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By Kevin Yee and Jason Schultz
Let me first say this book is nothing like I expected; only because of what I had heard from others. I am a huge Disneyland freak. I read a lot, we go often, and those facts had me a bit concerned about this book. Many people had said there was nothing in the book they didn't already know. That being said, I decided to go ahead and get the book and see for myself.
This book is very well put together, and from the first page I was hooked. Seeing a Preface by Roy Disney I felt it was off to a good start. Then turning the page… there is a Foreword by one of my heroes, Imagineer Tony Baxter. With the feeling that the two of them basically 'endorsed' this book I now had high expectations.
While 101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland doesn't have chapters per se… it is broken into sections. First section is Main Street U.S.A. where you begin reading information about the buildings and more. One 'factoid' that is fairly well known is that the light is on in Walt's apartment at all times and this book will tell you why. This is one of the 101 things that I actually knew. There are a few more in the book, but that is it; the rest was all new information to me.
After Main Street U.S.A the book next heads to Adventureland and then New Orleans Square. In New Orleans Square I was waiting for something about Fantasmic! You will not find that in the book. This book is about Disneyland not the entertainment. Critter Country and Frontierland are next, followed by Fantasyland. Toontown, the newest land, even had a few pages in this book followed by Tomorrowland.
This wonderful book takes one page for each of the 101 Things. First is a statement, then more about that statement. Then on each page is a 'furthermore', which will give a bit more information on the actual fact, or something related to the fact.
The layout of this book was not gimmicky but purely straightforward. One page for each of the 101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland without pictures or other frivolities.
The biggest surprise in this book was at the end. The Postscript talks about several urban legends involving Disneyland. In this section, the authors tell you WHY the urban legends are not true. I had not heard about this part of the book so was pleasantly surprised. I also must say that something I had believed and have read often elsewhere and had taken for years as fact was in the Postscript.
I recommend this book for anyone who loves Disneyland or wants to learn more about Disneyland. If you are planning a trip this is a great companion book. Did you just get home from Disneyland? Many things will be fresh in your mind, and the book will be a great way to end the wonderful vacation. I loved the simplicity of the book. I loved the items they chose to share with us, and as I already mentioned, of 101 Things, I only knew about 10 before opening this book. Much to my surprise I found this book enjoyable and well worth the money spent!