Four Decades of Magic: Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World [Paperback]

Chad Denver Emerson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2011

Over the last four decades, the Walt Disney World Resort has created magical memories for millions of guests. From its early days as a single theme park with a handful of resorts and amenities to its current roster of multiple theme parks, water parks, resorts, and other vacation destinations, Disney World has, in many ways, defined the Great American vacation. In honor of the resort's 40th anniversary in October 2011, “Four Decades of Magic” brings together the most diverse and complete group of Disney experts yet to share their memories, stories, and experiences with the world's most magical place. Whether you've been to Disney World many times or just a few, this special compilation will introduce you to unique, true life tales that have caused this magical destination to hold such a special place in the hearts of so many.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Ayefour Publishing (January 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615431011
• ISBN-13: 978-0615431017
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #654,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sam Gennawey is the author of Walt and the Promise of Progress City, a contributor to Planning Los Angeles and other books as well as a columnist for the popular MiceChat website. His unique point of view built on his passion for history, his professional training as an urban planner, and his obsession with theme parks has brought speaking invitations from Walt Disney Imagineering, the Walt Disney Family Museum, Disney Creative, the American Planning Association, the California Preservation Foundation, the California League of Cities, and many Disneyana clubs, libraries and podcasts. He is currently a Senior Associate at the planning firm of Katherine Padilla and Associates.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY fun read for the WDW enthusiast May 9, 2011

By Dave

Format:Paperback

I'm definitely more of a Disneyland admirer than its east coast counterpart, Walt Disney World. Still, I loved reading this volume with its fantastic collection of behind-the-scenes stories of WDW. Compiled from a number of different authors, some of the chapters are more compelling than others, but all are enjoyable.

As a young child, I attended The Hoop Dee Doo Review dinner show, had a very memorable dinner aboard the Empress Lilly, and spent a week at The Polynesian Resort. Reading the background on both of these WDW "attractions" brought back many memories. Because of this, "The History of the Hoop Dee Doo Revue" by Chuck Mirachi , "Another Magic Corner of The World" by Foxx Nolte, and "The History of the Contemporary and Polynesian Resort Hotels" (also by Mirachi) were some of my favorites. Michael Scopa's chapter on "The Carousel of Progress" has an extremely moving story about one of the animatronics in the show. Mike Lee's chapter on Thunder Mesa and Western River Expedition was a little sad; to learn of what a creative and amazing attraction Marc Davis put together makes the reader yearn for it to have been built. Still, there are many other tales in this book of other similar concepts (both large and small) that never made it off the drawing board.

My only beef with "Four Decades of Magic" is the actual quality/presentation of the book. It is littered with typos, which is a shame as it immediately makes me question the veracity of what is being said here. Knowing some of the authors personally, I know that the question of their integrity really isn't a problem, as most are experts in their field. This is why it's a shame that a good proofreader doesn't seem to have been involved anywhere in the publishing process. For such an exciting topic as WDW, it's also a shame that there was so little (if any) creativity in the layout and design. Those looking for a profusely illustrated volume will not be satisfied here; only the last few chapters have any photos, and the reproduction quality of those go from bad to worse.

In a volume of this size, I'd say that Chad Emerson did a wonderful job of editing a topic (WDW) that could have yielded an unwieldy book almost as big as the resort itself! Definitely a must-read for WDW fans who are content with only the written word.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic collection March 16, 2011

By C. M. Weigert

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Nary a dull tale in the lot, a great window into the history of one of the premiere vacation destinations in the world. Even as a former Cast Member and incorrigible Disney theme park junkie, there was plenty of new info and research here to keep me enthralled from cover to cover.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look at the history of a fascinating placw April 10, 2011

By saraf

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The stories in this book are a wonderful look at Disney World history. Even though we go there a lot and I read everything about the history of WDW I can, I learned a lot. Everyone who wrote for this book has a love for the place, and it comes through. I am one who has seen the magic many times, so I am very interested in the backstage information a book like this provides. Fun and informative read. One criticism, however, this book sadly needs editing. It has a lot of typos.