Between Books - Who Was Walt Disney?

When I was a kid I remember falling in love with history. One of the important moments I remember is a kid’s Albert Einstein biography that I borrowed from the library. I am not huge into Einstein's history today, but I remember the feeling of being fascinated by a true life story of obstacles and triumph. And I hope that kids can still use the pages of books to reclaim that feeling.

Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart is a Walt Disney biography for kids ages 7 and up. Along with Stewart’s text are illustrations from Nancy Harrison. The book is a from-birth-to-death biography of Disney. It glances over all the big moments but does not go deep into many topics. With around 100 pages there is only limited space to discuss in depth a full life. This is especially true when many of the illustrations are full or nearly full-page spreads with a medium-sized font.

For a child in the 7 to 10 age range, I think this is a fine biography to introduce a child to Walt Disney or help grow Disney excitement in a young fan. As a biography there are a few moments where I was like, no that’s not right. And I mean a few handfuls of moments. As I looked back at them, it was really items that were actually true, but being the person who can be asked a question and then answer for 30 minutes, items of omission. There is simply just not enough room in 100 pages for a comprehensive take on Disney. But hey, we have really long Disney biographies for those adult fans. Even with it being brief, Stewart does introduce kids to the major themes of Disney’s life. For example, Stewart captures Disney’s emotional change as the studio grew and the animator’s strike in the 1940s showed him that his company was no longer a tight family.

Some of the illustrations don’t feel to be fully on model. But this is also an unauthorized biography. The publisher does need to be cautious in the handling of Disney images. And how many 8-year-olds are really going to be worried about if Roy O. Disney looks just like his photos?
 

Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart is an accurate introduction to Walt Disney’s life and legacy. Hopefully, kids can find excitement in triumphs in the face of obstacles in the book. And maybe it will help foster the next generation of history nerds, if it be here or another of the volumes in this very successful series. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.

Between Books - Buying Disney's World

 

I had heard some great buzz about Buying Disney's World, so I set myself up to enjoy this text on a long bus ride.  Yeah, a bus!  As I attended a trip with some of my favorite people I hoped that this journey into Florida of five decades ago would keep my interest and make the miles pass.  But in the end it got my interest in other ways as I began to question how some of the research was used.  

Buying Disney's World:The Story of How Florida Swampland Became Walt Disney World by Aaron H. Goldberg provides a fairly straightforward account of Walt Disney's interest in developing a East Coast city of tomorrow in Florida.  Goldberg breaks down the decisions of where to build in Florida, the steps taken to purchase the massive number of acres that Walt Disney wanted for his new project and Roy Disney's leadership in completing Walt Disney World.  The style is highly accessible with readers lacking Disney or in some cases legal knowledge able to understand the complicated steps taken to build the Florida resort.

For me Buying Disney's World is a mixed bag.  The text is very approachable and often engaging.  Goldberg really underscores the efforts and drive of two men in completing this park.  First, Walt Disney the man who would never see the finished dream who chose the site and had a vision that went beyond a theme park.  Second, Roy Disney, who cancelled his own retirement to build his brother's dream to the point of demanding that it open on time.  These personal aspects are fully drawn out and easy to see in the author's prose.

But I have concerns about the scholarship.  This monograph is full of extensive citations and provides a clear message, I am a serious historical study.   But I worry about how the author uses external sources.  One chapter includes what is in effect an extensive transcript of "The Florida Project" film which extends for pages and pages.  This text expands the chapter size and would perhaps could be better placed in an appendix with Goldberg providing readres analysis of the film instead.  But the piece that I found me scratching my head was another long quote, this time from Walt Disney discussing his love and respect of Roy Disney.  The citation is not to the original source of the quote.  Instead it is to a secondary source written about the brothers by Goldberg for a youth audience.  It wonder in this work what citation was provided, as it feels odd with the author citing his own work and for a less academic minded audience.

For me, Buying Disney's World is an accessible account of the development of Walt Disney World.  It was clear and at times emotionally engaging.  But for a more academic view of this time frame I still rely on Chad Denver Emerson's Project Future.  I hope that Buying Disney's World can draw readers into this fascinating story so they explore this topic in even greater detail.       

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.  

Between Books - Walt's People Volume 6

At a certain point you cannot ignore the impact that the Walt’s People series has in capturing and distributing Disney history in an accessible and portable form.  In the end, I can only continue to compliment editor Didier Ghez’s work and inspiration to countless amateur and professional Disney historians.

Walt’s People Volume 6: Talking Disney with the Artists Who Knew Him captures interviews with over 20 Disney artists and figures of interest.  The interviews range from a few pages to long form interviews of 25 plus pages.  The two categories, that I self-created, that really stood out to me in this volume are animation and the Disney family.  For animation, interviews and segments range from the golden age with Michael Barrier interviewing Carl Stalling about early Disney shorts and his musical contributions, Wilfred Jackson and other animators discussing features like Pinnochio, and the 1980s and story development with Steve Hulett.  The Disney family is very well represented with interviews including Lillian Disney, Roy O. Disney, Edna Disney, Sharon Disney, Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller.  The volume literally includes thoughts from those closest to Walt Disney and saw him at home as a father and husband not just an entertainment giant.  Along with the interviews there are articles and profiles that are reprinted from earlier out of print animation magazines. 

I really enjoyed Walt’s People Volume 6: Talking Disney with the Artists Who Knew Him.  It may have been one of my favorite volumes as it contained a mix of new animation personalities to me while also offering voices, like Roy O. Disney, that I really wanted to hear from.  I found at times I was frustrated because I had to put the volume down or that the interview was over.  I found myself shopping for another volume even before I finished this collection.  And yet again, I can only strongly recommend these books to Disney history fans.  

Between Books - The Disney Way: Third Edition

Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.

Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson in The Disney Way: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company Third Edition summarizes the keys of Disney management success into these four seemingly simple words. The authors take readers through each key word in their model explaining how to practically make each action verb something that can be replicated in a manager's specific setting.  To make these words real, the authors explain their context within Disney history and how non-Disney companies have made these concepts their own.  They show readers how Dream is really about creating culture and providing employees a vision.  For Believe they demonstrate how managers can create buy-in and alignment to the accepted vision by using tools to align action with vision, valuing customer interaction within the dream and making forging durable partnerships.  The authors encourage their readers to take risks in Dare.  And finally in Do they discuss the role of training, planning, and even measuring success.  Within the book the authors provide numerous tools such as Storyboards and Vision Alignment rubrics to support the eager manager.  

The past editions of The Disney Way have stood the test of time.  And I expect this book will also.  The third edition is clear, practical and provides tools that managers can use in aligning their operations to Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.  In some cases this will require a culture change.  For examples, which the authors provide numerous non-Disney examples throughout, they decided to update the text with examples of companies that are in the start-up mode.  This allows the authors to show how young companies or those in transition have been able to adopt these four little words.  The book while well-written is really a management book.  The text would be relevant more to the manager than the non-manager amateur Disney fan.  As the management content is probably the most interesting to managers and aspiring managers.  However, the Disney content is well balanced and likely of interest to anyone in a management position.  As a Disney fan/manager, I found the book both useful and interesting.  Still, I would have no problem recommending it to non-Disney addicted colleagues.   

For me the chapter on partnerships really stood out.  I am interested as I have mentioned before in Roy O. Disney and how he successfully worked to support his brother’s dreaming and innovating.  And as one reviews Disney history and considers the numerous partnerships from Roy/Walt, Eisner/Wells, Catmull/Lasseter it is easy to quickly realize how powerful a partnership is to making Believe happen.   And it becomes easy to see how as the authors point out, partnerships enable an individual to expand their horizon and effectiveness.  

As mentioned the text includes a number of tools that managers can use.   The Storyboard tool and its variations appear highly useful in gathering information and making sure that everyone can participate in the decision making process.  However, I will say that the Leadership Storyboard definitely appears to be something that is not for the faint of heart.  

The Disney Way: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company Third Edition is a clear and useful management book grounded in Disney company history.  It provides a clear model in Dream, Believe, Dare, Do that is easy to understand for all managers.  But best of all the authors provide tools to make a model which can appear highly philosophical, realistic. 

Review Copy Provided by Publisher 

Between Books - Walt's People: Volume 10 Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him

I honestly cannot say enough how awesome it is as a Disney history fan to have a series like Walt’s People. There are archives and people that I will never have access to in Betweenland. And as a bonus in the series’ 10th volume I feel like I am getting annotated notes to one of my favorite books.

Walt’s People: Volume 10 Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him edited by Didier Ghez collects the interviews used by biographer Bob Thomas in his writing of Walt Disney: An American Original. The book opens with an essay discussing Thomas’ book written by Jim Korkis. The essay discusses the quest for an official biography of Walt Disney and the attempts by other authors to fulfill the request. It also highlights the intellectual freedoms Thomas had. The first oral history is Ghez interviewing Thomas about his experiences with Walt Disney and writing the book. The majority of the rest of the volume consists of Thomas’ interviews which include a list of Disney legends including Lillian Disney, Roy O. Disney, Ub Iwerks, Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas, Roy E. Disney, Marc Davis, and so many more. Oh, and there is an interview with Walt Disney himself. Additional information includes an essay on Walt Disney’s secretaries which is an interesting read.

I really do feel like this volume is the annotated notes of Thomas’ Walt Disney: An American Original and Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire. There were several moments I thought to myself; hey I have heard this before. And in many cases it is because I have read some of the stories before in Thomas’ books and in their use by other historians and biographers afterwards. However, I really like seeing the original notes and contexts of the interviews that Thomas used. And now, I and others can use them for our own writings even if we never met any of these legends, many of which have passed away.

Walt’s People: Volume 10 Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him is likely my favorite volume of the series to date due to the connecting theme. I bought my copy as a Kindle book for under $5. And that may have been the best value of the year based simply on the number of notes in my copy.

Between Books - Who's the Leader of the Club?

As I have dove deep into Disney books over the last several years it has become clear that many readers and writers would like to distill what made Walt Disney an effective learner. Typically these books come from the viewpoint of writers starting from an educational or business foundation.  But Jim Korkis has added to the debate using his vast knowledge of Disney history to distill principles found in Walt Disney's historical success.

In Who's the Leader of the Club: Walt Disney's Leadership Lessons historian Jim Korkis presents seven lessons of leadership based on Walt Disney's life.  He starts with brief discussions of who Walt Disney was and what type of leadership he displayed.  He also provides a summary of the differences between a leader and a manager contrasting Walt and Roy O. Disney.  Korkis then includes his seven lessons that include an emphasis on story, a concern with those you lead and most of all integrity.  Following the seven lessons, Korkis discusses aspects of Walt Disney's bad leadership, letting people go, developing other leaders and additional principles that can be seen in Disney's life.  Along with the main text, Korkis has sprinkled into his chapters quotes from Walt Disney, summarys of the principles being examined, and stories that underscore the principle being taught.

Again, I have several Between Books that are Disney business lessons.  But this book really struck a chord with me quickly.  It was Korkis' emphasis of story in the principles that caught my attention as a Disney fan.  But this story is not Immagineering's well crafted fantasy.  No, this story is the story that one creates as a leader and how one leads their life.  Korkis makes it clear that Walt was not the easiest of leaders to work for, but his people remain loyal to him decades after his death.  Much of this has to do with the simple fact that Disney believed what he said and acted with integrity.  He lived a good story.  And for us to be good leaders we must behave in a way consistent with the messages that we distribute to craft our own good narrative.

I really appreciate the fact that Korkis did not present Disney as an infallible leader.  The chapter on Walt Disney's mistakes is honest, frank and reminds us all that even great leaders have blind spots.  For example, Walt spared his praise to his staff.  Yes, he had reasons why he believed he should not easily handout verbal praise.  But as Korkis points out that could lead to resentment.  Korkis does not paint a picture of man who embodied all successful leadership standards.  Instead Korkis show a man who we can mirror in some areas, improve on others and perhaps acknowledge in yet others that we ourselves have problems.

I myself am a people leader, one who uses Walt Disney's example too much in my daily work life.  My team is very familiar with the yes if principle (Korkis, 88).  But sadly for my team Who's the Leader of the Club? has only reinforced my use of story language in my work life, as I will continue to remind those who work with me we have a great story to tell.  And having a great story really worked out well for Walt Disney!  



Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Between Books - Walt Disney: American Legends

Charles River Editors is a group that specializes in creating Ebooks for various platforms.  In Walt Disney: American Legends they claim to provide readers an overview of Walt Disney's life in the time of a commute.  But I was left wondering was is this Between Book another rushed and short biography of Walt Disney that allows someone to make a quick buck while being light on content?

Walt Disney: American Legends by Charles River Editors is a brief biography of Walt Disney's life.  The book outlines the major chapters of his life from childhood to death in a book that could easily be read in less than an hour.  The book only covers the life of Walt Disney, and does not focus on more recent developments in the Walt Disney Company.  And being a brief book it typically does not go deep into any subject.

As someone with a history background I have two major problems.  The first is generalizations.  The authors make generalizations at times that have little evidence behind them or are factually incorrect.  For example, the book claims Disney never experienced a full school day in his childhood due to the Kansas City paper route his father owned.  However, this was only one period in Disney's childhood and does not take into account the Marceline or Chicago years.  At another point the book states that Roy O. Disney became Walt Disney's father figure.  I think this would be fine if they stated his male role model or mentor.  But I have never seen anything that showed that Walt Disney saw Roy O. Disney as a father.  I believe this statement misunderstands the Walt/Roy partnership dynamic.  At another point the book says that older bothers Herbert and Raymond were never part of Walt Disney's life after they moved off the Marceline farm, a statement that makes it appear they never had contact again and could be improved by replacing never with seldom.

The second issue is facts.  There are some "facts" that are simply not true.  For example the book states that during World War I Roy O. Disney joined the Army.  He in fact joined the Navy, which is a very different experience from the Army during this conflict.  Some of the missteps factually simply show that the book was likely written by someone who does not have experience with Disney history.  For example, the authors refer to the Walt Disney World Resort as Disneyworld.  And there is some familiarity that I am not comfortable with as the authors insist on referring to Lillian Disney as Lillie for example. 

However with this said, this little volume is not afraid to pull punches and show the flaws in Disney's life.  The book discusses his managerial style and its negative impacts, the potential that he held to discriminatory practices and failings as a husband.  However, these topics in such as small book are really hitting the tip of the iceberg on deeper issues.  And I wish the authors had gone beyond the writings of Neal Gabler to support their views on Disney and race in order to provide themselves broad support for their viewpoint.

Would I have bought this volume for $2.99, I got my Kindle copy for free.  No, I would not.  I did find it to be decently formatted for an EBook and surprisingly readable.  I could see how someone writing a paper on Disney and needing information quick would find this useful with it being more detailed than one would expect from a Wikipedia page.  But in the end, Walt Disney: American Legends is just a taste of a much bigger story.  

Between Books - The Vault of Walt Volume 2

I honestly have not followed a lot of Jim Korkis' blog posts.  I am still a print guy, so for me The Vault of Walt was pretty much all new material.  And there were some essays that I still often reflect on when mulling Disney history.  But with the original printing now out of print and the cheapest copies at the time of this posting starting in the mid $50 range, I just cannot recommend that edition.  Now fortunately it does appear that the price has been dropping thanks to the printing of The Revised Vault of Walt.   But the revised edition did not collect all of the original material.  Could a second volume of this series make all of the original content available at an affordable price?

The Vault of Walt Volume 2: More Unofficial, Unauthorized, Uncensored Disney Stories Never Told by Jim Korkis continues in collecting his essays on Disney history.  Like the earlier versions this book is broken into four sections; Walt Disney Stories, Disney Film Stories, Disney Park Stories, and Other Disney Stories.  The essays are not connected and can be read out of order.  Essays printed before include: "Santa Walt", "Blackbeard's Ghost", "Captain Eo", and "Golden Oak Ranch".  New stories range from "Walt and NASA", "Secrets of the Santa Cartoons", "The Birth of the Disneyland Jungle Cruise", and "The Seven Snow Whites" which show the diversity of the included essays.

The Vault of Walt Volume 2 contains 15 new essays.  And honestly some of these essays caught my interest just with their titles matching some of my own personal interests.  I am a huge fan of Roy O. Disney so I enjoyed diving into "Roy O. Disney: The Forgotten Brother Who Built the Magic Kingdom" which does a great job of showing the elder brother's role in getting the Florida resort built.  And "Walt's Chicago" provides background to Walt Disney's relationship with his birthplace.  And of course in the wake of Saving Mr. Banks the essay "Mary Poppins: Walt Disney and P.L. Travers" delves into the story of Disney courting Travers and her opinion of the finished Mary Poppins. 

The stories themselves are generally short and clear.  They are easy to read and in many cases discuss a piece of Disney history not normally touched on.  It would be an easy book to enjoy on a number of train rides where you stop and start the text over and over again (which may be the way I read this volume).  The majority do read like detailed blogs, and those who have read them before may want more new content.  But I am someone who has only read these tales in the print format.  Yes, in the electronic age I was first exposed to these in a physical form. 

Let's look at the tale of the tape though.  There are two essays in the original volumes that I cannot find reprinted in The Revised Vault of Walt and The Vault of Walt Volume 2.  The  first essay, "Song of the South Premiere" has likely not been reproduced since Korkis now has in print Who's Afraid of the Song of the South which includes a chapter on the premiere.  The second essay, "Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air", is a highly interesting essay on Mickey Mouse in the era of old time radio.  So for half the price of the original volume, you can buy The Revised Vault of Walt and The Vault of Walt Volume 2 and lose one essay with the trade off of 20 new ones.  Or one can buy the two Kindle versions for a fifth of the original's current used price.  So I think it is obvious the Between Books recommendation is to buy the two books instead of tracking down a used copy of the original.

Fans of Jim Korkis will want The Vault of Walt Volume 2 in their collection.  Serious Disney fans will want this volume for the unique content found in its pages.  And those more casual Disney fans can find plenty of enjoyment within.  And best of all, nearly all of the originally printed essays can be purchased for a reasonable price!


Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press 


  

Between Books - Disney's Grand Tour: Walt and Roy's European Vacation Summer 1935

In the Summer of 1935 the Disney Brothers, Walt and Roy, along with their wives Lillian and Edna traveled to Europe on a two month trip filled with vacation and work.  The trip itself gave Walt a needed rest before he propelled himself into even more ambitious projects.  And the Disney brothers saw first hand the global reach of their products.  When the two returned home they were better connected, better prepared and better rested for the challenges that would come before them as they moved into feature animated films.

Disney's Grand Tour: Walt and Roy's European Vacation Summer 1935 by Didier Ghez outlines the working vacation that the Disneys took which included the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy.  The book describes the general itinerary of the trip, the activities that four key participants took part in and those who they connected with.  As one reads through the pages, the reader finds a business man (Roy) who uses this trip to firmly establish subsidiary offices in Europe.  Additionally, readers see the artist (Walt) who meets with European creatives and collects European art books to grow the studio library at home for future projects.  And the reader joins two couples as they reconnect with each other on a trip that partially served as a second honeymoon and an opportunity for the husbands to reflect with their spouses on their World War I experiences.  Along with the facts of the trip, Ghez also addresses myths about the trip such as Walt Disney receiving a medal from the League of Nations and if the Disney's met Benito Mussolini.  Several photos from the time and some more recent color photos are found throughout the book, showing the reader the Disneys on the trip and the places they went.   

Ghez's writing is clear and easy to read.  Though some may see this as a niche history book, it is really written in a style that any reader can enjoy.  In fact, some could see this as being a travel book as the Disneys explore Europe instead of a historical monograph.  Additionally, the text is well-researched and documented.  The archives he consulted span two continents and numerous languages.  And he was provided access to Edna Disney's diary which serves as arecord of the trip.  Ghez's notes are extensive and informative in themselves, for example studying the note #60 I learned about the career of Disney merchandising guru Kay Kamen's nephew George.  Disney's Grand Tour with it's extensive notes and references really is a mature historical narrative written by a serious and reflective historian.  If I was to complain about anything I would ask Ghez to give the reader a little more.  There are topics, such as a brief discussion on a clock, that I wish there was more material on to fulfill my own curiosity.  Of course, as I have found in my own research, there may simply be no more that can be shared at this time.

I really did enjoy the fact that this book is a story of two couples.  And I do not feel that Roy gets lost behind his more famous younger brother.  This may be due to the one of the main sources being penned by Edna Disney and Roy.  The book makes it clear that Roy was an active participant on this trip who had an agenda bigger than helping his little brother relax.

A six week vacation!  I go to Disneyland for 12 days and people call me crazy!  This was not that atypical during the early 20th century.  I myself researched a British officer who took a 2 month vacation in India.  Basically, this helps to show us that though it was less than 100 years ago, the world was a much bigger place.  It took longer to travel and communicate between large distances.  Therefore, to have a meaningful trip more time was necessary.  It was not like Walt and Roy were checking their smart phones every few minutes!  They were going somewhere that truly was half a world away and took more than a few hours to get there, honestly it took days to just get out of the United States.

With a price tag like $34.95, some readers may be scared off.  I am assuming that Disney book collectors and completests will find this a required book!  But what about the more casual or price conscious reader.  I was surprised to see that the Kindle version of the book is priced at $7.99 at the time of this posting.  Yet again independent publishers prove that content is king and getting it to the reader is part of the mission.  I myself read an electronic copy of the book and had an enjoyable experience.

Disney's Grand Tour by Didier Ghez outlines a key time for Disney creativity.  Walt Disney came back from his six week trip with a better understanding of the world and how they consumed his products.  And, he was able to get some needed rest allowing him to launch forward to new areas and grow his studio even more.  Disney's Grand Tour outlines not just a holiday, but a turning point in Disney history.      




Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Between Books - Dream It! Do It!

Disney fans have long anticipated the collection of legendary Imagineer Marty Sklar’s memories into a book. Sklar having a career that spanned the opening of Disneyland to retirement in 2009, has literally seen it all. And in many cases he was a participant. Yes, this is a book that Disney fans wanted and called for!

Dream It! Do It!: My Half-Century Creating Disney Magic Kingdoms by Marty Sklar captures the legend’s Disney memories. Sklar’s memoir covers his pre-Disney life and his long and distinguished Disney career. He is not able to cover every aspect of his Disney years, but he does give significant time to parks development including Walt Disney World, Epcot, and Euro Disney (or Disneyland Paris). He gives an insider look at presentations and creative sessions that helped build the parks we love. And most excitedly for Disney fans some reminisces include Walt Disney, for who Sklar wrote. Along with his memories, Sklar also includes business insights with a selection of quotes from Imagineering’s Conference Room walls and Mickey’s Ten Commandments and its expansion.

I am going to call this a mixed review for me. Honestly, I found the text hard for me to get into. And this made me more frustrated as I read. I really wanted to be drawn into it. The sad thing is I cannot explain why it was hard for me to break into book, which also frustrates. In the end all I can say is it did not draw me in the way I wanted it to. Also, the book reprints several stories that many Disney fans have already read or heard elsewhere. So every page does not provide new content to mull over, with some being Sklar putting in his pages stories told by others about him or by him elsewhere. But on the flip side there is plenty of new content for a Disney fan to enjoy. And it is amazingly honest content. I am shocked about the characterizations made about other Disney figures such as Dick Nunis and Roy E. Disney in the pages of a Disney Editions offering. Honestly, it makes one wonder why Disney Legal blocked the Ward Kimball biography! And the honesty is refreshing and good.

As I said, this text gives Sklar’s very honest opinions. And with Sklar having been on the the creative side it should not be shocking that he felt tension with Dick Nunis in Operations. But what was shocking to me was how far Sklar’s editors let him go in painting of Nunis of well…a bully! A comment about how Nunis abandoned Ron Miller definitely caught my attention though it was only a small line. And Sklar definitely chooses Michael Eisner in the struggle between the CEO and Roy E. Disney. But Sklar’s insights into Disney’s lack of creative input will make one think.

One thing I am glad that Sklar weighed in on was the Walt/Roy comparisons with the Eisner/Frank Wells relationship. Sklar interacted with both pairs. And he argues the relationship was not the same. With the Walt and Roy O. Disney dynamic, Roy provided little to no feedback on creative issues. Roy did not attend story meetings. Roy stayed within his business sphere. For Eisner’s tenure however it was a frequent occurrence that Wells attended creative meetings and would provide creative input. So the comparison breaks down as Wells used his years in Hollywood to serve as a sounding board on matters beyond the business. In short with Eisner and Wells the lines were more fuzzy.
Dream It! Do It! by Marty Sklar is a Between Books must have for Disney fans. And it is for the insights, opinions and perceptive that this Disney Legend brings. However, this is a book you need for the content, not because you cannot put it down.

Between Books - The Revised Vault of Walt

Jim Korkis in The Revised Vault of Walt makes some of his earlier writings found in the out-of-print The Vault of Walt available again in print. In this newly revised edition some stories have been removed, largely to make a smaller edition. In this new version, 14 of the original chapters have been removed, with five new additions in their place. The new five chapters cover:

• “Eating Like Walt” – A discussion of Walt Disney’s favorite foods.

• “And the Oscar Goes To…Walt Disney” – Highlights from Walt Disney’s numerous Academy Awards.

• “The Carousel of Progress” – A history of the ride currently at the Walt Disney World Resort.

• “The Man Who Shot Walt Disney” – An essay on Disneyland photographer Renie Bardeau.

• “The Song of the South Frequently Asked Questions” – A preview of Korkis’ book Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South.

Otherwise the stories carried over from The Vault of Walt appear largely unchanged, except for some editing to the “Introduction”.

I think the first obvious question is why a revised edition? The clearest reason is the original The Vault of Walt is now out of print and not readily available. With a new publisher who has bought the content and which also published Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South it was decided to put a new edition into the market. Korkis states in “The Welcome to the Revised Edition”,

I wanted a more streamlined, travel-size version available at a more affordable price. It was agreed that doing so might attract new readers who were intimidated by the size and the price of the original edition, despite all the good reviews.

And honestly, one of the first things I noticed when I saw my copy was the smaller size of this revised edition. Which of course lead me to seek out what was removed.

Since the chapters are essays the removals do not take away from the remaining chapters. Some removals seem logical, such as “Song of the South Premiere” which is a topic now covered now in Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South. Others like “Santa Walt” and “Return to Marceline 1956” were some of my favorites since they covered the lives of Walt and Roy O. Disney. I am one of these readers who was not intimidated by the size of the first edition. In fact, I reveled in the original, giving myself three weeks to savor the book. But Korkis and his publisher do promise a Vault of Walt Sampler for Kindle in the future containing the missing chapters.

Of the new additions, they are typical of Korkis’ writing, so Korkis fans will enjoy the style. They are clear and factual. The chapter of Walt Disney’s food favorites led me ask if the Between Wife would make Walt Disney’s chili recipe, I was told she liked her’s better. Despite her resistance, the chapter really shows how Walt Disney’s tastes were simple, likely due to his upbringing. And the chapter on the Academy Awards really highlighted for me the recognition that Disney received for his film innovations. And the chapter on Bardeau provides an intimate glimpse of Walt the man and employer to me. The only one that did not hit with me was Song of the South chapter, mostly due to the fact I have Korkis’ full book on this topic. The FAQ really just highlights topics you can find more in depth in that book.

When I reviewed The Vault of Walt I stated, “This book is excellent and should be on the shelves of every Disney library.” So is this statement still true. First, I am someone who liked the bigger edition, and even with the additions the revised version is 9 stories short. Some may actually enjoy this fact due to the smaller size. But some of my favorite chapters are now absent. And this new edition seems to have a printing problem in the second half of the book with type that appears smeared though still readable, in my copy. But, the original is out of print! And honestly, the secondary price for the original is outrageous. Just checking as I write this review there are copies listed on Amazon for over $500. So I simply cannot recommend seeking out the original. If you did not get a copy of the original, you must purchase The Revised Vault of Walt, since it financially makes sense and has plenty of the content I enjoyed in the original. Then once the Kindle sampler is released, you will be ahead of the game with access to more tales than the original offered. If you own the original, I would suggest the Kindle edition to get the new essays for a lower cost than a print edition.

I found The Vault of Walt to be a surprise hit for me. And I am thankful that Theme Park Press and Jim Korkis have found a solution to make most of this content available at an affordable price. When their plan is complete, we will all have access to more content that the original provided without missing a few car payments.


Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Update: The publisher contacted me after posting this review and reported he completed a check of the copies he had on hand looking for smeared ink.  The copies he had did not have the ink issue, so this is not an universal issue and my copy is likely an exception.

Additionally, he added that The Vault of Walt Sampler will be available in early March 2013 for $3.99.  And he reports that along with the stories that were not reproduced in The Revised Vault of Walt that four additional stories will be added.  So readers who have not yet enjoyed the Vault of Walt but purchase the Sampler and The Revised Vault of Walt will have nine more stories than the original provided with a decreased cost even when combining the two titles. 

On a side note, this is really why I enjoy working with independent publishers, responsiveness.  These publishers generally listen to the fans and their concerns.  So thank you Theme Park Press and others that I have reviewed for in being attentive to your customers and fans. 

Walt's Windows - Magic Kingdom: Imagineering the Magic

Magic Kingdom: Imagineering the Magic provides a history of the development of the Magic Kingdom Resort at the Walt Disney World Resort from an Imagineering eye.  Host Diego Parras, Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) Media & Broadcast Production Manager, takes viewers on a historical tour of the park using the voices and recollections of the Imagineers that helped build the park.  Prominent Imagineers that contribute to the story of the park through interviews include John Hench, Marc Davis, Harriet Burns, Rolly Crump, and many more.  The story is told through a mixture of period pictures with narration, videos from the parks and interviews.  The story of the park is told through a land by land tour of the park.

I really did enjoy the windows this presentation provides on the history of the Magic Kingdom Park.  Highlights for me of course included stories about the work of Marc Davis.  There is a deep discussion about the Haunted Mansion and the roll taken by X Atencio to balance the multiple creative geniuses who contributed to the attraction.  Atencio had to combine the work of Davis (funny), Claude Coates (creepy), Crump (strange) while using the visual creations of Yale Gracey.  And I enjoyed hearing about Davis’ plans for the Western River Expedition, cancelled for the Florida version of Pirates of the Caribbean.  They show how despite the project was cancelled that it still influenced other attractions like Big Thunder Mountain.  Another enjoyable moment is Tony Baxter talking about working with painters at the Jungle Cruise, a story that I had never heard before.  But it is not just the superstars like Davis and Baxter that are discussed, as another legend Bill Evans and his work with landscaping is also highlighting. 

There is some oddity to the presentation.  Some of the video is black and white segments that are clearly Disneyland.  This is especially true with Tomorrowland video, and is typically included as quick flashes within montages.  I am pretty sure that Imagineers like Tony Baxter realize that the jetpack demonstration was in Disneyland during the 1960s.  And images of the Monsanto House of the Future are also clearly from the West Coast park.  We should assume that the segments probably relied heavily on stock footage from the Disney library, but it would have improved my experience if they had the images all match the park being discussed.         

The special features section is one that will catch the interest of most Disney history fans.  There is an excerpt of the Cherry Plaza Hotel news conference from November 1965 announcing Disney’s entry to Florida.  The excerpt shows Roy O. Disney’s enthusiasm for this new project.  Also viewers can see Walt Disney speak of what he dreamt for this new projects especially a city of tomorrow concept.  Somewhat disappointing is “Roy Disney’s Dedication Speech.”  The disappointment is the lack of video as the feature is primarily Disney’s speech over stills.  I would have really loved video, which perhaps does not exist.  Other special features include a segment on the Cinderella Dream Suite, “Project Florida” which discusses the building of Walt Disney World, “Mickey’s Trivia Tour” and an art gallery.  The Between Tween got 12 of the 14 trivia questions correct, though admittedly the Tween probably knows more Disney trivia then the typical Tween.    

 I have to admit a moment of pride while watching Magic Kingdom: Imagineering the Magic.  One Imagineer called the Walt Disney World Resort by the name Disneyworld.  The Between Tween yelled out, “That’s Walt Disney World.”  Yeah, I’m proud!  Yet for someone, like me, who has heard many of these stories before I still could feel the hair standing on the back of my neck in excitement as Imagineers told their stories.  For someone who is a WDI fan, Magic Kingdom: Imagineering the Magic is a must own.  But for someone who just wants an overview of the park, the free vacation planning video may be a better investment. 

  

Between Books - Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers

“Never tell me the odds!”  - Han Solo

I would like to add the median, mode and range.  Numbers typically do not translate to story for me.  And I prefer to go on feelings in many of my decisions.  So in fantasy baseball I am more than willing to ignore a numerical trend if I have a feeling or belief that the player has tools that are not being demonstrated but will in the future.  In short, I am allergic to numbers. 

At the same time when I discovered that the late Harrison “Buzz” Price had written a memoir about his experiences with Disney and other entertainment companies, I began to covet it.  I needed it, wanted it, and had to have it.  So as soon as it arrived in the mail, I tore it open and began what turned out to be a slow stroll through Price’s life work.  He told me about the odds, and how he determined them; which made me slow down my typical reading pace.

Harrison “Buzz” Price recounts his life and vocational career in Walt’s Revolution: by the Numbers.  Price theorizes that Walt Disney began a revolution in the entertainment industry and the perception of what amusement attractions were with his Disneyland Park in 1955.  He discusses the initial impact of Disney’s original park and attempts to copy Disney’s success in world’s fairs, regional theme and amusement parks, museums, indoor attractions and within the gambling industry.  To start his story of Disney’s impact, Price states with his own story from his education to first working with Walt Disney when the firm he was working for, Stanford Research Institute, was asked by Disney to determine the best location for his new theme park.  Price led this effort and made the recommendation of the Anaheim location where it was built.  Disney called on Price again while leading his own company Economics Research Associates to research sites for an East Coast site which would eventually become the Walt Disney World Resort.  Truly it is Price that helped establish the location of the beloved theme parks today.  Along with his work with Disney, Price also discusses his decades of research within the entertainment industry which saw him partnering with almost every major amusement and theme park company as Price and his associates were considered the foremost consulting firm for completing economic and impact studies.  Along with the story of the studies he completed he also discusses the formulas and statistical tools he used to complete his typically highly accurate predictions.

I have a history background, not a statistical background.  And Walt’s Revolution is full of numbers!  Still I was able to find sections that delighted me.  I really enjoyed his discussion of working with Walt Disney.  His firsthand accounts give you a glimpse into the working relationship of a key consultant with Walt Disney.  As Price recounts stories of becoming the impromptu bartender in the Disney plane on a cross country trip, one feels as if you are a fly on the wall in the talks that made Walt Disney World happen.  And he does an excellent job of explaining how to work with Walt Disney; a philosophy of responding “Yes, if” and not “No, because” when needing to respond negatively.  In fact at my workplace many of us have discussed the “Yes, if” philosophy and are attempting to incorporate it into our vocational lives.

But for me and I believe many readers this book will also be a slow walk through Price’s life.  He discusses in depth a number of statistics, economic principles, and mathematical tools.  Economists and statisticians may find this discussion second nature, but others (like me) likely will read it as a foreign language.  Price is a man who literary developed his own statistical formulas, which he explains in depth in providing background.  But for someone who thinks words and not numbers these can be hard to push through.  Additionally at times the narrative becomes a list, projects that Price supervised with some background on them.  And for me lists can become uninteresting to read as they tend to come off the page with little life.

Harrison “Buzz” Price’s Walt’s Revolution: By the Numbers is a mixed bag for me.  I loved the firsthand accounts of a Disney legend, especially his stories of working with Walt and Roy O. Disney.  On the other hand the use of lists and numbers made the read difficult for me.  In short, he told me the odds!  This book will fit best in the Between Books library of completists, researchers and statisticians.  But the casual reader should likely consider borrowing a copy first if they want to dive into this book, especially if the price tag is above $25.   

Between Books - Building a Company

Almost anyone with a television in the world is aware of some of the entertainment contributions of one founder of the Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney, but often it is forgotten that the company began in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Studio.  Often forgotten is the legacy of the older brother in the Disney partnership, Roy O. Disney.  When I originally read Bob Thomas’ Walt Disney: An American Original I was struck by the loyalty that Roy O. Disney showed his brother and the essential though often invisible role he played in the success of Walt Disney by overseeing the business side of Disney endeavors.  This lead me to seek out more on the life of Roy O. Disney and the first and most prominent source I reached for was a lesser know book by Thomas, Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of An Entertainment Empire.

Thomas outlines Roy O. Disney’s life from birth on June 24, 1893 to his death on December 20, 1971.  As a youth he developed a strong relationship with his much younger brother Walter.  The two boys often worked and played together despite a sizable age difference.  Disney left his job as a bank teller to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War I.  Having acquired tuberculosis during his naval service, Disney relocated to a veteran’s hospital in the Los Angeles area.  His brother Walt followed soon after his Kansas City cartoon studio became bankrupt.  Walt asked for Roy’s assistance and the next morning Roy checked out of the hospital never to return for his wartime affliction.  Forming a partnership called the Disney Brothers Studio, Walt oversaw the creative endeavors while Roy guided their business interests and occasionally operated a camera.  Over the next 50 years Roy oversaw the growth of the Walt Disney Company, his suggestion for a  name change, that transitioned from cartoon shorts to animated features, live-action movies, television programs and two theme parks.  During all of these projects Thomas makes it clear that Roy O. Disney dutifully supported the dreams of Walt Disney, though not always in agreement, and acquired the resources and funding needed to make Walt Disney’s ideas come alive. 

I really found this book a delight and helped fill my need to know more about this great man and co-founder of the Walt Disney Company.  Thomas does an excellent job of introducing us to Roy O. Disney the man.  We get the picture a loyal man who followed his younger brother into a questionable future based on his faith in that brother’s ability.  Roy O. Disney was also the man who finished Walt Disney’s dream of Walt Disney World, admittedly not as ambitious as Walt may have dreamed but one that was still made available for public enjoyment.  It is the picture of the Walt and Roy O. Disney relationship that captures my imagination the most.  The two men were in many ways different yet thoroughly attached to each other.  And we see Roy O. Disney as the quieter brother, coming home after work for time with his wife and son while Walt was the public face of the company and in the eye of the fans.  Especially gripping for me is the retelling of Roy O. Disney’s last visit with his dying brother as Walt dreamed one last time with his older brother.

Along with Roy O. Disney the brother we also get a picture of the business man.  Roy O. Disney was very personal in his interactions with associates.  For example his trips to Europe included his wife Edna, who would entertain the wife’s of Disney staff members and contacts abroad.  He was a man who put a personal touch on a growing company.  And these personal relationships greatly benefited the company’s bottom line as it expanded into new markets.  Additionally in the personal area we see his interactions with his family including his long relationship with Edna and his love for his son Roy E. Disney.  It would be easy to write a book about the business choices of Roy O. Disney from founding a start-up to evolving into a publicly traded company.  But instead Thomas does an excellent job of showing Roy O. Disney the man. 

Thomas yet again provides solid readable writing that Betweenlanders will enjoy.  Additionally as a historian his book is very well researched including interviews with prominent Disney personalities and legends and use of documents found in the Disney Archives, including Roy O. Disney’s personal and business correspondence.  Building a Company is the most extensive profile of Roy O. Disney available to the public.   

As someone who has become a fan of Roy O. Disney’s life and legacy I highly recommend this book for all Between Book libraries.   

Dreaming Disney - Celebrating Roy O. Disney

I was very excited to have issue 24 of Celebrations hit my mailbox this week, with my profile of Roy O. Disney.  Roy O. Disney is one of my favorite figures in Disney history.  He was a man able to set aside his own ego to build the dreams of others.  I became interested in Roy O. Disney when reading Bob Thomas' Walt Disney: An American Original.  The portrait that Thomas paints leads the reader to know more about this man and his life.

The Roy O. Disney article is my first journey into writing for the Disney community.  And my experience with Celebrations has helped me connect to the Disney experience in the middle of Betweenland.  I'm just a guy who likes history with no Disney connections or special access but this experience has shown me you can chase Disney dreams wherever you are! 

Walt's Windows - National Geographic 1963

Recently the Between Wife found some fantastic vintage Disney photos on Pinterest.  Clicking into them led to two blog posts at Imagineering Disney which highlighted pictures from the August 1963, issue of National Geographic exploring the life and creations of Walt Disney including Disneyland.  The Between Wife immediately ordered me a copy of this magazine giving a window into 1963 Disney culture.

The magazine itself has three significant peeks inside Walt Disney’s world.  The first is a brief article titled “Walt Disney: Genius of Laughter and Learning” by Melville Bell Grosvenor which speculates on the future legacy of Walt Disney.  The second article by Robert De Roos is a large and richly illustrated article titled “The Magic Worlds of Walt Disney” which outlines the animated, live-action and theme park endeavors of Walt Disney.  Finally, as part of this second article is a multi-page aside titled “Animation: Mickey Mouse explains the art to Mr. G.O. Graphic” using images of Mickey, Goofy, Donald and their friends to explain how Disney creates animated stories.  

Mickey Mouse Shows How Animated Films are Made

“Walt Disney: Genius of Laughter and Learning” is the real centerpiece to the Disney offerings in this magazine.  De Roos profiles Walt Disney’s rise to success from a humble childhood.  He quotes Walt Disney’s older brother Roy O. Disney, “As long as I can remember, Walt has been working (De Roos, 167).”  A picture is painted of a hard working man who has his hands in a number of endeavors simultaneously.  Walt Disney when asked what he actually does comments that he is an executive producer, “sometimes I think of myself as a busy little bee.  I go from one area of the studio to another and gather pollen and sort of stimulate everyone (De Roos, 162).”  And stimulate he does as De Roos explores Disney’s vast projects.

This is National Geographic so one aspect of Disney’s films resonates with this audience, live action nature films.  Nearly nine pages go into depth on the production of the Disney True-Life Adventure series.  Ironically, many of these pages are illustrated with pictures taken from Disneyland not with animals but happy park guests!  The author discusses how these nature films are produced, including sharing a story or two of the crew interfering with the natural consequences of animals in nature.  Overall, the article provides a nice summary of the True-Life Adventure films and their production, including how Disney crafted a story from film taken in the field.

Walt Disney and His Library of National Geographic

For me it was information about the parks that I found the most interesting.  A pullout map makes mention of a Haunted Mansion, a building on the map but not yet an attraction for years to come.  Walt Disney shows the author plans for the 1964 World’s Fair showing Ford’s Magic Skyway.  The piece I found the most interesting was Disney’s demonstration of an Abraham Lincoln Audio-Animatronic figure slated to be part of a Hall of Presidents inside a new Disneyland attraction One Nation Under God.  Instead as we know that figure became part of the state of Illinois’ World’s Fair attraction, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  It is exciting to see early WED the original Imagineering workshop, in action.

The Pull Out Map

WED at Work

It’s not just the articles that give us a window to Disneyland of 1963, it’s also the advertisements.  An ad for Insurance Company of North America features the E.P. Ripley of the Disneyland Railroad.  Another for United Airlines shows how one can travel from Los Angeles to Disneyland by helicopter!  Though unintended, these advertisements give us a glimpse into Walt Disney’s Disneyland.  

Catch a Ride to Disneyland?

Carefree at Disneyland?

And there is foreshadowing in this issue about what was to come much later.  One article “Fluorescent Gems from Davy Jones’ Locker” hints at a future villain in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise and Disney attraction.  Though the reference is ironic, the real foreshadowing comes in the article, “My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees” by Jane Goodall.  The article makes many references and provides photos of a Chimpanzee that she named David Graybeard.  As a tribute to Goodall and her conservation work, David Graybeard was sculpted into the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom three decades later!  Yet another reference is made to a future Disney’s Animal Kingdom attraction in the article “American and Geographic Flags top Everest” foreshadowing the Expedition Everest roller coaster. 

In August 1963, National Geographic had a lot to see and read for Disney enthusiasts.  The pictures themselves without commentary are nothing short of classic.  The articles showing how WED and Walt Disney worked are a glimpse into a time gone by.  Volume 124, No. 2 provides us a window into Walt’s world the way it was, the way it would be, and the way it never was.