Ken Reviews: Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park
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Just about anyone who has looked into the history of Disney theme parks knows the names and contributions of Marc Davis, John Hench, and the Sherman Brothers. But what about Bill Cottrell? Marvin Davis? Fred Joerger? All of the people profiled in this book made inseparable contributions to making Disney theme parks �Disney�. Without them, the look and feel of the parks would be significantly different. With this book, we get to know them � especially their contributions � better. Each portrayal includes where the person is now, or when they passed away. The exception is Harriet Burns,
who passed away too recently to have her passing noted in the book.Each of the people listed are profiled in a way that we learn something about where they were raised and how they came to get involved in Disneyland projects, and what some of their notable contributions have been. Kurtti paints a picture of the person�s relationship with Walt, and often with other personnel. This book does not need to be read straight through � each profile is an individual piece that is careful to explain context � so if you do read straight through, you see some of the same tidbits repeated as necessary. Something else of note is that the book is not corporate puffery � some of the warts and flaws and gripes of the individuals and some of their conflicts with others are presented for the sake of giving a well-rounded telling of their stories. Other design companies and theme parks are mentioned. We can especially see that many of these first generation Imagineers also worked with another company in particular � Twentieth Century Fox.
Along the way, there are pictures I hadn�t seen before and stories I hadn�t heard or read before. I had no idea that anyone at Disney had ever conceptualized an actual �uranium hunt�!
There are a few things I think could have been improved. In the �What is Imagineering?� piece, we get some of the history of the Walt Disney Imagineering company itself, though we do not get the explanation of what the Disney Development Company was, or how it was combined with WDI into what we know as WDI today. Most people probably find such information boring, but I don�t � and it would have fit in with some of the other details presented. Also, there�s a mention of WDI�s work on three cruise ships, though as far as I know, WDI worked on the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder and is working on two more cruise ships currently in development � so I wasn�t sure where the �three� number comes in. I felt like there was a little too much empty space on a couple of the pages, but that�s probably because the other pages are so chock-full of text and pictures. These are all minor points.
It is very easy for anyone under the age of 50 who hasn�t studied entertainment, architecture, or urban planning to miss how much these people revolutionized these things through their Disneyland. 1964 World�s Fair, and Walt Disney World work. Their influence has spread around the world into parks, malls, expos, and planned communities. This book is a wonderful look back at the talented individuals who innovated experiences that have been enjoyed by billions of people from all over the world and continue to enthrall audiences of all nationalities.
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-- Ken Pellman
Ken Pellman is a Public Information Officer, freelance writer, and media critic who lives with his wife, daughter, and dog in Anaheim. He is a contributor to TheDisneyBlog.com. Ken can be reached directly at Kenversations[at]flash[dot]net.
The views, opinions and comments of Ken Pellman, and all of our columnists and reviewers, are not necessarily those of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
--Posted August 26, 2008
�2008 Ken Pellman, all rights reserved. Licensed to LaughingPlace.com.