Between Books - The People v. Disneyland

During my first experiences reading David Koenig's Disney history I began to understand that not everything in Disneyland is magic and pixie dust.  Stuff happens and some of it is not good!  Now Koenig builds on his earlier work by going in depth into Disneyland's legal history.

The People v. Disneyland: How Lawsuits & Lawyers Transformed the Magic by David Koenig explores Disneyland's litigation history.  The book opens with a discussion on Disney's legal plan for the park, primarily using one firm to handle lawsuits by guests.  And Koenig explains their legal strategy, fight as many lawsuits as possible...and preferably in conservative Orange County.  This is followed by a over fifty page tour of the park which discusses the falls, trips, accidents, deaths and mishaps at each attraction and the resulting cases, settlements and judgements that have resulted from them.  Then Koenig goes into other legal confrontations with both guests and cast members related to safety, race, age and other types of discrimination.  

The People V. Disneyland is a must own for the Between Books library.  Koenig describes each legal situation in detail and generally without bias.  He is clear and easy to follow, especially for someone without a legal background.  Thanks to Koenig I have actually been able to discuss "common carriers" in an informed manner with a lawyer friend, and be knowledgeable.  So it is fair to say that I learned about Disney history and the law by immersing myself in Koenig's latest book!

The remarkable thing about Disney is they really do not lose lawsuits!  They are prepared legally, generally have strong paperwork showing they made their best effort, and at times have been intimidating to former guests to scare off litigation.  In fact, if anything it makes me sad as I read about situations in which Disney behaves "shadily".  I keep telling myself, that is all in the past.  So maybe I have gotten to close to the Pixie Dust.  It really is terrifying how Disney at times has gone into a bunker mode not calling in the local police or EMTs in a prompt manner when tragedies have occurred.  And I will argue at times it looks like they have destroyed evidence by cleaning the scene of accidents.  But we must all remember this is a small city and accidents will happen.  When accidents happen and guests are either unhappy or unfairly treated, that is when lawsuits spring up including nuisance cases and legitimate attempts to make right what went wrong!

Koenig not only provides a chronicle of Disneyland's litigation history, but he also uncovers trends in Disney's legal success.  He actually provides a how-to list for readers on how to properly take Disneyland to court and have a slim chance of winning!  So along with being a history book, The People V. Disneyland provides practical advice for those attempting to use the courts to have a situation made right by Disneyland.

The People v. Disneyland: How Lawsuits & Lawyers Transformed the Magic by David Koenig is a book that shows a darker side of Disney.  What happens when the courts are brought to Disneyland?  First, lawyers have changed the park for the better by increasing safety and for the worst by removing some of the fun to limit lawsuits.  Second, if you claim that you were bumped on Autopia and it is Disneyland's fault, you might want to prepare to go to court and lose.  Because as can see from the signs, everyone has been warned not to bump but bumping happens.  And Disneyland warned you.  So be prepared to lose!  There's magic to legally protect here.    

Review Copy Provided by Publisher 

Between Books - Realityland

One of my favorite Between Books is Mouse Tales by David Koenig. So when I saw a Walt Disney World book written by Koenig, it was a must have for my shelves. And I hoped that the Florida version of the book would live up to the two volumes Koenig has offered up on Disneyland. Would this volume live up to the excellent Disneyland books?

Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World by David Koenig provides an unofficial history of the Walt Disney World Resort from Walt Disney’s inception of the idea of an East Coast park up until the opening of the Animal Kingdom Park. The text flows forward chronically, not topically, as Koenig walks his readers through the building of the resort, the opening of the Magic Kingdom Park and the expansion into Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and the Animal Kingdom. Koenig’s focus is on the less obvious bits of history such as accidents, lawsuits and backstage incidents. So Koenig’s writes for example not on the design of the Contemporary Hotel, but on the work theft and union troubles that surrounded its actual construction.

Like with Koenig’s other books, Realityland is highly enjoyable and easy to read. I would say this is more of a chronological history than a topic one. This volume has no chapter on the Walt Disney World version of the Jungle Cruise. The focuses here tend to be more related to what could have been found in a newspaper or police blotter than what could be gathered in an informal and unmonitored interview. Though his research does include those former cast member interviews. With that in mind, the text tends to be more familiar and duplicative of what can be found in other Walt Disney World history books. Though I did highly enjoy the construction accounts which were more off the record than other sections of the book in my mind.

It really was the construction details of the park that I enjoyed most. Koenig details the union troubles that Disney faced in the Florida construction. There was a lot of theft by workers, something that lead to cost overruns and over purchasing to deal with material losses. Additionally, the unions required their workers be present and paid when specialists were needed from outside. And with so many workers on site, there was Sopranos style corruption, such as non-existent workers on the books, that most would never associate with a Disney park.

The on property deaths and major accidents are also interesting. I would say that the most at risk are cast members, where the majority of documented deaths have occurred. But being a small child is also a risk! With such a large property, deaths will occur. But for some reason I do not believe that detailing of these events is up to the same level as Mouse Tales. But then I am quibbling over really good versus excellent.

Realityland is a must have for Between Books libraries focusing on the Walt Disney World Resort. Koenig is clear and helps shed life on the history of the parks that is rarely spoken of. But I still stand by Mouse Tales as my favorite Koenig book. But then it was also my first!

Between Books - In the Shadow of the Matterhorn

Before my last vacation to the Disneyland Resort I desperately was looking for a book to help put me into the vacation mindset. I wanted a memoir. But not any memoir, I sought a Disneyland memoir. I wanted it to be by someone who had an affiliation to the park, either as a designer or a cast member. And I wanted it to be fun, perhaps in the Mouse Tales tone. I found some books that I enjoyed for that vacation, but honestly nothing that hit the nail on the head for the exact book I was looking for. I should have looked harder. Because In the Shadow of the Matterhorn: Intimate Stories about Life, Love, and Laughter at Disneyland by David W. Smith was the exact book I was looking for!

Smith spent six years as a part-time cast member. He worked a number of attractions during his tenure including The Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, the Mike Fink Keel Boats, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Monorail. Smith details to his readers how he was hired on, the training he received and numerous stories of working the attractions. Smith recounts both the humorous experiences with guests, and the horrific ones. As one of a handful of Keel Boat operators he was asked to help search the Rivers of America during the June 4, 1983, Grad Night for a young man who had taken a joy ride with a Disney rubber raft. Sadly, Smith was on hand in the discovery of the body of 18 year old Philip Straughan. Along with tales of staffing attractions, Smith also provides tales of cast member life. These stories include romantic encounters and mostly harmless rebellious actions. But the highlight of these cast member tales are recounts of Smith’s years participating in the famed Disneyland cast member canoe races.

I found Smith’s reading light and easy to read. I cruised through this book and read it with only limited interruptions. To be blunt, I found no reason to end my literary Disneyland adventure in the middle of the Betweenland snows. Smith made it easy for me to join him in the park and share warmer ice free days. Additionally, he made we want to ride the canoes, a ride that I have always planned later in the day when I have found it closed. And he placed me with him on the keel boats and helped me understand this extinct attraction before my day. Smith also helped me understand why for some the Monorail may not be the attraction of choice! The only hiccup for me was referring to the Walt Disney World Resort as Disneyworld later in the book.

I found David W. Smith’s In the Shadow of the Matterhorn fun and enjoyable. Smith is a former cast member who enjoyed his days as a cast member and in his writing conveys his enthusiasm for his memories. Readers who enjoy the writings of David Koening will likely enjoy In the Shadow of the Matterhorn, which includes many of the types of stories one would find in Mouse Tales, just in this case shared by one man and typically not as risqué. I think the best compliment I can give is for a few hours, David W. Smith made me feel like I was at Disneyland and not living in the frozen tundra!


Review Copy Provided by Synergy-Books Publishing, U.S.A. 

Between Books - More Mouse Tales

More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland by David Koenig picks up where his earlier book Mouse Tales left off.  He continues to explore the Disneyland Park and share stories of accidents, deaths, guest and cast member misbehavior and in general provides a look into the aspects of Disneyland that Disney executives would like to keep hidden from the typical guest.  Koenig shares his stories in a land by land tour of the park, linking his collected tales, from past cast members and non-Disney sources, to the attraction or show the incident occurred.  Other topics he details include a deeper look into Disney security, the business of parks and being a cast member.  Koenig laments the late 1990s in which Disney managed invested less in park infrastructure and staffing, to the detriment of the guest experience and safety. 

This book follows the same model as Mouse Tales and like the original is highly enjoyable.  Honestly, I preferred Mouse Tales more when I originally read it, but that was a time when this sort of insider look to me was a somewhat new experience.  I do believe that More Mouse Tales could serve as an enjoyable entry point to Koenig’s writings.  As with the first offering, I found this book helped me have a deeper enjoyment of the parks as it helped me see behind the scenes so I could bore my family members with useless trivia.  Especially interesting to me was Koenig’s discussion of The Jungle Cruise and changes in management and battles over spiel philosophies.  Koenig offers another informative and entertaining book that should find a home in any well rounded Disney library.   

Between Books - Mouse Under Glass

David Koenig in Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks tells the story of Disney animated films from Snow White to The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  The book is divided into periods of Disney animation history, with Koenig providing an overview of developments within Disney animation during each period.  Koenig outlines the original source material of each animated feature and describes how each story was transformed during production to the films we know today.  He also includes sections in each chapter on topics that include plot holes, bloopers, audience reaction and how the movie was translated into the parks as rides, shows or landmarks.  Interspersed throughout the book are text boxes that provide additional facts that readers are likely to be interested in such as identifying hidden Mickeys, the comparison between The Lion King and Kimba the White Lion, and a statistical orphan rating (The Orphan-O-Meter) for animated characters. 

I found this book highly informative.  What I really enjoyed was a better understanding of the original stories and how they were updated to make the Disney feature.  Pinocchio, you are a jerk!  Koenig helped me understand how the original Pinocchio stories were a morality play where our favorite puppet misbehaved in ways we would not imagine in a family Disney film.  For example, Pinocchio killed the Talking Cricket with a mallet in one of the original stories. This is just one example of how Koenig’s summary of the original stories gives additional depth to the movies.  And the comparisons between the original tales followed by an analysis of Disney production that helps one understand what is required to take print stories and transform them to the silver screen.  And who doesn’t want to know plot holes and bloopers to amaze (or bore) their friends? 

The biggest negative to this book is that Disney animation moves on while books are a snapshot in time.  This review is based on the 1997 hardcover edition.  Since then Koenig did update the text with a 2001 paperback which is also available as an eBook.  However, that edition also is just a snapshot and concludes with Tarzan in 1999.  Just like one updates apps to get additional content and levels, this is the kind of book that readers may wish could be updated with every new Disney animated feature. 

Between Books – Mouse Tales

Mouse Tales: A Behind -The-Ears Look at Disneyland by David Koenig provides readers a glimpse behind the magic of the Disneyland Resort.  Koenig uses non-Disney sources including former cast interviews (often anonymous), news articles, police blotters, and legal proceedings to provide an overview of Disneyland topics that would never be included in official Disney presentations.  These topics include cast member experiences, poorly behaving guests, crime and crime prevention, lawsuits against Disney and deaths within the park.  Koenig digs in-depth within these topics and provides context to issues such as why you should not stand up on rides, what happens when a guest or cast member is hurt or dies or property and why Disney has been so successful in fighting lawsuits. 

I really enjoy this book.  And I cannot recommend it enough.  When I read it the first time several years ago it made me want to dig deeper into information about the Disney parks including information that Disney may not wish to promote.  Koenig’s writing is highly entertaining and he helps bring to life information that could only be found in largely dry non-Disney documents and sources.  It is a book you just will not want to put down.  Reading this book sealed the deal for me; I don’t want to work Big Thunder Mountain.  No I want to be a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise.  They just have more fun!  Or at least they used to.  I read this book before I had visited Disneyland for the first time, and because of Koenig’s descriptions of deaths that have occurred involving the Matterhorn and the Mark Twain, I probably approached those rides with a very different view than the average tourist.  Let us just say my kids have been reminded not to stand or else when riding the very safe and fun Matterhorn.  And while I am not a lawyer, Koenig helped me to appreciate how Disneyland has been a target for lawsuits, since surely Disney will settle before trial due to their deep pockets.   And he explains how Disney has successfully fought past frivolous lawsuits while resolving many incidents at which they were at fault outside of the courts. 

Mouse Tales for me is a must have in your Disney library.  It’s fun, informative and highly readable.  Koenig’s book is one that will make you want to know more about Disney parks and will likely lead to your Disney library multiplying even if you live Between Disney.    

 

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