What do you think?
Rate this book
The Story of Disney: 100 Years of Wonder
The Walt Disney Company honors its 100th anniversary in 2023. As part of the festivities, this must-have coffee table book showcases the company's history and rich legacy—past, present, and future—through vibrant voices and rare Disney concept art and photographs.
On October 16, 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded what we now know to be The Walt Disney Company. Walt’s passion and vision continues to inspire creative development across the company. As a result, Disney characters—and their stories—have touched the lives of generations of fans. They encourage a belief that dreams really can come true.
As the official companion to the touring exhibition by Walt Disney Archives and SC Exhibitions, this gorgeous coffee table book serves as a treasure trove for pop culture enthusiasts, artists, art collectors, and Disney fans.
Searching for more ways to connect with the Disney Parks and films? Explore these books from Disney Editions:
Delicious Disney: Walt Disney World: Recipes & Stories from The Most Magical Place on Earth
A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth
Birnbaum's 2023 Walt Disney World: The Official Vacation Guide
Birnbaum's 2023 Walt Disney World for Kids: The Official Guide
Art of Coloring: Walt Disney World
Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai
Poster Art of the Disney Parks
Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks: Celebrations Around the World from Fall to Winter
The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic
The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky
On October 16, 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded what we now know to be The Walt Disney Company. Walt’s passion and vision continues to inspire creative development across the company. As a result, Disney characters—and their stories—have touched the lives of generations of fans. They encourage a belief that dreams really can come true.
As the official companion to the touring exhibition by Walt Disney Archives and SC Exhibitions, this gorgeous coffee table book serves as a treasure trove for pop culture enthusiasts, artists, art collectors, and Disney fans.
Searching for more ways to connect with the Disney Parks and films? Explore these books from Disney Editions:
Delicious Disney: Walt Disney World: Recipes & Stories from The Most Magical Place on Earth
A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth
Birnbaum's 2023 Walt Disney World: The Official Vacation Guide
Birnbaum's 2023 Walt Disney World for Kids: The Official Guide
Art of Coloring: Walt Disney World
Maps of the Disney Parks: Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai
Poster Art of the Disney Parks
Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks: Celebrations Around the World from Fall to Winter
The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic
The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2023
49 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
About the author
John Baxter
226 books123 followersJohn Baxter (born 1939 in Randwick, New South Wales) is an Australian-born writer, journalist, and film-maker.
Baxter has lived in Britain and the United States as well as in his native Sydney, but has made his home in Paris since 1989, where he is married to the film-maker Marie-Dominique Montel. They have one daughter, Louise.
He began writing science fiction in the early 1960s for New Worlds, Science Fantasy and other British magazines. His first novel, though serialised in New Worlds as THE GOD KILLERS, was published as a book in the US by Ace as The Off-Worlders. He was Visiting Professor at Hollins College in Virginia in 1975-1976. He has written a number of short stories and novels in that genre and a book about SF in the movies, as well as editing collections of Australian science fiction.
Baxter has also written a large number of other works dealing with the movies, including biographies of film personalities, including Federico Fellini, Luis Buñuel, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, George Lucas and Robert De Niro. He has written a number of documentaries, including a survey of the life and work of the painter Fernando Botero. He also co-produced, wrote and presented three television series for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Filmstruck, First Take and The Cutting Room, and was co-editor of the ABC book programme Books And Writing.
In the 1960s, he was a member of the WEA Film Study Group with such notable people as Ian Klava, Frank Moorhouse, Michael Thornhill, John Flaus and Ken Quinnell. From July 1965 to December 1967 the WEA Film Study Group published the cinema journal FILM DIGEST. This journal was edited by John Baxter.
For a number of years in the sixties, he was active in the Sydney Film Festival, and during the 1980s served in a consulting capacity on a number of film-funding bodies, as well as writing film criticism for The Australian and other periodicals. Some of his books have been translated into various languages, including Japanese and Chinese.
Since moving to Paris, he has written four books of autobiography, A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict, We'll Always Have Paris: Sex and Love in the City of Light, Immoveable feast : a Paris Christmas, and The Most Beautiful Walk in the World : a Pedestrian in Paris.
Since 2007 he has been co-director of the annual Paris Writers Workshop.
Baxter has lived in Britain and the United States as well as in his native Sydney, but has made his home in Paris since 1989, where he is married to the film-maker Marie-Dominique Montel. They have one daughter, Louise.
He began writing science fiction in the early 1960s for New Worlds, Science Fantasy and other British magazines. His first novel, though serialised in New Worlds as THE GOD KILLERS, was published as a book in the US by Ace as The Off-Worlders. He was Visiting Professor at Hollins College in Virginia in 1975-1976. He has written a number of short stories and novels in that genre and a book about SF in the movies, as well as editing collections of Australian science fiction.
Baxter has also written a large number of other works dealing with the movies, including biographies of film personalities, including Federico Fellini, Luis Buñuel, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, George Lucas and Robert De Niro. He has written a number of documentaries, including a survey of the life and work of the painter Fernando Botero. He also co-produced, wrote and presented three television series for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Filmstruck, First Take and The Cutting Room, and was co-editor of the ABC book programme Books And Writing.
In the 1960s, he was a member of the WEA Film Study Group with such notable people as Ian Klava, Frank Moorhouse, Michael Thornhill, John Flaus and Ken Quinnell. From July 1965 to December 1967 the WEA Film Study Group published the cinema journal FILM DIGEST. This journal was edited by John Baxter.
For a number of years in the sixties, he was active in the Sydney Film Festival, and during the 1980s served in a consulting capacity on a number of film-funding bodies, as well as writing film criticism for The Australian and other periodicals. Some of his books have been translated into various languages, including Japanese and Chinese.
Since moving to Paris, he has written four books of autobiography, A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict, We'll Always Have Paris: Sex and Love in the City of Light, Immoveable feast : a Paris Christmas, and The Most Beautiful Walk in the World : a Pedestrian in Paris.
Since 2007 he has been co-director of the annual Paris Writers Workshop.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 26, 2023
Yesterday, on Disney+, I watched a beloved film I had enjoyed in my youth, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER (from the early 1960's). Yes, I'm the "odd duck" who didn't subscribe to the streaming service for its many Marvel and Star Wars iterations, nor the live-action remakes of its animated movies (although I did rather enjoy THE JUNGLE BOOK). I subscribe to savor the Disney classic films and classic cartoons ... with a bit of National Geographic filtered in with documentaries about the stories behind Disney attractions. I would much rather spend the afternoon with Hayley Mills than I would Thor.
I mention this because my favorite impressions of Disney center around a "gentler" time when Sunday night meant tuning in to "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," when a trip to a movie theater was to see a story that seemed "new" and exciting (instead of a retelling or continuation of something I'd already seen), and a trip to Walt Disney World didn't mean that I needed to book my restaurant reservation months in advance (nor wander the Park with my nose buried in an electronic device to discover the shortest wait times). My impression of "modern day" Disney is very different from the one I've had most of my life.
Still, my rating needs to reflect my honest opinion of the book, and THE STORY OF DISNEY: 100 YEARS OF WONDER is quite a beautiful, informative, and impressive volume. Rather than relying on a chronological layout, the book explores "themes" that resurfaced through the decades. That was an effective way to compare storytelling styles, and the photographs included were outstanding. It is virtually a "must have" book for any Disney fan who is drawn to the "magic" that goes with the founder's name.
Of course, it was not always easy to suppress a little cynicism that appeared in my mind from time to time. A theme that is repeated over and over and over again is the masterful storytelling involved in virtually all public facets of Disney. Yes, the best of Disney is a testament to that ... and I'll never forget the truly magical experience my daughter had with Aladdin while visiting Morocco at EPCOT. (That is one of the most treasured moments of my life.) Yet, the cynicism arrives when I think how often the modern Disney "goes back to the well" instead of allowing us to explore original tales.
The tone of the book also leans toward the philanthropic ... the purpose of the Disney organization is to enrich the lives of its "guests" through immersive, world-class presentations. In fact, as the book concludes, it enthuses over the new "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser" experience ... which is closing because of the extremely high cost of guest participation. I immediately thought of how many young Star Wars fans were disappointed because parents couldn't afford the extravagance. (Now, in Disney's favor, I remember reading elsewhere that being selected to spend a night in the Castle was conducted at random, and that would likely bring some amazing, life-long memories!)
Despite some reservations, though, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I enjoyed each and every reading session with the book, and that I always looked forward to discovering what would be revealed next. THE STORY OF DISNEY: 100 YEARS OF WONDER is very much a "coffee table" book in that it is so much fun to explore its pages. It also serves the Disney fan who wants to learn more, and its welcoming presentation was a definite treat.
I mention this because my favorite impressions of Disney center around a "gentler" time when Sunday night meant tuning in to "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," when a trip to a movie theater was to see a story that seemed "new" and exciting (instead of a retelling or continuation of something I'd already seen), and a trip to Walt Disney World didn't mean that I needed to book my restaurant reservation months in advance (nor wander the Park with my nose buried in an electronic device to discover the shortest wait times). My impression of "modern day" Disney is very different from the one I've had most of my life.
Still, my rating needs to reflect my honest opinion of the book, and THE STORY OF DISNEY: 100 YEARS OF WONDER is quite a beautiful, informative, and impressive volume. Rather than relying on a chronological layout, the book explores "themes" that resurfaced through the decades. That was an effective way to compare storytelling styles, and the photographs included were outstanding. It is virtually a "must have" book for any Disney fan who is drawn to the "magic" that goes with the founder's name.
Of course, it was not always easy to suppress a little cynicism that appeared in my mind from time to time. A theme that is repeated over and over and over again is the masterful storytelling involved in virtually all public facets of Disney. Yes, the best of Disney is a testament to that ... and I'll never forget the truly magical experience my daughter had with Aladdin while visiting Morocco at EPCOT. (That is one of the most treasured moments of my life.) Yet, the cynicism arrives when I think how often the modern Disney "goes back to the well" instead of allowing us to explore original tales.
The tone of the book also leans toward the philanthropic ... the purpose of the Disney organization is to enrich the lives of its "guests" through immersive, world-class presentations. In fact, as the book concludes, it enthuses over the new "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser" experience ... which is closing because of the extremely high cost of guest participation. I immediately thought of how many young Star Wars fans were disappointed because parents couldn't afford the extravagance. (Now, in Disney's favor, I remember reading elsewhere that being selected to spend a night in the Castle was conducted at random, and that would likely bring some amazing, life-long memories!)
Despite some reservations, though, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I enjoyed each and every reading session with the book, and that I always looked forward to discovering what would be revealed next. THE STORY OF DISNEY: 100 YEARS OF WONDER is very much a "coffee table" book in that it is so much fun to explore its pages. It also serves the Disney fan who wants to learn more, and its welcoming presentation was a definite treat.
January 3, 2024
Мисля, че няма човек, който да види логото на „Дисни“ и веднага да не направи асоциация с някой хубав филм. Топла история, която му напомня за детството или пък някой родител, който е бил в киното с детето си и е видял цялата искрена радост около себе си. Асоциацията може да е дори с някоя съботна сутрин вкъщи, когато по телевизията повтарят за хиляден път „101 далматинци“.
За мен „Дисни“ означава детство, безгрижност, хубав филм. И до днес като гледам филм направен от студиото, знам, че няма да ме разочарова и наистина доста рядко това се е случвало. И въпреки че не съм съгласен с някои от политкоректните решения в последните години свързани с избор на актьори за главни роли и т.н., и до ден днешен „Дисни“ ми е мерило за качествен филм, който знам, че ще ме забавлява.
Затова и реших 2024 да ми започне точно с книга посветена на „Дисни“ и 100-годишната история на филмовия гигант. Много съм благодарен на колегите ми от маркетинг отдела, благодарение на които се докоснах до това вълшебство, защото книгата е перфектна. Изданието е с твърди корици, изключително цветно и докато преминаваш през страниците се чувстваш сякаш гледаш някой документален филм. Всичко оживява пред очите ти.
Четенето на тази книга беше емоционално за мен. Авторите на книгата ни водят през всички заглавия на „Дисни“ като голяма част от тях свързвам с моето детство и как на село с приятелите гледахме „Снежанка и седемте джуджета“ на видеото в братовчедка ми, след това отивахме в съседите да гледаме „Цар Лъв“ и завършвахме в нас с анимацията от 1944 година, която бележи десетата годишнина от създаването на Доналд Дък, „The Three Caballeros“. Всяка страница от тази книга е пропита със спомени и усмивки, които ме върнаха години назад.
Освен, че има задълбочен разказ за живота на Уолт Дисни и това как той решава да създаде студиото заедно с брат си, с тази книга получаваме и още много. Авторите ни разказват една история за това колко е важно винаги да се борим за мечтите си, как не трябва да се ограничаваме в мисленето и желанията си, и как постоянно да се стараем да научваме нови и нови неща. Да ги търсим безспирно и след това от наученото да създадем нещо свое, което може да промени света.
Книгата обаче е и като енциклопедия за това как през годините се е променил начинът на разказване, рисуване и показване на историите. Какъв е бил начинът на работа в началото и как технологиите навлизат и всичко отива на едно друго ниво. Много важна част е и озвучаването на героите, музиката и песните, които стават емблематични за студиото и как филми на „Дисни“ след това вдъхновяват мюзикъли, които се поставят на сцените на едни от най-големите театри в света.
В книгата ще разберете и защо Уолт Дисни в началото е решил да започне дейността си с класическите приказки, какво точно е в променил в някои от тях, защо изобщо е решил да прави някакви промени и как това се е отразило на публиката. Също така ще разберете за раждането на образа Мики Маус и как създаването на злодей във филмите на „Дисни“ е изключително важен процес, също толкова колкото да се измисли и героят, който ще спаси всички на финала.
И да, ако трябва да бъдем цинични, можем да открием много отрицателни черти в съвременните политики на „Дисни“. Но честно казано, точно сега и точно за тази книга не искам да бъда циничен. Искам да съм онова дете, което го интересуваше само дали доброто ще надвие злото в историята и въпреки че знаеше, че във филм на „Дисни“, финалът винаги е приказно добър, отново се вълнуваше до последната секунда. Затова и препоръчвам книгата на всички, които искат отново да се върнат за малко назад във времето. Хубаво е! Много!
За мен „Дисни“ означава детство, безгрижност, хубав филм. И до днес като гледам филм направен от студиото, знам, че няма да ме разочарова и наистина доста рядко това се е случвало. И въпреки че не съм съгласен с някои от политкоректните решения в последните години свързани с избор на актьори за главни роли и т.н., и до ден днешен „Дисни“ ми е мерило за качествен филм, който знам, че ще ме забавлява.
Затова и реших 2024 да ми започне точно с книга посветена на „Дисни“ и 100-годишната история на филмовия гигант. Много съм благодарен на колегите ми от маркетинг отдела, благодарение на които се докоснах до това вълшебство, защото книгата е перфектна. Изданието е с твърди корици, изключително цветно и докато преминаваш през страниците се чувстваш сякаш гледаш някой документален филм. Всичко оживява пред очите ти.
Четенето на тази книга беше емоционално за мен. Авторите на книгата ни водят през всички заглавия на „Дисни“ като голяма част от тях свързвам с моето детство и как на село с приятелите гледахме „Снежанка и седемте джуджета“ на видеото в братовчедка ми, след това отивахме в съседите да гледаме „Цар Лъв“ и завършвахме в нас с анимацията от 1944 година, която бележи десетата годишнина от създаването на Доналд Дък, „The Three Caballeros“. Всяка страница от тази книга е пропита със спомени и усмивки, които ме върнаха години назад.
Освен, че има задълбочен разказ за живота на Уолт Дисни и това как той решава да създаде студиото заедно с брат си, с тази книга получаваме и още много. Авторите ни разказват една история за това колко е важно винаги да се борим за мечтите си, как не трябва да се ограничаваме в мисленето и желанията си, и как постоянно да се стараем да научваме нови и нови неща. Да ги търсим безспирно и след това от наученото да създадем нещо свое, което може да промени света.
Книгата обаче е и като енциклопедия за това как през годините се е променил начинът на разказване, рисуване и показване на историите. Какъв е бил начинът на работа в началото и как технологиите навлизат и всичко отива на едно друго ниво. Много важна част е и озвучаването на героите, музиката и песните, които стават емблематични за студиото и как филми на „Дисни“ след това вдъхновяват мюзикъли, които се поставят на сцените на едни от най-големите театри в света.
В книгата ще разберете и защо Уолт Дисни в началото е решил да започне дейността си с класическите приказки, какво точно е в променил в някои от тях, защо изобщо е решил да прави някакви промени и как това се е отразило на публиката. Също така ще разберете за раждането на образа Мики Маус и как създаването на злодей във филмите на „Дисни“ е изключително важен процес, също толкова колкото да се измисли и героят, който ще спаси всички на финала.
И да, ако трябва да бъдем цинични, можем да открием много отрицателни черти в съвременните политики на „Дисни“. Но честно казано, точно сега и точно за тази книга не искам да бъда циничен. Искам да съм онова дете, което го интересуваше само дали доброто ще надвие злото в историята и въпреки че знаеше, че във филм на „Дисни“, финалът винаги е приказно добър, отново се вълнуваше до последната секунда. Затова и препоръчвам книгата на всички, които искат отново да се върнат за малко назад във времето. Хубаво е! Много!
February 10, 2024
A solid compendium of Disney history to have in the library. Do not be fooled: It is 100% a press release from Disney. Many points in the timeline are glossed over and can be found detailed by other authors. Still, a nice book to have read and remember the things that Disney produced.
July 22, 2024
4.5 Stars
![Profile Image for Amanda [Novel Addiction].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1415744673i%2F4886503._UX200_CR0%2C36%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
May 2, 2023
We all know I "read" this for the pictures.
At some point, I'd love to go back and take a closer look at everything. While I did read some of it, I wasn't able to take as much time with this as I'd like.
At some point, I'd love to go back and take a closer look at everything. While I did read some of it, I wasn't able to take as much time with this as I'd like.
September 30, 2023
Enjoyed this coffee table book. A thorough, yet aerial recounting of the Walt Disney Company’s first 100 years.
Things that stood out to me:
⏩ The book is written about the past. Nevertheless, it also focuses on the future. It has a straightforward “we’re just starting” perspective.
👥 Disney designed his parks, studios, and campuses with the goal of having a SHARED NARRATIVE.
🧠 Disney builds experiences around COLLECTIVE CULTURAL MEMORY.
🧌 No new stories, just reinventions (i.e. The Little Mermaid).
🌊 The ocean doesn’t separate islands, it connects them (cf. Pacific Island culture & Moana).
💬 “Experience” vs. “ride” = words matter.
Things that stood out to me:
⏩ The book is written about the past. Nevertheless, it also focuses on the future. It has a straightforward “we’re just starting” perspective.
👥 Disney designed his parks, studios, and campuses with the goal of having a SHARED NARRATIVE.
🧠 Disney builds experiences around COLLECTIVE CULTURAL MEMORY.
🧌 No new stories, just reinventions (i.e. The Little Mermaid).
🌊 The ocean doesn’t separate islands, it connects them (cf. Pacific Island culture & Moana).
💬 “Experience” vs. “ride” = words matter.
August 13, 2025
I enjoyed this. Nothing special itself, but I've recently realized that I have a real desire to watch/read a lot about Disney history, it just fascinates me and is always fun to hear about. So this was decent, but naturally something sanctioned by Disney themselves is going to present a sanitized perspective of everything, and this one just lightly touches on a lot of different subjects without *too* much depth. I think I would have preferred a more focused approach with more of the lesser known details and whatnot. Still enjoyed going through this, but I'm on the lookout for more Disney books to dive into.
August 10, 2023
On October 16, 1923, Roy and Walt Disney founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, which became the Walt Disney Company. So all this year, Disney is celebrating "100 Years of Wonder" with books like this, special events at their parks, and merchandise like a Walt Disney LEGO set.
This book, a history of Disney's first 100 years, is a lot about Walt Disney. There are asides for a few featured animators (Ub Iwerks), artists (Mary Blair), musicians (Oliver Wallace, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken) and Imagineers. But it always goes back to Walt...his childhood, his projects, his vision.
This book, a history of Disney's first 100 years, is a lot about Walt Disney. There are asides for a few featured animators (Ub Iwerks), artists (Mary Blair), musicians (Oliver Wallace, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken) and Imagineers. But it always goes back to Walt...his childhood, his projects, his vision.
April 3, 2023
5/5 stars
I'm love reading how Disney 100 years came with a 15 year boy Walt Disney started and how much his Life has started and how it has become a great legend with all the characters of the movies and all of parks and more in the world!
I'm love reading how Disney 100 years came with a 15 year boy Walt Disney started and how much his Life has started and how it has become a great legend with all the characters of the movies and all of parks and more in the world!
June 6, 2023
Fantastic book, super informative, and beautiful pictures.
I'm not a big fan of the inclusion of star wars and marvel in the book, but that's my own personal bias.
Some information is repetitive (I'm assuming there are multiple authors) but overall it's a great read for any Disney fan
I'm not a big fan of the inclusion of star wars and marvel in the book, but that's my own personal bias.
Some information is repetitive (I'm assuming there are multiple authors) but overall it's a great read for any Disney fan
October 19, 2023
This was a beautiful summary of a century worth of stories. Lots of beautiful images and good stories from the people who lived it. I only wish it were a bigger book! For a hundred years of material it was surprisingly brief.
March 22, 2024
This is an incredible, detailed, comprehensive approach to sharing Disney’s 100 year history. Packed with loads of fun-facts this is a book for the super fan as well as a beautifully laid out coffee table book to keep the casual viewer entertained.
April 18, 2023
Just another book idolizing a racist and antisemitic man. Disney’s a whole industry these days. Stop talking about Walt
April 28, 2023
This is just a really long pamphlet about the history of Disney, but it's still enjoyable.
May 7, 2023
A lovely retrospective on the magical century of Disney. Really enjoyed this read!!
November 5, 2023
So unfassbar toll und umfassend. Illustriert, bebildert und voller Disney-Liebe. ein must-read für alle Fans
December 24, 2024
What a great story of the history of Walt Disney! 💫
No wonder I’m going for my 2nd time in 3 months to Disneyland!! What an amazing man!!💜💖🩵
No wonder I’m going for my 2nd time in 3 months to Disneyland!! What an amazing man!!💜💖🩵
January 15, 2025
Perfect book for a Disney fan.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews