Walt Disney’s Disneyland

If you’re a Disneyland buff like me, or you’re looking for a perfect gift for someone who is, Walt Disney’s Disneyland should be at the top of your list! At first glance, it looks very much like an update of Randy Bright’s 1987 book, Disneyland: Inside Story. They’re both about the same size, both feature a nighttime shot of Sleeping Beauty Castle during a fireworks show, and the inside covers sport a spread of an old Disneyland fun map. But, that’s about where the similarities end.

Chris Nichol’s book, Walt Disney’s Disneyland, is much more of a picture book, filled with tons of park photos and concept art. Each chapter has a few pages worth of text at the beginning, but the rest of the real estate is taken up by large photos and captions.

I’ve seen my fair share of Disneyland photos, and I can easily recognize the ones that I’ve seen before. Some are in this book, but they’ve never been presented this well before. They are large and crisp, showing even more details that I can get lost in again. The rest of the images are completely fresh—to me, at least. They’re just as big or bigger, some taking up a full page or a full spread (both pages). There is so much new stuff that I could spend hours examining a single photo.

If you’re a Star Wars geek, you’ll want to check out the last few pages where you’ll get some sweet Galaxy’s Edge concept art—previously seen online, but now right in your face.

Walt Disney’s Disneyland is like cracking open a Disney time capsule where everything has been perfectly preserved. No! It’s a time portal that will suck you into a wondrous past where imagination was king. The only way out is to move forward until you emerge into the present. Of course, you may want to take several trips. Pack a lunch.

Both the post author and this website have not received any compensation for writing this post. Both the post author and this website have no material connection to the third-party brands, products, or services that have been mentioned. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive a commission on all qualifying items. This is being disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”