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Looking at starting a Walt Disney World Library. Was looking at ebay and Amazon on WDW History.
No idea where to start with which ones. I just ordered "Since the World Began".
Books types might be... On the Florida Project or Construction of WDW.
Thanks for any help. BK ( Deck 7 2011 )
Will be down the week before Easter 2012.....
3 Must Haves in any Disney library are The Walt Disney World Trivia Book Volumes 1 and 2 written by our own Lou Mongello and The Vault of Walt by Jim Korkis
I would argue against The Vault of Walt. While they're nice anecdotes from third parties, they're no substitute for biographical content. Neal Gabler's biography is extremely detailed and tedious but very informational. Some feel that he is a bit hard on Walt in the 40s. Bob Thomas' biography of Walt is much more intimate as Bob personally knew Walt. I also like "Disney A to Z". Even though it's out of print, you can still find copies out there. I'm constantly referencing "A to Z". I also have a book that I got as a gift called "Walt Disney World Hidden History: Remnants of Former Attractions & Other Tributes" by Kevin Yee that I have read just a few chapters from so far that is pretty darn good. The D23 Magazines are amazing resources, too. They're such great stories written by people that have access to all the things we don't. Lou's books would go in after those on my list.
Go to the D23 website and open the "Walt Disney Archives" page. Scroll to the bottom of that page and you'll find a bibliography that covers just about every Disney topic imaginable.
Don't forget to keep an eye on half.com also. I use the wishlist and match my price often to get my Disney literature dirt cheap. I tend to read several business books based on Disney and I'd recommend Lee Cockerell's "Creating magic".
WDW books I've read
"Realityland" David Koenig
WDW books I'd like to read
"Walt Disney World Hidden History" Kevin Yee
"The Hidden Magic Of Walt Disney World" Susan Veness
"Building A Better Mouse" Steve Alcorn (about designing EPCOT Center)
"Project Future" Chad Denver Emerson (more about EPCOT)
"The Imagineering Field Guides" - there are four, one for each park
Lee Cockerell - Creating Magic
Bob Thomas - Walt Disney an American Original
Jim Korkis - Vault of Walt
Chad Emerson - Four Decades of Magic
Charles Ridgeway - Spinning Disneys World
Peggy Van Pelt - The Imagineering Workout
Disney Imagineers - The Imagineering Way
Just a few I have on my Disney shelf!