FOUR DECADES OF MAGIC
Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World
A collection of essays
Compiled by Chad Denver Emerson
Foreword by Jim Hill
Ayefour Publishing
2011
379 pages
$19.95
DISCLAIMER: I contributed an essay entitled “Walt Disney’s EPCOT and the Heart of Our Cities,” which a small chunk has been excerpted and posted on Samland. Obviously I would like to see the book do well and sell as many copies as possible. The reality is simple. If you read Samland you will love this book. It is geek heaven written by the best geeks in the business. I am honored to be in the same table of contents with this cast. So think of this review as a preview.
JIM HILL – Foreword
CHAD EMERSON - Introduction
TOM CORLESS – The Sunset Boulevard that Was, and Never Will Be
TOM CORLESS – When is the 3 O’clock Parade? Then, Now, and Forever
Tom starts off with two very thorough essays about Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a complete history of WDW parades. In many ways, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been the most hastily put together theme park. Tom takes you through a very comprehensive history of the most significant expansions in the park’s history. It is hard to imagine walking down Sunset and seeing it the same way again. His essay about the parades will also become the first stop for anybody doing serious research about WDW. In fact, the level of detail and completeness throughout the book is one of its greatest strengths. Disney has rarely given up this much information about its past. For those who like parades, this essay is sure to jog some pleasant memories.
MICHAEL CRAWFORD – Tomorrow’s Windows: Looking Back at Horizons
MICHAEL CRAWFORD – A Brief History of the Future: From EPCOT to EPCOT Center
I am a big fan of Michael and I am glad he took me on this tour of Horizons. I never got to visit the attraction and it is talked about in the hushed tones of a cult classic. However, after Michael’s tour, I have a better sense of what was happening and why. He begins with the development of the attraction and then takes you step by step through the ride. His second essay takes through the evolution of EPCOT, when it was an acronym for an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, to the Epcot theme park. It is an interesting story and one that tends to get glossed over as “Marty and John pushed two models together and viola! Epcot was born.”
JASON DIFFENDAL – The Walt Disney World Monorail System
JASON DIFFENDAL – Spaceship Earth
Love the Walt Disney World monorail system? Go on a loop ride just because it is really fun? Make it a point to take both loops near the Magic Kingdom? I have the feeling that Jason does that frequently. This is one of the most comprehensive looks at the monorail ever to be published. Everything. Jason does the same thing for Spaceship Earth. After reading the essay, I must say that I am reminded about how cool the Jeremy Irons version was compared to the updated attraction. I am not a fan of the change to the storyline from communication to technology. Once again, if anybody were doing research on either of these two attractions, you would be required to refer to these two essays.
GREG EHRBAR – Much Ado About Hoop-Dee-Doo
CHUCK MIRARCHI – History of the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue
When Chad invited people to contribute to the book, he left the topic choice up to the writer. I have never been to the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue but I certainly have a strong sense of what this show is all about. Now if I could just get that theme song out of my head…
GREG EHRBAR – The 65th Year for Mickey, the Very First Visit for Kids
MICHAEL SCOPA - The Carousel of Progress: What Would Walt Think
In both of these essays, we get a sense of how important the Cast Members are to the Disney theme park experience. Greg’s is a firsthand account and Michael tells a touching tale that is worthy to be shared.
DIDIER GHEZ – Joe & Carl: Two Men Who Built the World
There are some very important people in the history of Disney that really deserve a closer look. Didier has done that for Joe Fowler and Carl Bongirno. Admiral Fowler is the better known of the two. He is legendary as the man got things done and got both Disneyland and Walt Disney World built. Carl was right there with him a Walt Disney World. Over time, I think we become complacent on how much of an engineering marvel the Walt Disney World property really is. This is a strong reminder.
ADAM GOSWICK – Disney Brings Sports to the World
Once again, we are treated with another comprehensive review of the history and development of a major WDW facility. This diversity is one reason why Chad chose this format to honor the resort’s 40th anniversary.
SCOTT AND CAROL HOLMES – Whatever Happened to Beastly Kingdom?
As many of you know, the guiding principle at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was the celebration of animals past, present, and in myth. We got the past in DinoLand USA. We have the present scattered throughout the rest of the park. What are missing at an equal level are those animals of legend. I guess the Yeti is a stab in that direction but he is now a stuffed corpse with a flashing light and no longer lives. The Holmes capture the tale of what could have been. So the next time you see a dragon at Animal Kingdom, it will make sense. The unicorn maze would have been awesome.
DEBRA MARTIN KOMA – Magic of the Night: The Evolution of Walt Disney World’s Nighttime Fireworks Displays
Earlier we learned everything you wanted to know about the parades. Now we gain a new level of sophistication about the signature fireworks displays. Many of you will read this essay and it will bring back some fun memories.
JIM KORKIS – Meeting Mickey: Remembering Mickey’s Toontown Fair
JIM KORKIS – For Your Pleasure: The Mythology and Reality of Pleasure Island
Jim has become the ultimate collector of the soon to be lost Disney stories. This man is on a mission to chronicle everything. Thank you Jim. Reading his essays is like filling in the colors within an outline of a story. You can see and probably know the basics but Jim adds texture and context. Here he focuses on things that really will be history. You get the most detailed look at Mickey’s now defunct Toontown Fair as well as Pleasure Island that is currently in print. Still not going to miss Toontown Fair but bummed I never saw Pleasure Island in its prime.
MIKE LEE – The Relative Truth About If You Had Wings
MIKE LEE – Thunder Mesa & the Western River Expedition: A Neverending Story
From what I can imagine, this attraction sponsored by Eastern Airlines is the east coast equivalent of Adventure thru Inner Space at Disneyland. The both were free (no ticket necessary), trippy, relaxed Omnimover rides through immersive environments by Claude Coats. I like it. Wish I would have seen it. Feel like I have now that I read Mike’s essay. He does the same thing for the Western River Expedition. Glad somebody wrote about this attraction. Somebody had to. It is fundamental to the development of the western edge of the Magic Kingdom. Mike does a brilliant job telling a story that has been told many times before. He finds a fresh edge. Good job.
CHUCK MIRARCHI – History of the Main Street Electrical Parade
CHUCK MIRARCHI – History of the Contemporary & Polynesian Resort Hotels
Along with Chuck’s history of the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, he also tackles the coast-to-coast history of the Main Street Electrical Parade and the Contemporary & Polynesian Resort Hotels. As with the other essays, this is a comprehensive look and will become the start for any research project.
LOU MONGELLO – Walt Disney World Resorts That Never Were
What would a book about WDW history be without a contribution of Lou Mongello? Lou takes us on a fanciful journey through the lobbies of the resort hotels that never were. It is a remarkable collection of themed places to rest your head in the evening that just did not get off the drawing board. WDW would be a much, much different place if these projects had been implemented.
FOXX NOLTE – A Ghost Story
FOXX NOLTE – Another Magic Corner of the World
Probably one of my favorite essays is Foxx’s tale of George. Seems “George” lives in the Pirates of the Caribbean. Don’t believe it? Read the essay. You will. Foxx also chronicles the long twisted history of Downtown Disney. Once again, another contributor provides the authoritative of a slice of WDW history. It is hard to imagine that The Walt Disney Company would release a book on this subject. Now back to George….
JEFFREY PEPPER – EPCOT 1939
Kind of like my essay, Jeffrey takes one thing and applies it to another thing and is astounded by the similarities. I think we would both agree that one of Walt’s greatest strengths was synthesizing ideas from a wide variety of inputs. Here we see a comparison to this landmark World’s Fair and how it seems to echo what was built as Epcot, the theme park.
GEORGE TAYLOR – An Island Filled with Tropic Beauty, Colorful Birds, and the Mystery of Ben Gunn’s Buried Treasure!
As I type this I guess George wins the award for the longest title. Big fan of George. When Walt first flew over the Florida property, he commented on the island in the middle of Bay Lake. That was a big plus in his book. George takes it from there and tells you about its long and storied history. Myst Island, eh?
KEVIN YEE – Honoring the Cast: Insider Tributes & Homages
KEVIN YEE – Theme Park Archaeology
I realize that the essays are in alphabetical order by author but somehow it is appropriate that the final two chapters come courtesy of Kevin Yee. Leave it to Kevin to use a microscope and identify the amazing array of tributes to those who made WDW what it is today. His romp as a theme park Indiana Jones was such a good idea he has since expanded that into a full book. One more thing. Kevin is a show off and actually has photos to support his story.
BOTTOM LINE
Should you buy it? If you have visited Samland more then once then yes, you should buy this book. This is the kind of stuff I can’t get enough of and the kind of material that is the foundation for this blog. To be a part of this stellar cast of writers is a rare privilege.
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