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!

Includes an excerpt from "The trouble with magic."

Fiction. Is Jeffers an Alligator Zoo-Park magician or the Messiah? Two friends live unapologetically on the edge of poverty in the rugged, un-decorous part of the South. Jimmy, a single father with an addict ex, and Jeffers, a magician whose tricks are closer to miracles--both are immersed in a place where trailers and Hot Pockets dominate the landscape, and alligators roam free. When Jimmy witnesses "losing" his best friend to his biggest trick gone awry, he reflects on their lifelong friendship and what it really means to escape. "C.H. Hooks' mesmerizing novel, ALLIGATOR ZOO-PARK MAGIC, hovers in the boundaries between city boys and country boys, businessmen and truck drivers, a van named NAILR and a radiator-busting deer drinking beer. The world is both nature untamed and twisted in a theme park of mermaids and crispy-fried reptile bites. Yet, Hooks does so much more than create a new spin on the mystical, mythical South. This fascinating debut delves into the true nature of the heart: everyone's need to belong to someone, to some place, and, most importantly, to oneself."--Erica Dawson "Mr. Hooks has produced a magic show of the highest order."--Jensen Beach "I've died and been born anew! C.H. Hooks is a damned wizard, and ALLIGATOR ZOO-PARK MAGIC is a holy hell of a book."--Harrison Scott Key "AZPM is in the best tradition of Southern literature--it's fast and funny, dark and desperate."--Shane Hinton "Draw a direct line from Larry Brown and Harry Crews to Chris Hooks."--Jeff Parker

“An enchanting adventure that will leave readers hungry for more.” – Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author New York Times bestselling author J. Elle makes her middle grade debut in this magical new series about a Black girl who learns she's a witch and must save her inner-city magic school from closing, perfect for fans of Wendy Mass. Kyana Turner has just found out the family secret--she's a witch! This means mandatory lessons every Saturday at Park Row Magick Academy, the magic school hidden in the back of her local beauty shop. Learning spells, discovering charms and potion recipes, and getting a wand made to match her hair's curl pattern, Kyana feels like she's a part of something really special. The hardest part will be keeping her magic a secret from non-Magick folks, including her BFF, Nae. But when the school loses funding, the students must either pay a hefty tuition at the academy across town or have their magic stripped . . . permanently. Determined not to let that happen, Kyana comes up with a plan to win a huge cash prize in a baking competition. After all, she's learned how to make the best desserts from her memaw. But as Kyana struggles to keep up with magic and regular school, prepare for the competition, and keep her magic secret, she wonders if it's possible to save her friendships, too. And what will she do when, in the first round of competition, a forbidden dollop of magic whisks into her cupcakes? J. Elle's debut middle grade fantasy is full of humor, heart, and mouthwatering desserts.

What happens when six creative girls accidentally open a Secret Door to a Magical Realm? It doesn't take long for adventure -- and danger -- to find them! Upon arriving in the Realm, eleven-year-old Shaylee and her friends learn they are the long-awaited princesses of the Six Kingdoms, and each girl has a unique magical power tied to her creative talents. But the kingdoms are in ruin thanks to an evil force that has drained nearly all of the power from the Wellspring of Magic. As if that wasn't bad enough, the door between the real world and the Realm is stuck! It can't be opened again -- and the girls can't go home -- until the magic is restored to the Wellspring. Shaylee and her friends must work together using their creative abilities, such as dancing, painting, and beading, to channel powers they never knew they had and fight the dark forces threatening to destroy the Realm. Their adventure will bring them face-to-face with gigantic grizzly bears claiming to be their protectors, green-skinned fairy folks, a scaly river dragon, vampire spiders, and killer plants -- things none of the girls expected to face during their summer break. Can they master their new powers in time to turn back the dark forces that want to trap them in the Realm forever? The Creative Girls Enchanted Adventures series is an irresistible mix of crafts, magic, humor, and adventure that will have girls hooked on reading!

How can you make dreams come true? Or transform a fantasy into a colorful, exciting world that visitors can move through, touch, and enjoy? Such fabulous work is the daily business of Walt Disney’s Imagineers, a core group of creative and highly skilled professional wizards who combine imagination with engineering to create the reality of behind the dreams that comprise the Disney theme parks. In this sequel to the best-selling Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind-the-Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real, the Imagineers serve up another dose of magic with an even closer look at who they are, what they do, and how they do it, illuminating their theories and explaining the tools they use, and where and how they use them. Contained within this deluxe tome are rough drawings, conceptual models, and behind-the-scenes stories showcasing Disney’s newest attractions and innovations from the inside out. There’s also an exclusive peek inside the Research and Development Lab to see what new magic will soon be appearing. The Imagineers tell their own stories, as well as how they got there, what they do on a daily basis, what they show their friends in the parks, and how you can learn what it takes to become an Imagineer. Presented in a large, lavish format, this book is sure to be a must-have for every Disney collector.