With Disneyland celebrating its 70th anniversary, it seemed appropriate for a Disney nerd to read a book about how the happiest place on Earth came to be. “Disney’s Land” takes a look at not just the nuts and bolts of how the park was built, but the good and the bad that came with it. Hard as it may be to believe now, but there was a lot of doubt that it would be built and even more that it would succeed. I am still not motivated to take my family across the country to visit Disneyland when a vacation to Disney World is closer to me, but is was a fun read.
If you’re interested in Disney at all, this is good read. This book covers a lot of ground, from how a love of trains formed the earliest concepts that Walt Disney had of a park, to how Main Street USA influenced both real and imagined small town America for decades. Even if you’re not, it provides a good look at how one man’s idea became a global cultural phenomenon. Turns out it takes a lot of money and a commitment to detail that not many possess.
Check it out from your local library, or support my local book store.
I Think Therefore I Dad 