BooksJason's Thoughts & Observations

2022 Disney Book List

Here is my running list of Disney book releases for 2022 that sounded interesting to me.   If you have come across any I missed and you think would be good additions to a disneygeek’s library please share.   Links in this first bulleted list go to reviews I have posted.

Guest Reviews:

Delayed:

  • 9/26/23 – People Behind the Disney Parks: Stories of Those Honored with a Window on Main Street, U.S.A. (Amazon Pre-Order)
  • 9/24/24 – The Disney Afternoon: The Making of a Television Renaissance by Jake S Friedman (Amazon Pre-Order)

Previous Book Lists with Reviews:


Below is a listing that includes the publisher descriptions for some of the titles:

  • Not Just A Walk In The Park: The Creation Of Disney’s Global Resorts
    Publisher Description:
    The never-before-told, behind-the-scenes story of Disney’s pioneering and triumphant global theme park and resort expansion.On June 16, 2016, Shanghai Disneyland Park, located in Pudong, Shanghai, opened to great fanfare and acclaim. Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Bob Iger called the world’s twelfth Disney park “one of the proudest and most exciting moments in the history of The Walt Disney Company.” But a short three decades before, there were only two Disney parks—both in the U.S. How this unique entertainment enterprise expanded and was embraced all around the world is one of the most ambitious and successful, but little-documented aspects of The Walt Disney Company’s history.Leading that pioneering and influential initiative was a fascinating man who, like Walt Disney himself, was the right combination of experience, enterprise, curiosity, and cultural complement at just the right time and place: Disney Legend Jim Cora. Part memoir, part cultural history, part documentary—and always fascinating, revealing, candid, and frequently humorous—Not Just a Walk in the Park: The Creation of Disney’s Global Resorts is the first-ever documentation of Disney’s rise as a worldwide powerhouse in destination recreation and cultural export; and the circumstances, events, and individuals who brought it all to life.Filled with remarkable information, insight, anecdotes, and reflections of places, people, projects, problems, and ultimate successes, this is a one-of-a-kind recollection of a previously unknown aspect of the wide, wonderful world of Disney and how it got that way.Amazon Link – Not Just A Walk In The Park The Creation Of Disney’s Global Resorts
  • Women of Imagineering: 12 Careers, 12 Theme Parks, Countless Stories
    Publisher Description:
    A dozen female Imagineers recount their trailblazing careers!Capturing an era ― and preserving the stories they have told their daughters, their mentees, their husbands, and their friends ― a dozen women Imagineers have written personal stories from their decades designing and building the Disney world-wide empire of theme parks.Illustrated with the women’s personal drawings and photos in addition to archival Imagineering images, the book represents a broad swath of Imagineering’s creative disciplines during a time of unprecedented expansion. Intertwined with memories of Disney legends are glimpses of what it takes behind the scenes to create a theme park, and the struggles unique to women who were becoming more and more important, visible and powerful in a workplace that was overwhelmingly male.Each chapter is unique, from a unique Imagineer’s perspective and experience. These women spent their careers telling stories in three dimensions for the public. Now they’ve assembled their stories in print, with the hope that their experiences will continue to entertain and illuminate.
    Amazon Link – Women of Walt Disney Imagineering: 12 Women Reflect on their Trailblazing Theme Park Careers
  • Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara: The Stories. The Influence. The Legacy 
    Publisher Description:
    Everyone knows the Disney Princess characters, but how did they become the pop culture icons we know today? From the princesses created in the early 1900s, such as Snow White and Aurora, to the modern additions of the 2000s, such as Merida and Moana, each Disney Princess character’s influence has expanded beyond their original film. Their stories create a fabric with the power to inspire our imaginations, spark social conversations, and empower us.
    Featured Disney Princesses include – Snow White, Cinderella,Aurora,  Ariel, Belle, Jasmine
    Amazon Link – Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara: The Stories. The Influence. The Legacy  by Emily Zemler and Jodi Benson
  • The Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book [Walt Disney Museum]: Making a Masterpiece
    Publisher Description:
    Written by Disney Legend Andreas Deja and lavishly illustrated, Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book gathers original animation celluloids, animation drawings, and concept art—many of which have never been shown to the public—from the popular exhibition at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.
    Considered one of the finest and most influential Disney movie, The Jungle Book (1967) is the last animated film that Walt Disney personally produced with his signature vision and footprint. This curated collection explores the nuanced complexities and challenges that were overcome throughout the film’s development and production, such as the unique characters and their voice-actor counterparts, the application of cutting-edge animation techniques of the time, and the timeless, original songs by the Sherman Brothers and Terry Gilkyson. Dive into the impact of Walt’s passing on the Disney Studios and the everlasting legacy of the film throughout the world.
    Amazon Link – The Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book [Walt Disney Museum]: Making a Masterpiece
  • The Disney Afternoon: The Making of a Television Renaissance
    Publisher Description:
    When the Disney Afternoon premiered in 1990, kids tossed their backpacks aside to watch their favorite Disney television characters. Unlike with feature films, these stars had a new adventure every weekday, and their audience journeyed with them on a daily basis. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, Disney raised the bar with a lineup of innovative, high-quality television animation. The characters were endearing, the writing was clever, and the art was exceptional. Those who grew up with these characters have continued their love affairs for shows like Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, TaleSpin, and the irrepressibly beloved DuckTales, deep into adulthood. For the first time, learn the history of the Disney Afternoon shows, read interviews from the creative teams, and revel in rare, behind-the-scenes artwork, plus get the full making of story of the modern-day DuckTales series and its legacy connections to the past.
    Amazon Link –
    The Disney Afternoon: The Making of a Television Renaissance
  • 100 Disney Adventures of a Lifetime
    Publisher Description:
    Wake up to the sight of giraffes grazing outside of your window. Soar 400 feet into the sky on a hot-air balloon ride over Walt Disney World. Watch the Disneyland fireworks from The Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge, far away from the crowds. Taste your way through 11 countries of the world at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. Take a jet trip around the world.
    All these experiences and more bring the magic of Disney alive–and you can find 100 not-to-be-missed adventures in this one-of-a-kind collection. From the most beloved signature experiences–Epcot’s International Flower Show, breakfast with beloved characters at Chef Mickey’s, and getting dolled up like a princess before your day at the park–to the hidden VIP wonders like a private dinner in the wine cellar the Grand Floridian or drinks at the exclusive, members-only Club 33, this illuminating guidebookcelebrates and reveals the best experiences in and around Disney resorts and parks all over the globe.Discover the magic that awaits, including:

    • A training session at the Jedi Academy at Disney Hollywood Studios, where you can make your own light saber and fight Darth Vader
    • Magical meals at a rotating dinner club featuring Walt Disney World’s best chefs, each themed to Disney lore
    • A 5.7 million-gallon salt water aquarium at Epcot Seas, where you can swim with angelfish, dolphins, eagle rays, and sharks
    • A private after-hours tour of the Luxor Temple in Egypt, where Adventures by Disney gets you away from the crowds for an intimate experience
    • Secret off-the-menu items around the park, including a cherry milkshake at Carnation Café and ice cream nachos at the Golden Horseshoe
    • The ultimate viewing spots for nightly fireworks throughout all the Disney Parks
    • Disney’s Halloween party, a one-of-a-kind theme night in the happiest place on Earth
    • A 5K Challenge on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, where you can soothe sore muscles post-race with a beachfront massage
    • A private jet tour around the world, led by expert National Geographic explorers
    • And so much more!

    Along with beautiful imagery that will help shape your bucket list, this fantastic guide includes pilgrimages to historic Disney sites, like Walt’s hometown haunts in Chicago and Tam O’Shanter’s in Los Angeles where there’s a table named in his honor. Plus, National Geographic provides the inside stories of some of Disney’s most beloved attractions.
    Amazon Link – 100 Disney Adventures of a Lifetime

  • People Behind the Disney Parks: Stories of Those Honored with a Window on Main Street, U.S.A.
    Publisher Description:
    Meet the people who created Disney theme parks around the world! Through rare Disney theme park concept art and photographs, this must-have collector’s book showcases more than 280 biographies and features more than 50 pages on the evolution and behind-the-scenes of the Main Street, U.S.A. areas across the globe, up to and including the fairytale castles at the end of each street.

    Amazon Link – People Behind the Disney Parks: Stories of Those Honored with a Window on Main Street, U.S.A.

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