"The Main Street lights coming on at dusk looked just as good to me in 2019 as they had in 1959, easing my gloomy wonder that sixty years had disappeared since Uncle Win and I had together watched them shine." 

I had fun with this novel. I am a huge Disney fan and it was easy to see that I would enjoy this. Richard Snow really went in depth about the stories and information about Disney & Walt himself. 

I am someone who has never to been to California, only to Florida. It was very interesting to learn about the history of Disneyland itself, not just Disneyworld. Every word was thought out and informational. 

The only reason why I didn't give this a five-star rating is because it could be a little dry at times. However, when giving off that much information and knowledge about a specific topic like Disney, it's bound to happen at some point.

I'd recommend this to anyone who loves Disney and anyone who loves history. Learning about everything that happened with Walt and how certain characters came to light, etc., was very intriguing and I'm glad I picked this one up!

I really enjoyed every minute reading Disney's Land. This book was packed full of Disney history and was presented in an easy format where it felt like I was actually ' there '. Having read a few other book on Walt Disney, I can say that this one was enjoyed the most. Whether you are a casual Disney enthusiast or a veteran fan, you're sure to pick up a lot from reading Richard Snow's book.

I will read anything and everything about Walt Disney and his life and his lands. Give me all of them and I will enjoy them all I am obsessed and I don’t care who knows if!!

Disney biographies are often focused on either vilifying or lauding Walt Disney as a person. What works so well about this book is how it presents the events leading up to Disneyland's opening and the ensuing weeks as simply an event that happened, and includes lots of trivia and technical detail. Never before, to my knowledge, has a book sent so many pages talking about the type of metal used in the Autopia cars. Thrilling, if you love technical details about theme park worldbuilding.

This is a must read for any disney fan. A fascinating look at the development of the disney theme parks. Full of information I highly recommend

I am a huge fan of all things Disney and I loved reading about the development of Disneyland. It was quite an adventure for Walt and his family. So glad it worked out for them

A superb history chronicling the conception and creation of Disneyland. Richard Snow has done a superb job of detailing the history!

Read if you: Want to learn more about the improbable origins of Disneyland.

When Walt Disney proposed the idea for an amusement park, people thought it was an odd idea. In the 1950s, amusement parks had the reputation of being old, dirty, and not much fun. But Disney was used to people rejecting his ideas, so he paid them no mind. Disneyland revolutionized amusement parks (and created the "theme park") and the amusement/theme park experience.

Although there are some minor quibbles to be made (Snow objects to the Dumbo crows being labeled as "racist"), this is overall a fun and entertaining read. Disneyland's opening day was quite the disaster!

Many thanks to Scribner and Netgalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Disney's Land is a interesting and informative book. I enjoyed reading and learning about Disney Land. Just when you think you have read it all, another book comes out and you learn a little more.

Did you know that the opening day of Disneyland was a disaster that left Walt Disney beside himself with fear of failure? Disneyland today is known for its excellent customer service, its cleanliness and the ease of it’s operations. However, theme parks weren't always like this. The new book Disney’s Land by Richard Snow describes the difficult start to the "Happiest Place on Earth." 

Disney's Land starts with Walt Disney’s initial plans and designs for a clean theme park every member of the family could enjoy. Snow follows the start of planning, finding 240 acres of farmland in Anaheim, and the difficulty finding funding for Disney’s dream.  

Disney’s Land does not shy away from the strong personalities responsible for the realization of Walt Disney’s first theme park, nor the difficult work that went into the building, imagineering, and creation of what is now considered to be a technical and engineering marvel of a location.

For Disney fans who think they know it all, Disney’s Land by Richard Snow is a real eye opener. 

Disney’s Land is available December 3, 2019; just in time for Walt Disney’s birthday.

A fascinating guide to the true story of Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland..All the magic of the creation a guide to Disneyland a place that comes alive brings joy everyday.#netgalley#scribner

This book is a solid and complete showing of what it took to create Disneyland. Walt's persistence, the creative vision of all of the imagineers, the sheer ingenuity in manufacturing, are all shown clearly in this book. Richard Snow was able to take so much information and make it fun to read, without it feeling like a book report. Some of the material I had already known about, but so much of it was new to me.

I am now craving a book on the Magic Kingdom. There is just so much lore out there. Great book and I would recommend to others.

This book is the definitive Disney guide for those who are fans of the Mouse and magic behind Disneyland. "Disney's Land" is packed full of information about how Walt Disney brought his vision of a magical amusement park to life.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is definitely one of the better histories of a Disney topic that I've read in a long time. Any good biography of a person or place requires a careful mastery of balances - how much information, how it is written, if the author has a bias or agenda, and if the book provides good information/perspective. There are many Disneyland books out there but author Richard Snow gives us a biography of the park that hits all the right notes for a very enjoyable (and interesting) read.

While we've likely all heard the story that Walt dreamed up Disneyland on a Griffith Park wooden bench, upon which he sat while his daughter was on the carousel, in this book author Snow uncovered many inspirations for what would become the standard for amusement parks: themed lands. That segues into interesting information about how the park was almost built in Burbank (next to the studio) and the decisions to use Anaheim instead. There is an emphasis on the people involved - from Stanford Research Institute surveyors to the people behind the architecture, planning, landscaping, and constructing of the park. That humanizes what is often an over-idealized subjects, reminding that Disneyland was the result of a lot of hard work, sweat, tears, and risk by some amazing people.

There were issues with the construction, of course, and not everything was finished on time. But the attention to detail and Walt's very pervasive presence during all aspects of the building were noted throughout the book. Problems during the opening day ("disaster") are discussed with amusing anecdotes from those who were there (both guests and cast members). The book ends with discussions about the first few rides to be added (or removed, in the case of the Circus) after the opening year.

What I appreciated most is that the author does not have a hidden agenda nor does he lionize or demonize anyone, including Walt Disney. It wasn't all rainbows and pixie dust (e.g., Wood's grafting on top of promotional contracts) and Walt wasn't universally loved (he was often called the "Prince of Darkness" behind his back). But the author takes a tone of "this is how it was back then" without attempting to interpret anything in the past through a modern lens. Thus, the emphasis really is on how Disneyland was conceived and then created - and all the lucky timing, setbacks, risk, and smart thinking that made it happen.

I suspect the author found enough information for 3 books on the topic. All the same, I've greatly appreciated that this isn't a ponderous tome of endless facts and instead is a lively and entertaining read that manages to be surprisingly informative. Read from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.