Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt's Dream Spotless

Cleaning the Kingdom #1

by Ken Pellman, Lynn Barron, AnaKaren Aguirre (Illustrator)

What is it like to be the eyes and ears of this institution known as The Happiest Place On Earth? How does it really feel to work day in and day out leading part of the world famous Disneyland Custodial Team? Just how do they keep such a busy place so clean? Find the answers to these questions and more as secrets are revealed in this unauthorized, honest, and affectionate memoir from insiders who struggled to guests happy, tame wild new cast members, and keep the origianl Disneyland clean through a time of tremendous change, growth and controversy for the Resort. You'll discover that cleaning up is just a part of the job as you experience heartwarming triumphs, heartbreaking tragedies, and hearty laughs along with the people who lived them.

Genres: Nonfiction

460 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

About 3 times longer than it should have been. Editing is amateur. (I spotted at least a dozen typos without even trying). Needs a couple of detailed maps because hard to visualize all the locations the authors talk about. Also a few pictures would be nice to correspond to the "lingo".

[Lady Brainsample · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Disney parks deep cut information as much as the next gal, but this really was about 4x as long as it needed to be. Serious editing should have occurred.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are niche books, and then there are NICHE books - this falls in the latter category. Disneyana is niche enough, but a 400+ page book detailing the work schedules and habits of ONE department at Disneyland over a 20-year period is epitomizing nicheness.
That's not to say it's not worth reading - although some of the detail is way too in-depth for general consumption, there is a lot here that is very interesting as it details the ways the sweepers interacted with Disneyland and its guests. And make sure to read the appendices - one includes perhaps the best description of Disney Magic I've ever seen. But understand this is a book predominantly about how to clean up Disneyland, featuring a lot fewer anecdotes about experiences in the park than I expected. Much of it is dry, and the book really needed at least two more rounds of copy-editing before publication - the grammar is often terrible, and knocked one star off my rating. But despite that, I found myself seeing much of what could make an intensive custodial job in one of the busiest places on earth be an amazing experience. It may be a very narrow niche, but for those who are interested in that niche, this is a must-read.

[SJChar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The grammatical errors were prevalent. Perhaps a few more read throughs by the editor would have solved that distraction. Otherwise, the insight this provides to the workings of... working at the park was great. Certainly makes me yearn for a churro while I cruise by Blue Bayou on Pirates of the Caribbean. Now, though, I'm going to make a point of thanking the custodians at Disneyland.

[Tiffany Smart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my, “I’m having insomnia I need something unexciting to help my mind fall back asleep.” These authors seem so sweet and genuine, but this is 500 pages of monotony. I wanted secrets and drama and instead got redundant information about scheduling, what it looks like to call in sick, where the employee lockers were etc. Bless their hearts, this book just wasn’t great. Also riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. 💕

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's an engrossing, detailed account from true Disneyland insiders.

[Melinda Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleaning The Kingdom, from the podcasters that bring us ‘The Sweep Spot’, is a passionate, insiders view of the Magic Kingdom. It has been painstakingly written, and great care has been taken to keep the magic alive.

The authors, Ken and Lynn, are the Disney employees you want to read about. They worked at Disneyland through the good times and the bad times, and have moved on to bigger and better things, but continue to remain convivial and nostalgic about their time at Disney. This puts their book apart from some of the others on the market that seem bitter and twisted, and happy to be away from the Mouse.

Ken and Lynn have covered a wide range of topics in their book, and you can read particular chapters that are of interest to you, or if you want the full experience, read it cover to cover! There’s ‘code v’s’, celebrity sightings, secret areas and where they would take their breaks, Disney culture and VIP events.

A great insiders view of all the best parts of Disney. They don’t sugarcoat the hard times, and they provide you with an open and honest account of their experience at Disneyland.

[Donna Lyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very detailed, reads like a text book....a few interesting stories that kept me reading...kind of like waiting in a very long line for a 3-minute ride - a lot of extraneous information to wade through.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read for Disneyland fanatics like us. But the editing was pretty poor, making some sentences unreadable.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So happy to have read "Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt's Dream Spotless", as my mind was opened to this amazing aspect of the Disney company we always appreciate, but rarely hear a lot about. We learn about the various responsibilities, tasks and kinds of shifts of Disneyland janis. Loved reading about typical day, special days, notorious days, changes to the park, knowledge imparted by lifelong cast members, parade mishaps - all that sort of stuff. I am grateful the two authors took such a positive approach. While this book gets into the dirty side of Disneyland (see what I did there...), thankfully it is frank and honest without being a dishing dirt sort of book.

All that being said, this book desperately needed an editor. In the worst way. An editor would pick up a wrong word being used, the occasional typo and missing punctuation that made some sentences challenging to understand, repetition of information - sometimes on the next page when the narrative switches from one author to the other - and likely help simplify the middle chapters. We didn't necessarily need to know in such detail where each cleaning zone was in each section of the park for chapters on end; One chapter that breaks it down high-level, or [keeping any intellectual property issues in mind] perhaps a few maps could have helped in this regard.

There is an amazing amount of information in this book, some wonderful anecdotes, and behind the scenes knowledge that doesn't strip away but rather enhances, the Disney magic. As of this writing, I have never visited Disneyland, only WDW, and yet I was able to follow along (mostly) just fine. Overall a good experience reading "Cleaning the Kingdom" that I can advise anyone who is interested in Disney Parks to pick up a copy.

[Hannah CF · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to hear more about this theme park from the perspective of regular working class employees. There is such myth around the “magic” and I was hoping for a tell-all. I wanted to hear more about the company’s abuses since there was recently a strike. The employees who wrote this book are an older generation who were better taken care of and given more perks than employees today. I hope current and future Disney employees organize for what they’re due. The amusement parks would not be enjoyable for millions of visitors if it weren’t for the staff.

It’s a massively profitable company and the authors have mostly only positive things to say about higher-ups. Yet I have a feeling that many higher-ups aren’t happy about this book and others, since there is so much enforced secrecy around working conditions and wages (not to mention the mythos of the park).

I also think there’s just too many details about the changes in the park itself that I really didn’t care for since I’m not a Disney adult. I don’t care about the history or workings of the rides. I think if they do a re-release of this book it would be good to hire another editor to clean up the narrative and make it more focused.

[Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book is interesting, it goes into sooo much detail about the workings of the Disneyland custodial staff, which I find very interesting as a Disney fan. But it is also sooo long, over 450 pages going into the most minute details of the rotations, festivals, and different lands. It is not a light read, or one to be taken by the faint of heart, but a good read nonetheless. It doesn't necessarily keep the pages turning, and it can be a bit choppy at times. One of the most interesting facts that I learned from the book was a phrase that the cleaning cast members to use called "pulsing". This term means that in whatever they do they are always trying to make the park better. I enjoyed this book and I think that anybody else who is interested in Disneyland may too. I give it 4 out of 5 stars because while it was very interesting and I enjoyed it, it was difficult to read at times.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by two former custodians who worked at Disneyland. They present just exactly what it means to be a custodian at Disneyland. It's actually more interesting than it sounds. I'm a local, so I visit Disneyland often. I never really gave the custodians a second thought, but having read this book I'd say I have a much better appreciation for what they do and who they are. This book is kind of long and long winded at times. There are a lot of details covered, including some I didn't really need to know, and some stuff that was actually irrelevant to the subject matter, but interesting nonetheless. It's a book worthy for my collection along with the other Disneyland books I have. And certainly custodians in any workplace, not just Disney, deserve more respect than they get.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are Disneyland fans who enjoy learning about the history, the Imagineering, and the approach to making the park magical. Then there are even more die-hard Disneyland fans who enjoy the logistics of running a theme park, from how backstage areas are stocked, how employee schedules are developed, and how parts of the park are divided for cast members to work in. This book is for the latter group. There are a lot of interesting tidbits and anecdotes, but there's a ton of trivial details that are written in kind of a long-winded, rambling fashion. True, these authors show a deep love and appreciation for Disneyland and their job as custodial staff, but it's a little much. They have a podcast on this subject which I bet has a lot of the same stories, although a bit more concise.

[Ronald J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at how the happiest place on earth is kept so clean, by two former Cast Members from Custodial. You'll learn some things, and some things you wish you didn't. I didn't think the book was very well written, and it was far too long! Needed an editor. There's probably better Disney books to read for fans.

[Steve Paulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads more like a bunch of blog posts placed in book format, but there is lots of good information in this book. Could have used some more editing to get it down a few dozen pages, but it’s a good read and if you love Disneyland, I’m sure there are quite a few things you’d find interesting in this book.

[Leila Kern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating. I love anything Disney and it was interesting to find out about behind the scenes. Not an easy job as a custodian and I applaud the hardworking people who do this job. They find time to have fun and that’s important! Thank you!

[Natalie]

Such an interesting book! Highly recommended for parks fans. There was so much detail about Custodial at Disneyland, I think I could go in and work a management shift without getting into too much trouble. (Not an actual hourly CM shift, though!)

[Rob Zison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir

I enjoy a well written Disney book and memoirs - this is both. A fun read from an unusual point of view - the often overlooked jani.

[Ettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting read!

[Bee Ostrowsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of gems, with some repetitive or rambling bits that didn't keep me from enjoying the rest.

[Jacob Hodges · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me three years to read this book. A lot of it was interesting but it was just so long and could’ve had quite a bit cut out.

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read 40% and gave up. Just as reviews I’d read say it got very repetitive. The writing was hard to understand areas of the park. It just wasn’t as exciting as I expected.

[Corinne Cammarata · Rating 3 out of 5]

this would have benefited from a strong editor.

[Ronni · Rating 2 out of 5]

For being the second edition, there are still quite a few typos. There are definitely some interesting tidbits and funny stories, but condensing it would have made it much more entertaining. As it is, you have to be determined to read it or it will be one you give up on after chapter 5.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can janitors be an interesting topic?

Despite a really horrible one semester one bathroom custodial shift, I am going to say in some circumstances yes! And seeing a book about Disneyland’s famed custodial cast members is probably one of the most interesting Between Book topics I had seen in some time. I knew this for sure, it was not going to be your typical guidebook!

Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt’s Dream Spotless by Ken Pellman and Lynn Barron provides some custodial history, a layout of how Disneyland was cleaned and personal stories from the men and women in White. Pellman and Barron spent years in Disneyland’s custodial department from the 1980s to 2000s. The two former custodians are passionate about what they did and the legacy that the white clothed crew has left in the hearts of guests. The 400 plus page book is clearly the most exhaustive book ever considered about these cast members. The authors open with a historical review of Disney’s custodial services including the key cast members who made the Custodial department the legendary unit it became. The authors then share in great depth their experiences including their typical day, how they cleaned Disneyland and an exhaustive land by land breakdown of the park and the services needed in each area. Amongst their report of what it was like to be a day custodial employee are personal accounts from themselves and friends about guests, cultural changes, and of course the chapter of the gross which readers are warned may not be for everyone (you will not be surprised to find the worst bodily fluid situations in this chapter). The two close the book discussing why they left Disneyland and reflecting on how their experiences impact them to this day.


Let me just start with this simple observation. I now am noticing dustpans, including one that I recently used, evaluating them on their material make-up and their usefulness. I am sad to say that I found my most recent sweeping lacking, as I do not believe my plastic pan would have been able to remove gum! So if asking the question if a book about custodial could be interesting, the fact that I’m thinking about dustpans really answers that question quickly for me.

Another aspect of the book that really interested me was the short but complete history of Disneyland custodial services. The history includes the names of important staff and a history of the department. For me this chapter was a great touch giving a very serious historical view of the department.

As someone who was evacuated once behind stage and seen a packer and recycle sorting, I found it very interesting to read a breakdown of where the custodial areas were and how they were accessed. And I became very impressed with the hard work and dedication that Disneyland’s janitors historically have worked with. I liked leaving the book with a better understanding of where does the trash go, what sweeping lines entails, how Indy is treated special and how urine is urine regardless of source.

I do have some critiques. The authors identify often who is writing, and sometimes to keep my reading flow going I really could have been satisfied with a “we” instead of “Lynn” or “Ken”. However I assume their podcast fans would not agree with me. And on occasional the material seemed repetitive. But that is likely due to the very through nature of the book.

Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Talesof Keeping Walt’s Dream Spotless by Ken Pellman and Lynn Barron is a book that Disneyland fans will clean up on. It feeds into fans who want to know all things Disneyland by showing the dirty side, literally, of the park. From their observations about in park developments such as wardrobe changes, their personal thoughts about Disney and their detailed explanations of cleaning the park, fans will want this volume with a very different point of view.


Review Copy Provided by Authors

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me know I am obsessed with Disney. To the point that I have now tried multiple times to read this book where I would usually just give up. I want to love this book, and somewhere in it is a really interesting read, but it's lost in the bad editing, poor formatting, bland voice, and almost textbook like explanations of things. If the authors were to get a better editor and maybe a third writer to work on the voice then this book could be so much better. :(

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets 5 out of 5 stars! As a huge Disney fan and one who follows the Sweep Spot podcast, I snagged this book as quickly as I heard about it. I think I discovered a whole new genre of book- non-fictions about the various aspects of my favorite theme park- Disneyland! Like many Disney fans, I have often wondered what went on behind the walls of the magic. What would it be like to work in such a place as Disneyland? With this book, we get a good idea.

I was shocked by how thorough this book was. One chapter is a nearly minute by minute description of a custodian's day at the park. Other chapters detail how they divided the park into sections, the amount of people that cleaned each section, and descriptions of the work they did. I had no idea how complicated being a Disneyland custodian could be! I am sure that one of the reasons Disneyland is so darn clean is because the schedules and locations of each custodian is so completely organized. I definitely grew to have a new respect for the people that keep the parks clean. As interesting as all these details were, they were not my favorite chapters.

I really enjoyed the stories that Ken and Lynn told about their experiences working at the park. There was a whole chapter about some of the nastiest things they had to clean. That chapter really opened my eyes to human nature! People are gross.

I also enjoyed reading about how knowledgeable custodians are about the park and their interactions with the guests. There were some heartwarming, sweet stories in there! Custodians are often the ones who interact most with the guests because they're always around! Finally, Ken and Lynn shared a bit of Disneyland history through their stories of watching the changes that occurred while they worked at the park. For example, Ken tells the story of taking the last ride on the Monorail.

I highly encourage any Disney fan to read this book! It is so informative and thorough (also read: long, which is a good thing when the subject matter is so interesting to me) that it is well worth the money! If you don't feel like spending money right now, be sure to look up their podcast on iTunes: The Sweep Spot.

[Veronica Noechel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit, I'm predisposed to loving all things Disney, being born into a family of Disney fans, as I was. And it's true, I'm predisposed to loving all things related to keeping things clean, having OCD and mysophobia*, as I do. Still I think this book is fascinating to nearly anyone who is at all curious about theme parks in general, Disneyland, what it's like to be a Disney Cast Member, or wondered how the parks maintain that exterior shine of glitter and pixie dust when you just know people are puking after riding teacups, and that many of those thousands of little kids brought in every day are still pretty darn inept at using the potty.

Enter the Janis! Not Janis, like the Muppet, but Jani-short-for-janitorial. Plural. They see all, they know all, and a lot of that is recorded in this book. I resisted opening it up to the chapter containing all their grossest stories to read them first, but when I finally got to that roller coaster ride full of "oh my god"s and a few moments that might make you need to put down the book and go wash your hands, I found myself wishing it was longer. This book is just fun. The authors do a great job of bringing you into their experiences in a way that makes you feel like you belong, like you're right there behind them trying to keep up as your broom and pan (metal, if you're lucky) knock against your knees. It's your first day doing what they do, and you're feeling lucky to get to do it.

The book definitely could have used an editor, or at least a proofreader. If you can overlook the editing errors and typos, the writing is very good and the content is fascinating. I loved this book, it's one of the best books I have read all year (365 days, not just January), and I hope that they will get together with some cast members from Walt Disney World to produce a follow up. If they do, I'd be honored to be the one to proofread it, pro bono, just to get to be the first to read it.

*That's germs, not mice. I love mice! Very clean mice.

[Laura Schrillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this look at Disneyland. I think the stories about the regular guests were very interesting. I think it could have used another edit but I would recommend to a Disney fan.