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WDW Radio Disney Book Club: Vault of Walt Discussion Questions, Week 1!!

Editor’s Note: Welcome back, Disney readers, to the WDW Radio Disney book club!  We are excited to have a wonderful Disney book–The Vault of Walt— by a great friend of the WDW Radio family: Mr. Jim Korkis!!

Book Cover

Also at the helm of the book club discussion we have the amazing Liz Driscoll, who has written some wonderful discussion questions for us.  Feel free to select the questions that intrigue you and post your thoughts in the comments below.  You do NOT have to answer all questions, though you may.  Please number your replies, and check back often to see what others have to say!  Also, if you haven’t already, please “like” our Facebook page, as Liz has some wonderful questions and links we will post there throughout the week.  Liz has been working tirelessly to make this a dynamic discussion–THANK YOU LIZ!!!!  8:-)

Thanks for joining us for this adventure!  If you have ideas for future book club reads, please drop an email to Christy@WDWRadio.com

Purchase The Vault of Walt by Jim Korkis on Amazon.com


by Liz Driscoll


This week’s reading: Forward, Introduction, The Miniature Worlds of Walt, Santa Walt, Horsing Around: Walt and Polo, Walt’s School Daze (Or, beginning through page 54)

Forward

Question 1: Does Diane Disney Miller’s input lend to the credibility of these stories or do you think it potentially detracts from it being unbiased?

Question 2: How does it make you feel to find out that Jim Korkis was writing under the pseudonym Wade Sampson?

Introduction

Question 3: How did you feel when you read that these are not the definitive stories? Does it leave you wanting more, or frustrated knowing that stories may be lost forever?

Table of Contents

Question 4: Take a moment to read the table of contents.  Do you like the layout?  Does it seem, purposefully or not, to tell these stories over time?

Part One:  The Walt Stories

Question 5: Pg. 10 Reading Jim’s introduction, he wanted to let people speak for themselves.  He then quotes Walt, “…I’d like to be remembered as a storyteller.”  What do you think of this type of storytelling approach with limited personal opinion?

The Miniature Worlds of Walt

Question 6: Pg. 13 The Carolwood Pacific Railroad is one example of Walt working in miniature scale.  What in the Walt Disney World parks do you think of when you think of miniatures?

Question 7: Pg. 16 When you read about Walt asking his secretaries to place ads for miniatures, did it strike a chord as something he would do in similar fashion when purchasing land for Walt Disney World?

Santa Walt

Question 8: Pg. 23 After reading Walt and Lillian’s descriptions of Walt’s feelings about Christmas, which do you believe to be truer; Walt envisioned time of soaring imagination or Lillian saying that Walt wanted to be at the office, working?

Question 9: Pg. 24 In 1947 Walt buys himself a train set.  Do you think this reflects on his love of trains and miniatures? Or, do you think the train is Walt’s gift to himself after years of modest holiday gifts growing up?

Question 10: Pg. 29 What did you think when you read, “When he gives gift he wants to give gifts you can remember him by.  He’s afraid that he’s going to be gone and forgotten.” knowing all that the Disney name is today?

Horsing Around: Walt And Polo

Question 11: Pg. 37 What did you think about Walt’s polo playing being described as highly aggressive but Walt was neither athletic nor coordinated?

Question 12: Do you think that Walt would play polo in today’s world or would he take up some other extreme sport?

Question 13: Pg. 42 As you read about Walt’s polo accident, is there a silver lining there?

Walt’s School Daze

Question 14: Pg. 46 Do you think of Elias’ practical approach to sending Walt, who struggled to pay attention, to school a year behind was a good idea in some way?

Question 15: Pg. 48 “Young man, you’ll never amount to anything.” What would happen to Principal Cottingham in today’s society?

Question 16: What would a child like Walt be like in today’s education system? Would he be identified as gifted or remedial? How would today’s technology in education help/hinder him?


Liz Driscoll went to Walt Disney World for the first time when she was five years old, though her Disney passion began seven years ago.  She has visited Walt Disney World about twelve times in the past seven years.  In the non-Disney world, she is a teacher who enjoys bringing a little bit of pixie dust in the classroom each day!


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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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