Disney Editions Deluxe

A dozen female Imagineers recount their trailblazing careers! Capturing an era-and preserving the stories they have told their daughters, their mentees, their husbands, and their friends-a dozen women Imagineers have written personal stories from their decades designing and building the Disney world-wide empire of theme parks. Illustrated with the women's personal drawings and photos in addition to archival Imagineering images, the book represents a broad swath of Imagineering's creative disciplines during a time of unprecedented expansion. Intertwined with memories of Disney legends are glimpses of what it takes behind the scenes to create a theme park, and the struggles unique to women who were becoming more and more important, visible and powerful in a workplace that was overwhelmingly male. Each chapter is unique, from a unique Imagineer's perspective and experience. These women spent their careers telling stories in three dimensions for the public. Now they've assembled their stories in print, with the hope that their experiences will continue to entertain and illuminate.

Disney experiences enthrall millions of guests around the world. How does it all become a reality? Find out in this action-packed narrative journey! Dream Chasing is a recounting by author Bob Weis of four decades of creating and seeing to completion challenging projects, leading teams from the top secret, high-tech corridors of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) to the highest levels of The Walt Disney Company. Our author recounts working on and overseeing projects that took him from Anaheim, California, to the swampy wetlands of Central Florida, and even on to Paris; Washington, D.C.; Russia; Tokyo; Shanghai; and the massive shipyards of Papenburg, Germany. As a former Imagineering president, Bob Weis was part of the second generation of Imagineers. His page-turner of a story follows the path of someone who never lost his passion for chasing big innovative dreams in spite of having to navigate over bumpy roads tied to a slew of issues and concerns-grounded in design, technology, politics, and culture (to name a few) just to bring an array of Disney experiences to reality. Bob's drive was fueled by a belief in something Walt Disney once said: "It's kind of fun to do the impossible. "Dreams, as Weis writes, "come from a place of infinite possibilities, from a part of us that doesn't recognize limits. Dreams are exciting, frustrating, and sometimes illusive, as hard to hold on to as pixie dust, like glitter falling through your fingers." Sometimes they are meant to happen, and they do; sometimes they are meant to happen, and they don't. But every dream is an adventure, driven by the vision and passion of teams that believe any dream worth doing, is worth chasing.

The Walt Disney Company honors its 100th anniversary in 2023. As part of the festivities, this must-have quote book showcases insights from Walt Disney, along with rare Disney photographs. Walt Disney once said, "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and at the bottom of the Spanish Main... " Never has this been truer than within these pages. This collection of quotations from the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company ranges from the well-known to the obscure, but all are assured to entertain, enlighten, and inspire. His words have been gleaned from publications, productions, and interviews over the breadth of his amazing career. Some are simple nuggets of homespun wisdom, while others are statements of knowledge gained while he crafted the enchanting films, televisions shows, and unparalleled experiences that are so beloved by audiences the world over. “The Official Walt Disney Quote Book” has been compiled for anyone eager to learn more about a man who had such an incredible, positive impact on his own time and on the future yet to be-Walt Disney, the Showman of the World.

An empowering and moving story of a young woman from South Central Los Angeles (Watts and Compton) who took a chance, defied the odds, and became the first-ever Black American to achieve a half-century-long career with The Walt Disney Company. Disneyland was groundbreaking when it opened in 1955 and continues to possess a legacy of being a trend setter in both the world of themed, immersive, entertainment and workplace culture, experiences, and training. Although change was inevitable it didn't always come easy. Here is the incredible story of a young woman from South Central Los Angeles (Watts and Compton) who took a chance, defied the odds, and became the first-ever Black American to achieve a half-century-long career with The Walt Disney Company. When Martha Blanding started working at Disneyland Park in 1971, it was already a wildly successful and internationally beloved travel destination that had welcomed more than 100 million guests. This book is a personal journey through fifty years of Disneyland as told like never before... through the eyes and perspective of a successful Black woman who was indeed an example of Groundbreaking Magic. This book tells how a twenty-year-old college student came to work in Walt Disney's original theme park during the racially charged era of the early 1970s, starting as the park's first Black tour guide and eventually overseeing multi-million dollar generating merchandise-based events, many featuring globally acclaimed artists and celebrities. Martha also had a unique vantage point as she saw how societal changes impacted and changed Disneyland while she helped make much of that change possible. In addition to all the Disney pixie dust, an incredibly loving, resilient, and close American family is at the heart of this book. With her bedrock parents who had joined the Great Migration out of the Deep South, her family witnessed firsthand some of our country's most shameful events while never faltering in their faith or pride in being Black Americans. Part memoir and part cultural history, “Groundbreaking Magic” is sweet, insightful, sometimes blunt, occasionally heartbreaking, and often funny and surprising, providing the first-ever account of Disney history as seen through the eyes of "Martha B."

The Walt Disney Company honors its 100th anniversary in 2023. As part of the festivities, this must-have biography tells the story of Walt Disney's life, told as no other book can! Walt Disney is an American hero. From Mickey Mouse to Disneyland, he changed the face of American culture. His is a success story like no other: a man who developed animated film into an art form and made a massive contribution to the folklore of the world. After years of research, respected Hollywood biographer Bob Thomas produced a definitive biography of the man behind the legend of Disney: the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City who when bankrupt on his first movie venture and developed into the genius who produced unmatched works of animation, and ultimately was the creative spirit of an international entertainment empire that has enchanted generations. Complete with a collection of rare photographs, “Walt Disney: An American Original” is a fascinating and inspirational work that captures the spirit of Walt Disney.

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.

When you've spent fifty-four years at Disney, the first ten at Walt's side, you accumulate a lot of stories. As Marty tried to answer the most asked question "when are you writing your next book?" he mined his memory for stories he hasn't told before. In this fresh volume, Marty regales readers with tales from his career.

Walt Disney's animated characters moved across the silver screen with the grace of fine actors. His vision revolutionized everything from television to theme parks. But this book is perhaps the preeminent aspect of his legacy - his philosophies and his dreams. Each anecdote lends sometimes simple, sometimes profound observations on life and all of its triumphs and defeats. The quotes in this charming volume range from the well known to the obscure. Within the pages of Quotable Walt Disney are anecdotes that not only teach important lessons but also illuminate one of America's greatest creative geniuses. It is the perfect book to uplift, enlighten, and inspire.

Dave 'Ask Dave' Smith, retired Chief Archivist of The Walt Disney Company, has been fielding Disney trivia questions for over 30 years. And now, the most intriguing of those questions and answers have been compiled in this secret-filled book!