The Disneyland Encyclopedia: The Unofficial, Unauthorized, and Unprecedented History of Every Land, Attraction, Restaurant, Shop, and Event in the Original Magic Kingdom (Paperback)

by Chris Strodder (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Strodder's love of Southern California's famous theme park shines in this essential reference book. . . . Complete in every way. . . fun to read. . . . Essential for a Disney collector."  —Library Journal

Product Description

Spanning the entire history of the park, from its founding more than 50 years ago to the present, this fascinating book profiles 500 attractions, restaurants, stores, events, and significant people from the history of Disneyland®. Each of the main entries in the book examines in detail the history of a Disneyland® landmark, including how many of the most popular attractions went through several incarnations before becoming what they are today—Tomorrowland’s Hall of Chemistry and Hall of Aluminum were transformed into the groundbreaking Adventure Thru Inner Space in 1967, and then became the popular ride Star Tours 20 years later. Read about unbuilt concepts, including Rock Candy Mountain and Chinatown, and delight in fascinating trivia about the park, such as ride statistics and attendance records. With a daily list of events, openings, and closings in the park's history, a yearly summary of attractions that came and went, simple and clear maps that correspond to the book’s 500 entries, and sidebars with additional information on each ride, this is a comprehensive and entertaining book overflowing with detail on the most-renovated, most-loved, and most-visited theme park in the world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Santa Monica Press; illustrated edition edition (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595800336
• ISBN-13: 978-1595800336
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,133 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of info in a compact, readable package, June 19, 2008

By	Steve DeGaetano "Author, 'From Plantation to ... (Wake Forest, North Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

(Not sure why the first reviewer gushed about the book but only gave it two stars.)

Author Chris Strodder has written a very comprehensive but easily readable history of just about everything that's ever existed in the Original Magic Kingdom. This is the kind of book I like--one where I can just pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book looks at every attraction, store and restaurant that's been in the Park since 1955, and he does a good job of covering them in informative, concise entries. The entries are alphabetical, and there's a huge index at the back. Black and white maps and photos are interspersed throughout the text.

As an encyclopedia, the book does not try to cover each entry in extraordinary detail, but all the basic information--such as dates of operation/closure, brief histories and descriptions and locations are all there. There are also a few entries on some of the personalities and Imagineers who created the Park. It's a great introduction to the history of the Park for newer fans, and experienced Disneyland hands may find morsels they may never have known about.

Overall, I don't think you're going to find this much information, squeezed into such a compact package (you could easily bring it to the Park for reading in line), for the price. It is a great addition to my Disney library.

--Steve DeGaetano, Author, "Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad" and "From Plantation to Theme Park--The Story of Disneyland Railroad Locomotive No. 5, The Ward Kimball."

From Plantation to Theme Park: The Story of Disneyland Railroad Locomotive No. 5, the Ward KimballWelcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive & obviously thoroughly researched!, June 24, 2008

By	W. Ahrens (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an impressive book. It contains a lot of entries that I have never seen documented anywhere else, particularly in regards to obscure shops and shows/parades. A fun feature are the many lists that are sprinkled within the text. This book is obviously a labor of love for the author and will be enjoyed by any fan of the Happiest Place on Earth

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about time!, June 30, 2008

By	M. Worley "mjworley" (Yorba Linda, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A fantastic book detailing Disneyland over the years. It's hard to believe that it took this long for someone to compile a history of all the attractions, shops, and shows since the park opened. This book is highly recommended for the many Disneyland fanatics out there.

--M Worley, creator of WaltsMagicKingdom.com