Resources

I thought it would be helpful to create a resource page that you can always come to for many ways to satisfy your Disney World needs. I’ll add to it all the time, and will reference this page  often. I recommend bookmarking it for your reference and convenience. Enjoy! – Lou Mongello

 

Disney Books

 

• The Vault of Walt by Jim Korkis - Jim weaves timeless, true tales and fascinating secrets about the “lost” world of Disney. What did Walt Disney really think about religion and prayer? Why did the FBI keep a file of memorandum about the original Mickey Mouse Club? Was Uncle Remus really banned from attending the movie premiere of Song of the South? Were there dozens of feral cats living in Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland? All of these true tales and more are waiting to be discovered between these covers.
• The Imagineering Way: Ideas to Ignite Your Creativity (Hardcover) - Imagineers offer a detailed look at their principles and processes that allow Disney to do what it does so well
• The Imagineering Workout: Exercises to Shape Your Creative Muscles (Paperback) -The Imagineering Workout will get your imagination into the best shape it’s ever been, with interactive, ingenious, and practical exercises that will stimulate and strengthen ideas, tone your creative muscles, and, most important, inspire new approaches. A personal favorite
• Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look At Making the Magic Real (Paperback) - This big, lavish artbook spans four decades of imagineering, from the relatively unsophisticated rides, such as Main Street U.S.A. and the Matterhorn, with which Disneyland opened in 1959, to the high-tech, special effects-inspired rides at Disney-MGM Studios (many concepts that never got off the drawing board also appear). It takes readers through the entire imagineering process, from original idea, through blueprints and scale models, to actual construction-all illustrated by hundreds of concept sketches, character designs, architectural drawings, and other artwork.  Chock-full of the behind-the-scenes info and trivia Disney fans love, the book is a fascinating display of state-of-the-art theme park development and stimulating incitement for Disney-bound vacationers who want more than travel guides will give them.
• The Disney Way (Hardcover) – Walt Disney’s dreams, beliefs, and daring gave birth to captivating characters, thrilling theme park attractions, and breathtaking tales that have inspired the imaginations of generations of children and adults. Disney also launched an entertainment and marketing empire whose influence is felt around the world, and whose success provides a model of business excellence that can guide any company. Each principle is then examined in detail by illustrating the principle at work at Disney as well as at other successful companies. Lists of questions to ask and actions to take, along with real-life examples, will help you adapt the Disney Way to suit your company’s needs. From the hiring and training of employees to the realization of a creative concept to exceptional customer service, every aspect of the Walt Disney Company is linked to Walt Disney’s vision.
• Inside the Magic Kingdom : Seven Keys to Disney’s Success (Hardcover) – An insider takes you inside the incredible Disney service culture and presents simple, powerful concepts in a fun, memorable way.
• Be Our Guest: Perfecting the art of customer service (Paperback) - Be Our Guest outlines proven Disney principles and processes for helping your organization focus its vision and align its people and infrastructure into a cohesive strategy that delivers on the promise of exceptional customer service.
• How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life (Paperback) – An inspiring biography of one of the most influential and beloved figures of the 21st century, based on more than a thousand interviews. While many recent biographies of Walt Disney have reveled in the negative, this book takes an honest but positive look at the man behind the myth. For the first time, the book pulls together all the various strands of Disney’s life into one straightforward, easy-to-read tale of imagination, perseverance, and optimism.
• The Disney Way Fieldbook: How to Implement Walt Disney’s Vision of “Dream, Believe, Dare, Do” in Your Own Company (Paperback) -The Disney Way Fieldbook provides action plans for instilling Disney’s vision into any company, complete with diagnostic exercises, practice sessions, proven advice, and insightful questionnaires. Packed with universally applicable tools and techniques, the book also features inspiring quotes from Walt Disney himself and little known facts about his extraordinary empire.
• Disney Magic: Business Strategy You Can Use at Work and at Home (Paperback) – This book is an independent examination of Disney’s most powerful success secrets. It focuses on how Disney achieved financial success, and on the Disney company’s amazing management techniques. Use these methods at home or in your business.
• Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park – Lavishly illustrated throughout with rare and never-before-seen artwork and photographs, Walt Disney’s Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park will further enrich the reader’s appreciation of the exceptional talent behind Disneyland’s creation and ongoing evolution.
• Walt Disney: An American Original - The definitive biography of the man behind the legend–the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City who went bankrupt on his first movie venture but became the genius who produced unmatched works of animation. Complete with a rare collection of photographs, Bob Thomas’ biography is a fascinating and inspirational work that captures the spirit of Walt Disney.
• Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination – In his superb biography, Neal Gabler shows us how, over the course of two decades, Disney revolutionized the entertainment industry. In a way that was unprecedented and later widely imitated, he built a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. Walt Disney is a revelation of both the work and the man–of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life.
• Walt Disney: His Life in Pictures by Diane Disney Miller – With Walt Disney: His Life in Pictures, kids and adults can learn about the man behind the mouse. They’ll learn that Walt came from very humble beginnings, growing up on a farm in Marceline, Missouri. The informative and approachable narrative details Walt’s service in World War I, his early ambitions to be an animator, and the creation of Mickey Mouse. From there, the story chronicles Walt’s major film developments, including Snow White and Bambi, and the genesis of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The book is heavily illustrated throughout with character art and photos of Walt. The text is also augmented by quotes from Walt himself, which makes it seem as though he’s telling his own story. Aspiring animators, Disney fans, and dreamers of all kinds will be inspired by Walt’s ambitions and achievements.

Disney Documentaries and Movies

• Modern Marvels – Walt Disney World (History Channel) - Orlando’s Walt Disney World is not only the most visited theme park in the world it’s also the most technologically advanced. From a network of underground tunnels connecting the various regions of the park to the space-age propulsion technology called linear synchronous motors Disney has been at the leading edge of theme park technology since it invented the theme park with the opening of Disneyland in 1955. Soaring castles sleek monorails life-like animatronics Modern Marvels: Walt Disney World takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the ingenious technology and incredible engineering feats that went into building the 27000 acre complex.
• Disney Parks: The Secrets, Stories and Magic Behind the Scenes – 6 DVD set! It’s all here… the secrets, the stories and the magic of the places where dreams come true! Walt Disney World Resort: Behind the Scenes, Disneyland Resort: Behind the Scenes, Ultimate Walt Disney World, Disney s Animal Kingdom, Disney Cruise Line, and Undiscovered Disney Parks.

 

Disney Music

• Coming Soon

 

Equipment I Use

• Coming Soon

 

 

Disclosure: Please note that some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning that I earn a commission if you chose to purchase the product at that link (at no extra cost to you). Know that I am not only very careful about what I recommend, but any and all products are ones I own, have tried, and personally recommend.