Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Just wondering if anyone has bothered to read David Koenig's take on WDW's history (that the company doesn't want you to know)? I was gifted a copy a while back and just finished reading it. I was thinking of posting a review, but I'm more interested in seeing what others think first ... if anyone has read it.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN I have seen the book but have not read it.. waiting for someone to pass me their used copy for free... *hint*hint*.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^Remind me prior to my next visit to O-Town. My personal opinion is it isn't a must-read, but interesting in spots (particularly about the actual construction and first few years of WDW).
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^Sounds fair to me. I 'might' wind up at DL this weekend. If I do, I'll be sure to pick up a few things for you too!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Yeah!! Bring me guidemaps..and LE pins, and... a Teeshirt with DL's version of "Year of million dreams" on it, so I can wear it with my HKDL "year of million dreams" baseball cap. XL please.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Making a list ... why do I feel like Santa when the bastard never brings me anything?
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 Wait, Spirit! If you're getting the raw end of the deal, don't be so quick to bargain with TDLFAN. *I*'ve got your Golden Doobie button. We can cut TDLFAN out of the loop. I'm thinking... He gets to borrow your book. Maybe you pick him up something. I send you your pin. He takes me out to dinner in November.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^I'd like to, but I'm actually hoping to use him as my personal tour guide and concierge when I visit TDL in the spring ... he's got me over a barrel (and I don't even want to know what's inside ...)
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Originally Posted By TDLFAN Spirit... I am still interested in your opinion of this book, in case you care to post sometime soon..
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 Ex-squeeze me. But didn't Spirit say he's interested in hearing others' opinions of the book before he posts his own? Buehler? Buehler? Anyone?
Originally Posted By SFH Why, yes, I have a review for _Realityland_. It was posted on October 1st, barely noticeable on some obscure, rarely visited website called... LAUGHINGPLACE.COM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID511750.asp" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/N ews-ID511750.asp</a> SFH
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Spirit... I am still interested in your opinion of this book, in case you care to post sometime soon..>> I will. Maybe I'll post some general thoughts, but I did want to see if others in the LP community had read it. Apparently, SFH and I are the only ones.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Without offering a full review yet, just some thoughts about the book (because I don't want to influence whether folks read it or not). I thought the early chapters were by far the most interesting. I got the feeling Ken agrees in his review. David talked to some folks who were instrumental in getting WDW, and later EPCOT Center, built. Some of them are no longer with us, so those interviews are really priceless. There are also many things that even the geekiest here likely don't know (I learned a thing or two). But I felt like the whole book was done at a slow pace and then when it came time to discuss the massive buildout of WDW, Koenig zoomed through it. Very short. Lots missing. Now, I know that many of the folks involved with what has transpired at WDW over the past 15 years are still with the company in one capacity or another, or consult for it, or just have connections and likely didn't want to be interviewed for those political reasons. The only current Disney employee at a high level that I can recall being quoted was Tony Baxter. And his stuff was very inocuous, although you can tell the man isn't happy with what they did to his Imagination pavilion (and word is he may get a chance to right the damage despite being the DL design dude). But after WDW opened, followed by EC, it was the massive building by Eisner that, to me, is the story. And much of that is just plain missing. Some of the detail early on is amazing, but then when we get to the latter years -- when the information is a whole lot easier to get -- the book kind of falls apart. The last chapter was not the way I'd have ended it ... it seemed like David got to a point and then was like 'I gotta end this thing' and he did. I also don't see this as anything that will shock anyone who understands it is a real resort with real problems. David in no way editorializes about issues, he just presents them. One chapter really bothered me, though. The one on all the deaths, dismemberments, injuries, CMs jumping off the Contemporary (I was there when the last one went headfirst onto the monorail beam in 2002) was very disjointed. There was no real context other than people drop dead at WDW, usually due to their own stupidity, sometimes due to Disney negligance and sometimes just through tragic undiagnosed conditions. I gained little out of it, and I doubt many others will. I wouldn't say it was gratuitous, just lacking perspective. I guess the best way of describing Realityland is that it is great at discussing the way WDW got built and all the history and personalities surrounding it. But when WDW became overdeveloped, it appeared that David became overwhelmed with the sheer volume of info and kept it very simple and I think that's the biggest weakness.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Thanks for adding those comments. Now I am interested even more, and concidering I am not much of a reader...that would be a stretch for me.
Originally Posted By TarzanRocked99-06 thanks for the info Spirit, I am picking it up tomorrow to read on a flight. Also every time I hear you say IMAG might be fixed it makes me smile!
Originally Posted By SFH >>word is he may get a chance to right the damage despite being the DL design dude<< JII is still sponsored by Kodak, right? If that is the case, it is possible that Baxter developed a relationship with some important Kodak connections. And if a company like Kodak wants to sponsor a pavilion (or renew their sponsorship), Disney is going to listen to what they want. If they were to say "We want Jon Doe on this project", then Disney would likely bow to that - territory be darned. SFH
