Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

(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!

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

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

I am a lifelong Disneyland freak. On my first visit, 10 months after it first opened, I saw Walt from a keelboat on the Frontierland river. I grew up living close enough to see the fireworks, and used to ride my bike there and home again back before you needed to take out a home loan to get in.

This book passed my major test, within 5 pages, it told me something I did not already know. I soon found that, instead of just looking stuff up and consulting it, I was reading it cover-to-cover. An excellent, informative, exhaustive catalogue of all things and people Disneylandish.

From A to Z, this book accomplishes what I have been searching for for years! A guide/history/trivia book describing every land, attraction, shop, show, and restaurant in Disneyland. Not just the current ones mind you, but EVERY SINGLE ONE that the author could find to have existed in the parks 50+ year history. As a Disneyland fan since I was a kid it was a fond look back at some of the attractions I grew up with, and a good history lesson on all the rides that came before I first visited "The Happiest Place On Earth". Each item is listed alphabetically, with the biggest attractions and lands getting the most coverage. While most of the trivia and information has been written elsewhere before, it is nice to find it all in one place wrapped up with a bow! Some exciting extras include bonus lists and pictures, such as a list of every attraction to have a poster in the entrance tunnel. Its the extra touches like this that make me love this one more than other Disneyland guides I have read. While it CAN become tedious at times reading about every fruit cart, special event and other small details, it just goes to show how thorough and well done this "Encyclopedia" truly is! I doubt there is another park book out there for DL fans as satisfying a read as "The Disneyland Encyclopedia". I don't think it is possible to top this one!

This is not a good read if your looking for a story. This is an encyclopedia. I love the format of this book there are two way to look up information. First is by name if you know what the name is second is by location you can look at the front of the book and look at park maps and it will tell you what has ever been there and the names so you can look it up in to the book so its good to take to the park or read at your house. I love to see the changes that the park has had and love to read about them. BUY THIS BOOK. Happy 54th Disneyland.

I ordered this book in a fit of enthusiasm after my first return visit to Disneyland as an adult (the enthusiasm persists, incidentally.) I was looking for something to fill me in on the history of the Magic Kingdom and satisfy grown-up curiosity about things I didn't think all that much about when I was a kid. This book was exactly what I was looking for: there's a wonderful lot of information, delivered in a manner which is to-the-point but not at all dry. I enjoyed both looking up individual entries, and then reading through the book straight through. Best of all, while the book has a lot for the grown-up visitor to Disneyland, it almost never interferes with the magic of the place. The book will tell you all about Disneyland, without spoiling it all and telling you how it works.

Great book for any Disneyland lover. I have been going to Disneyland for over 40 years, as a kid, and sharing the experience with my Son and Daughter. This book gives you insights I have never known. Mr. Strodder has done an amazing job researching the park. After reading this book, I feel that the history and the magic of Disneyland is greatly enhanced. Anyone who has been going to the park for their whole life, or is going to the park for the first time, will find that this book broadens the experience by giving you a full picture of the history and work that went into creating the magic of the Magic Kingdom.

Very interesting, tells you absolutely everything about every attraction, restaurant, shop, parade, show and event that has ever existed on the original Magic Kingdom in short articles very enjoyable to read. I only wished that there were more and better photographs in it, but still a great book!

I am having a great time reminiscing about all the old rides & shops in the Disneyland Encyclopedia. There are shops & rides I recall visiting when I was little in the 60's. This is very informative & full of nostalga. Highly recomended for the Disneyland enthusiast. I love it!