Books for/about - disney

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, 2006

Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Bob Sehlinger Len Testa

ISBN: 0764583417
List Price: $18.99
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 4
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Summary: The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, 2006
I am no newbie to Disney World by any means. I found a lot of useful tips and information I never thought of. The reviews of everything really helped me realize I have missed some of the best things for lack of information about them. It also gives info for all Orlando touring and hotels. I used this book with Birnbaum's Walt Disney world 2006.

Summary: very informative and detailed
This book was very informative and detailed. Great maps and descriptions of hotels, parks, and restaurants. Some people may not like the honest opinions, but I found it helpful in making decisions. I love Disney and this is going to be our 5th family trip and my 7th, but we should all know even DISNEY ISN'T PERFECT. I would highly recommend this book. I like the tear out touring pages, also.

Summary: Avoid Standing in Line!
While this book presents a good comphrensive guide to traveling to Orlando, including travel advice, hotel and restaurant reviews, maps, and the like, the heart of the book is the set of well researched touring plans that will save you from spending hours in line at the Disney/Universal Parks.

The plans require a bit of work, but are flexible enough for most travelers. The primary requirment is getting up early - and arriving at the parks 30-40 minutes before opening. It's well worth the effort - getting up an hour early is a more than fair trade to avoiding 3 extra hours standing in line in the heat. (If you've never been to Disney World at peak season, the lines for major attraction frequently exceed 75 minutes for much of the day).

My wife and I have used this guide twice, once 7 years ago by ourselves and now this last week with a 2 year old in tow. I cannot emphesize enough that the plans really work. There's nothing quite like getting through 3-4 major rides in an hour and coming back later in the day to see that each of the rides has a 1 to 1.5 hour wait (in 95 degree heat!).

The ride/attraction reviews are useful as well, and will give you a pretty good idea of what you'll want to see and what you'll want to skip.

My only warning is to avoid the tempetation to take the most aggresive touring plans possible. Just because it's possible to see every attraction in every park using this guide, take the books advice and take it easy. Leave the park in the afternoon, eat somewhere cheaper, and avoid the daytime heat.

In case it's not clear, this book is well worth the money and is essential if your planning a WDW vacation. Highly recommended.

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The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

Publisher: Disney Editions
Authors: The Disney Imagineers

ISBN: 0786855533
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: How they built a better mousetrap!
On October 1, 2006, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom will have been in operation for 35 years. Roughly 50% bigger than Disneyland, WDW's Magic Kingdom is a different world. How did the Imagineers build a better mousetrap? WDW's estimated attendance is over 30 million annually--and led to Disney theme parks in Japan, France, and China--that seems as if the world is beating a path to the Magic Kingdom's door to me!

"The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World" is organized into chapters covering the eight themed "lands," an introduction to Imagineering, and a bibliography with a graphic "index" at the back. The 128 pages are lavishly illustrated. I bought this book so that I could see the Magic Kingdom through an Imagineer's eyes. In the introduction, a brief explaination of the many show elements (from planning to construction) and a glossery help bring those new to Imagineering on board. The glossery even has a useful summary of brainstorming.

Walt Disney World is always changing. The last time I was there was July 2004--and The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World" lists several new attractios that weren't open when I visited. One attraction that is on my "must see" list is Stitch's Great Escape because of the complexity of the Stitch figure (pages 114 and 115). Page 81 shows an effect that's been there for a while, but one I overlooked because I stand 6'3" in my stocking feet--my sightline went over this pleasant little surprise in Fantasyland. This 128-page book isn't too big to take along on my next visit, it won't take me hours to read, and it will enhance my Disney experience by letting me in on the tricks of the Imagineer's trade. I get an insider's looks at the jokes and tributes hidden in plain sight, too! One example of an inside joke is the chess match in Pirates of the Caribbean (page 49)--I don't take chess THAT seriously!

This isn't as good as going to the Magic Kingdom with my own personal Imagineer in tow--but I don't have any personal Imagineers handy when I'm visiting Walt Disney World. "The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World" is a fine substitute, and less espensive, too.

Summary: 1st time reviewer
Very interesting. Answered so many questions I had been thinking about.

Summary: Method behind the Magic
I'm a big Disney fan and take 3 to 4 trips a year to Disney World so I am very familiar with the Magic Kingdom. I loved this book so much I bought one for my brother (another Disney fan). This quick read full of backstory and pictures of the Magic Kingdom gives an insight to the method behind the Disney Magic.

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	If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently Publisher: Not Avail Authors: Fred Lee
ISBN: 0974386014 List Price: $27.00 Amazon Price: This item is currently not available. Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: I HAVE BEEN DISNEY-FIED EVERY HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR DOWN TO THE HOUSEKEEPERS NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. THIS SHOULD BE MANDATORY WHEN A NEW EMPLOYEE ENTERS THE WORK PLACE. OUR HOSPITAL HAS BEEN STRUGGLING LIKE MOST WITH WORRY ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE MORE THAN THE PATIENT. THIS BOOK WILL BE USED IN OUR DEPT (I WORK WITH CANCER PATIENTS) FOR OUR UNIT MEETING DISCUSSIONS. I AM GOING TO MAKE IT A MANDATORY READ. THANKS FRED....I AM DISNEY-FIED Summary: Not Just for Hospitals! I have been a Lean Production Systems Practitioner for over twenty years and have had the privilege of learning from some of the original teachers of Lean in the United States. I have been influenced by Deming, Juran, Goldratt, Peters, Covey, Kotter, Drucker, Greenleaf, Senge and many other authors on leadership and management of change and continuous improvement and organizational learning. I first read Fred Lee's book as I began a project to implement lean systems in several hospitals. "If Disney Ran Your Hospital" ranks as one of my favorite books on not only excellence in customer service but on leadership and organizational development. I especially enjoyed the discussion in Chapter 10 of the "Five Traps" that organizations and its leaders must avoid. Summary: Share a copy This book rates as one of my favorites, which says a lot for a book I read for work! It's even one I refer back to a lot, another thing I don't too often do. I find that many people at the hospital I work at love what they do and are creative in trying to make it better. And somehow almost everything we work on can be improved by ideas covered in this book. From motivating employees, to customer satisfaction, to empathy, to communicating just about anything, this book shares concepts that have greatly impacted how we present ideas. Although most of these topics have been covered many times before, Lee finds a way to bring in new ideas and offers suggestions really easy to implement in our day-to-day projects. Our hospital ordered copies and distributed it to many of us, which is a great thing as after I read it I found myself making sure others read it, or at least referring them to certain sections I thought would be helpful on a project if they hadn't gotten there yet. If there is one book I'd recommend to anyone in health care, this would be it! Summary:

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Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2006 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World)

Publisher: Disney Editions
Authors: Birnbaum

ISBN: 0786855487
List Price: $16.95
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 4
Reviews:
Summary: great for planning
This has been very informative in helping me plan for my trip. It has info on all hotels, parks, eating, etc. Unfortunatley, I had already booked my hotel before I bought it. Buy this first!

Summary: The absolute best Disney World Guide!!!
I have purchased many editions of the Birnbaum's Walt Disney World guide over the years and it is bar none the best.This is our family Disney instruction book. Great tips and details. Well worth the money. This will be our 14th trip to Disney World and we wouldn't plan a trip without it!

Summary: Good, "Official", but not the Best
The key to planning a good Disney Vacation is understanding the source of your information. Birnbaum is writing what Disney wants people to perceive Disney to be, perfect. While this book gives you good planning information, take it with a grain of salt and understand that you have just paid good money for a travel brochure that, in effect, should be free from Disney.

This is the only place that you will find all the pretty pictures of WDW, and is the PERFECT book if you are planning with kids for that reason alone.

Birnbaum's books are the "insider" information, which would make you think that you are getting information that you would not get anywhere else, but that is far from being true. There are a number of planning guides that share the same information that you will find here. I have not been a big fan of Birnbaum's books in the past, yet they have been getting better.

If you plan to buy this book, fine, but also get the opinions from another independent source such as a Disney fan in your family, the Internet, or the "Unofficial" guide to WDW. Balance out your information with a dose of reality and you will feel good about the investment in this magical journey.

The key to planning a good Disney Vacation? Balance of information - get it from more than one source.

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Inside the Magic Kingdom : Seven Keys to Disney's Success

Publisher: Bard Press
Authors: Tom Connellan

ISBN: 1885167237
List Price: $20.00
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 3
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Summary: Both Honest, and Dishonest, Just Like the Magic Kingdom
I can't give this book a one because it does summarize Disney's business morals well, BUT, it leaves out what is obvious, it's lack of respect for God. Disney, as this book shows, relies on pleasing the customer, not God. It's also helpful in that it does give business advice, although not totally.

Here is a summary of the "keys" to the magic kingdom, so to speak (these are quotes):

1. competition is always who the customer compares you with
2. pay fantastic attention to detail
3. everyone walks the talk (every cast member [employee] is asked to help the guests [customers]
4. everything walks the talk [meaning all the products and scenery is to reflect Disney's care for the customer's happiness at Disney and with Disney
5. customers are best heard through many ears [meaning through survey's and the letters they send to Disney]
6. reward, recognize, and celebrate [the employees if they do a good job, if not, lol, don't say anything (how nice)]

I have no clue where to put this since it wasn't one of the keys, but here it is:

-Always make eye contact and smile
-Exceed guest expectations and seek out guest contacts [whatever that means]
- Always give outstanding quality service
-Greet and welcome each guest
-Maintain a personal standard of quality in your work [and if it's personal it's automatically gonna be a good thing cuz...]
-go beyond the call of duty
-Demonstrate strong team initiative
-Communicate aggressively with guests and fellow cast members
-Preserve the magical guest experience [meaning?]
(And the above instructions are guidelines not rules the book says)

7. everyone makes a difference

This is a good book to read (tho not buy) to see how the how some secular business minds think and how it parallels the Bible's laws in some ways.

Summary: Seven Keys to Success
This is a fun book, easy to read, great ideas to make your business more successful and customer friendly. I would recommend it highly and it is a great tool for a staff training or retreat.

Summary: Customer Service 101: A Must Read for Your Staff
This is an excellent tool for managers. While a good manager knows the seven secrets, the presentation in this book reinforces what you know. The secrets are presented in a different format that makes you think of other ways to motivate your staff. What makes this book really stand out is it is an easy, interesting book to read. Most books of this type are presented in a boring, academic format...while this is presented through various characters...those we have in our workplaces. I would recommend this book for all managers...especially those first time managers.

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	Cars Reusable Sticker Book (Cars Movie Tie in) (Reusable Sticker Book) Publisher: RH/Disney Authors: RH Disney
ISBN: 0736423427 List Price: $6.99 Amazon Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 3 Reviews: Summary: Great idea but needs monitoring with younger kids The quality of the book itself is great - sturdy, thick, laminated pages with high quality graphics and color. The stickers are reusable. However, while they are thicker than just a regular sticker, they are made of paper and still tear if pulled off at the wrong angle. My 3.5 year old son loves looking through the book and matching up the stickers with the various shapes on the pages, but I either have to peel off the sticker myself and hand it to him, or make sure he is pulling it off at the correct angle so it doesn't rip. We've already torn two in half and I had to fix them with scotch tape. It's too bad the stickers aren't made of 'colorform' type of vinyl that wouldn't be as fragile as paper ones. Summary: Great Stickers & Great Price This is a great book, the stickers ARE reusable, the book is sturdy, high quality. The book has great scenes for stickers to be applied, blank pages with suggestions on different ways to play, and pages for matching (ie: wheels to cars) included. My 2 1/2 year old grandson spends an hour with it, and the price is right! Summary:

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PassPorter Walt Disney World Resort 2006: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! (Passporter Walt Disney World Resort)

Publisher: PassPorter Travel Press
Authors: Jennifer Marx Dave Marx Allison Cerel Marx

ISBN: 1587710277
List Price: $21.95
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Disney Vacationer's Bible
I got this book for Christmas and I loved it. It is full of helpful info, tips, and pictures. It also has detailed descriptions of every single attraction, eatery, and hotel on property. it also contains info on things outside Disney World. There is a list of a lot of helpful websites, color maps of every park, it also has info on secret tips and places in WDW. There are also spaces to write phone numbers, itineraries, personal trip info, autographs from characters, and more. My favorite feature is the passpockets at the back of the book. They are journal pages where you fill in questions such as:"The most magical part of our day was..." or "The funniest part of our day was..." it also asks questions like what time did you wake up or the weather and attractions you went on. They are made of heavy paper and you can stick things in the pocket like tickets, receipts, and photos. I think it is the best disney guidebook I've ever seen. If you have never been to disney this book is even better for first timers. I wish there was a whole series for other travel destinations.

Summary: Passporter is a must have!
I love WDW, and purchase many travel guides a year. The passporter is a great addition to my Disney library. I love the format, the ratings and descriptions. For me the comparisions of the ratings for Dave, Allison, and the readers was the most valuable tool. I love being able to see the different opionions as well as the teen and toddler tips which were a great addition that you cannot find in alot of travel guides. For a first time planner this is the must have guide and will walk you thru the process of planning a great WDW vacation in no time.

Summary: great organizer
I have to have my trip organized and this book is a must have for my Disney Trips! Everything is right at your finger tips in this book from tickets to dinning confirmations to coupons for saving. It has daily planning pages and pockets to hold things right in the book.

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The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World

Publisher: Disney Editions
Authors: The Imagineers Alex Wright

ISBN: 0786848863
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 3
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Summary: Interesting but not in depth.
While it has a lot of information, I guess I was expecting more about Epcot attactions themselves rather than what went into the concepts about Epcot. Everything is more about concepts, but broad strokes without a lot of facts or numbers. Even the discussions about how things got off the drawing board aren't exactly intriguing to the point you say "Hmmm, that's interesting".

For instance, the coverage regarding Mission Space is like 2 pages. And with the small size of the book, that is pretty small. I would have hoped that there would have been some information about how they came up with the concept or about the mechanics of the whole ride. Instead, it was more like reading about someone thinking out loud about it and not very indepth. For a ride that costs in the hundreds of millions, I find it hard to believe that this is all they have for us.

Froced perspective seems to be about the only topic that gets in depth coverage from attraction to attraction. Yes, we know!! We get it!! All the buildings are built with forced perspective. Never heard that one before :)

I guess what you can say is that if it was written by Imagineers, the engineering discussions are quite light and its heavy on artistic concepts.

Neat and an interesting book overall. But I don't think it compares to the previous Magic Kindom guide by the Imagineers. I bought that one and I guess I was expecting more of that kind of information and facts.

Summary: The inside story on my favorite Disney theme park:
Okay, this book doesn't reveal EVERYTHING--anybody want to sit through a few years of algebra and other basic engineering courses? The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World opens by descibing what an Imagineer is and does. The many disciplines are mentioned, and there is a helpful glossery in the front. The next chapter is an overview and history of Epcot (my favorite Disney theme park). The remaining chapters are: Future World Center, Future World East, Future World West, and World Showcase. In each chapter, the Imagineers describe the concept for that section of Epcot and how they developed the concept into the attractions.

A theme park is more than thrill rides--a theme park is an integrated set of stories. Colors, lighting, textures, shapes, props, scents, sounds, and even the pavement are all used to tell a story. How many shades of white are present at the American Adventure? (See pages 98-99) Why four shades instead of just one? How is forced prospective used at the American Adventure to promote realism? (Page 103) Canada and Mexico are the "bookends" to the World Showcase--see Page 95 to see what they flanked in the concept stage, and why that object moved.

Spaceship Earth evokes the 1939 World's Fair (page 31) and traces the development of communications. Page 37 reveals why Florida's frequent rainstorms don't stream down the sides of Spaceship Earth. Speaking of space, Mission:Space is described on pages 48-50.

A brief bibliography is on Page 128, and a graphic index of sorts is on the back cover. I really need my bibliographies and indexes!

I intend using "The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World" on my next Walt Disney World visit to see Epcot through the eyes of the Imagineers.

Summary: Interesting facts about Epcot
I also have the Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom - this one is similar. A good book to pick up when you only want to read a bit at a time. Interesting facts, some of which I didn't know.

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