A book 70 years in the making.

If you thought you knew everything there was to know about Disneyland, you are about to find out you are wrong. The Happiest Place on Earth really is “The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland.” Filled with stories and photos of the earliest days, it is a remarkable book that is sure to delight fans of the original park – Walt’s park – for years to come. It’s going to take me that long to truly pour over everything in here!

Thanks to Random House Worlds for sending me an advance copy so I can share it with you, this book is a dream to fans of Disneyland. Celebrating 70 years of theme park magic, it goes back in time to the beginning to tell us stories from Walt’s first inklings of a place for families to it’s early creation. It’s fascinating to see the love Walt had for this park – the only one he was able to actually see come to life. From the first moment I cracked open this heavy tome filled with information, I felt a smile cross my face. This book is filled with photos and maps and layouts and sketches and diagrams I had never seen before.

My favorite part was the evolution of Disneyland from Mickey Mouse Park (which Walt never named it) across from the studios to what we know today. That Herb Ryman picture we all know and love? It wasn’t the first iteration of the park. There were many, MANY others and they are all fascinating. From the earliest sketches, Walt wanted a Haunted Mansion and it is interesting to see how all the different elements in the park evolved over time. If you’re a fan of Disneyland or Walt or anything Disney (and let’s face it – you’re here!), you need this book.