Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers [Hardcover]

Harrison "Buzz" Price (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ripley Entertainment (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893951065
• ISBN-13: 978-1893951068
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #520,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for any Theme Park Fan, June 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers (Hardcover)

This book is a fascinating read for any Theme Park enthusiast. Buzz Price was there crunching numbers for Walt when Disneyland was first developed and built, and then went on to work with the creaters of Sea World, Universal, Six Flags, Busch, and many other parks the world over. If you enjoy the history of the parks, or any of the intricacies of how a park is run or planned and built, you will enjoy this book. Most inspirational is the explanation of his overal philosphy to be a "yes, if" person and not a "no, because" person. I found it fascinating!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The science behind the art..., July 26, 2005

By 

Alan D. Cranford (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers (Hardcover)

Disneyland is a fusion of art and science, of showmanship and economics, of dreams and hard work. Without a foundation of feel-good hard numbers, the funding to build "The Happiest Place On Earth" would not have happened. Buzz Price was Walt Disney's "numbers man," and he was as creative with numbers as Walt was with sound and color and light. Numbers can be used to describe something that happened, something that SHOULD have happened, or something that could happen--but these numbers are only as good as your assumptions.

The success of the theme park industry and its affect on urban planning, the shopping mall, and zoos, museums and other "public spaces" show that most of the assumptions underlying Disneyland and the number crunching done by Buzz Price and his minions were valid.

But "Walt's Revolution!: By The Numbers" is only partially about theme park math and Disneyland. It is the story of Harrison Alan Price and the companies he worked for and started. Buzz writes about six "waves" of development sparked by Disneyland. This isn't the end of those effects--"WAVE SIX" is the effects on the gambling industry, something of importance to us Nevada residents because it keeps our taxes low and our state government solvent. Oh, "Walt's Revolution!" has pages of numbers--they seemed more like the pages of photos to me, eye candy. Not that the math had any flaws I could see (other than the possibility that the wrong numbers were displayed--you have to watch your base assumptions!), but this book is more a text on creative mind set than a manual on statistical analysis.

"Walt's Revolution!" is both history and "how to"--yet I didn't find it boring to read. This is also and insider's look at the nuts and bolts of the entertainment industry. Buzz Price was used as an "outside source" for Walt Disney's statistical projections to finance Disneyland. "Outsiders" are thought to be objective--but in the modern world, you can get the research results you want--shop around! That Price and the Disney Company used the right numbers is proved by the success of the theme park industry and that industry's influence in other disciplines.

Excuse me, but I want to read "Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers" again.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Account by a Disney Legend, March 6, 2004

By 

S. Mannheim (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers (Hardcover)

This book's chapters include "Working With Walt and Roy," "The World's Fair as a Laboratory for Product Development," "Roller Coaster Math," and "How to Pick a Consultant and How to Decide if You Need One." Price, founder of Economics Research Associates, is a pioneer in the themed entertainment industry. In this book, he shares many secrets of the trade and personal memories.