More suggestions:
https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Journey-Fantastical-Disney-Imagineering/dp/1368020488
Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career
Kevin Rafferty has spent 40 years developing dimensional storytelling experiences for Disney Park guests around the world. Kevin began his Disney career in 1974 as a dishwasher at the Plaza Inn restaurant at
Disneyland. After earning his B.A. degree in Art from California State University, Fullerton, he joined Imagineering in 1978 and contributed to the development of Epcot. After helping to develop Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, he was show writer for the original Comedy Warehouse live stage show at Pleasure Island in Walt Disney World. Kevin worked with Jim Henson on the story development for MuppetVision 3D and created the original concept, story and name for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. He was a key member of the concept development team for Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park at Walt Disney World, and was the co-concept creator, designer and show writer for the award-winning Toy Story Midway Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, Disney California Adventure and Tokyo DisneySea. He most recently contributed to The Imagineering Story docuseries now streaming on Disney+.
My comment: A heartwarming story by a guy who got to stay a kid all his life.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9C93QW/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
Dream It! Do It!: My Half-Century Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms
Marty Sklar was hired by The Walt Disney Company after his junior year at UCLA, and began his Disney career at Disneyland in July 1955, the month before the park opened. He spent his first decade at Disney as "the kid," the very youngest of the creative team Walt had assembled at WED Enterprises. But despite his youth, his talents propelled him forward into substantial responsibility: he became Walt's speech writer, penned Walt's and Roy's messages in the company's annual report, composed most of the publicity and marketing materials for Disneyland, conceived presentations for the U.S. government, devised initiatives to obtain sponsors to enable new Disneyland developments, and wrote a twenty-four-minute film expressing Walt's philosophy for the Walt Disney World project and Epcot. He was Walt's literary right-hand man. Over the next forty years, Marty Sklar rose to become president and principal creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, and he devoted his entire career to creating, enhancing, and expanding Walt's magical empire. This beautifully written and enlightening book is Marty's own retelling of his epic Disney journey, a grand adventure that lasted over half a century.
My comment: I was put off a little bit by Sklar's gratuitous shots at parks boss Richard "Dick" Nunis, which in my opinion wasn't necessary. Nunis was an exacting boss, but he was the guy who made the trains run on time. And I also understand the tension between creative people and operating people. That aside, if you're a Disney history student, this is a must read.
