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Through an Imagineer’s Eyes – The Imagineering Field Guides to Walt Disney World – Disney’s Animal Kingdom

By Erin Stough

Are you one of the many self proclaimed Disney experts who is always looking for a new way to enjoy Walt Disney World? Or, are you just starting to learn about this magical vacation destination?  Regardless of your Disney knowledge, The Imagineering Field Guide series will have you seeing the World through different eyes…an Imagineer’s eyes!  So go ahead, open up any Imagineering Field Guide and let the Imagineers take you on a magical, visually detailed trip through the parks! I guarantee you will be amazed at what you learn!

Over the next few posts, I will review The Imagineering Field Guide series that pertain to Walt Disney World. This week I will discuss the Animal Kingdom guide book, which is only one of the four titles available through Disney Editions.  Currently, The Imagineering Field Guides, which retail at $9.95, are available for Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Disneyland. (The guide book for Hollywood Studios is slated to be released on December 7, 2010).

Each compact 4” x 9 ½” guide book averages 125 fun filled, trivia packed, color pages that bring the intricate details of each park to life!  In addition, each book features a brief history of Imagineering as well as descriptions of the vast disciplines within the field.  The Animal Kingdom guide is broken down into ten chapters, one for each land found in the park as well as chapters for Imagineering 101, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Theater in the Wild.  A pull out map is also included in the back of the book so that you can follow along with the Imagineers as they travel through the park!

Having previously read The Making of Disney’s Animal Kingdom by Melody Malmberg, I thought that I already knew a great deal about the park.  However, after reading The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I not only learned many unique facts but I also gained a new appreciation for the park’s hidden detail.  One of the outstanding successes of this book is that it does not focus solely on the park’s attractions.  Instead, time is equally spent exploring landscaping choices, interior design, and architectural relationships that all reinforce the environmental theme of the park.  Readers will learn the history behind the fictitious country of Harambe as well as Chester and Hester’s origins.

Go ahead and get yourself a copy of this perfect book for any Disney fan and take a look for yourself to see just how amazing Animal Kingdom can be when your guide is an Imagineer!!  I hope you join me next time when I review The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney’s Epcot.



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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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