From its beginnings, Disneyland was destined to be something entirely different from the standard mid-century amusement park. To sell his dream park to investors and the public, Walt Disney recruited Hollywood art directors and sketch artists to design the grounds around the mythic settings and high-minded ideals commonly expressed on the silver screen. This book focuses on the initial planning of Disneyland and its first year of operation, a time when Walt personally oversaw every detail of the park's development. Divided into chapters by park zone, it reveals how the five sectors were constructed using illusionistic tricks of stage design. Reaching beyond structure and design, chapters also explore how the sectors--Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland and Fantasyland--represented themes found in Disney stories, familiar movie genres and American culture at large.

Discover the story of Disneyland, Walt Disney's visionary theme park in Anaheim, California. This bountiful visual history includes stunning color photographs, concept drawings, as well as ephemera from the historical collections of the Walt Disney Company and the golden age of photojournalism, to trace the park's development and immersive...

Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for more than 80 years. Fodor's Los Angeles keeps pace with this fast-changing cultural capital. With more than 45 million visitors each year, the City of Angels has it all, including unbeatable beaches, iconic theme parks and studios, stunning architecture, and world-class museums and concert halls. This travel guide includes: · Dozens of full-color maps · Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks · Multiple itineraries to explore the top attractions and what's off the beaten path · Coverage of Downtown, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venic Beach, Orange County, Sunset Boulevard, Malibu and Pasadena Planning to visit more of California? Check our Fodor's state-wide travel guide to California and also Fodor's San Francisco, Napa & Sonoma, and San Diego guides.

This biography of the man behind the magic reconciles the private 'monster' with the artistic genius of popular culture by showing that the disturbing problems of his own life provided the rich, dark side of the animated movies.

The fifth in a series of pocket-size paperbacks answers the question “What would it be like to walk through Disney’s Hollywood Studios with an Imagineer by your side?” The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney’s Hollywood Studios provides that experience: pointing out details and telling stories, backstories, and Imagineering insights never before heard, condensed into a portable, easily referenced park guide. You’ll never spend time at the Studios the same way again. Each spread contains fascinating textual information and related images (drawings, photos, graphics) such as: • Layouts, backgrounds, and origins of each park/land/miniland • Concept art to compare to the finished show • Timeline information (opening dates, previous shows in the same venue, alterations, and updates) • Photography of the details and pictures being discussed • Special props, design sources, artistic inspirations, nomenclature gags

The autumn and winter holidays are more than individual, celebrated feasts; they are an exceptional concoction of feelings, dreams, hopes, reawakened memories, and (perhaps more than at any other time of year) a renewal of traditions. Sounds a bit like the Disney theme park experience already, doesn't it? Disney magic and holiday enchantment blend smoothly, and the result has delighted guests for decades. This spectacular oversized coffee table book offers visual storytelling at its best. More than 1,800 photographs (more than half of them taken just for this book) showcase Disney's key locations filled with special holiday menu offerings, the big biggest parade and stage productions and nighttime spectacles, the tiniest decorating details from amazing artists and designers, and of course the most significant historical holiday events. A harmonic trio of researchers, writers, and photographers logged more than 150,000 miles in visiting every Disney park and resort across the globe, personally documenting the holiday installations through fifty-five thousand photographs and, wherever possible, meeting the talented and endlessly passionate artisans behind it all. With twelve theme parks and dozens of resorts, plus numerous cruise ships, dining and shopping districts, and more than six decades of holiday experiences, there're a lot of pumpkin treatments and ornate trees to reflect upon. (The smallest holiday tree at a Disney property is just four inches high, while very tallest ever put up was seventy feet.) Every parade or show requires dozens (sometimes hundreds) of creative magicians both onstage and off. And each decoration is chosen carefully to fit within a story and is placed on its tree or garland by craftspeople backstage. The decor is installed onstage, maintained, and, ultimately, de-installed and disassembled by small armies of technicians before it is once again cleaned, prepared, and stored in vast warehouses for the next year's use. The stories and contributions from so many unsung employees (usually working hard at hours of the night when so many people are asleep) fill these pages, along with the joys of Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year celebrations. Time to join the party!

Save time and money with in-depth reviews, ratings, and details from the trusted source for a successful Disneyland vacation. How do some guests get on the big, new attraction in less than 20 minutes while others wait for longer than 2 hours—on the same day? Why do some guests pay full price for their visit when others can save hundreds of dollars? In a theme park, every minute and every dollar count. Your vacation is too important to be left to chance, so put the best-selling independent guide to Disneyland in your hands and take control of your trip. The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2023 explains how Disneyland works and how to use that knowledge to stay ahead of the crowd. Authors Seth Kubersky, Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa, and Guy Selga Jr. know that you want your vacation to be anything but average, so they employ an expert team of researchers to find the secrets, the shortcuts, and the bargains that are sure to make your vacation exceptional! Find out what’s available in every category, ranked from best to worst, and get detailed plans to make the most of your time at Disneyland. Stay at a top-rated hotel, eat at the best restaurants, and experience all the most popular attractions. Keep in the know on the latest updates and changes at Disneyland. Here’s what’s NEW in the 2023 book: The latest scoop on Disneyland’s reimagined Toontown and the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride Updated information on the resort’s returning live entertainment, including World of Color, the Main Street Electrical Parade, and Fantasmic! Comprehensive in-depth advice on when and how to use Disney’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane line-skipping services In-depth coverage on visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including how to ride Rise of the Resistance with the shortest wait Profiles and ratings for more than 30 Disneyland Resort and Anaheim hotels, including a preview of the Disneyland Hotel’s expansion A guide to Universal Studios Hollywood’s groundbreaking Mario Kart ride and the rest of the new Super Nintendo World Make the right choices to give your family a vacation they’ll never forget. The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2023 is your key to planning a perfect stay. Whether you’re putting together your annual trip or preparing for your first visit, this book gives you the insider scoop on hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more.