Disneyland Paris : De l'esquisse à la création [Hardcover]

Alain Littaye (Author), Didier Ghez (Author), Yann Arthus-Bertrand (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Nouveau Millénaire (October 9, 2002)
• Language: French
• ISBN-10: 2951788304
• ISBN-13: 978-2951788305
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,298,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for Disney fans, January 7, 2004

By 

Durand Sébastien (France) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Disneyland Paris : De l'esquisse à la création (Hardcover)

Forget every article you've read about Euro Disney's dire financial problems. For true Disney fans, this European park may well be the most beautiful, the best crafted, the most artistic Magic Kingdom Disney has ever built (and will probably build since they prefer to do it cheaply now). Several years in the making, this coffee table book is truly a work of love. Lavishly illustrated, it offers detailed comparisons between concept drawings (many of them never seen before) and the actual lands and attractions. The text, written by a respected Disney connoisseur, provides tens of interviews with Imagineers (many of whom have now left the company) and exclusive anecdotes. Its only drawback may be that, having been released before the other Park (Disney Studios) opened, it is short on information on this second Gate. But, considering how awful this new Park is, is it really a problem ?

If you've ever wondered why the French have embraced Disneyland Paris in spite of their famous contempt for anything American, read this book !

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May be the most beautiful book on Disney Parks ever, April 29, 2010

By 

microjoe - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Disneyland Paris : De l'esquisse à la création (Hardcover)

The author conducted 75 interviews with Imagineers for his well researched book of Disneyland Paris, and Disney Imagineers have called it, "Probably the best book ever done on a Disney theme park". One of my favorite features of this book is it the first (and still only) to really cover the background story of each land (such as Adventureland), as a story is always created for each land and attraction, even shops and restaurants, to use as a tool to guide the design process. Walt Disney believed story drove everything else, and everything needs a story. The book includes photos of attraction design from concept art, models, posters, behind the scenes, construction photos, to completed attraction photos. Even with all these photos, the text is very detailed and I enjoyed it.

Even architecture is explained as well. This book explains the thought process from concept to finished attraction more than any book I have ever seen on Disney. Most of the pictures in this book have not been seen anywhere else. Pirates of the Caribbean alone is featured for twenty-six pages in this book, Phantom Manor has sixteen. Even the themed hotels and the plans for them are included. Discovery Bay with its walk through of the Nautilus and other attractions that are not at the US parks. Events like parades, holiday celebrations, and fireworks are included. Even the Wild Bill Dinner show is here. 250 of the pictures are from the archives of Walt Disney Imagineering, WDI, formerly known as WED.

This book went out of print fast from its first edition in 2002, and is now getting very expensive as it one of THE books to get on Disney Imagineering and theme parks. The book is a large coffee table format book, weighing nearly 5 pounds. It is 9" x 12"tall x 1.2" thick, at 320 pages with 750 color photos, including 2 page aerial photos of the Disneyland Paris park. Even the endpapers are huge beautiful 2 page spreads of Imagineering concept art. Hardbound with a pictorial dustjacket. The quality of the paper, binding, photos, ink, dustjacket, are probably the best I have ever seen for a Disney book, and that is saying a lot.
There is also an extra rare special limited edition of this book, published at the the same time as the first edition, it is limited to 2,000 copies and they are individually numbered. They included 4 frame-able Imagineering concept art lithographs. Also the white lettering on the title in the dustjacket is in gold letters on the limited edition. This version weighs 4 ounces more than the regular copy, due to a paper upgrade. This is incredible, considering the regular version already had better paper than any of my other Disney books.

For top Disney Theme park books, this rates with the classic books "The Nickel Tour", and "Disneyland Inside Story". I highly recommend!

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Disney Theme Park Book I Own, July 10, 2008

By 

Jeremy E. Schultz "JeremyES" (Harrisburg PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Disneyland Paris : De l'esquisse à la création (Hardcover)

And I own a lot of them. This is a book that was written by an Imagineer who helped create the magical worlds. The photos are amazing, and they give a wonderful sense of scale and scope that the Park offers. The only (ever so slight) downside is that the English translation can be very literal, and that makes it come across a little dry. Still, this is worth tracking down for any Disney fan.