Sam Gennawey's Blog, page 12

The Polynesian Press Release

The “South Sea” hotel was going to have 840 rooms in a motel complex along with 250 rooms with private gardens. That concept evolved into the 12-story, 700-room “Polynesian-style” resort. This high rise structure would also feature two-story “out-buildings.” All of the rooms were designed to face the water. Guests would “almost literally feel they have traveled to the far Pacific.”

THE “REVISED” VAULT OF WALT

THE “REVISED” VAULT OF WALT
Jim Korkis
Theme Park Press
Anybody who studies Disney history knows of Jim Korkis. He coined the phrase “Disney Historian.” He is a wonderful storyteller and now his first collection of stories about all facets of the Disney empire has been rereleased with a new publisher. The best way to describe Jim’s writing is he finds the stuff in between the stuff you already know.
The Revised edition is different than the “collectors” edition. The new version has been reedited with some stories removed and new stories taking their place. New stuff includes stuff about Walt’s diet, a detailed look at the Carousel of Progress, and information about Walt and the many Academy Awards he won during his lifetime. I guess the big question is “should you buy it if you already have the older version?” I would say yes. The Carousel of Progress section alone is worth it. 
Disclosure: I received this book for free for the purpose of this review.

First Impressions

CONGRATULATIONS AL LUTZ

As a historian, it is always nice to review original documents. I recently examined all of Al Lutz’s old columns for a book project. One thing that stood out were all of the breakfast suggestions he makes before diving into the subject matter of the day. During the recent spectacular MiceAge 10th Anniversary Celebrity Breakfast Celebration at the ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney Anaheim, I had the pleasure of helping Dustysage present Al with a lifetime achievement award (a beautiful window on Main Street inspired work of art). During this segment, we scrolled Al’s 99 breakfast suggestions on a big screen. However, there just wasn’t time for us to read each one and they were scrolling too fast for most folks to read. Many attendees reached out to me after the event asking for the list.By popular demand, here are the 99 breakfast suggestions that Al has crafted as you settle in to read one of his updates (his 100th ran this week in his latest update).READ THE ENTIRE LIST AT MICECHAT

New Disneyland Book by Sam Gennawey

I am pleased to announce that my next book - The Disneyland That Was, Is, and Never Will Be - is coming out this July on Clerisy Press. Jeff Kurtti has written the Foreword.

Walt Disney said, “Disneyland is the star. Everything else is in the supporting role.” 

The Disneyland that Was, Is, and Never Will Be is the story of how Walt Disney’s greatest creation was conceived, nurtured, and how it grew into a source of joy and inspiration for generations of visitors. Despite his successors battles with the whims of history and their own doubts and egos, Walt’s vision maintained momentum, thrived, and taught future generations how to do it Walt Disney's way.

THE CITY OF TOMORROW, PALM BEACH

It’s a Samland double feature today. First up is the story of how Palm Beach almost became home to Disneyland East. Then we find out more about the legendary science fiction author, Ray Bradbury, and his relationship with the Walt Disney Company.

READ MORE AT MICECHAT

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO 2013

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO 2013The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park AdventureKelly Monaghan and Seth Kubersky
The Intrepid Traveler
Universal Studios in Florida used to be the thing that you did if you had extra time while in Florida. Now it is becoming the first stop for many families. You can see evidence of this at the number of Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts I see at WDW. I suspect the opening of The Wizardy World of Harry Potter may have had something to do with the new found popularity. Kelly and Seth have been covering the Universal beat just as long as anybody and they have it down pat. 
The guidebook is complete, concise, and offers some very handy tips. I got the book just prior to visiting Florida and tested many of the suggestions. The book will come especially handy for those staying on site. Unlike WDW where everything is a drive or a bus, Universal is very compact. Walking is encouraged with beautiful pathways and there are ferry boats from each of the three hotels. CityWalk is so dense with shops and restaurants, the guidebook will help you save a lot of time.
Disclosure: I received this book for free for the purpose of this review.

A World on the Move

On Sunday afternoon, I will be up on the second level of Innoventions chatting with wonderful people who were lucky enough to get tickets for the Yesterland tour of Disneyland. I get to talk about Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland was about to reemerge as a shining vision of an optimistic future. This would be the Tomorrowland that Walt had always wanted but could not afford in 1955. “Tomorrowland was something very dear to Walt’s heart," said Roy Disney. "The old Tomorrowland had always been a source of annoyance to him because he never really accomplished what he was trying to do…he was involved in great depth in the New Tomorrowland until the day he died.” Joe Fowler said, "[Walt] always had it in the back of his mind to completely rebuild it."
From the start, Walt’s intention had been that Tomorrowland be "a vista into a world of wondrous ideas, signifying man's achievements, a step into the future, with predictions of constructive things to come." Walt had high hopes for Tomorrowland, but the final product was constrained primarily by a lack of time and money. "When we opened Disneyland, outer space was Buck Rogers,” Walt said. “And since then has come Sputnik and our great [United States’] program in outer space. So I had to tear down my Tomorrowland that I built 11 years ago and rebuild it to keep pace." He added, "The only problem with anything of Tomorrow is that at the pace we’re going right now, tomorrow would catch up with us before we got it built.”

IT’S KIND OF A CUTE STORY

IT’S KIND OF A CUTE STORYRolly Crump as told to Jeff Heimbuch2012
Bamboo Forest Publishing
Disney Legend Rolly Crump has released an excellent autobiography called It’s Kind of a Cute Story. Imagine if you will, that you are invited over to his house along with Jeff Heimbuch and they begin to tell you wonderful stories of life at WED, the struggles between the creative people who worked at the place, and showed off rare and exotic artwork. If this sounds inviting then you should pick up this book.
In Crump’s book, he pretty much tells it like it is. His frustrations with WED boss Dick Irvine and his unique relationship with the rest of the creative teams that built the Disney parks.  The book covers his entire career including Knott’s Berry Farm, Steve Wynn, Circus World, and Circus World. Rolly was known as something rather special at WED, someone that seemed to spark Walt’s imagination like nobody else. This allowed him to get away with things unlike many of his peers. As he delighted in this, others were not so amused. This gave Rolly the freedom to work on other projects and bring his magical touch. The book is filled with graphics including a section of his recent fine arts work. Strongly recommend. 
Disclosure: I received this book for free for the purpose of this review.

EPCOT: THE FIRST THIRTY YEARS

EPCOT: THE FIRST THIRTY YEARS
An Unofficial RetrospectiveJeff Lange and Kevin Yee2012
Enchanted Swampland Press
The powerhouse Disney-related publishing house of Kevin Yee has produced another winner book. If you are a fan of Epcot and have been visiting for years then this book is bound to spark memories. What Jeff and Kevin have come with is the type of book you wound expect Disney to produce. To celebrate the park's anniversary they have compiled a brief description of each pavilion along with a history of the shows and attractions. The descriptions are straight forward and without cynicism. Each page is filled with photos that are not from Disney so there are some refreshing new images. 
What one begins to understand is just how much change has come to this park. It is rather remarkable. There is very little today that was there 30 years ago. What started out as an attempt to take the Disney theme park formula to the next level has proven to be a project of fitting it in because they could and diluting the original intent. This may or may not be a bad thing. I never rode World Of Motion and Horizons but I wish I did now. Was Food Rocks as trippy as it seems from the photos? What food additives were they ingesting during the development of that show? 
The book also deals the various shows. It is hard to imagine that there were daytime shows with light aircraft being flown by the Disney characters. Plus, I always thought Splashtacular was a real show and not just a running joke at WDW Today. There are also photos of a short lived circus. Yes, a circus at Epcot. The timeline at the back of the book will become a helpful resource for Epcot fans. 
Should you buy it? If Epcot is your favorite park, then yes. It will bring back memories and become a great conversation starter. Never been before? This may not be the best introduction. I will say as Disney continues to rewrite its own history to meet their needs and not necessarily the truth (this is happening more and more), it is this type of book, written by fans, that will become a critical link between then and now. No wonder the Company did not release a book like this as it shows that change usually only came when forced. The most visionary Disney theme park is the one with the least vision in its current form. And I have the photos to prove it now.
Disclosure: I received this book for free for the purpose of this review.