Kevin Neary

Susan Neary

Vanessa Hunt

It all started with a map. . . . Maps of the Disney Parks are more than just atlases used by guests to find their way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. They are snapshots of a place and time, relics treasured by collectors, and gorgeous pieces of artwork. In fact, it was a map-imagined by Walt Disney and drawn by Herbert Ryman-that was used to sell the idea of Disneyland to investors. Unfold this book bursting with beautiful maps from when the very first Disney Park opened in 1955 right up to today. Discover details on how and why the domestic and international parks have changed over time, and enjoy six decades worth of skillful creativity.

Charting 60 Years from California to Shanghai

Maps of the Disney Parks

Paul Wolski

Jeff Kurtti

All aboard a lavish visual celebration of one of Disney's most iconic and beloved creations: the Disney Monorail. Through a lively and succinct narrative and a stunning collection of unique historical photographs and rare concept and development art (much of it never before published) readers will be transported through the imagination of one of the great twentieth century geniuses, and into a future where yesterday's dreams are tomorrow's realities! Walt Disney is renowned as a cartoonist, filmmaker, showman, and entertainment icon. But he was also a far-sighted futurist, a transportation buff with practical roots in the past, and visionary sights set on the future. In imagining his Disneyland park, Walt saw it not only as a destination for diversion and entertainment, but also as a means of presenting practical demonstrations of new ideas and new technology with real-world applications. As Walt said, "Tomorrow offers new frontiers in science, adventure, and ideals: the Atomic Age . . . the challenge of outer space . . . and the hope for a peaceful and unified world." In The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky, readers will discover the parallel stories of the development of a new form of transportation and the evolution of Walt's prophetic creative mind, which resulted in the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere. From that day in June 1959, this mid-century modern marvel has captured the hearts and imaginations not only of theme park and Disney fans everywhere. It has also inspired, as Walt had hoped, the creation of working monorails in practical transit applications in varied locations all around the world.

Imagineering a Highway in the Sky

The Disney Monorail

Daniel Handke

Anyone who has ever walked through the gates at a Disney Park knows that there is a magical experience waiting to be had on the other side. All of the telltale signs are there: the sound of joyful music pipes across the promenade; the smells of popcorn and cookies waft through the air; and the colorful attraction posters depict all the wonderful rides and shows created for Guests by the Imagineers. Poster Art of the Disney Parks is a tribute to those posters, which begin telling the story of each attraction even before Guests have entered the queue area. Disney attraction posters have been an important means of communication since Disneyland began displaying them in 1956. Not only are they eye-catching pieces of artwork that adorn the Parks with flair and style, they are also displayed to build excitement and disseminate information about the newest additions to the Disney landscape. When the first attraction posters made their debut at Disneyland, one such piece of art proclaimed that Guests could have a “true-life adventure” on the Jungle Cruise. And in 2012 at Disney California Adventure, a poster announced the grand opening of Cars Land—the newest thrill-filled destination at the Disneyland Resort. Both of those posters are reproduced within this book, along with posters from every decade in between. As evidenced by the evolution of the attraction posters, art styles and design techniques have certainly changed over the years. These characteristics also differ from continent to continent. Posters from Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland exhibit the nuances in presentation that give each Park’s pantheon of posters its signature look. But while artistic interpretations and color palettes may vary from Park to Park and from year to year, the spirit of Disney storytelling is a constant that ties them all together.

Vanessa Hunt

About

Books

Join the club