From the publisher of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland comes The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream, the story of how Walt Disney's greatest creation was conceived, nurtured, and how it grew into a source of joy and inspiration for generations of visitors. Despite his successors' battles with the whims of history and their own doubts and egos, Walt's vision maintained momentum, thrived, and taught future generations how to do it Walt Disney's way.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSFOREWORD by Jeff KurttiINTRODUCTIONCHAPTER 1: One Little SparkOne of These DaysA Birthday Christmas PresentIdeas Excite MeIt Does Me GoodEver Been to Knott's?Walt Disney's AmericaCannibal IslandTell A Story VisuallyIt's About the ParkBankers Don't Have ImaginationCan Do!Twenty Feet of EarthSneeze TwiceCHAPTER 2: Stumbling Forward: 1955An Establishing ShotScene One: Main Street U.S.A.¿ Town Square¿ Main Street Corridor¿ The Plaza HubMain Street TransportationArchetypal TruthAll Aboard!Adventureland¿ You'd Sell That Tree?Frontierland¿ Ingenuity of the Pioneers¿ Queen of the River¿ They Will Appreciate ItFantasyland¿ Not Needed But Necessary¿ All Jumpers¿ Drama, Humor, and BeautyTomorrowland¿ Science-Factual¿ Only Two Cars Running¿ Whale of a TailOpening Day: The Public is My SubsidyCHAPTER 3: Learning: 1955Year OneWorld's Largest Striped Circus TentGet a Bit LostNew Worlds of EnchantmentStalactite and Stalagmite CavernsCHAPTER 4Hand On 1956 - 1958Something We Don't HaveA Good SystemBloodmere ManorThere was Something MissingAn Innovator and a ThinkerTwo Heads For One of YoursWild TurkeysAnother Big BoatDown the Rabbit Hole40 Hour WatchBuild This!And That Was ThatCHAPTER 5: Walt's Disneyland 1959 - 1966The Committee CarGive 'em a Real ShowHighway In The SkyPoetic LicenseA Mechanical GeniusA Favorite Subject of MineUndamped Divergent OscillationSizzling Teriyaki SteakThe Bird ShowWe're Selling HappinessOther World IllusionHumor Doesn't Hurt AnybodyThis Stuff is Really WeirdSet On The ShelfWe're Just Gettin' StartedLincoln's Own PenToo Many Good IdeasA Little Boat RideDisney RealismA Time TunnelA Happy AccidentCHAPTER 6: MomentumIt's Like a Cocktail PartyDead Men Tell No TalesHis Private Dining RoomA World on the MoveBack On VisualGreat Big Beautiful TomorrowStingraysThe Pattern of LeavesPeople of Equal CloutGreat Caesar's GhostChapter 7: Carrying On: 1970 - 1984Repeat CustomersBears Who Could LaughBronzed Baby ShoesJason ChandlerA Receptacle of ExperienceA Milestone in AmericanaThe Love BugSimpler PleasuresRace Through SpaceHaroldDo It With IntegrityEnjoyment of Quieter AttractionsWhat Have We Done?Fear and ConquestKind Of Crazy and EccentricKeep Changing the ShowCHAPTER 8: NEW IDEAS 1985 - 1996The First, The Fastest, and The FinestWe'll Build You a TheaterOne Continuous TakeA Little GalleryIt's Not Just DisneylandThe Longest, Steepest, HighestThe Disney DecadePort DisneyThe Seven Wonders of the World40-foot Pink ElephantsA Christmas PresentNormal Seasonal AdjustmentsA Complete Character CommunityPartnersHighlighting Its EssenceMaking Us Think TwiceThe Jungle Cruise Trading Co.An Accident Waiting to HappenInvisible TechnologyThe Anaheim ProblemCHAPTER 9: The Resort 1996 and OnwardPlay at the EdgeErasing Leo FreedmanWelcome Center for CaliforniaThe Lively LassImagination and BeyondHip, Irreverent and ContemporaryMore Productive TimeSpeed ParkingThe Second GateA Chance to be with Pooh50 YearsMental Real EstateTinkeringEPILOGUENOTESSELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY