--none of which would ever be as successful as Disneyland and its sister parks around the world (none of which, I didn't realize until reading this book, were ever actually seen by Walt Disney before he died).
Overall this book was engaging and taught me a few interesting things that I didn't know. I felt that it dragged at times and was less interesting in parts, though. Although the fact that the entire park had to be built so quickly was shocking in and of itself, I felt that some of the more detailed examples of this were a bit over-dramatized. I would say that it met my expectations and for this I gave it 3 stars.
August 31, 2020
3.5 rounding up. Listened to the audiobook (mostly in the car on a road trip). Probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read an actual book, but I still got a lot out of it and learned a ton about Disneyland and the life of Walt Disney. Some parts were a bit tedious, especially in audiobook form (like the couple chapters that more or less described entire hour long TV episodes), but overall it was very interesting and often highly inspiring. I loved learning about the horticultural/landscape design of the park - if there exists an entire book on the subject, sign me up. If/when I ever get to go back to Disneyland, I'll be viewing it in a whole new light.
January 22, 2021
My boyfriend is a Disney person and his family thinks Disney World is better than Disneyland and although I'm not a fanatic like they are, I loved Disneyland and wanted to read this to have content to talk with my boyfriend about. It didn't disappoint. I'm all like "did you know the Matterhorn cost x amount of dollars to build?" etc.
The book is good! There are too many names to keep track of for me, but I did enjoy learning about everything it took to make this place happen. It's really inspiring from a business perspective. Walt Disney was a visionary, an innovator, but more than that he was able to surround himself with really talented people that just got shit done. They all just... Figured it out. That's amazing. It was especially interesting to read about how impactful Disneyland has been on the culture of America since before it existed. I cannot wait to go back!
The book is good! There are too many names to keep track of for me, but I did enjoy learning about everything it took to make this place happen. It's really inspiring from a business perspective. Walt Disney was a visionary, an innovator, but more than that he was able to surround himself with really talented people that just got shit done. They all just... Figured it out. That's amazing. It was especially interesting to read about how impactful Disneyland has been on the culture of America since before it existed. I cannot wait to go back!
January 14, 2023
I’ve started saying recently that I don’t consider myself to be a Disney adult, but I do consider myself a Walt Disney adult. I love the stories around the man himself, the visionary that he was during his time and even now. This book is a wonderful story of his determination and perseverance to build something that he believed in against all odds. I believe that’s a message we can all take to heart and run with.
March 21, 2024
I maybe would have appreciated this more if I had a) ever actually been to Disneyland or b) was more of a #DisneyAdult. The first half was strong and painted a good picture of the effort it took just to get this thing going, and how the idea of a Theme Park had never truly been done up to that point. The author was a little too much of a Walt stan for my liking and really painted him as someone who could do no wrong, which was old after a while. Learned some trivia I guess!
January 5, 2021
This book is the most in-depth book I’ve ever read about the making of Disneyland. The main bits I knew, but there were whole chapters dedicated to parts of the construction process that I knew nothing about! It was so interesting.
Hardback
Hardback
January 14, 2021
4.5 stars to a fascinating, thoroughly researched history of the Disneyland story, from pipe dream to reality and beyond. It's hard to believe there were only 87 hotel/motel rooms in Anaheim when Disneyland opened in 1955. I grew up with Davy Crockett, the Disneyland TV show beginning in 1954 and the early Disney cartoon movies. Living on the East coast, I never went to Disneyland as a child, but this book was definitely nostalgic in many ways, and I learned so much.
December 29, 2021
Interesting stuff about how Disneyland came to be that I didn’t know about. It really made me want to look up biographies of Walt Disney and books about Disney World.
March 16, 2022
Obviously super intriguing for anyone who fancies themselves a Disney fan. I learned a ton, which surprised me because I wasn’t sure how much there was that I didn’t know. The only downside is that Mr. Snow’s verbiage can be unnecessarily and almost distractingly flowery at times. Nonetheless, I loved it start to finish and want to go to a Disney park ASAP.
July 30, 2025
Disney was an AuDHD maniac.
August 26, 2021
Could be I love Disneyland so much that I’m totally biased but I really enjoyed reading about all the behind the scenes details regarding the work and effort put into making Disneyland so magical. And after learning about the fiasco of opening day, I think a lot of luck and creativity went it to making it a success. I wish Walt had lived longer. Grateful for snow’s considerate and respectful approach to writing down so many details and interesting information without sounding like a text book.
December 15, 2021
A cool history about how Disney Land get started and the challenges it went through as the first major theme park ever!
March 7, 2020
I have only ever been to Disneyland, I have never been to Disney World, and for the life of me I cannot remember my visit to it, it was soooo long ago. So when I saw this book I wanted to check it out because the idea of the book fascinated me, how Disney built Disneyland.
And it didn’t disappoint, started a little slow, but once we get into it, the story was outstanding, detailing how it came to be, the issues it had being built, the strong personalities who clashed during the making of it, the disastrous opening day, and the eventual golden age. Filled with so many interesting stories, background, and neat info. (Walt created the Davy Crockett craze) and more. Well written, interesting, and fun. Highly recommended!
And it didn’t disappoint, started a little slow, but once we get into it, the story was outstanding, detailing how it came to be, the issues it had being built, the strong personalities who clashed during the making of it, the disastrous opening day, and the eventual golden age. Filled with so many interesting stories, background, and neat info. (Walt created the Davy Crockett craze) and more. Well written, interesting, and fun. Highly recommended!
June 15, 2021
This was fantastic.
Read as part of my research into a passion project I've been toying with for a couple of years now, Disney's Land surpasses everything else I've previously come across on the subject. I devour information on theme parks. Particularly Disney. This happens through books, youtube videos, documentaries, and even working at Disney World. As it happens, I was always wondering what I was missing. Stories are easily repeated until they become trivia. Disney fanatics love blurting them out around strangers in visits to WDW while pretending they aren't trying to impress others with their knowledge. To me, a lot of these tidbits that we've come to know were always that: Tidbits. The story of Walt Disney and the Creation Myth of Disney Land was missing something.
Snow fills in the blanks.
I will say that even though I consider this to be the go-to in regards to the History of Disney Land, it is not without a struggle towards the end. Once Disney Land opens we are prompted to read scene by scene the opening day telecast with Art Linkletter. Then once opened, a couple of chapters later everything speeds up to the inevitability of Walt's Death. It becomes more about Disney Land's influence on the world. The value is in the lead up. A great book regardless and highly suggested for fans of Themed Attractions.
Read as part of my research into a passion project I've been toying with for a couple of years now, Disney's Land surpasses everything else I've previously come across on the subject. I devour information on theme parks. Particularly Disney. This happens through books, youtube videos, documentaries, and even working at Disney World. As it happens, I was always wondering what I was missing. Stories are easily repeated until they become trivia. Disney fanatics love blurting them out around strangers in visits to WDW while pretending they aren't trying to impress others with their knowledge. To me, a lot of these tidbits that we've come to know were always that: Tidbits. The story of Walt Disney and the Creation Myth of Disney Land was missing something.
Snow fills in the blanks.
I will say that even though I consider this to be the go-to in regards to the History of Disney Land, it is not without a struggle towards the end. Once Disney Land opens we are prompted to read scene by scene the opening day telecast with Art Linkletter. Then once opened, a couple of chapters later everything speeds up to the inevitability of Walt's Death. It becomes more about Disney Land's influence on the world. The value is in the lead up. A great book regardless and highly suggested for fans of Themed Attractions.
June 8, 2025
This was a pretty interesting book, although it didn't contain a whole lot of fascinating new information for me. That being said, I've read a lot of books about all things Disney, so for someone with less Disney background knowledge than me this may be really interesting.
I especially liked the parts about the disaster that was Opening Day, as I felt like this book gave a much more in-depth view of this day than I've ever come across.
If you do read this, be prepared to learn a lot about trains. You'll acquire enough train knowledge that you'll feel like you can go out and build one yourself in your backyard tonight.
I especially liked the parts about the disaster that was Opening Day, as I felt like this book gave a much more in-depth view of this day than I've ever come across.
If you do read this, be prepared to learn a lot about trains. You'll acquire enough train knowledge that you'll feel like you can go out and build one yourself in your backyard tonight.
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