Customer Reviews

Imagineering Way, The

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was surprised by this book. It is very helpful into gaining insight to the Imagineers creative process, but I was hoping for more anecdotes on how they solved some of their most difficult design challanges or how they went about designing some of their parks. There are a few stores included, but I wanted more!

If you want more information, artwork, and pictures of Disney attractions, purchase Walt Disney Imagineering: A behind the Dreams look at making the magic real.

Otherwise, it is a great book and tells you how to apply the Imagineers creative thought process to your own life and work.

This is fun collection of essays from Disney's Imagineers. Its a small book, but truly inspirational. I would have liked a more in-depth book on the Imagineer's thoughts on creativity, so I was a little disappointed.
But I have to admit, that this book was fun to read and did trigger many creative thoughts. The creative energy of the Imagineers did come through in their essays.
I hope there is a future book, which does for the Disney Imagineers what "The Art Innovation" did for IDEO.

Only 4 stars because I really was hoping for more substance, but I would still recommend this book to someone looking for quick burst of creative inspiration.

I am still waiting a detailed history book about the Disney Imaginers
Or maybe a book about how they think.

I was hopping that this book was it, but it wasn't.

This book is a collection of essays, thoughts, and fun tid-bits about the idea
Of imagineering written by the Imaginers themselves.

Its fun to read and give a teaser glimpse into Disney's best keep secret.

This book is basically a collection of short essays on creativity written by Imagineers. It does contain some gems (and a few entertaining stories), but doesn't give away any real Imagineering secrets. And the illustrations are cute. My bottom line is it comes across as a multi-part pep talk.

The Imagineering Way Ideas to Ignite Your Creativity is an interesting, enlightening, and inspiring look at the creative process that the Imagineers of Walt Disney World go through when tackling one of their larger than life problems. Whether you're an engineer, artist, musician, or anything in between, this book will definitely help you in solving problems creatively on the job or in everyday life.

While the anecdotes that are provided in the essays are entertaining, the overall message to be gained from this book is to stop talking about doing things and start doing them, even if it isn't the right solution to the problem at hand, just start doing something.

Reading this has provided me with many ideas, and hopefully the kick in the pants I needed to start doing something.

This book was ok, I guess. But I had greater expectations. Terrific premise: creativity tips from the most creative people on the planet. But most of it was obvious or pretty boring. And you get the impression that the Imagineers have been *told* they are the most creative people way too many times for their own good... hard to take the self-congratulation after a while.

Would have been better if an outsider had written this book, or edited it down a bit more.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of Disney. As an adult, I have been very interested in learning why Disney has been so successful for so long. Reading this excellent, fast-reading book gave me some first-hand insights into Disney's creative genius that I have long admired. If you want to read, and in some cases see, the thoughts of Disney "Imagineers" about what inspires, motivates, and brings out their creativity, then this book is for you.

The purpose of the book, as presented in the introduction, was clear, and clearly achieved: "...[to] put down on paper the essence of what the Imagineering culture and environment means, and how that very culture allows them to create their magic...the goal was to offer readers wonderful essays and anecdotes they would be able to absorb and somehow adapt to help them live more creative lives."

From this diverse collection of sketches and narratives from many different Imagineering folks, I found quite a few stimulating quotes and phrases that had special meaning to me. These quotes covered topics such as, but not limited to, remembering what it was like to be a child with an active imagination, not being afraid of blank sheets of paper, customer service, solving problems and challenges, team-building, dealing with uncertainty, and the value of being thick-skinned to critique:

"In the lexicon of youth ... there is no such word as `fail'!"

"..."fear" too often spells failure."

"Nothing is worse than doing nothing."

"What am I doing that is getting in the way of what I want to happen?"

"As a mentor, don't provide every answer. Rather, ask "Why do you think it is this way?" A good mentor doesn't give the answers, but helps others figure it out for themselves."

"When we fail, we don't stop. Sometimes you have to go backward in order to go forward, but we never stop."

"There is no right answer, only the best answer."

"The imagination anchors best in what we know."

"To be creative is to be curious, and to be curious involves risk."

"Our guests' reactions to the experience will be instinctive and emotional - we need to tap into that, too."

This is a very practical book and fun to read with many sketches and inspiring phrases and philosophies from many different Imagineers! It is like taking a vitamin C juice full of creativity that will leave you wanting to start right way developing all your ideas! A good book for creative people or aspiring creatives alike! It is like having a Disney FastPass ticket to all your favorite attractions! A ride of 208 pages that will blow your mind with a unique quest for creating and obtaining endless possibilities and special outcomes for all daring creatives out there! It will leave you yearning to use your brainwashing techniques on white pages to fill with your ideas!

After reading this book though and through multiple times, as well as reading most of the reviews already up here, I will have to re-iterate what others have already said and say that words can not describe how invaluable this book is to any creative individual, writer, artist, sculptors, really anyone. What this book is not is a "Learn how to be an Imagineer in 5 easy steps" book which is what probably some think it is. This book is a collection of essays written by WDI Imagineers on the question of "What advice could you give" and it ranges from life lessons to stories about really hard problems Imagineers overcame. The book really doesn't have any chapter system or a real organizational path but as they said you can't create a book about creativity and have it be formulaic.

There are allot of things that I learned from this book that will stick with me forever because after finishing it for the fourth time, the sayings and the stories resonate with me as an artist and I think that anyone who wants to become an Imagineer, artist, or any type of creative individual needs to read this book. Ultimately it will be up to the reader to drop their bias attitude in thinking that "it doesn't apply because I don't want to be an Imagineer" when in reality it applies to anything creative in life, from making a roller coaster new an innovative to throwing a birthday party for your 12 year old.

This is a short book, but don't let the small size fool you. It has a creative idea per page. If you are familiar with the Disney Imagineers, (the creative force behind designing and building every attraction at a Disney theme park or cruise ship), then you know these folks dream it and then build it. Nothing is impossible for Imagineers. And that creativity shows as they share their best ideas in paper, drawings and even on the backs of napkins, (not kidding - they just copy them into the book).

If you need a burst of fun creativity this book should do the trick!