“Lou, what books (besides yours) would you recommend for someone who is interested in the history of the parks? I’ve read a few and enjoyed them, but I was more curious about the Imagineering history and the point of view from inside the parks. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Tyler”
Hi Tyler! This question is right up my alley…or should I say bookshelf?! The publishing world has recently seen an upswing in Disney related printed media. Never before has there been so many options for the bibliophile Disney fan. Now is truly a great time to beef up your Disney library with books ranging from Imagineering, to Cast Member first-hand accounts, to studio stories, and pretty much every topic in between.
In regards to your question, dealing specifically with Imagineering the theme parks, there are a multitude of great titles available. Unfortunately, I’m unable to list all the titles worth looking into, so I will give you my top five.
- Building a Dream: The Art of Disney’s Architecture by Beth Dunlop
- Designing Disney by John Hench
- The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at It’s Peak by Jason Surell
- Walt Disney Imagineering book one and two by Disney Editions
- Imagineering Field Guides by Disney Editions
These tend to be the Imagineering staples for any collection; however, it is important to note that there are lots of other wonderful and informative books on the market. I enjoy Jason Surell’s works immensely, and I make sure to not bypass Imagineer or Cast Member biographies. Some of the most fascinating gems of trivia can be found in biographies. If you’re interested in perusing biographies, I recommend looking into the works of Rolly Crump and Van Arsdale France.
For even more suggestions, make sure to listen to podcast episode #407 where Lou discusses 10 Books That Need to be in a WDW Fan’s Library. Happy Reading!!!
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