Originally Posted By 8 ilovemickey 8 I was just wondering if any had some recommendations on good books on Disneyland. I am always looking for historical/information books on Disneyland but never can seem to find any? Thanks!!!
Originally Posted By lawdawg Mouse Tales and More Mouse Tales by David Koening are both good books. However, Be careful before you read them. They both dissolve some of the magic. The Nickel Tour by David Mumford and Bruce Gordon is hard to come by (Amazon has it for $189)but is very comprehensive. I actually owned it for a few days but returned it to Amazon because I thought $50 for any book was to much to pay. (I'm kicking myself in the rear for that decision)
Originally Posted By cheesybaby The Nickel Tour is regarded as the best, and is out of print. You can find it on various auction sites for as much as $600, but you can usually find it on ebay for $85-100. Disneyland: The Inside Story is the other front-runner, and is also out of print. You may find it on ebay also.
Originally Posted By alexbook My personal favorite is the "Liar's Guide to Disneyland," from the same guy who brought you disneylies.com. It claims to be "97% fact free." <a href="http://www.booksinc.net/NASApp/store/Search?s=results&initiate=yes&fromauthor=yes&author=5724549" target="_blank">http://www.booksinc.net/NASApp /store/Search?s=results&initiate=yes&fromauthor=yes&author=5724549</a> For more accurate history, check out David Koenig's books for behind-the-scenes dirt, and Carlene Thie's books for cool photos.
Originally Posted By alexbook Kevin Yee and Jason Schultz's trivia books ("Magic Quizdom" and "101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland") are also cool.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I am always looking for historical/information books on Disneyland but never can seem to find any?>> Definitely echo The Nickel Tour and Charlene Thie's books if you want to see photos. We also have the Tales from the Laughing Place magazine that we issue quarterly (Issue 9 is the current one). Although it isn't specifically about Disneyland (we cover all eleven parks, Disney Theatrical and the Studios) we have had a lot of DL-specific articles that usually have a focus on the design of the attractions, parades and shows. We don't tend to feature historical information as much (as the E-Ticket Magazine does a great job on that front) but we have had articles in the past about the evolution of Town Square and the Golden Horseshoe. Info at: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/tales" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/t ales</a> Lee
Originally Posted By x Pirate_Princess x One book I have and love is "Disneyland Detective." I have seen it advertised by the LaughingPlace Store, but I bought mine on Amazon. It gives history of the rides, details the windows on Main Street and flags in Frontierland and the Crests on the Matterhorn. It also gives Hidden Mickeys throughout the park (that were current at time of print, of course). I've learned a lot from that book. I also enjoy the Unofficial Guide and Passporter. Although these are tour guides, they also give some insite into the rides, and the UOG offers a non-Disneyfied POV. I've found a lot of history and useful information on the internet, too. Including this site, I've also found www.visionsfantastic.com and www.yesterland.com to be insiteful and useful. Don't believe everything you find on Wikipedia, I've found a lot of it (and not just on Dinsey stuff) to be bogus. Have fun book shopping. Another suggestion I have would be to go to the bookstore at Downtown Disney Anaheim and take a look at the books offered there. Last time I was there, they had a lot of books on Disneyland.
Originally Posted By Skippy Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show by John Hench is good if you're into the design aspect of things (theme design, artwork, and other imgaineering stuff), although it covers more than just Disneyland. Here's a link <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Disney-Imagineering-Art-Show/dp/0786854065" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Designin g-Disney-Imagineering-Art-Show/dp/0786854065</a>
Originally Posted By 8 ilovemickey 8 I've read Disneyland Detective and the recent Unofficials...love them both! I didn't think about checking the book store in Downtown Disney I will do that! All of these books sound really good and since I've pretty much memorized any Disneyland book I have read from reading it so many times I will get some of these! Thanks so much!
Originally Posted By alexbook A couple more and then I'll lay off: Just out this month: "Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys," by Steven Barrett. <a href="http://www.booksinc.net/NASApp/store/Product?s=showproduct&isbn=9781887140706" target="_blank">http://www.booksinc.net/NASApp /store/Product?s=showproduct&isbn=9781887140706</a> New edition of "Queens in the Kingdom" by Jeffrey Epstein & Eddie Shapiro just out last month. Covers all the resorts, and the cruise line. Most of the factual info is the same as in the Passporter or Unofficial guides, but the reviews are fun. (On Disney's Family Magic Tour, for example: "It's up to you and the tykes to save the Kingdom from Captain Hook and the pirates. Frankly, we think that saving the park from people in polyester is more urgent.") <a href="http://www.booksinc.net/NASApp/store/Product?s=showproduct&isbn=9781598800616" target="_blank">http://www.booksinc.net/NASApp /store/Product?s=showproduct&isbn=9781598800616</a>
Originally Posted By iDisney72 Another nod for Mouse Tales; I found it to be really interesting and I actually learned quite a bit. I also have the Disneyland Detective, and while a lot of the information wasn't new it was still interesting. I'd also recommend the Imagineer's Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom. While it is about WDW, it contains a lot of information about Disneyland since MK was modeled after DL. Birnbaum's and Passporter and other tour books don't usually have any new trivia facts and stories but are still fun to flip through and can benefit your next trip.
Originally Posted By iDisney72 alexbook- Thank you for the Hidden Mickeys link!! I love looking for them but hadn't found a book like the WDW one to help me. I'm definitely going to order that one!
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Also, for a pretty decent book that is still availible at the parks, look for "Disneyland Then, Now, and Forever". It's not as comprehensive as "The Nickel Tour", but it's very good for what it is. The version availible now doesn't have the 50th anniversary cover, but the book is the same. Plus, it's like $25 so it's worth it. Also, check out "The Art of Disneyland". You can get that at the park in a limited edition, but it's also availible nationwide in an open-ended edition with a different dust jacket. It's got some great artwork, but not so much on the history. If you're looking for history of music; track down the "A Musical History of Disneyland" CD boxed set. You might be able to find copies around. There's a hardcover book inside that goes into detail about the attractions and the music over the years and is a nice companion to the CD's.
Originally Posted By iDisney72 Yes, I completely forgot about 'Disneyland: Then, Now, and Forever.' It's a good one, too! Great pictures and information about the park.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Ditto on all of the above recommendations, and to add another: although not a book, The E-Ticket magazines are excellent... HIGHLY recommended reading. <a href="http://www.the-e-ticket.com/" target="_blank">http://www.the-e-ticket.com/</a>
Originally Posted By 8 ilovemickey 8 Thanks again! Now I am just deciding whether to buy these all at once and end up reading them in a day or spacing myself out a little!
Originally Posted By Big Thunder overall my favorite books about Disneyland are... The Disneyland Story [out of print] The Nickel Tour best periodical on DL "The E-ticket" there are many more, I own several, but those 3 are cream of the crop
Originally Posted By Big Thunder oh wait! I forgot another good one. I dont think it's available in print anymore, but I *think* it will be available on CD-ROM Rick West's Ultimate document of the Pirates of The Caribbean. It's only in black and white, but very well researched and documented. Explains history and behind the scenes of POTC along with the most in depth Marc Davis POTC interview I have ever read. ^^ Also a cream of the crop book.
Originally Posted By Big Thunder here's a link to Rick West's Theme Park Adventure CD ROM order page the POTC addition *IS* available on CD-ROM I think I paid more for the paper version! Ya'll this is a deal and it's a great read, especially if you are a serious DL and/or POTC fan. [BTW it was written long before the theatrical movie ever came out] It is mostly about the original POTC. <a href="http://www.themeparkadventure.com/tarzan.htm" target="_blank">http://www.themeparkadventure. com/tarzan.htm</a>
Originally Posted By ecdc I would also throw in "Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies" While largely about Pirates, it gives you an overall picture of what's happening at the park - Walt's focus on the New York World's Fair, the development of New Orleans Square, etc. A fun read. I haven't read it yet, but I also have "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies" by the same author as the Pirates book, Jason Surrell. I find him to be a better writer than some of the other Disneyland historians. I would second the Nickel Tour as the best one of the overall park - I think it's just a step above the Inside Story. Be patient on that one - with a little searching you can find it for a decent price. There's actually two editions, the blue cover is newer than the red 1st ed. and not as expensive. Camphor Tree, the publisher of the Nickel Tour, says nothing about the book being out of print on their website, though it always manages to be tough to find. It's been a few years, but when I emailed them, they responded and sent me the book for around $60. No need to pay those used store prices at Amazon. BTW, I have mixed feelings about the Mouse Tales books. They definitely give you details about the park you won't find in these other books. On the other hand, it's like reading the National Enquirer - it's nothing more than gossip. It covers the stories of what happened when guests died in the park, cast members playing pranks and goofing off, rides falling apart, etc. It didn't take away the magic for me, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested while I was reading it. But it is so selective on presenting tawdry stories only - they're weird books. Other tips for finding Disneyland books: Do a Froogle search. Visit www.abebooks.com Setup automatic searches on eBay. Good luck!
