Designing Disney

**mousterpiece** · 06-30-2011, 09:22 PM

Has anyone else read this book? It's by John Hench, one of the late, great Imagineers who was instrumental in making Tomorrowland in Walt Disney World what it is. The book is Disney-approved, and it's incredible. My lovely wife got it for Valentine's Day for me and I really love it. There are plenty of sketches of how Tomorrowland was intended, along with plenty of details about Hench's architectural ideas. If you haven't read it, search out your library; really insightful stuff.

**NC_WDW_Daddy** · 07-01-2011, 07:25 AM

Great book, enjoy.

**JNota0005DakMC** · 07-01-2011, 01:42 PM

I have it as well... Great read... Great photos...

**supernova** · 07-01-2011, 02:51 PM

It's really weird that you started this thread. I was going to start the anti-"Designing Disney" thread. I bought the book and struggled to make my way through it. I was actually shocked by the LACK of insight provided. I guess I was looking more for the story behind what went into the design, and there the book fell short. And that whole chapter on color was a total waste of pages.

My biggest issue was with attributing Hench's name to the book. Now, I will admit that I don't know when the original version came out. Mine is paperback and was published in 2008, I believe. Hench died in 2004. There is no way it took four years to put that book together. They might have found some notes or heard old interviews, but I'm pretty certain that John had little to nothing to do with the actual book itself, outside of including his concept art. Especially since the thing was written in first-person. Too many times, whenever a book is written "with" someone else, you know what that means...

**Dizisit** · 07-01-2011, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by supernova

It's really weird that you started this thread. I was going to start the anti-"Designing Disney" thread. I bought the book and struggled to make my way through it. I was actually shocked by the LACK of insight provided. I guess I was looking more for the story behind what went into the design, and there the book fell short. And that whole chapter on color was a total waste of pages.

My biggest issue was with attributing Hench's name to the book. Now, I will admit that I don't know when the original version came out. Mine is paperback and was published in 2008, I believe. Hench died in 2004. There is no way it took four years to put that book together. They might have found some notes or heard old interviews, but I'm pretty certain that John had little to nothing to do with the actual book itself, outside of including his concept art. Especially since the thing was written in first-person. Too many times, whenever a book is written "with" someone else, you know what that means...

I have the hardcover edition from '03.
Although I tend to agree with you in many ways, I still actually enjoy the book very much. Especially the artwork and, coming from an art and architectural background myself, I very much enjoyed the chapter on color and it's affects on mood and emotion.

Maybe it was a quick and hurried way to get a last book in from the aging and frail Master Imagineer but, overall, I enjoyed it.

**mousterpiece** · 07-01-2011, 09:21 PM

I had read, after the fact, that Hench passed away a few years ago, but I was mostly very impressed with the concept art and the details of how each building acquired its shape, or how the Monorail was designed in a specific way. I definitely agree that it could have been far more substantive, but at least as a beginner look at Imagineering, I loved it.

**supernova** · 07-01-2011, 10:08 PM

I feel better knowing that the book actually came out before he passed, then. Still, I think the "I" and "we" bits throughout the book were all on the part of the true author. Overall, the book lacked any true insight or substance. A very broad overview for the common man.

**Dizisit** · 07-03-2011, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by supernova

I feel better knowing that the book actually came out before he passed, then. Still, I think the "I" and "we" bits throughout the book were all on the part of the true author. Overall, the book lacked any true insight or substance. A very broad overview for the common man.

I know. Just so much more shiny fodder for us under-educated, intellectually vacant, unwashed Disney masses.

But hey...it's shiny DISNEY fodder...!

BTW...
I agree with your point about the "I" and "we" bits. I thought that same exact thing the first time I read it.