Disney's Land book

Book Review of
Disney’s Land

Author: Richard Snow
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Publisher Summary:

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).

Lynn's Review

Disney's Land book

Disney’s Land by Richard Snow shares the story of how Disneyland became Disneyland. Walt Disney took his dream and turned it into a reality. In the process, he changed theme parks and what people expected them to be.

Disney’s Land by Richard Snow is a must read for those that love Disneyland. I enjoy business books and that is why I picked this one up to read. I loved learning about how Disneyland was built and all that it took to make it happen. I had no idea all that went into building it. There were many times that Disneyland almost didn’t happen. This book takes you on a fascinating journey of building a well-known American destination.

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