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Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World
The first in-depth, unauthorized look at the creation and operation of the world's most popular vacation destination. The author of the best-selling Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland reveals how Walt Disney's City of Tomorrow evolved into a sprawling resort where despite extraordinary efforts to control every aspect of the show everything doesn't always go according to script.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2007
89 people are currently reading
2189 people want to read
About the author
David Koenig
34 books47 followersDavid Koenig is the senior editor of the 80-year-old business journal, The Merchant Magazine.
After receiving his degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton (aka Cal State Disneyland), he began years of research for his first book, Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland (1994), which he followed with Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks (1997, revised 2001) and More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland (1999) (All titles published by Bonaventure Press).
He lives in Aliso Viejo, California, with his lovely wife, Laura, their wonderful son, Zachary, and their adorable daughter, Rebecca.
After receiving his degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton (aka Cal State Disneyland), he began years of research for his first book, Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland (1994), which he followed with Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks (1997, revised 2001) and More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland (1999) (All titles published by Bonaventure Press).
He lives in Aliso Viejo, California, with his lovely wife, Laura, their wonderful son, Zachary, and their adorable daughter, Rebecca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
January 15, 2021
Such a disappointment. This was 5% funny, behind-the-scenes glimpses and stories, and 95% droning history of every aspect of building Disneyworld, most of which I already knew. It should be marketed better, as solely a historical book instead of having funny stories.
July 14, 2009
I rarely read non-fiction, but I am a huge fan of the Disney parks and I read the other books on Disneyland by David Koenig and loved them, so decided I had to read this one about Walt Disney World.
The last half of the book was better than the first. The first half of the book focuses on the initiation process of getting the park open. It is a long process full of some politics, arguing and lots of red tape. It was really interesting to read about it, but I found myself pushing through it to get to the next chapter at times. The last half of the book was more about what happens in the parks after they'd been opened from employees, to guests on rides to security. That was more my cup of tea and I was completely hooked reading the last half of this book. Very interesting to learn a lot of the secrets from my favorite park. I'm really glad I read it.
The last half of the book was better than the first. The first half of the book focuses on the initiation process of getting the park open. It is a long process full of some politics, arguing and lots of red tape. It was really interesting to read about it, but I found myself pushing through it to get to the next chapter at times. The last half of the book was more about what happens in the parks after they'd been opened from employees, to guests on rides to security. That was more my cup of tea and I was completely hooked reading the last half of this book. Very interesting to learn a lot of the secrets from my favorite park. I'm really glad I read it.
January 7, 2012
As can be seen by looking at my collection of books, I have read a number of Disney titles in the past. In particular, I have researched extensively on Walt Disney World and its history. Each book I have read has tackled the subject from its own unique perspective, but usually still from someone within the organization. Then along came Realityland
Written by David Koenig, someone with a journalism background, Realityland offers readers a more candid take on Walt Disney World's history. The first third of the book is largely regurgitated information about the founding of the massive resort; passages where I found myself a little bored as I have read it all before. But the remainder of Koenig's work is where Realityland shines. Bringing the reader almost up to modern day, many behind the scenes stories from all time periods are told. In addition, the book shares various crime, injury, and poor financial stories that you would never find in an authorized book about Walt Disney World.
Koenig also doesn't hold back in his critique of recent Disney management and their inability to retain the magic that Walt Disney is renowned. The author makes a convincing argument suggesting management is unable to grasp that people flocked to Walt Disney for his focus on creativity and not the bottom-line. New attractions in comparison to old are lackluster and sometimes even pathetic, missing the awe inspiring nature of past. Of course, this book was written prior to Disney's recent acquisitions and park expansions that show promise (such as Cars Land in Disneyland and Fantasyland in Walt Disney World).
That being said, the conclusion of the book unfortunately gives the impression that Walt Disney World is so bad when compared to its original state that it isn't even worth attending today. That's far from the truth. It still is a great place to visit that is always inspiring, as Disney simply does theme parks better than the competition. But just because you are better than the competition doesn't mean you shouldn't be continually striving for more, which Walt Disney always pushed for. It's all about "plussing," as Walt suggested. Current management is content with being just "good enough" and that is the point that Koenig is trying to get across.
Though I don't think it should be the only book you read on the history of Walt Disney World, Realityland is an excellent addition to make your research more well rounded. However, those who have not been to Walt Disney World multiple times may struggle with some of its context, as the author presupposes you are familiar with much of the resort and attraction locations.
Written by David Koenig, someone with a journalism background, Realityland offers readers a more candid take on Walt Disney World's history. The first third of the book is largely regurgitated information about the founding of the massive resort; passages where I found myself a little bored as I have read it all before. But the remainder of Koenig's work is where Realityland shines. Bringing the reader almost up to modern day, many behind the scenes stories from all time periods are told. In addition, the book shares various crime, injury, and poor financial stories that you would never find in an authorized book about Walt Disney World.
Koenig also doesn't hold back in his critique of recent Disney management and their inability to retain the magic that Walt Disney is renowned. The author makes a convincing argument suggesting management is unable to grasp that people flocked to Walt Disney for his focus on creativity and not the bottom-line. New attractions in comparison to old are lackluster and sometimes even pathetic, missing the awe inspiring nature of past. Of course, this book was written prior to Disney's recent acquisitions and park expansions that show promise (such as Cars Land in Disneyland and Fantasyland in Walt Disney World).
That being said, the conclusion of the book unfortunately gives the impression that Walt Disney World is so bad when compared to its original state that it isn't even worth attending today. That's far from the truth. It still is a great place to visit that is always inspiring, as Disney simply does theme parks better than the competition. But just because you are better than the competition doesn't mean you shouldn't be continually striving for more, which Walt Disney always pushed for. It's all about "plussing," as Walt suggested. Current management is content with being just "good enough" and that is the point that Koenig is trying to get across.
Though I don't think it should be the only book you read on the history of Walt Disney World, Realityland is an excellent addition to make your research more well rounded. However, those who have not been to Walt Disney World multiple times may struggle with some of its context, as the author presupposes you are familiar with much of the resort and attraction locations.
April 28, 2010
A fascinating examination on the history and corporate culture behind what is probably the most famous resort in the world. From Walt Disney's clandestine purchase of property just outside of Orlando to the difficulties that plagued construction of the theme parks, from tensions between company movers and shakers to absurd lawsuits filed by visitors, Realityland looks at the good, bad, and just plain weird of Walt Disney World. How did EPCOT go from being a visionary community of tomorrow to an elaborate World's Fair? What happened when Disney took its first steps into hotel ownership? How did the company react to growing competition from Universal Studios and other local venues? With insightful interviews, amusing anecdotes, and occasionally unsettling revelations, Koenig reveals the world of laughter, tears, hopes and fears that is Disney.
January 24, 2018
I'm afraid that although I am a massive Disney fan, I found this book very dry and it took me a long time to read, considering how short the book is.
It is full of Disney trivia and goes over the story of how each park was built before moving on to more specific cast/guest experiences.
I think part of the problem was that very little information was new to me.
I wouldn't recommend this to new travellers to Disney due to the part about crime and guest deaths. It might put them off.
Only for very diehard Disney fans.
It is full of Disney trivia and goes over the story of how each park was built before moving on to more specific cast/guest experiences.
I think part of the problem was that very little information was new to me.
I wouldn't recommend this to new travellers to Disney due to the part about crime and guest deaths. It might put them off.
Only for very diehard Disney fans.
December 14, 2011
(Original review http://hill-kleerup.org/blog/2009/06/...)
Koenig’s "Realityland" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Disney lore or Walt Disney World, as it details the conception and crafting of that resort. While Disney as a company is known for “good show,” the building of both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT were progressive series of hasty improvisation and compromise. The downgrading of Walt Disney’s dream of an “ideal city of the future” in EPCOT to a few core elements by his more conservative successors is a known and tragic one, but this rendition of the tale provides plenty of good details.
Reading this books is not necessary to enjoy a visit to WDW, but neither does it detract from the magic to know how it was all done. Instead, it stands as a very approachable survey of the mingling of ideals, ideas, entertainment, education, business, and politics, and makes me both more appreciate the resort and recognize its limitations. Highly recommended.
Koenig’s "Realityland" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Disney lore or Walt Disney World, as it details the conception and crafting of that resort. While Disney as a company is known for “good show,” the building of both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT were progressive series of hasty improvisation and compromise. The downgrading of Walt Disney’s dream of an “ideal city of the future” in EPCOT to a few core elements by his more conservative successors is a known and tragic one, but this rendition of the tale provides plenty of good details.
Reading this books is not necessary to enjoy a visit to WDW, but neither does it detract from the magic to know how it was all done. Instead, it stands as a very approachable survey of the mingling of ideals, ideas, entertainment, education, business, and politics, and makes me both more appreciate the resort and recognize its limitations. Highly recommended.
January 2, 2018
A lot of good history and information that made my recent trip to Disney that much more interesting, but sometimes it moved slowly and focused a lot on the building aspect.
Read
January 1, 2021DNF (do not finish) for now. i got this book a few years ago when recommended by a friend but am no longer interested in it. i attempted to read it, and found one of the chapters interesting, but i don’t want to force myself to read it. non-fiction is interesting to me when i’m passionate about the subject, and with this, i’m really not. i’m not sure if i’ll pick it up again but for right now, i’m going to put this one down.
April 28, 2021
A really interesting history and behind-the-scenes look at Disney World.
November 5, 2013
I've been fascinated with the Disney phenomenon since childhood, when it was ubiquitous, and with Disney World ever since I was taken there as a 14-year-old. I was a bit too old to enjoy it as a theme park, so I took it more as a sociological observation. I didn't come away with a favorable impression. I have never been someone who enjoys manufactured fun or artifice, so Disney and I weren't such a good fit. I did get a trip to Europe out of it: my mother, in the French restaurant at Epcot, remarked, "Isn't this nice?" I'm sorry to report that I snapped back, "No, this is a swamp in Florida. Dinner in Paris would be nice." She took the idea and not the tone to heart, thank goodness, and we toured Europe the following summer, which was very nice indeed.
But I digress. The author shares my incredulity at the Disney popularity, and he takes apart the magic, plastic brick by plastic brick, in this exposé of some of the not-so-nice aspects of the Happiest Place on Earth. We're treated to deaths, dismemberments, bribery, politicking, hirings, firings, indoctrinations, and egregious building code violations. The lengths to which Disney has gone to sweep these little indiscretions and unpleasantnesses under the rug makes for very interesting reading.
The author is a bit repetitive at times when his topics overlap, and he has a tendency to present the facts in long listed paragraphs for impact. It's his only presentation device, and I imagine it's for shock value. Some of the same incidents are repeated several places in the book when they support another one of his points, but he uses the same level of detail, giving the book a cut-and-paste aspect that's a bit jarring.
Diehard Disney fans will not like this book at all. If you've read Carl Hiaasen's "Team Rodent," it's shorter and deals with the same subject matter. This has more detail and some photos, but I'd go with the Hiaasen first. He's a better writer, and as a local, he lived through the political and literal steamrolling by the Disney company to make this park happen. Either way, you may be less likely to choose Disney World as your vacation destination after you read this book.
But I digress. The author shares my incredulity at the Disney popularity, and he takes apart the magic, plastic brick by plastic brick, in this exposé of some of the not-so-nice aspects of the Happiest Place on Earth. We're treated to deaths, dismemberments, bribery, politicking, hirings, firings, indoctrinations, and egregious building code violations. The lengths to which Disney has gone to sweep these little indiscretions and unpleasantnesses under the rug makes for very interesting reading.
The author is a bit repetitive at times when his topics overlap, and he has a tendency to present the facts in long listed paragraphs for impact. It's his only presentation device, and I imagine it's for shock value. Some of the same incidents are repeated several places in the book when they support another one of his points, but he uses the same level of detail, giving the book a cut-and-paste aspect that's a bit jarring.
Diehard Disney fans will not like this book at all. If you've read Carl Hiaasen's "Team Rodent," it's shorter and deals with the same subject matter. This has more detail and some photos, but I'd go with the Hiaasen first. He's a better writer, and as a local, he lived through the political and literal steamrolling by the Disney company to make this park happen. Either way, you may be less likely to choose Disney World as your vacation destination after you read this book.
March 25, 2016
/* I dedicate this review to Megan. (; */
I am a self-proclaimed Disney lover. I was already familiar with some of the history presented in this book thanks to various Disney history blogs and webpages. There was a lot of new-to-me info as well. The chapters dealing with more recent history helped me understand people's complaints about the current state of the Parks (although the book is nearly 10 years old at this point.)
Really, it just makes me want to go back to WDW, flaws and all.
I am a self-proclaimed Disney lover. I was already familiar with some of the history presented in this book thanks to various Disney history blogs and webpages. There was a lot of new-to-me info as well. The chapters dealing with more recent history helped me understand people's complaints about the current state of the Parks (although the book is nearly 10 years old at this point.)
Really, it just makes me want to go back to WDW, flaws and all.
February 2, 2022
This is a spectacularly niche book about something I am interested in (theme park history) but, as it turns out, maybe not this interested in. However that is not a criticism of this very thoroughly researched and well written book, just an indication of how much I was the target audience!
You can tell that David Koenig comes from a journalism background from his style and I think that works really well in this book.
You can tell that David Koenig comes from a journalism background from his style and I think that works really well in this book.
October 19, 2009
This book was awesome for any Disney World regular. It gives the complete history of the resort's construction and offers insight into the backstage politics that makes The World go 'round.
Warning: Don't read this and then, a day later, go to Disney World (as I did). You won't be able to stop spouting 'fun facts' as you walk the parks, much to your traveling companion's dismay.
Warning: Don't read this and then, a day later, go to Disney World (as I did). You won't be able to stop spouting 'fun facts' as you walk the parks, much to your traveling companion's dismay.
July 16, 2020
Informative Read. Highlights for me:
- Planning the Invasion: A chapter on how land was purchased, prepared, and ultimately staffed. Walt was still alive, and the stories of their planning and pitching local government was tactical and well-informed.
- Trouble Building: A project of such scale and construction inevitably hits snags. Hearing how people like Dick Nunis and Pat Vaughn overcame those hurdles is enlightening and positively motivating. The amount of detail and research that went into telling these stories is noteworthy.
- Showcase for Sale: The process of sponsoring Epcot pavilions. All we hear today is stories in hindsight, but these details about the way Disney got other countries and companies to sponsor pavilions is a good lesson for business owners and visionaries. In particular, how Card Walker, one of Walt's successors, compromised on Walt's vision for a city of the future, to please shareholders and media, while Epcot slowly became a theme park and tourist attraction.
- Constructing the Future: Building Epcot Center, targeting Opening Day. Lots of details and tidbits about Epcot's initial hardships, guest feedback, and how the company handled it. This chapter alone is more informative than many official Disney coffee table books and biographies.
- Starring in the Show: Hiring people from all over the world. International Day. This was the highlight of the book for me, because it shows how powerful a strong brand can be when inviting and hiring college-age students from around the world, to staff the World Showcase. The stories about graduation day and intern escapades (people from China, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, all with their culture shock tales) are priceless and heartwarming. They show a human side to the services department.
The greatest thing about these unofficial books is the ability to tell about the shade, the challenges, the lawsuits. We creators don't want to hear only about the good, the successes; we need to know about the failures, too, and Disney's official books rarely shed light on those. I recommend Koenig's book to anyone that wants to learn more about what it took/what it takes to realize ambitious architectural concepts.
- Planning the Invasion: A chapter on how land was purchased, prepared, and ultimately staffed. Walt was still alive, and the stories of their planning and pitching local government was tactical and well-informed.
- Trouble Building: A project of such scale and construction inevitably hits snags. Hearing how people like Dick Nunis and Pat Vaughn overcame those hurdles is enlightening and positively motivating. The amount of detail and research that went into telling these stories is noteworthy.
- Showcase for Sale: The process of sponsoring Epcot pavilions. All we hear today is stories in hindsight, but these details about the way Disney got other countries and companies to sponsor pavilions is a good lesson for business owners and visionaries. In particular, how Card Walker, one of Walt's successors, compromised on Walt's vision for a city of the future, to please shareholders and media, while Epcot slowly became a theme park and tourist attraction.
- Constructing the Future: Building Epcot Center, targeting Opening Day. Lots of details and tidbits about Epcot's initial hardships, guest feedback, and how the company handled it. This chapter alone is more informative than many official Disney coffee table books and biographies.
- Starring in the Show: Hiring people from all over the world. International Day. This was the highlight of the book for me, because it shows how powerful a strong brand can be when inviting and hiring college-age students from around the world, to staff the World Showcase. The stories about graduation day and intern escapades (people from China, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, all with their culture shock tales) are priceless and heartwarming. They show a human side to the services department.
The greatest thing about these unofficial books is the ability to tell about the shade, the challenges, the lawsuits. We creators don't want to hear only about the good, the successes; we need to know about the failures, too, and Disney's official books rarely shed light on those. I recommend Koenig's book to anyone that wants to learn more about what it took/what it takes to realize ambitious architectural concepts.
March 26, 2019
I've been on a theme park kick the last couple years, and thus have been seeking out books on the history and inner workings of these parks. This book in particular caught my attention, because it wasn't just a) a guide book of facts about Disney, or b) an uncomfortably positive celebration of the "wonder" and "imagination" of Walt Disney and his parks.
The majority of this book tells the fascinating and complicated birth of Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. David Koenig captures the details at a great pace, and paints a vivid picture of all the major "characters" in the company (businessmen, not cartoons). There's politics, architecture, civil engineering, public relations, real estate, hospitality management...and it's all very interesting. If you're like me, it's very satisfying to see enormously successful projects like this and realize that they were completed by very flawed people who made a lot of mistakes.
My least favorite part was the chapter on accidents/injuries/deaths at WDW. I don't mind hearing about things that went wrong, but this chapter is basically written as a bullet point list of how people got hurt and it just got boring and depressing after a while.
As a Universal Studios fan, I appreciated how Koenig gave significant attention to the opening of US, as its context alongside the opening of Disney MGM studios illustrates a complex story of the relationship between Disney and Universal and their influence on one another.
The majority of this book tells the fascinating and complicated birth of Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. David Koenig captures the details at a great pace, and paints a vivid picture of all the major "characters" in the company (businessmen, not cartoons). There's politics, architecture, civil engineering, public relations, real estate, hospitality management...and it's all very interesting. If you're like me, it's very satisfying to see enormously successful projects like this and realize that they were completed by very flawed people who made a lot of mistakes.
My least favorite part was the chapter on accidents/injuries/deaths at WDW. I don't mind hearing about things that went wrong, but this chapter is basically written as a bullet point list of how people got hurt and it just got boring and depressing after a while.
As a Universal Studios fan, I appreciated how Koenig gave significant attention to the opening of US, as its context alongside the opening of Disney MGM studios illustrates a complex story of the relationship between Disney and Universal and their influence on one another.
August 21, 2020
Anyone who knows me knows I have a bit of an obsession with Disney, and with the Disney theme parks in particular. I first went to Walt Disney World in 1998, when I was 26 (we never travelled abroad when I was child, my mother hates to fly, my first foreign escapade was aged 15 on a school trip to France) and I fell in love with the place immediately. But, as well as being magical, I was fascinated by how the whole place had been created and was run, how they had managed to make it so self-contained, so separate from the outside world, so that the illusion could be maintained throughout. A few years later, when we visited Disneyland in California, I became even more fascinated by the difference between what Disney had achieved in Orlando compared to Anaheim.
I have been back to Florida countless times in the past 22 years, and it is even more fantastic when you see it through your children’s eyes. My two girls have grown up with it and they, along with my three step-daughters who first visited seven years ago, and even my big, beefy, cynical Irishman are also enchanted with the place. That takes somewhere special. But none of them are as obsessed with the machinery behind the Mouse the way I am.
Here is my shelf of non-fiction books about the Disney company and Walt Disney World (I’ve got a couple more that are too tall for this shelf and are elsewhere, plus a couple of digital ones as well.) They cover everything from theme park design to how Disney train their staff in customer service, boardroom battles for control of the Disney empire, to stories from ex-cast members and maps of the parks, and they are all fascinating. I’m always on the look out for more too, so if any of you have any recommendations, let me know.
Since we weren’t going to get a holiday abroad this year due to Covid, and my planning for our next Florida trip is also on hold while the uncertainty around the pandemic lingers, I decided to take a virtual trip there through one of my favourite books about the creation of the Florida theme park, Realityland by David Koenig. This book is a really comprehensive guide to how the idea for the second park in Florida was conceived, how Walt and his team went about acquiring the land and building the park, to how it has developed over the years (although it only goes up to the mid-90s. Any chance of an updated and extended version covering to the present day, David? I would buy it!)
For any of you who don’t know much about Walt Disney World, but are interested in how something as huge as the Florida park came about, this book is a fascinating read. It tells you how Walt wanted to make sure his park was not eventually surrounded by uncontrolled building of cheap motels, restaurants and gift shops as in Anaheim which spoiled the Disney illusion. How they bought the land in secret, and negotiated with the local government for unprecedented control over everything, including drainage, fire and policing. How they turned 40+ square miles of Florida swamp into what is there today, even after the tragic death of Walt before it was completed, and how they tried to be true to Walt’s vision for EPCOT and whether they succeeded.
It would be hard to see how any book on the subject could be more comprehensive than this one, and yet it is still very easy to read and approachable, if you are interested in the topic. And the story of how this amazing and impressive place was built, is maintained and continues to grow and delight people the world over is quite remarkable when you take a step back and look at it. Regardless of whether you love Disney or loathe it, you have to give them credit for what they have created, from Walt’s original and extraordinary vision to what stands there today, which even he probably could not have foreseen. And it all started with a Mouse.
I have been back to Florida countless times in the past 22 years, and it is even more fantastic when you see it through your children’s eyes. My two girls have grown up with it and they, along with my three step-daughters who first visited seven years ago, and even my big, beefy, cynical Irishman are also enchanted with the place. That takes somewhere special. But none of them are as obsessed with the machinery behind the Mouse the way I am.
Here is my shelf of non-fiction books about the Disney company and Walt Disney World (I’ve got a couple more that are too tall for this shelf and are elsewhere, plus a couple of digital ones as well.) They cover everything from theme park design to how Disney train their staff in customer service, boardroom battles for control of the Disney empire, to stories from ex-cast members and maps of the parks, and they are all fascinating. I’m always on the look out for more too, so if any of you have any recommendations, let me know.
Since we weren’t going to get a holiday abroad this year due to Covid, and my planning for our next Florida trip is also on hold while the uncertainty around the pandemic lingers, I decided to take a virtual trip there through one of my favourite books about the creation of the Florida theme park, Realityland by David Koenig. This book is a really comprehensive guide to how the idea for the second park in Florida was conceived, how Walt and his team went about acquiring the land and building the park, to how it has developed over the years (although it only goes up to the mid-90s. Any chance of an updated and extended version covering to the present day, David? I would buy it!)
For any of you who don’t know much about Walt Disney World, but are interested in how something as huge as the Florida park came about, this book is a fascinating read. It tells you how Walt wanted to make sure his park was not eventually surrounded by uncontrolled building of cheap motels, restaurants and gift shops as in Anaheim which spoiled the Disney illusion. How they bought the land in secret, and negotiated with the local government for unprecedented control over everything, including drainage, fire and policing. How they turned 40+ square miles of Florida swamp into what is there today, even after the tragic death of Walt before it was completed, and how they tried to be true to Walt’s vision for EPCOT and whether they succeeded.
It would be hard to see how any book on the subject could be more comprehensive than this one, and yet it is still very easy to read and approachable, if you are interested in the topic. And the story of how this amazing and impressive place was built, is maintained and continues to grow and delight people the world over is quite remarkable when you take a step back and look at it. Regardless of whether you love Disney or loathe it, you have to give them credit for what they have created, from Walt’s original and extraordinary vision to what stands there today, which even he probably could not have foreseen. And it all started with a Mouse.
January 2, 2019
Disney Reinvented
The author does a great job of giving us a history of Walt Disney World and what it meant to Walt Disney and what it has become since his death. It is hard to carry out the vision of one person after they have left this planet. Some of the followers of Walt Disney did a pretty good job of it but most people did not grasp the true vision of what he was trying to do. The author captures all of this throughout this wonderful book that tells us how Disney World came into being and what it has become.
The author does a great job of giving us a history of Walt Disney World and what it meant to Walt Disney and what it has become since his death. It is hard to carry out the vision of one person after they have left this planet. Some of the followers of Walt Disney did a pretty good job of it but most people did not grasp the true vision of what he was trying to do. The author captures all of this throughout this wonderful book that tells us how Disney World came into being and what it has become.
April 13, 2024
4 stars because it was very well researched, very informative, and as a fan of Disney it was really cool to learn so many behinds the scenes facts and stories. Really delves into the details starting from the purchase of land in Orlando all the way through to post 9/11.
However I feel like the book’s synopsis promised a lot more interesting/shocking stories than it actually delivered. A lot of facts but few things were surprising, I found myself nodding and saying “yeah that makes sense” a lot. Also the ending blurb is kind of a downer.
However I feel like the book’s synopsis promised a lot more interesting/shocking stories than it actually delivered. A lot of facts but few things were surprising, I found myself nodding and saying “yeah that makes sense” a lot. Also the ending blurb is kind of a downer.
August 16, 2017
Good read overall. Got a little into the weeds with all the business dealings, and a lot of names to keep track of, but a good behind-the-scenes look at the parks. Kind of wish I hadn't read the chapter about all the accidents and deaths, but oh well. There were tons of amusing anecdotes as well to balance it out.
For someone who isn't a full-blown Disney obsessive and doesn't already know all the stories, this is a great primer.
For someone who isn't a full-blown Disney obsessive and doesn't already know all the stories, this is a great primer.
February 4, 2019
An historical look at the development of Walt Disney World, Realityland scrapes away the glossy surface to look at some of the park's lesser known (and sometimes even sordid) development. Koenig's writing is balance in such a way that Disney fans will read some pretty eye opening things about the Florida Project's history and come away not appreciating it any less. Definitely a worthy inclusion for your Disney library.
September 26, 2022
I had this on my to-read list for a long time. We are plannong a trip to Disney World soon, and thought it would be fun to read this. I was right. Such interesting (even if not all happy) details about the whole property. I would give this a 4.5 star, if I could, solely because the timeline jumps back and forth to try to create a flow of similar details. Also, as with all books primarily about tiny stories and facts, the flow of the book can be a little disjointed. All-in-all, a good read!
January 14, 2023
I’ve read dozens of books on Disney so there wasn’t a whole lot of new information here. I did learn a few things about the opening of Epcot, which hasn’t been extensively covered in other books. The book is well-written, though a bit snarky and pessimistic. I wouldn’t recommend it as a starter book to learn about WDW, but if the reader has some knowledge already, it’s not a bad addition to your Disney library.
November 24, 2024
This was a decent, comprehensive history of Walt Disney World from its beginning as just an idea up to the early 2000s. It focused a lot on construction, operations, hospitality, etc., so it may be a tough read for folks that don’t like the niche insights gained there. I especially appreciated some of the insights into Reedy Creek as well as the union influence on their operations.
I’d recommend this to hardcore Disney/WDW fans or folks that like books about business/operations/hospitality.
I’d recommend this to hardcore Disney/WDW fans or folks that like books about business/operations/hospitality.
November 7, 2017
There are a billion books about Disneyland but this is the most definitive about the world. It is a great corporate bio that tracks the post Walt era of the company and how Epcot got scaled down over time and the company as a whole lost a lot of it's soul in the following decades.
I still want my domed city dammit.
I still want my domed city dammit.
February 26, 2019
I expected this to be a gossip-fest about half-true stories spread by Cast Members... instead, I found it to be an interesting story of the creation and growth of Walt Disney World! It was nice to see the resort's story told by someone outside the company, that wasn't trying to cover everything over with a sparkly image.
May 14, 2019
What if?
What if you had a startup that worked backwards? In other words, what if you started with effectively limitless access to money, and then started a company? Walt certainly engineered some interesting outside financing solutions to spread some of the risk outside the company in the early days of Disney World, a tactic reemployed by his successors for Epcot and Hollywood Studios. But basically Disney World was a startup that worked backwards. They knew a lot about operating a theme park from running Disneyland, but they learned a whole lot about everything else. How to run hotels, how to manage hundreds of food outlets and merchandise shops, how to move hundreds of thousands of customers from point A to point B, how to build roads and waterways, how to implement pest control on a massive scale, how to run local quasi-governmental authorities, how to hire and train thousands of inexperienced and unskilled employees, how to promote products for free rather than pay for marketing. These were just some of the tasks the founders of Disney World accomplished, usually on the fly. This is not a travelogue. It’s not a tell-all. It’s a straightforward business history for people interested in the ins and outs of how Disney started and continues to operate many major businesses under one umbrella. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
What if you had a startup that worked backwards? In other words, what if you started with effectively limitless access to money, and then started a company? Walt certainly engineered some interesting outside financing solutions to spread some of the risk outside the company in the early days of Disney World, a tactic reemployed by his successors for Epcot and Hollywood Studios. But basically Disney World was a startup that worked backwards. They knew a lot about operating a theme park from running Disneyland, but they learned a whole lot about everything else. How to run hotels, how to manage hundreds of food outlets and merchandise shops, how to move hundreds of thousands of customers from point A to point B, how to build roads and waterways, how to implement pest control on a massive scale, how to run local quasi-governmental authorities, how to hire and train thousands of inexperienced and unskilled employees, how to promote products for free rather than pay for marketing. These were just some of the tasks the founders of Disney World accomplished, usually on the fly. This is not a travelogue. It’s not a tell-all. It’s a straightforward business history for people interested in the ins and outs of how Disney started and continues to operate many major businesses under one umbrella. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
November 11, 2020
The first part of the book was very sluggist and kind of boring. However once the author got to the actual parts opening and the 1990s internal power struggle behind the scenese the book was fascinating.
November 26, 2021
Solid account of the goings-on at Disney World. Koenig skims over topics in places, and the book is definitely in need of an updated edition almost 15 years later but a solid book nonetheless for anyone interested in how Disney World operates.
January 20, 2022
It started out a bit slower than I preferred, I guess because I wasn't really into all of the building of Disney World. However, it picked up as I kept reading.
A lot has changed since this book was published, and I enjoyed seeing all the changed and the "dirty details."
A lot has changed since this book was published, and I enjoyed seeing all the changed and the "dirty details."
March 7, 2023
Pretty standard disney world history theme book. I will say that it goes into the more darker and deeper side of some of the scarier things that happened while disney worked out its kinks so that i did enjoy
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