Disneyland Detective: An Independent Guide to Discovering Disney's Legend, Lore, and Magic [Paperback]

Kendra Trahan (Author), Brian McKim (Illustrator), Dave Hawkins (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004

This enthusiastic investigation of Disneyland's hidden treasures leads both first-time visitors and aficionados through the legendary theme park while pointing out tiny surprises around each turn. Helpfully organised as a reading tour, this book features the whereabouts of many of Disneyland's secrets, including the locations of several "Hidden Mickeys," and original movie props that appear around the park. Also included are original illustrations, trivia, and an exploration of Disneyland's history, which notes the subtle tributes Walt Disney placed throughout the grounds honouring the people who made the park possible. Also included are fascinating facts about Disneyland and American history that will interest teachers and tour guides as well as the 13.9 million guests who visit Disneyland every year.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kendra Trahan traveled across the country to interview many of the surviving Imagineers from Walt Disney's era. She volunteers as a docent for the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society, which is sponsored by the Walt Disney Family Foundation. She lives in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Permagrin Publishing (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971746400
• ISBN-13: 978-0971746404
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #783,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars lots of great information, but poorly written, April 16, 2004

By 

Margaret Johnston (Seabeck, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Disneyland Detective: An Independent Guide to Discovering Disney's Legend, Lore, and Magic (Paperback)

I'm very torn about this book. On one hand, it's full of fascinating trivia and historical details, including locations and descriptions of hidden Mickeys in the park (a subject not well covered by any other printed Disneyland guide), and since it's a trade paperback, it would be easy to carry into the park for reading in lines. On the other hand, it's poorly written and terribly copy-edited: misspellings, sentence fragments, misused words, incorrect punctuation.

On the basis of the contents of the book, I would have given it 4 stars, but the copy editing is so bad that I had to downgrade it to 3. I hope that if there's a second edition, the publisher will fix some of the many errors. On the whole, though, I'd recommend this book as a worthwhile addition to a Disneyland book
collection.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disneyland Detective Needs Course in Report Writing, December 7, 2004

By 

Steven Brown (Clinton Township MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Disneyland Detective: An Independent Guide to Discovering Disney's Legend, Lore, and Magic (Paperback)

This book may be packed with lots of information, although not all of it is correct, the editing is extremely poor. There are numerous missing words, incorrect grammar, incorrect punctuation, mis-used words, and spelling mistakes. I find it very hard to believe that this book was actually published in its current state. I wonder if the publisher and/or author were just trying to profit from the Disney name?

Some of the information about Walt Disney World is incorrect. The book states that the Astro Orbitor attraction in Florida is called Star Jets. It is called Astro Orbiter. The book also states that on the Florida Space Mountain riders ride side-by-side; they don't. Riders sit one behind the other on the Florida Space Mountain.

The book also has a sidebar that states that Walt Disney produced "Island at the Top of the World" in 1974; that would have been a little hard since Walt Disney passed away in 1966.

This book needs better editing and needs the content to be reviewed to make sure it is accurate. It still does have some good information in it, but I'd recommend waiting for an updated version (and check it out first before you buy it).

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but poorly proofread...is it accurate?, August 15, 2004

By 

Bryan Barrow (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Disneyland Detective: An Independent Guide to Discovering Disney's Legend, Lore, and Magic (Paperback)

My kids and I enjoyed reading this book while on vacation to Disneyland last week, especially looking for the hidden Mickeys. Nevertheless, the poor proofreading with many spelling and grammatical errors made me wonder: If the author/editor/publisher can't even publish a book that's proofread accurately, how can the reader trust the accuracy of the stories, anecdotes and "facts" in this book? The author even thanks the editor in the introduction!
Nevertheless, the price is right, and with the above caveats, I can recommend this book as a fun supplement to a Disneyland vacation.