The Disneyland Story

Title: The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream
Author: Sam Gennawey
Genre: History
Pages: 336
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A blow-by-blow history of Disneyland, from its original conception up until 2012.
Thoughts: 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.
Disclaimer: None.