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The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom
 
 
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The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom [Paperback]

Susan Veness (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 18, 2009

Sure, it's the Happiest Place on Earth, but how much do the 45 million-plus people who visit the Disney World theme parks annually really know about it? From where to find all the hidden Mickeys to the truth behind Madame Leota's ring at the Haunted Mansion, learn all about the hidden magic that permeates these fabulous resorts in this tell-all handbook. Readers also get the insider's take on:

  • The smell of home-baked cookies on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom
  • The Fountain of World Friendship in Epcot that contains water from rivers and oceans around the globe
  • Walt Disney's opening day speech tapped out in Morse Code in Frontierland
  • The eco-friendly benches (recycled milk jugs) in the Animal Kingdom
  • Two versions of The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Complete with secret tips from Disney's Imagineers, this book is the perfect in-park companion for Disney World fans.


Best Value

Buy The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom and get The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation at an additional 5% off Amazon.com's everyday low price.

The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom + The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Veness (Orlando, FL) is a travel writer, researcher and itinerary planner specializing in Florida, Disney, and the theme parks. A former online travel agent, she became principal research assistant for the UK?s bestselling Brit?s Guide travel series in 2002. She also writes for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and other media. She has been visiting Walt Disney World since it opened in 1971 and, with a home just minutes from The Mouse, she continues to tour the parks on a regular basis.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Adams Media; Original edition (June 18, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1605500631
  • ISBN-13: 978-1605500638
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
233 of 267 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoy books about Disney and normally don't judge them harshly.

But people should be warned about this one. In just the first couple dozen pages, there are numerous items that are out of date. It's kind of sad that families will go searching for the old-fashioned phone in the General Store, will go to awaken Tinker Bell in the Fantasyland shop, will go to see Tink in the keyhole of the sewing table there, the wooden leg on the lost and found shelf at the Frontierland station -- when all of these features have been removed over a year ago. In addition to being outdated, the information is sometimes just wrong. For instance, it isn't true that "WDW imagineers could not dig a basement in Orlando as they did at Disneyland in California ..." There are no utilidors in Disneyland. (Walt was frustrated to see a cowboy walking through Tomorrowland on his way to work in Frontierland in Disneyland -- since there was no other way to cross the park. And the idea for the WDW ultidors was born!)

If I can spot things that are wrong, I wonder what a real Disney expert would find. The editing was skethcy, too. For instance, the red and green faces of Cinderella's evil stepsisters are "belying" their anger and jealousy. "Belying" means hiding or contracting. What the author meant was "revealing."

Unfortunately, this book is a regurgitation of all the "WDW Secrets" lists on the Internet. Some of the items on those list aren't legitimate. For instance, the three-circled cut-out shapes in the stone wall that curves along the walkways to the front of the castle - at no time of day do they cast a Mickey-shaped shadow on the ground. I read about this online a couple of years ago and went on many occasions to the castle to see the shadows. I kept coming back to check. I asked castmembers. It doesn't happen.
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49 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a long time Disney fan, I've devoted a lot of time to my Disney obsession, both on vacation and at home (so much so, that I met my wife on a Walt Disney World fan site). I've read so many Walt Disney World guide books that they all look alike to me anymore. The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World is not a Disney World guide book intended to teach you how to get around the parks and when the best time to ride Dumbo is. What this book does is point out a lot of the overlooked and hidden details about the park. Many of the details that the average guest may look right at, failing to understand what they're looking at or why it's there, and failing to appreciate the meaning of it as a result. This book points out the painstaking detail the imagineers design into the park in an attempt to maintain an authentic atmosphere, or to ensure you truly *feel* the emotions they want you to feel at that moment, thus, allowing you to truly experience the magic. This book is for those who have reached the point where they wander through the parks, no longer paying close attention to their surroundings as a result of a mistaken belief that they've seen all there is to see in the parks. It will elevate their appreciation to another level and is a must have addition to any Walt Disney World fan's bookshelf!
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22 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Enjoyable read May 30, 2009
Format:Paperback
I'm always happy to learn more trivia about my favorite place on Earth, so I picked this book up as soon as I found out about it. I think I wanted to be blown away by all sorts of hidden secrets, but probably half of the items in here I already knew about or had noticed before. That said, there were still several new things that I'll be looking for on our upcoming trip.

The style of the book is basically a walkthrough of the four parks with the aim to draw your attention to all the wonderful details at WDW. There are interesting tidbits throughout about why things are designed the way they are and how the Imagineering mindset works. My favorite part was a breakdown of the history of each park, walking through nearly year by year and detailing when attractions/parades opened and closed. I love that kind of stuff.

Overall, a nice book and a worthy read for the WDW fan.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fascinating!
What an interesting read! I am amazed at Disney's attention to detail. The behind-the-scenes peeks are fascinating. Read more
Published 7 days ago by ptpeg
Poorly formatted, edited, and written.
Whether from shoddy research or a misguided attempt to preserve that Disney magic, a few too many of these so-called secrets amount to nothing more than vague instructions to... Read more
Published 11 days ago by s.w
Fun Walt Disney book
This is a really fun book. We just got back from Walt Disney World and I have been reading this book. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Crazy C.
Great Guide, Very Informative
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is just full of disney knowledge and history. And of course it boasts tons of secrets. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Streetlight
Dubious "secrets"
Many of the "secrets" are subjective and based on opinions, rather than fact. Here's a prime example:

"Turtle Talk with Crush, the delightful preschool-oriented... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Peter Wood
Disney's secrets
This book is a great one for those returning to Disney World. It gives you a treasure hunt of sorts to find what the creators of the park left behind. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Charley
Solid, but repetitve and very cheerleader-y
I'm interested in theme parks, and I'm interested in design (in a vague, general way, related to some books I've worked on at my day-job and reading Henry Petroski -- on that... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Andrew C Wheeler
A 2009 book
A very good read but, with all the changes occurring at WDW (especially in Fantasyland), the book is immediately dated. Sadly that's probably the case with any book about WDW. Read more
Published 3 months ago by K. Forrest
The Outdated Magic of Walt Disney World
I recently received a copy of The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World to review as part of the Blogger review program at booksneeze.com. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Digital Matt
Hidden Magic at Disney World
This book arrived before I had expected and in perfect condition. We visited Disney a month ago and I wish I would have ordered it before the vacation. Read more
Published 3 months ago by gabbinmom
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