#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A memoir of leadership and success: The CEO of Disney shares the ideas and values he embraced while reinventing one of the world’s most beloved companies and inspiring the people who bring the magic to life.AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEARRobert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger—think global—and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.Today, Disney is the largest, most admired media company in the world, counting Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox among its properties. Under Iger’s leadership, Disney’s value grew nearly five times what it was, making Iger one of the most innovating and successful CEOs of our era.In The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger answers the question: What are the qualities of a good leader? He shares the lessons he learned while running Disney and leading its 220,000-plus employees, and he explores the principles that are necessary for true leadership, including:• Optimism. Even in the face of difficulty, an optimistic leader will find the path toward the best possible outcome and focus on that, rather than give in to pessimism and blaming.• Courage. Leaders have to be willing to take risks and place big bets. Fear of failure destroys creativity.• Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how difficult, can be made on a timely basis. Indecisiveness is both wasteful and destructive to morale.• Fairness. Treat people decently, with empathy, and be accessible to them.This book is about the relentless curiosity that has driven Iger since the day he started as the lowliest studio grunt at ABC. It’s also about thoughtfulness and respect, and a decency-over-dollars approach that has become the bedrock of every project and partnership Iger pursues, from a deep friendship with Steve Jobs in his final years to an abiding love of the Star Wars mythology.“The ideas in this book strike me as universal,” Iger writes. “Not just to the aspiring CEOs of the world, but to anyone wanting to feel less fearful, more confidently themselves, as they navigate their professional and even personal lives.”

Deluxe jacketed hardcover book offers a lavish visual celebration of one of Disney's most impactful and beloved creations: the Disney Monorail.Walt Disney is renowned as a cartoonist, filmmaker, showman, and entertainment icon. But he was also a farsighted futurist, a transportation buff with practical roots in the past, and visionary sights set on the future. In imagining Disneyland, Walt saw it not only as a destination for diversion and entertainment, but also as a means of presenting practical demonstrations of new ideas and new technology with real-world applications.In The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky, readers will discover the parallel stories of the development of a new form of transportation and the evolution of Walt’s prophetic creative mind, which together resulted in the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere. Since June 1959, this mid-century modern marvel has captured the hearts and imaginations of theme park and Disney fans everywhere; it has inspired, as Walt hoped, the creation of working monorails in practical transit applications in varied locations all around the world.Through a lively and succinct narrative and a stunning collection of unique historical photographs and rare concept and development art (much of it never before published) readers will be transported into a future where yesterday's dreams are tomorrow’s realities!Searching for that perfect gift for the Disney theme park fan in your life? Explore more archival-quality books from Disney Editions: • Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks • Walt Disney's Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub Iwerks • One Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the Globe • Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks • Yesterday's Tomorrow: Disney's Magical Mid-Century • Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food • Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai • The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic • Poster Art of the Disney Parks

Walt Disney dreamed for decades about opening the ultimate entertainment venue, but it wasn’t until the early 1950s that his handpicked team began to bring his vision to life. Together, artists, architects, and engineers transformed a dusty tract of orange groves about an hour south of Los Angeles into one of the world’s most beloved destinations.Today, there are Disney resorts from Paris to Shanghai, but the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which has been visited by more than 800 million people to-date, remains one of America’s most popular attractions. From the day it opened on July 17, 1955, Disneyland brought history and fairy tales to life, the future into the present, and exciting cultures and galaxies unknown to our imaginations.This bountiful visual history draws on Disney’s vast historical collections, private archives, and the golden age of photojournalism to provide unique access to the concept, development, launch, and enjoyment of this sun-drenched oasis of fun and fantasy. Disneyland documents Walt’s earliest inspirations and ideas; the park’s extraordinary feats of design and engineering; its grand opening; each of its immersive “lands” from Main Street, U.S.A., to Tomorrowland; and the park’s evolution through the six decades since it opened. It is a treasure trove of original Disney documentation and expertise, with award-winning writer Chris Nichols drawing on his extensive knowledge of both Disneyland and Southern California history to reveal the fascinating tale of “the happiest place on Earth.”

How can you make dreams come true? Or transform a fantasy into a colorful, exciting world that visitors can move through, touch, and enjoy? Such fabulous work is the daily business of Walt Disney’s Imagineers, a core group of creative and highly skilled professional wizards who combine imagination with engineering to create the reality of behind the dreams that comprise the Disney theme parks. In this sequel to the best-selling Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind-the-Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real, the Imagineers serve up another dose of magic with an even closer look at who they are, what they do, and how they do it, illuminating their theories and explaining the tools they use, and where and how they use them. Contained within this deluxe tome are rough drawings, conceptual models, and behind-the-scenes stories showcasing Disney’s newest attractions and innovations from the inside out. There’s also an exclusive peek inside the Research and Development Lab to see what new magic will soon be appearing.The Imagineers tell their own stories, as well as how they got there, what they do on a daily basis, what they show their friends in the parks, and how you can learn what it takes to become an Imagineer.Presented in a large, lavish format, this book is sure to be a must-have for every Disney collector.

Part memoir, part business book, Marty Sklar entertains readers with more than fifty years of tales of creating magic around the world.Marty Sklar was hired by The Walt Disney Company after his junior year at UCLA, and began his Disney career at Disneyland in July 1955, the month before the park opened. He spent his first decade at Disney as "the kid," the very youngest of the creative team Walt had assembled at WED Enterprises. But despite his youth, his talents propelled him forward into substantial responsibility: he became Walt's speech writer, penned Walt's and Roy's messages in the company's annual report, composed most of the publicity and marketing materials for Disneyland, conceived presentations for the U.S. government, devised initiatives to obtain sponsors to enable new Disneyland developments, and wrote a twenty-four-minute film expressing Walt's philosophy for the Walt Disney World project and Epcot. He was Walt's literary right-hand man.Over the next forty years, Marty Sklar rose to become president and principal creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, and he devoted his entire career to creating, enhancing, and expanding Walt's magical empire.This beautifully written and enlightening book is Marty's own retelling of his epic Disney journey, a grand adventure that lasted over half a century.Searching for that perfect gift for the #1 Disney fan in your life? Explore more behind-the-scenes stories from Disney Editions:Travels with Figment: On the Road in Search of Disney Dreams (By Disney Legend Marty Sklar)One Little Spark! Mickey's Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering (By Disney Legend Marty Sklar)Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career (By Kevin Rafferty)Travels with Walt Disney: A Photographic Voyage Around the World (By Jeff Kurtti)Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food (By Marcy Carriker Smothers)Walt Disney: An American Original (By Bob Thomas)Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans' Curious Questions (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)My Pride: Mastering Life's Daily Performance from Broadway's Record-Breaking Lion King (By Alton Fitzgerald White)Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, Revised and Updated Edition (By The Disney Institute)

This deluxe Disney atlas is bursting with gorgeous park maps from around the work and across the six decades!It all started with a map. . . . Maps of the Disney Parks are more than just atlases used by guests to find their way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. They are snapshots of a place and time, relics treasured by collectors, and gorgeous pieces of artwork. In fact, it was a map (imagined by Walt Disney and drawn by Herbert Ryman) that was used to sell the idea of Disneyland to investors. Unfold this book of beautiful maps from when the very first Disney Park opened in 1955 right up to today. Discover details on how and why the domestic and international parks have changed over time, and enjoy sixty years worth of skillful creativity.Searching for that perfect gift for the Disney theme park fan in your life? Explore more archival-quality books from Disney Editions:Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky Walt Disney's Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub Iwerks One Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the Globe Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks Yesterday's Tomorrow: Disney's Magical Mid-Century Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic Poster Art of the Disney Parks

The Mouse Made EASYDisney gurus Josh Humphrey and Dave Shute have helped countless families plan the Walt Disney World vacations of their dreams with practical advice and unique touring strategies. They’ve distilled their best advice into this comprehensive, up-to-date-for-2017 book for both first-time visitors and “any-timers” who want their Disney World vacation to be both flawless and fun.You’ll learn the “easy” way to:Pick the Best Week: Month-by-month calendars of cost, weather, crowds, and special events help you pinpoint the best week to visit every month of the yearStay at the Best Hotel: Real world reviews and comparisons of all Walt Disney World resorts for any budgetEat the Best Food: Reviews of every Walt Disney World restaurant, including recommendations for the best character buffets and most romantic rendezvousWait the Least Amount: Detailed touring plans make visiting the parks a snap with short waits and minimal walkingSave the Most Time: With the most comprehensive guide to FastPass+ anywhere, you’ll have attractions like Frozen Ever After, Toy Story Mania, and Soarin’ booked before you leave townSave the Most Money: Learn how to save thousands of dollars on everything from theme park tickets to resort staysPlus, history and trivia from Jim Korkis to round out your preparation for the parksTake the planning pain out of your pixie dust. Whether it's your first trip to Walt Disney World or your fortieth, The easy Guide will make it your best. Don't go see Mickey without it.

THE trusted source of information for a successful Walt Disney World vacationCompiled and written by a team of experienced researchers whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World digs deeper and offers more than any other guide.The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2019 explains how Walt Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. With advice that is direct, prescriptive, and detailed, it takes the guesswork out of travel by unambiguously rating and ranking everything from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to rental car companies.With an Unofficial Guide in hand, and authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa as guides, find out what’s available in every category, from best to worst, and use step-by-step detailed plans to help make the most of your time at Walt Disney World.

Meet the people who created Disney theme parks around the world!Through rare Disney theme park concept art and photographs, this must-have collector's book showcases more than 280 biographies and features more than 50 pages on the evolution and behind-the-scenes of the Main Street, U.S.A. areas across the globe, up to and including the fairytale castles at the end of each street.Keen observers will notice intricate details throughout the Disney parks, including names featured on building windows. In particular, the windows of structures lining Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom are designed as calling cards for fictionalized shopkeepers, business owners, and academy heads. These names belong to the real life "all-stars" who helped make Disney's theme parks a reality around the world. The people cited on these windows are skilled artists, business leaders, Imagineers, songwriters, and more. With their imagination and sharp skills, each person has made an important contribution to The Walt Disney Company.People behind the Disney Parks is a gift that Disney collectors, theme park fans, and anyone curious about creative career paths through the arts and sciences will appreciate for decades to come.

Cory Doctorow's debut cyberpunk science fiction that explores the scarcity of morality in a world that has conquered death and material insufficiency―now repackaged with a new cover!Jules is a young man barely a century old. He's lived long enough to see the cure for death and the end of scarcity, to learn ten languages and compose three symphonies...and to realize his boyhood dream of taking up residence in Disney World.Disney World! The greatest artistic achievement of the long-ago twentieth century. Now in the care of a network of volunteer "ad-hocs" who keep the classic attractions running as they always have, enhanced with only the smallest high-tech touches.Now, though, it seems the "ad hocs" are under attack. A new group has taken over the Hall of the Presidents and is replacing its venerable audioanimatronics with new, immersive direct-to-brain interfaces that give guests the illusion of being Washington, Lincoln, and all the others. For Jules, this is an attack on the artistic purity of Disney World itself.Worse: it appears this new group has had Jules killed. This upsets him. (It's only his fourth death and revival, after all.) Now it's war: war for the soul of the Magic Kingdom, a war of ever-shifting reputations, technical wizardry, and entirely unpredictable outcomes.Bursting with cutting-edge speculation and human insight, Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is a coming-of-age romantic comedy and a kick-butt cybernetic tour de force.

A captivating exploration of beach resort culture—from its roots in fashionable society to its undervalued role in today’s world economy—as the travel industry approaches a climate reckoningWith its promise of escape from the strains of everyday life, the beachhas a hold on the popular imagination as the ultimate paradise. In The Last Resort, Sarah Stodola dives into the psyche of the beachgoer and gets to the heart of what drives humans to seek out the sand. At the same time, she grapples with the darker realities of resort culture: strangleholds on local economies, reckless construction, erosion of beaches, weighty carbon footprints, and the inevitable overdevelopment and decline that comes with a soaring demand for popular shorelines.The Last Resort weaves Stodola’s firsthand travel notes with her exacting journalism in an enthralling report on the past, present, and future of coastal travel.She takes us from Monte Carlo, where the pursuit of pleasure first became part of the beach resort experience, to a village in Fiji that was changed irrevocably by the opening of a single resort; from the overdevelopment that stripped Acapulco of its reputation for exclusivity to Miami Beach, where extreme measures are underway to prevent the barrier island from vanishing into the ocean.In the twenty-first century, beach travel has become central to our globalized world—its culture, economy, and interconnectedness. But with sea levels likely to rise at least 1.5 to 3 feet by the end of this century, beaches will become increasingly difficult to preserve, and many will disappear altogether. What will our last resort be when water begins to fill the lobbies?

In the 2019 edition, we'll tell young readers how to: Join the vacation-planning fun, with kid-friendly descriptions of all the theme park shows and attractions, including maps, photos, colorful illustrations, and more. Experience a whole new play zone at Disney's Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Land, featuring a family-friendly roller coaster called Slinky Dog Dash and the Alien Swirling Saucers ride (beware of The Claw!) Discover new theme park offerings, including the Magic Kingdom's fireworks spectacular Happily Ever After, Epcot's new Mission: SPACE Green adventure, and Disney's Animal Kingdom's high-flying and wildly popular Avatar: Flight of Passage attraction. Awaken the Force at Walt Disney World! Disney's Hollywood Studios--a theme park that is getting new land called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Meet favorite Disney characters and collect autographs from Mickey, Minnie, Anna, Elsa, Chewbacca, BB8, Goofy, and the gang, and there are special autograph pages at the back of the book!The book is filled with kid-written tips and attraction reviews. Hunt for dozens of Hidden Mickeys spread through all four Walt Disney World theme parks. Preserve magical memories in a special scrapbook section.Planning a trip to the Walt Disney World? Be sure to have all the official guides from Disney Editions:Birnbaum's 2020 Walt Disney World for Kids Birnbaum's 2020 Walt Disney World The Hidden Mickeys of Walt Disney World

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • The bravely imagined, wildly acclaimed debut novel from the author of Vampires in the Lemon Grove—about a thirteen year old girl who sets out on a mission through magical swamps to save her family."Ms. Russell is one in a million.... A suspensfuly, deeply haunted book." —The New York TimesThirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree has lived her entire life at Swamplandia!, her family’s island home and gator-wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. But when illness fells Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, the family is plunged into chaos; her father withdraws, her sister falls in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, defects to a rival park called The World of Darkness.As Ava embarks on her mission to save them all, we are drawn into a lush debut that takes us to the shimmering edge of reality.

Award-winning filmmaker Pete Docter and veteran Walt Disney Imagineer Christopher Merritt share a deluxe two-book slip-cased set celebrating Disney Legend Marc Davis. The hefty volumes showcase Marc's mostly unseen Disney theme park concept art and offer a unique behind-the-scenes view as told through Marc's own words.On February 16, 1962, senior animator Marc Davis officially transitioned from Walt Disney Feature Animation to a new division of the company: a group assembled to design Walt's new theme park. After thirty-plus years animating classic Disney features, Marc would become one of the most renowned of Walt Disney's new breed of employee-Imagineers.Marc would become a driving force behind the designs of many of the most iconic park attractions. Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, it's a small world, Jungle Cruise, Country Bear Jamboree, and many others feature environments and storylines that were heavily influenced by his conceptual artwork.Featuring work from the sixties through the eighties, this two-volume set includes more than 1,500 pieces from the Imagineering archives, the vast majority of which have never been published. In addition, for the first time Marc's design theories as well as many of his stories of working with Walt are featured in his own words as recorded during hours upon hours of interviews by author Chris Merritt.Marc Davis in His Own Words is a treasure trove for artists, students, and Disney collectors.Searching for that perfect gift for the Disney theme park fan in your life? Explore more archival-quality books from Disney Editions:Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky Walt Disney's Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub Iwerks One Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the Globe Yesterday's Tomorrow: Disney's Magical Mid-Century Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic Poster Art of the Disney Parks

From the bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, the untold, "richly detailed" story of the women of Walt Disney Studios, who shaped the iconic films that have enthralled generations (Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures).From Snow White to Moana, from Pinocchio to Frozen, the animated films of Walt Disney Studios have moved and entertained millions. But few fans know that behind these groundbreaking features was an incredibly influential group of women who fought for respect in an often ruthless male-dominated industry and who have slipped under the radar for decades.In The Queens of Animation, bestselling author Nathalia Holt tells their dramatic stories for the first time, showing how these women infiltrated the boys' club of Disney's story and animation departments and used early technologies to create the rich artwork and unforgettable narratives that have become part of the American canon. As the influence of Walt Disney Studios grew -- and while battling sexism, domestic abuse, and workplace intimidation -- these women also fought to transform the way female characters are depicted to young audiences.With gripping storytelling, and based on extensive interviews and exclusive access to archival and personal documents, The Queens of Animation reveals the vital contributions these women made to Disney's Golden Age and their continued impact on animated filmmaking, culminating in the record-shattering Frozen, Disney's first female-directed full-length feature film.A Best Book of 2019: Library Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and Financial Times

The highly acclaimed and rated Disney+ documentary series, The Imagineering Story, becomes a book that greatly expands the award-winning filmmaker Leslie Iwerks' narrative of the fascinating history of Walt Disney Imagineering.The entire legacy of WDI is covered from day one through future projects with never-before-seen access and insights from people both on the inside and on the outside. So many stories and details were left on the cutting room floor―this book allows an expanded exploration of the magic of Imagineering.So many insider stories are featured.° Sculptor Blaine Gibson’s wife used to kick him under the table at restaurants for staring at interesting-looking people seated nearby, and he’d even find himself studying faces during Sunday morning worship. “You mean some of these characters might have features that are based on people you went to church with?” Marty Sklar once asked Gibson of the Imagineer's sculpts for Pirates of the Caribbean. “He finally admitted to me that that was true.”° In the early days, Walt Disney Imagineering "was in one little building and everybody parked in the back and you came in through the model shop, and you could see everything that was going on,” recalled Marty Sklar. “When we started on the World’s Fair in 1960 and 1961, we had 100 people here. And so everybody knew everything about what was happening and the status of [each] project, so you really felt like you were part of the whole team whether you were working on that project or not. And, you know, there was so much talent here.”A must-have for Disney Parks fans!Searching for that perfect gift for the #1 Disney fan in your life? Explore more behind-the-scenes stories from Disney Editions:One Little Spark! Mickey's Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering (By Disney Legend Marty Sklar)Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career (By Kevin Rafferty)Travels with Walt Disney: A Photographic Voyage Around the World (By Jeff Kurtti)Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food (By Marcy Carriker Smothers)Walt Disney: An American Original (By Bob Thomas)Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)

How the Magic Was BornOnce upon a time, the swampy flatlands of central Florida were home to oranges, cattle, and alligators. Then a man came and said, "lo, there shall be a theme park." A few years later, swampland turned to fantasyland, as Walt Disney World arose. This is the story of how it happened.Jim Korkis, the world's premiere Disney historian, weaves a compelling, organized tale from the thousands of details, reports, and eyewitness accounts—some of them never before in print— about the early days of the most magical place on earth. As with his companion book, The Unofficial Disneyland 1955 Companion, Korkis delivers a top-down history, from the perspective of high-level Disney executives to that of front-line Disney cast members.Korkis begins with the initial surveys of the Disney World site in 1958 and takes the story through 1972, telling the complete and definitive story of how the park was designed and built, and how it was run during its first year.As Walt Disney stood on a swampy marsh in central Florida not long before his death in 1966, he did not see a wilderness, he saw a bright city of tomorrow, a towering castle, innovative hotels, and above all, families having fun in themed lands of wonder.We know how the story turned out, but now you can stand alongside Walt and experience it all over again, from the very beginning.

A propulsive and “entertaining” (The Wall Street Journal) history chronicling the conception and creation of the iconic Disneyland theme park, as told like never before by popular historian Richard Snow.One day in the early 1950s, Walt Disney stood looking over 240 acres of farmland in Anaheim, California, and imagined building a park where people “could live among Mickey Mouse and Snow White in a world still powered by steam and fire for a day or a week or (if the visitor is slightly mad) forever.” Despite his wealth and fame, exactly no one wanted Disney to build such a park. Not his brother Roy, who ran the company’s finances; not the bankers; and not his wife, Lillian. Amusement parks at that time, such as Coney Island, were a generally despised business, sagging and sordid remnants of bygone days. Disney was told that he would only be heading toward financial ruin.But Walt persevered, initially financing the park against his own life insurance policy and later with sponsorship from ABC and the sale of thousands and thousands of Davy Crockett coonskin caps. Disney assembled a talented team of engineers, architects, artists, animators, landscapers, and even a retired admiral to transform his ideas into a soaring yet soothing wonderland of a park. The catch was that they had only a year and a day in which to build it.On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates…and the first day was a disaster. Disney was nearly suicidal with grief that he had failed on a grand scale. But the curious masses kept coming, and the rest is entertainment history. Eight hundred million visitors have flocked to the park since then. In Disney’s Land, “Snow brings a historian’s eye and a child’s delight, not to mention superb writing, to the telling of this fascinating narrative” (Ken Burns) that “will entertain Disneyphiles and readers of popular American history” (Publishers Weekly).

This is the Commemorative Edition of one of the most trusted and respected nonfiction books about Walt Disney ever written!Includes 4 commemorative essays; a photo insert with more than 60 behind-the-scenes images; and an endnotes section with insightful passages from 15 Disney historians and authors to provide further context for modern audiences.Walt Disney is an American hero. From Mickey Mouse to Disneyland, he changed the face of American culture. His is a success story like no other: a man who developed animated film into an art form and made a massive contribution to the folklore of the world.After years of research, respected Hollywood biographer Bob Thomas produced this definitive biography of the person behind the legend of Disney: the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City, Missouri, who—though his initial studio went bankrupt during his first movie venture—developed into a creative spirit who produced unmatched works of entertainment that have influenced generations.Inside the Commemorative Edition paperback:• Special essays by Christopher Miller, Jeff Kurtti, Marcy Carriker Smothers, and Rebecca Cline and an updated index from the 2023 edition• Preface by Bob Thomas from the 1994 edition• Foreground, 28 chapters, and sources by Bob Thomas from the 1976 edition• Endnotes excerpting 15 books that have furthered Bob’s research from the 2023 edition• 32-page photo insert with more than 60 behind-the-scenes images from the 2023 editionSearching for information about Walt Disney? Explore more books from Disney Editions:The Official Walt Disney Quote Book People Behind the Disney Parks: Stories of Those Honored with a Window on Main Street, U.S.A. Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai Walt's Disneyland: A Walk in the Park with Walt Disney The Story of Disney: 100 Years of Wonder

For the rookies to the annual passholders, Drinking at Disney is the ultimate bar and lounge guide for adults visiting Walt Disney World.Updated for 2019 with over 100 in-depth bar reviews, hundreds of full-color photographs and maps, customized drinking plans, and pro-tips. Drunky, your tipsy tour guide, and Rhiannon, his begrudging editor, take you on a magical journey through all four theme parks, water parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. You'll soon be an expert on: Drinking around the world at Epcot's World Showcase The delightful (and not so delightful) offerings for libations at Disney Springs Worst bars to take a first date The "hidden gem" bars and lounges at each Disney resortWhether you need one drink or seven, Drinking at Disney is ready to help you navigate the Vacation Kingdom with a lot of laughs and well-researched information.

Attention, all Disney Fans! Do you enjoy reading about the Disney theme parks? Perhaps you’re enamored with the man who was Walt Disney? Maybe you’re just plain crazy for Mickey Mouse and the Disney big-screen features? No need to order your serving of Disney history and knowledge a la carte anymore.Welcome to The Disney Story, a decade-by-decade look back on the man, the mouse, and the theme parks. From Mickey Mouse’s debut at the Colony Theatre in November 1928 to the opening of Shanghai Disneyland in 2016—and everything in between—finally, the world’s greatest storyteller has their story told!In addition to reliving Disney’s most memorable moments, there are numerous interesting and lesser-known stories that will expand your Disney knowledge and give you a fresh perspective on your favorite Disney topic.Perhaps you’re familiar with some of the Disney milestones covered in the book, but how about a few other notable stories:Have you ever heard of Disney by the Sea? This was the working name for the ninety-two-acre beachfront tract of land east of Walt Disney World. Disney purchased the property in the early 1970s with the intention of offering a beach experience for those visiting Walt Disney World.Have you ever wondered about the story behind those legendary Mickey ears that millions of people wear at the Disney parks? Who invented them?Which four movies did the minds at Pixar sketch out on paper napkins during one lunch in the summer of 1994? These movies turned out to be some of the studio’s greatest hits.Did you know that in 1937 at the Hollywood premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the movie stars of the day paid over five dollars to see the film?What role did Disney’s Silly Symphonies play in the movie The Wizard of Oz?How did a group of legendary Disney animators become known as the Nine Old Men?Did you know that during the 1990s, Disney was going to sponsor the country’s first nationwide lottery?Ever hear of Mickey’s Kitchen? It was Disney’s healthy fast-food restaurant experiment.Whatever happened to Disney’s America—the theme park Disney planned for Virginia in the 1990s?Which holiday had Japan never celebrated until Disney introduced it at their theme park?Which A-list movie star turned down a role in Toy Story? He later accepted a monster of a role a few years later.Which world leader was supposedly buried with his Mickey Mouse watch?Why was the FBI interested in EPCOT’s World Showcase after it debuted?The Disney Story is more than just a timeline of Disney events and a collection of interesting stories such as the ones above. It’s a vehicle and guidebook that can be used to travel back in time and read about your favorite Disney subjects via an interactive bibliography on the book’s companion website.Disney’s ninety-year journey is all here in one volume, complete with informative stories and tidbits about the theme parks, movies, and Walt himself. Revel in the remarkable innovations and legendary Disney magic that make the company the premiere name in entertainment today.

Save time and money with in-depth reviews, ratings, and details from the trusted source for a successful Walt Disney World vacation.How do some guests get on the big, new attraction in less than 20 minutes while others wait for longer than 2 hours—on the same day? Why do some guests pay full price for their visit when others can save hundreds of dollars? In a theme park, every minute and every dollar count. Your vacation is too important to be left to chance, so put the best-selling independent guide to Walt Disney World in your hands and take control of your trip.The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2024 explains how Walt Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to stay ahead of the crowd. Authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa know that you want your vacation to be anything but average, so they employ an expert team of researchers to find the secrets, the shortcuts, and the bargains that are sure to make your vacation exceptional! Find out what’s available in every category, ranked from best to worst, and get detailed plans to make the most of your time at Walt Disney World. Stay at a top-rated hotel, eat at the best restaurants, and experience all the most popular attractions.Keep in the know on the latest updates and changes at Walt Disney World. Here’s what’s NEW in the 2024 book: Learn when to visit Walt Disney World to get lower crowds and bigger hotel discounts Find insider coverage of the Magic Kingdom’s new TRON Lightcycle/Run coaster, including how to save time in line Read a review of EPCOT’s new Journey of Water, inspired by Moana Get tips on playing EPCOT’s new DuckTales World Showcase Adventure game Take in the latest on Disney programs such as Early Theme Park Entry Successfully navigate Disney’s ridiculously complicated admissions, transportation, and Genie+ and Lightning Lane reservations systems Uncover the newest, best places for ticket and hotel deals Save more with information on discounted stroller rentals, car rentals, and vacation homes Preview the new tower building at Disney’s Polynesian Resort Utilize new touring plans to save the most time in line at every Disney park Discover the highest-rated rooms and buildings to ask for at every Disney resortMake the right choices to give your family a vacation they’ll never forget. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2024 is your key to planning a perfect stay. Whether you’re putting together your annual trip or preparing for your first visit, this book gives you the insider scoop on hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more.

Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida opened in Orlando at the dawn of the Disney Renaissance. As a member of the crew, Mary E. Lescher witnessed the small studio’s rise and fall during a transformative era in company and movie history. Her in-depth interviews with fellow artists, administrators, and support personnel reveal the human dimension of a technological revolution: the dramatic shift from hand-drawn cel animation to the digital format that eclipsed it in less than a decade. She also traces the Florida Studio’s parallel existence as a part of The Magic of Disney Animation, a living theme park attraction where Lescher and her colleagues worked in full view of Walt Disney World guests eager to experience the magic of the company’s legendary animation process.A ground-level look at the entertainment giant, The Disney Animation Renaissance profiles the people and purpose behind a little-known studio during a historic era.

The story of Walt Disney’s life--told as no other book can!Walt Disney is an American hero. From Mickey Mouse to Disneyland, he changed the face of American culture. His is a success story like no other: a man who developed animated film into an art form and made a massive contribution to the folklore of the world.After years of research, respected Hollywood biographer Bob Thomas produced a definitive biography of the man behind the legend of Disney: the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City who when bankrupt on his first movie venture and developed into the genius who produced unmatched works of animation, and ultimately was the creative spirit of an international entertainment empire that has enchanted generations. Complete with a collection of rare photographs, Walt Disney: An American Original is a fascinating and inspirational work that captures the spirit of Walt Disney.Searching for that perfect gift for the #1 Disney fan in your life? Explore more behind-the-scenes stories from Disney Editions: Travels with Figment: On the Road in Search of Disney Dreams (By Disney Legend Marty Sklar)One Little Spark! Mickey's Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering (By Disney Legend Marty Sklar)Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career (By Kevin Rafferty)Travels with Walt Disney: A Photographic Voyage Around the World (By Jeff Kurtti)Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food (By Marcy Carriker Smothers)Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans’ Curious Questions (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)My Pride: Mastering Life's Daily Performance from Broadway's Record-Breaking Lion King (By Alton Fitzgerald White)Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, Revised and Updated Edition (By The Disney Institute)

“It’s not the magic that makes it work; it’s the way we work that makes it magic.”The secret for creating “magic” in our careers, our organizations, and our lives is simple: outstanding leadership—the kind that inspires employees, delights customers, and achieves extraordinary business results.No one knows more about this kind of leadership than Lee Cockerell, the man who ran Walt Disney World® Resort operations for over a decade. And in Creating Magic, he shares the leadership principles that not only guided his own journey from a poor farm boy in Oklahoma to the head of operations for a multibillion dollar enterprise, but that also soon came to form the cultural bedrock of the world’s number one vacation destination. But as Lee demonstrates, great leadership isn’t about mastering impossibly complex management theories. We can all become outstanding leaders by following the ten practical, common sense strategies outlined in this remarkable book. As straightforward as they are profound, these leadership lessons include:Everyone is important.Make your people your brand.Burn the free fuel: appreciation, recognition, and encouragement.Give people a purpose, not just a job.Combining surprising business wisdom with insightful and entertaining stories from Lee’s four decades on the front lines of some of the world’s best-run companies, Creating Magic shows all of us – from small business owners to managers at every level – how to become better leaders by infusing quality, character, courage, enthusiasm, and integrity into our workplace and into our lives.

The latest edition to the successful Hidden Magic series features updated information on the latest attractions at Walt Disney World, including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway!Whether it’s your first or fiftieth visit to Walt Disney World, you’ll be surprised at how much you can miss during your trip. But with this guide to Disney’s hidden treasures you’ll learn:-You can search for more than the usual hidden Mickey. There are other beloved characters like Donald Duck and Minnie Mouse hidden around the parks.-The book Belle reads in Beauty and the Beast is a real book...and you can find out what it is by heading to Maurice’s cottage.-Imagineers hide symbols of themselves around the park to “sign” their work.Including all-new information on Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World, 3rd Edition will inspire you to relive the magic year after year!

Discover the secrets and magic of Walt Disney World. This book will be your guide to Disney’s hidden treasures—including Fantasyland and Storybook Circus secrets!Your guide to Disney's hidden treasures--including Fantasyland and Storybook Circus secrets!Whether this is your first or fiftieth visit, you'd be surprised at how much you miss during your trip to Walt Disney World. From where to find hidden Imagineer signatures to the secrets behind the carriage numbers in the Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak play area, learn all about the hidden magic that permeates these fabulous resorts in this tell-all handbook. You will also get the insider's take on: The Disney family coat of arms standing guard at the entrance to Cinderella Castle The surprise song that plays in the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train queue area The mysterious concentric circles in the Temple of Heaven in Epcot's China pavilion The lipstick stain on the champagne glass sitting on the table in the Tower of Terror Complete with a whole new section on the Fantasyland and Storybook Circus expansion, The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World, 2nd Edition will inspire you to relive the magic year after year!

We’ve all read about the experts: the artists, the scientists, the engineers―that special group of people known as Imagineers for The Walt Disney Company. But who are they? How did they join the team? What is it like to spend a day in their shoes?Disney Legend Marty Sklar wants to give back to fans and answer these burning questions. When Marty was president of Walt Disney Imagineering, he created a list of principles and ideals for the team, aptly named Mickey’s Ten Commandments. Using this code of standards as his organizational flow, Marty provides readers with insights and advice from himself and dozens of hands-on Imagineers from around the globe. It’s a true insider’s look like no other!Searching for that perfect gift for the #1 Disney fan in your life? Explore more behind-the-scenes stories from Disney Editions:Travels with Figment: On the Road in Search of Disney Dreams (By Disney Legend Marty Sklar)Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career (By Kevin Rafferty)Travels with Walt Disney: A Photographic Voyage Around the World (By Jeff Kurtti)Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food (By Marcy Carriker Smothers)Walt Disney: An American Original (By Bob Thomas)Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans’ Curious Questions (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered (By Disney Legend Dave Smith)My Pride: Mastering Life's Daily Performance from Broadway's Record-Breaking Lion King (By Alton Fitzgerald White)Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, Revised and Updated Edition (By The Disney Institute)

An expanded and updated second edition of the stunning collection of posters from Disney theme parks around the world! Features more than 85 new posters and concept art pieces and a lively narrative about their behind-the-scenes development.Disney attraction posters have been an important means of communication since Disneyland began displaying them in 1956. These eye-catching pieces of artwork adorn the parks with flair and style, and are displayed to build excitement and disseminate information about the newest additions to the Disney landscape. As evidenced by the evolution of the attraction posters, art styles and design techniques have certainly changed over the years. These characteristics also differ from continent to continent. Posters from EPCOT, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland exhibit the nuances in presentation that give each park’s pantheon of posters its signature look and story.This expanded and updated second edition is a must-have for anyone who loves the original book, for Disney collectors, and for students of the arts. Find inside:An incredible collection of original attraction posters from Shanghai Disneyland The extensive and graphically bold collection of EPCOT posters first unveiled at D23 Expo 2019 Posters featuring attractions and lands inspired by storytelling from Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel A variety of vibrant voices quoted throughout the book, with interesting insights about the development of the posters over the years and the interconnection among art, typography, and graphic design--Disney style. Searching for that perfect gift for the Disney theme park fan in your life? Explore more archival-quality books from Disney Editions: A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky One Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the Globe Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks Yesterday's Tomorrow: Disney's Magical Mid-Century Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic

WELCOME, FOOLISH MORTALS, to the Haunted Mansion, one of the most popular attractions in the history of Disney theme parks.The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic explores how the attraction's "999 happy haunts" were brought to life. Rare early concept sketches, detailed architectural drawings, and stunning still photography illustrate the Mansion's evolution as it was designed and built at each Magic Kingdom park around the world-including Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland.Our tour begins here with a twistedly thorough third edition. Based on the retired title The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, this newly updated volume confirms or debunks longstanding urban legends, shares fascinating behind-the-screams stories, and reveals how concepts move from inspiration to reality. Readers will discover the latest show enhancements to this classic attraction and find even more artwork depicting the happy haunting grounds in California and Florida as well as Tokyo, Paris, and now Hong Kong.This is one book you'll be dying to have on your shelf!Searching for that perfect gift for the Disney theme park fan in your life? Explore more archival-quality books from Disney Editions:Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky Walt Disney's Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub Iwerks One Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the Globe Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks Yesterday's Tomorrow: Disney's Magical Mid-Century Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai Poster Art of the Disney Parks

So - ye comes seeking adventure and salty old pirates, aye? Sure, ye've come to the proper place. But keep a weather-eye open, mates, and hold on tight... with both hands if you please. There be squalls ahead. And Davy Jones waiting for them what don't obey...

Celebrate movie history and the world of Disney, from the animations and live action movies to the magical Disney parks and attractions, with The Disney Book.Go behind-the-scenes of Disney's best-loved animated movies and find out how they were made, follow Disney's entire history using the timeline, and marvel at beautiful concept art and story sketches.Perfect for Disney fans who want to know everything about the magical Disney world, The Disney Book delves into their incredible archives and lets readers explore classic Disney animated and live action movies, wonder at fascinating Disney collectibles and even see original story sketches from Disney films.The ideal gift for Disney fans and animation and movie buffs, The Disney Book also includes 3 original movie frames from Disney Pixar's Brave.Copyright © 2015 Disney.

From a co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios—the Academy Award–winning studio behind Coco, Inside Out, and Toy Story—comes an incisive book about creativity in business and leadership for readers of Daniel Pink, Tom Peters, and Chip and Dan Heath.NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Huffington Post • Financial Times • Success • Inc. • Library JournalCreativity, Inc. is a manual for anyone who strives for originality and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about creativity—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”For nearly twenty years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, WALL-E, and Inside Out, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner thirty Academy Awards. The joyousness of the storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Here, in this book, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable.As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged a partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his co-founding Pixar in 1986. Nine years later, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. The essential ingredient in that movie’s success—and in the thirteen movies that followed—was the unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues built at Pixar, based on leadership and management philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, such as:• Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better.• If you don’t strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead.• It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them.• The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them.• A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.

The most complete book on the subject ever written, this is the fascinating inside story by two long-term Disney animators of the gradual perfecting of a relatively young and particularly American art from, which no other move studio has ever been able to equal.The authors, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, worked with Walt Disney himself as well as other leading figures in a half-century of Disney films. They personally animated leading characters in most of the famous films and have decades of close association with the others who helped perfect this extremely difficult and time-consuming art form. Not to be mistaken for just a "how-to-do-it," this voluminously illustrated volume (like the classic Disney films themselves) is intended for everyone to enjoy.Besides relating the painstaking trial-and-error development of Disney's character animation technology, this book irresistibly charms us with almost an overabundance of the original historic drawings used in creating some of the best-loved characters in American culture: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Snow White and Bambi (among many, many others) as well as early sketches used in developing memorable sequences from classic features such as Fantasia and Pinocchio.With the full cooperation of Walt Disney Productions and free access to the studio's priceless archives, the authors took unparalleled advantage of their intimate long-term experience with animated films to choose the precise drawings to illustrate their points from among hundreds of thousands of pieces of artwork carefully stored away.The book answers everybody's question about how the amazingly lifelike effects of Disney character animation were achieved, including charming stories of the ways that many favorite animated figures got their unique personalities. From the perspective of two men who had an important role in shaping the art of animation, and within the context of the history of animation and the growth of the Disney studio, this is the definitive volume on the work and achievement of one of America's best-known and most widely loved cultural institutions. Nostalgia and film buffs, students of popular culture, and that very broad audience who warmly responds to the Disney "illusion of life" will find this book compelling reading (and looking!).Searching for that perfect gift for the animation fan in your life? Explore more behind-the-scenes stories from Disney Editions:The Art of Mulan: A Disney Editions ClassicWalt Disney's Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub IwerksOne Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the GlobeThe Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to RememberFrom All of Us to All of You: The Disney Christmas CardInk & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's AnimationOswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons, Revised Special EditionDisney Villains: Delightfully Evil - The Creation, The Inspiration, The FascinationThe Art and Flair of Mary Blair: An Appreciation, Updated Edition.

Featuring a new paperback cover to match hardcover of Kingdom Keepers II: In this fantastical thriller, five young teens tapped as models for theme park "guides" find themselves pitted against Disney villains and witches that threaten both the future of Walt Disney World and the stability of the world outside its walls. Using a cutting-edge technology called DHI--which stands for both Disney Host Interactive and Daylight Hologram Imaging--Finn Whitman, an Orlando teen, and four other kids are transformed into hologram projections that guide guests through the park. The new technology turns out, however, to have unexpected effects that are both thrilling and scary. Soon Finn finds himself transported in his DHI form into the Magic Kingdom at night. Is it real? Is he dreaming? Finn's confusion only increases when he encounters Wayne, an elderly Imagineer who tells him that the park is in grave danger. Led by the scheming witch, Maleficent, a mysterious group of characters called the Overtakers is plotting to destroy Disney's beloved realm, and maybe more. This gripping high-tech tale will thrill every kid who has ever dreamed of sneaking into Walt Disney World after hours and wondered what happens at night, when the park is closed.

The Wall Street Journal BestsellerUSA TODAY BestsellerExperience the magic of the Disney Parks right in your kitchen with these 100, easy and delicious recipes inspired by Walt Disney World!Stroll right down the middle of Main Street USA, journey from Adventureland to Infinity and Beyond at Pixar Pier, and explore every avenue in between to taste the flavors of the Disney Parks…all without leaving your kitchen.With The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook you can bring the magic of Disneyland and Walt Disney World snacks and treats right to your home. Recreate favorites like the classic Dole Whip and Mickey Pretzels to new favorites like blue milk from Star Wars land and Jack Jack’s Cookie Num Nums from Pixar Pier.These 100 recipes inspired by iconic yummies are perfect whether you are a forever Disney fan or just love a good snack. Now you can feel as if you shared a snack with Mickey himself right from the comfort of your own home!

Discover wonder.“A wanderlust-whetting cabinet of curiosities on paper.”— New York TimesInspiring equal parts wonder and wanderlust, Atlas Obscura is a phenomenon of a travel book that shot to the top of bestseller lists when it was first published and changed the way we think about the world, expanding our sense of how strange and marvelous it really is.This second edition takes readers to even more curious and unusual destinations, with more than 100 new places, dozens and dozens of new photographs, and two very special features: twelve city guides, covering Berlin, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Cairo, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Moscow, New York City, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Plus a foldout map with a dream itinerary for the ultimate around-the-world road trip. More a cabinet of curiosities than traditional guidebook, Atlas Obscura revels in the unexpected, the overlooked, the bizarre, and the mysterious. Here are natural wonders, like the dazzling glowworm caves in New Zealand, or a baobob tree in South Africa so large it has a pub inside where 15 people can sit and drink comfortably. Architectural marvels, including the M. C. Escher–like stepwells in India. Mind-boggling events, like the Baby-Jumping Festival in Spain—and no, it’s not the babies doing the jumping, but masked men dressed as devils who vault over rows of squirming infants.Every page gets to the very core of why humans want to travel in the first place: to be delighted and disoriented, uprooted from the familiar and amazed by the new. With its compelling descriptions, hundreds of photographs, surprising charts, maps for every region of the world, and new city guides, it is a book you can open anywhere and be transported. But proceed with caution: It’s almost impossible not to turn to the next entry, and the next, and the next.

****THIS THIRD EDITION HAS BEEN UPDATED FOR 2017. ****New York Times Bestseller For over a decade, Matt Kepnes (aka Nomadic Matt) has used his massively populartravel blog to teach readers how to travel the world on a budget.Traditional media shows you expensive hotels, resorts, cruises, and packagesbecause that's what makes them money. They make you believe you have to spend lotsof money to have a great experience traveling.This book will show you why that is a lie and how you can visit any destination in the world.If you've ever dreamed of traveling the world, flying off to Europe, a honeymoon the Seychelles, or just taking your family toDisney or a trip to London, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day will give you the practical, step-by-step instructions to get your there - from start to finish on $50 a day (or less). Matt reveals the tips, tricks, and secrets to comfortable budget travel that you won't find anywhere else with over 100 new pages of updated content in this third edition. He interviews dozens of other travelers about their success on the road and how you can apply that to your own trip.There's never been a more perfect - or cheaper - time to travel and Matt will show you how to make the most of your time and money so you stop saying one day and start taking action today!Whether it's a two-week, two-month, or two-year trip, Matt shows you how to stretch your money further so you can travel cheaper, smarter, and longer.

This must-have coffee table book paints a robust portrait of the Walt Disney World Resort through more than 100 vibrant voices and 500 rare Disney theme park visuals, including concept art, photographs, and ephemera.Walt Disney's vision for the "Florida Project" begins with Disneyland and the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. After an imaginative and expansive design, a unique land acquisition process, and an innovative construction period, Walt Disney World celebrated its opening in 1971. It featured a theme park dubbed the Magic Kingdom and three exquisitely themed resorts: Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.As Walt Disney World consistently grew and evolved through the five decades that have followed, certain themes keep reverberating: there's an appreciation for nostalgia, a joy in fantasy, a hunger for discovery, and an unending hope for a better tomorrow. Inspirational and memorable theme parks, water parks, sports arenas, recreational water sports options, world-class golf courses, vast shopping villages, and a transportation network unlike any other in the world resulted in fun and familiar characters, traditions, spectacles, merchandise, and so much more. The resort has come to represent the pulse of American leisure and has served as a backdrop for life's milestones both big and small, public and private.A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth serves as a treasure trove for pop culture enthusiasts, students of hospitality, artists, art collectors, and Disney fans.Searching for ways to celebrate the Walt Disney World Resort? Explore more books from Disney Editions:Delicious Disney: Walt Disney World Art of Coloring: Walt Disney World People Behind the Disney Parks: Stories of Those Honored with a Window on Main Street, U.S.A. Poster Art of the Disney Parks, Second Edition Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai

The 18th picture book in the New York Times bestselling series of biographies about heroes tells the story of Walt Disney, who made dreams come true.This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This volume features Walt Disney, who makes dreams come true for himself and countless kids around the world.

A New York Times Notable Book • "An elegant, nonlinear reflection on how flying on a commercial airliner—even while painfully folded into a seat in coach—can lift the soul.” —The New York Times Book ReviewIn the twenty-first century, airplane flight—once a remarkable feat of human ingenuity—has been relegated to the realm of the mundane. In this mesmerizing reflection on flying, Mark Vanhoenacker, a 747 pilot who left academia and a career in the business world to pursue his childhood dream of flying, helps us to reimagine what we—as pilots and as passengers—are actually doing when we enter the world between departure and discovery.In a seamless fusion of history, politics, geography, meteorology, ecology, family, and physics, Vanhoenacker vaults across geographical and cultural boundaries; above mountains, oceans, and deserts; through snow, wind, and rain, renewing a simultaneously humbling and almost superhuman activity and reawakening our capacity to be amazed.

Fans of Disneyland, Disney World, and all things Disney are sure to enjoy learning all about the fascinating founder, Walt Disney. This new biographic reader reveals the interesting, enchanting life of one of the world's most beloved storytellers and entrepreneurs. Level 3 text provides accessible yet wide-ranging information for fluent readers.

Walt Disney always loved to entertain people. Often it got him into trouble. Once he painted pictures with tar on the side of his family's white house. His family was poor, and the happiest time of his childhood was spent living on a farm in Missouri. His affection for small-town life is reflected in Disneyland Main Streets around the world. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this biography reveals the man behind the magic.This book is not authorized, licensed or endorsed by the Walt Disney Company or any affiliate.

Building the most magical place on earth was no fairy tale. Learn the story behind the creation of Walt Disney World.In 1964, when Walt Disney and his brother Roy decided to build a second theme park in the Florida swamplands, they kept it super hush-hush. Why? Well, if word got out that they planned to buy up lots of land, the price would have skyrocketed. So the Disneys cleverly covered up their trail, avoiding the Orlando airport and even using made-up names, like Walt and Roy Davis, for their flights. The deception worked. In covering the history of the "Most Magical Place On Earth," Joan Holub takes readers both behind the scenes and underneath the park (there are secret employee-only tunnels that form one big circle under the Magic Kingdom). Loaded with fun facts, this book is a great companion to Who Was Walt Disney?

Walt Disney is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in American history.What child doesn't grow up watching Disney films and reading Disney stories? With this biography for kids, young readers can learn about the man behind the mouse.They'll learn that Walt came from very humble beginnings, growing up on a farm in Marceline, Missouri. The informative and approachable narrative details Walt's service in World War I, his early ambitions to be an animator, and the creation of Mickey Mouse. From there, the story chronicles Walt's major film developments, including Snow White and Bambi, and the genesis of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.Aspiring young animators, Disney fans, and dreamers of all kinds will be inspired by Walt's ambitions and achievements.Searching for that perfect gift for the Disney kid in your life? Explore more behind-the-scenes stories:A Kiss Goodnight (By Disney Legends Richard M. Sherman and Floyd Norman) Pencils, Pens & Brushes: A Great Girls' Guide to Disney Animation Mary Blair's Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends

Winner of The Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Young Reader Nonfiction in 2020!You have probably heard the word Disney before. Come on, who hasn’t? You’ve seen Disney movies, watched Disney TV shows, and maybe even visited Disneyland or Walt Disney World.Did you know there were two brothers with the last name of Disney who created this entertainment empire? Walt and Roy Disney built the world’s most popular theme parks and brought to life some of the best-known cartoon characters in family entertainment. The story of their lives is a wonderful tale of hard work, determination, and cooperation.While this book is primarily about Walt Disney, his story can’t be properly told without including his older brother Roy and the strong bond between siblings that propelled them to worldwide fame and fortune.Illustrations throughout this biography help tell the story of how two farm boys from the Midwest went on to build one of the world’s most successful entertainment companies.