Between Books - Mouse in Transition

I am a big fan of Waking Sleeping Beauty.  But I have yet to pick up a book that covers this era of decline and rise in depth from the animation point of view until now.  Steve Hulett provides readers an inside look at part of this period with his memoir which details the decline of Disney feature animation.

Mouse in Transition: An Insiders Look at Disney Feature Animation by Steve Hulett details the author's tenure as a writer for Walt Disney Productions.  Hulett was hired on, perhaps as a legacy, in the 1970's and continued into the 1980's working on features and other assigned animation products.  Hulett takes her readers through becoming part of the Story team which included veterans who had worked with Walt Disney and new young artists looking to shake things up in what was at times an old boys unit.  Through Hulett's eyes we participate in Woolie Reitherman's marathon (and frustrating) story meetings.  The reader joins Hulett as he collaborates with Ken Anderson on a feature film and learns about Anderson's personal desires and failings.  And Hulett discusses the beginning of the Michael Eisner era as new leadership takes over the House of Mouse.  Eventually Hulett finds himself on the outside of the Disney gates.  The text is full of office politics and personalities as Hulett outlines his good and bad times at the Studio.  The book concludes with appendixes that include Hulett's interviews for a Pinocchio article, the completed article and short biographies of the animation staff he worked with. 

There are several things that Mouse in Transition make clear for me as a reader.   First, it takes a whole village to write a Disney animation feature!  The movies that Hulett discusses in production include The Great Mouse Detective and Fox and the Hound and he talks about his efforts on these films taking what seems like months into years.  But Hulett is also not the only one working on these films, as seen by Reitherman's mammoth story meetings.  And several people contributed to the final stories of the animated films between writers, story artists, directors, producers, animators and the kid in the mail room (okay maybe not him, but remember a lot of staff started in Traffic).  During a strike, Hulett an experienced animation writer attempted to find writing projects in television.  He was denied out of concerns he could not keep to the pace needed on the small screen.  Basically, they worried he could not write quick enough because of the leisurely pace animated features provide.  Second, there was a lot of office politics both before and after Eisner's entry into the House of Mouse.  Some artists like Pete Young became experts on how to balance their own creativity with inter-office squabbles.  Others did not do as well.  But working at Disney with longevity required learning how to play a game that not everyone was up to.

Mouse in Transition: An Insiders Look at Disney Feature Animation by Steve Hulett showcases a Disney animated feature department that has been on the decline.  The price of production had gone drastically up.  The quality of the pictures had become stale.  And a massive change was about to begin as the old guard stepped down for a new wave of artists like John Musker, who wrote the introduction.  Hulett shows his readers the state of a studio in decline.  Sadly for us, Hulett had moved on before his cohorts could fully raise the studio to new heights of creativity under the Eisner leadership.

Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Between Books - The Ride Delegate

Sometimes you judge a book by its cover.  When I saw the cover of The Ride Delegate I thought it would be a sweet little memoir.  But I was not sure if it was something I really wanted to read.  The fact that it would be discussing VIP tours would something new.  But really I thought it would be a typical and predictable self-reflection.  Instead I found myself frustrated.  I was frustrated that I had to put the book down to work.  I was frustrated that Annie's guests were not on time.  I was frustrated with guests who thought just because they paid a high fee they could be rude!  I guess somewhere along the way, I found myself pulled into The Ride Delegate and I did not want to put it down.

The Ride Delegate: Memoir of a Walt Disney World VIP Tour Guide by Annie Salisbury details Salisbury's years as a Walt Disney World Resort guide.  She outlines why she chose employment at Walt Disney World and how she worked to be a VIP Tour Guide.  Then she explains what guests can and cannot get in the different types of tour experiences.  Needless to say, it pays to be both rich and famous.  And most importantly Salisbury takes you on her tours both good and bad but generally all memorable.  These tales include the families that treated Salisbury as their oldest child, the sports star who believed he was at Universal, and the possible foreign princess with her enormous entourage.  As any good memoir should, Annie outlines her last day of work and how special guests made her feel royal.

The Ride Delegate is clear and easy to read.  I found it enjoyable and as noted I found myself unexpectedly pulled into the story.   I said that I was at times frustrated, this is a lie.  I was downright angry.  There were a few guest stories that I wanted to look over at the unnamed guest and simply say, "what makes you think you can act this way?  Annie has been nothing but gracious to you and she only wants you to have a memorable vacation.  You are rude and have lost the right to have a tour guide."  With at least one story at the conclusion I wanted to reach out and give Salisbury a high five and a serving of her favorite corn dog nuggets for how she was able to walk with dignity at the end of the tour.  Now I typically do not get this way about people that I have never met.  So I am going to say this is a huge success since I found myself becoming highly sympathetic to her tales.  Seriously, I felt like a good tour was a victory for me and I was not even there.     

It is interesting to read of the benefits of a VIP Tour.  For example, to Salisbury's parking dismay at times, you get a ride to the park of your choice.  And you are not limited to any one park.  Your guide can drive you throughout the resort.  So if you want to ride Space Mountain but have dinner at Epcot, no problem. Your guide can drive you there.  Additionally, for some rides you do not need to wait because if there is a convenient entrance that does not disturb other guests you probably get to skip part of the line.  But if there is no alternative entrance, like it's a small world, you are waiting it out with everyone else unless you are a celebrity.  Tours are limited to ten.  If you add an eleventh you are going to be paying for an additional guide.  Guides can if they chose eat with their guests.  But if either party does not want the guide to join them they can eat tour free.  And Disney pays for the meals of guides, so many corn dog nuggets!  Generally these rules feed into Salisbury's stories.  And once you learn the rules you begin to see the problems that can be coming her way. And then there is the whole issue of stickers, and I am not talking Mickey Mouses.  

The Ride Delegate by Ann Salisbury is a really enjoyable read.  I highly recommend it, if all else fails you should consider the highly affordable Kindle copy.  It is a memoir that keep your attention, gives Disney fans a look into a service we probably will never enjoy, and might even make you consider getting (or not getting) a tour guide during your next Walt Disney World vacation.

Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press 

Between Books - Funny Things Happen When You Workd for a Mouse

 

Funny Things Happen When You Work for a Mouse: One Man’s True Life Adventures While Working at Disneyland by Andrew B. Remnet outlines the author’s cast member career during the 1980’s.  Remnet opens the story of his vast experiences within the park as a member of the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program or ROP while taking the Entertainment Park/Tourism Careers course.  Remnet began his career working the Tomorrowland/Fantasyland Skyway for a summer.  This was followed the following summer moving from Attractions to Foods at the Tomorrowland Terrace.  This educational experience allowed Remnet to move into a permanent part time position where he worked a variety of positions including the Camera Shop, the Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours and the Mark Twain.  Remnet shares his favorite stories and experiences including interactions with celebrities, rude guests and dangerous situations.

With a title like Funny Things Happen When You Work for a Mouse one might expect over the top humor.  And honestly, it is not that funny.  There are no belly laughs.  No this is a very factual and easy to read chronicle of the highlights of Rement’s time as a cast member.  There are interesting discussions including his interactions on the Jungle Cruise with celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Wagner.  And his time on Big Thunder Mountain includes a Michael Jackson story and participation in the filming of the Disneyland Fun sing-a-long video which includes a continuity error that he accidentally caused.  Another aspect that many will find interesting is his thoughts on the Disneyland social hierarchy as Remnet’s popularity was boosted in one day as he moved from food service to The Jungle Cruise.  There are some stories of questionable behavior including warm-up rides of Big Thunder Mountain and trying to get phone numbers from guests on Jungle Cruise.  But these are also very innocent and non-offensive.  

Funny Things Happen When You Work for a Mouse gives readers a cast member view of Disneyland in the 1980s.  The book recounts Rement’s experiences in a friendly way that can be shared with multiple ages.  For the three dollars I paid for it on Kindle, the price felt worth the risk.  Though I would not buy a print copy. And after reading you may want to stay away from fried foods for a few days.

Between Books - All the World's a Disney Stage

What is it like to audition as a performer at Walt Disney World?  What is the life of an entertainer in Disney employ, do you work 4 hours a day?  These questions and more are answered in All the World's a Disney Stage.

All the World's a Disney Stage: Performing for the House of Mouse by T. R. Feather is a brief memoir and how-to-book discussing one Disney performer's audition and tenure at Walt Disney World beginning in 2011. The text discusses how to audition, the daily life of a Walt Disney World  performer, and discussions of the events themselves.  Feather shares his own personal observations about what it takes to be a Disney entertainer and how to make it a career.  The volume ends with Feather's own observations about his future as a Disney performer.

This really is a short volume.  The print edition is listed as 108 pages.  It is a quick read, I read the Kindle version, and it does not feel like a full 108 pages.  One should be able to read this book in an hour or less.  The writing is clear, but I often wished Feather would expand on points.  There were moments where he would make mention of Disney blogs that covered the topic.  I hoped at this point that he had expanded his conversation instead of suggesting looking elsewhere, without a specific suggestion of where to go next.

The book would serve of interest for anyone wanting a basic discussion of working in Walt Disney World's entertainment department.  Feather makes it clear how exhausting it can be to work a parade and what the long hours of an entertainer are.  Additionally, he shows the need for perseverance to land the desired role  And for 99 cents there is real value in the shared experience for other's knowledge.  And he makes it clear that  globally professional entertainers want and seek out Disney roles making landing a position even more difficult.  However, I would not recommend $8.99 to read the physical book.  I obtained a copy for free.  

All the World's a Disney Stage takes the reader into the parades and performances that we love.  But Feather makes it clear that it is not all fun and games.  Being a Disney performer long hour and hard work. But making the magic pays more in satisfaction than dollars.  

Between Books - Mouse Trap

What is it like to be a Disneyland Resort cast member?  Kevin Yee describes his own experience as a cast member working primarily in New Orleans Square restaurants, especially Café Orleans, in Mouse Trap: Memoir of a Disneyland Cast Member.  Yee spent parts of a 15 year period as a cast member rising to the position of Lead at Café Orleans and later serving in the Entertainment Art department, which provided signs and decorations for special events within the park.

Yee’s text is very straight forward.  He describes how he was hired, onboarded, evaluated, worked and eventually left the Disneyland Resort.  He provides detail to the backstage areas of the Disneyland Park that guests never see, including wardrobe, break areas, business areas and other hidden support departments.  Yee also describes life as a cast member from special events, shopping, and the details of the scheduling and wardrobe processes during his days as a cast member.  He also gives a detailed examination of how some of these logistics have changed, to the best of his knowledge, after his 2002 departure from Disney employment.  He does additionally give some details about the social life of cast members such as dating and social activities.

Mouse Trap is heavy on logistics.  Yee is highly detailed about cast member functions such as wardrobe.  Actually, it is kind of fascinating to read his account of how wardrobe changes occurred in his tenure and why guests now see so many dressed cast members standing at the bus stops or walking off stage as they go home.  Yee provides a ton of information about how one worked as a cast member, and for me I found it very interesting.  He does address briefly and not in great detail the social aspects of being a cast member, including pranks.  However, he may not go into the depth that some readers may want.  If one is looking for a tell all memoir that names names and only reports the less ethical activities of cast members, this is not that book.  Instead Yee respects the privacy and names of those he worked with.  For a memoir in that vein readers may wish to pick up a book like Cast Member Confidential.  No Mouse Trap does not rip the cover off the seedy life of working for Disneyland, instead it provides a clear picture of how being an employee of the park functioned during Yee’s years.

Before I recently went on vacation, I really wanted to read a Disneyland Resort cast memoir.  When searching for a title I kept coming back again and again to Mouse Trap: Memoir of a Disneyland Cast Member.  Kevin Yee paints a picture of the reality of being a Disneyland cast member.  The book is highly detailed and clear.  Those who wish to understand the daily reality of working at the Disney parks will likely be pleased with Mouse Trap.       

Between Books - Mousetrapped: A Year in a Bit in Orlando, Florida

Catherine Ryan Howard in Mousetrapped: A Year in a Bit in Orlando, Florida documents her move from Cork, Ireland to Orlando for a year and a half to work in a hotel on Walt Disney World Resort property.  Howard not attending school and without a steady position applied to a program that brings international applicants to work in the United States.  Rejected by the Walt Disney World programs for international cast members, she was surprised to find herself offered a position in Orlando at the “Duck” and “Tuna” resort located on Walt Disney World property.  She spent a year working the front desk of the “Duck” and “Tuna” and transitioned to housekeeping as a room inspector for the remainder of her time in the United States.  Howard details why she chose to move to Orlando, the transition and obstacles in getting settled there, her work life, and how she passed the time while living in the United States.  Her view of Orlando includes trips to the Walt Disney World Resort, the Kennedy Space Center, and the Holy Land Experience.

Let me just start by saying, I am not female and I am not in my 20s.  If I was it is likely that emotionally I may have connected to this memoir more.  As it is I imagine this is the type of memoir that ladies who enjoy Sex in the City like, though this memoir has a city with no sex.  I on the other hand have ironically only seen Sex in the City on a grainy TV on a Disney Magical Express bus in the middle of the night; I’m still not sure how that happened!  So, I’m pretty sure that I am not the target audience for this book.

Second, I was expecting a book that shared behind the scenes stories of Disney cast members.  I was looking for something similar to Cast Member Confidential.  But since Howard worked at the “Duck” and “Tuna” (her preferred code name for her prior employer) she did not have access off stage in the Walt Disney World Resort parks.  So her stories within the Magic Kingdom may be similar to yours and lack behind the scenes details.  And she spends a lot of time discussing other non-Disney experiences such as the Kennedy Space Center, for which she provides a lengthy history of.  Often I am asked, “Is it on Disney transportation?”  Kennedy is not so I have never been there and despite being a kid who loved the shuttle program, I really was not that interested in her visits to the NASA facility.  In the end this is a book about living physically Disney Adjacent, but it’s really not strictly or even mostly a Disney book. 

Now despite not connecting strongly to this memoir, Howard still makes some interesting points.  One of the more profound observations is that Orlando and Walt Disney World attract adults who don’t want to grow up.  This is a trend one also can see in Cast Member Confidential.  It seems like some, but not all, of those who relocate to Orlando are trying to stall on the adult decisions of life as they enjoy a magical and fictional world in Orlando.  So in many ways Howard’s book is a wake up call.  I have dreamed with my wife while walking Main Street U.S.A about moving to Anaheim or Orlando.  Everything seemed so prefect on those vacation nights with no whiny kids (at least my kids were not whining) and no workdays.  Mousetrapped makes it clear that everything is not unicorns and puppies, unless you own unicorns or puppies, as everyone integrates into a new life in Orlando.  Sometimes the dream is better than reality, even if you are having a wonderful time.

Overall, I personally did not connect to this memoir in the way that I hoped.  It had a lot of content that was really outside of my own personal interests.  I would recommend if you want to relax with this book order the cheaper eBook instead of picking up a physical copy from your Between Books Library. 

Between Books - Cast Member Confidential: A Disneyfied Memoir by Chris Mitchell

Chris Mitchell in Cast Member Confidential details his Disney experience during his tenure as a Disney cast member.  An action sports photographer, Mitchell found that his personal life was becoming too much to handle.  In the face of the pressures he could not face in the real world he escaped to Walt Disney World.  As an experienced photographer he easily was hired as a PhotoPass photographer.  Assigned largely to character meet and greets, Mitchell provides his readers a behind the scenes view of being a Disney cast member.  He paints scenes of partially dressed characters sitting off stage relaxing and sharing their personal lives, while missing key costume pieces.  Along with photographing characters, Mitchell shares his own journey to be casted as a character so he could better fit within his circle of friends who largely worked as friends of Disney characters.  Along with his behind the scenes stories within the park, he also shares the uncensored “secret” lives of Disney cast members living in the Disney “Ghetto.”

Tip number one; don’t give this book to the kids.  It is frank and depicts a lifestyle where alcohol, drugs and sex are all readily available to young adults.  Tip number two; if you place Disney cast members on a pedestal, don’t read this book.  This book will shatter any myths that you have that every Disney cast member is a member of the Cleaver family.  Instead, you will find them to be young adults that live lives similar to people you have probably known who made questionable decisions.   And to be honest, Mitchell himself is personally drawn to young adults in the process of finding themselves or having excessive good times and not boy scouts.  So you will be provided a picture of young adults living away from mom and dad for the first time with the funds to purchase beer and other entertainment.  So warning, if you read this book your picture of the Magic Kingdom could be significantly rearranged as you sit Between Disney.  Mitchell’s Disney has a lot less heroic princes and chaste princesses than we might want to believe from our safe distance away from Orlando.  It’s really a coming of age memoir with all the traps one might except to find on “Behind the Music.” 

In conclusion this is a memoir that has Disney content.  For some Mitchell’s Disney could be a major turn off.   But then this was his Disney’s and I’m sure that there are plenty of other cast members that did share Mitchell’s experiences, and many that did not.  I was entertained and interested but I would suggest doing what I did, if you can borrow it from a library instead of adding it to your Between Books collection.    

Between Books: Stories from a Theme Park Insider

Stories from a Theme Park Insider collects the memories of author and blogger Robert Niles.  Niles straight out of college decided to apply to become a Walt Disney World Resort cast member.  Thanks to a winning attitude, and smile, Niles was hired and began his tenure in Frontierland piloting rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island.  Niles would go on to be cross trained and work at other attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean.  The stories Niles shares include his own experiences interacting with guests, stories shared by his blog readers, and insider knowledge that he picked up as a cast member including why height requirements are no joke.  I found myself thinking about roller coaster brakes and control zones on my last Disney vacation thanks to this book. 

Stories from a Theme Park Insider is a quick and refreshing read.  I have found that books about baseball and ironically enough being a Disney cast member tend to fall into the category of young people doing questionable things memoirs.  Some that I have read attempt to shock their readers with stories meant to show how deviant cast members can be.  This is not that book and is a refreshing change of pace.  Instead Niles, shares largely humorous yet not provocative tales from his days working Disney attractions.  And this makes for a brisk, fun and easy read.  It is the sort of book that helps you return to the spirit of the Disney parks and a past vacation or get you excited for a future one.  And with the book currently as an eBook download it is an incredible value.  In fact, it is the first eBook I have ever purchased for myself, a decision based on price and content.

Readers can read more of Niles' work at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/ which is a theme park consumer guide.