Book Review: ANAHEIM VACATIONLAND

Anaheim Vacationland

Wrtten by Dave Oneal

2nd Edition 2009

245 pages

$55

Extinct Attraction Publishing

www.anaheimvacationland.com

David Oneal has produced a gem of a book. Artfully designed by Mateo, Oneal presents the world that surrounded Disneyland. For those who wonder why Walt wanted the Florida project, this is compelling evidence. If you have lived in Southern California more than 15 years then you are going to want this book and be prepared to say, "I remember that!" numerous times. If you want to gained and understanding of the geographical cultural context for the birth of Disneyland then you must add this book to your library.

Dave Oneal runs the outstanding Extinct Attractions Club, which is a vital source of historic Disney theme park videos. He has a unique perspective on Disneyland having lived in the surrounding motels with his mother and younger brother in 1986 for two years before being abandoned by his mother. For those two years, he and his brother would go to the safety of Disneyland virtually everyday. Today the Club, and its 45,000 members raise money for the families who still live in the nearby hotels, the only "affordable" housing in a very expensive housing market.

Over the years, Dave has meet many of the talented people who designed, built and operated Disneyland. Bob Gurr, the man who invented virtually everything that moves in Disneyland, provides some perspective on just how remote a site Anaheim was from Los Angeles. The trip would take two hours on local roads. I like his description of various bits of local architecture as "California Corny". Don Ballard, author of the definitive book for the Disneyland Hotel, provides a summary history in Anaheim Vacationland. Marty Sklar contributes to the discussion about Vacationland Magazine, which could be found everywhere in the region for many years as a way to advertise Disneyland, Anaheim, and other Southern California attractions.

Filled with photos, pamphlets, and advertisements, the book shows the rise and fall of the Disneyland Resort area prior to its recent facelift of 2001. The area went from orange groves to pleasant local motels to a crime ridden, seedy district. This book is Oneal's journey to seek out the glory days.

You get a tour of the local motels, restaurants, and other local attractions. Many of the motels are group by the themes they adopted such as Tiki, space travel or "fantasy and frolic". Remember Sambos Restaurants? Then you will love this book. I especially enjoyed the look at Magic Mountain, Japanese Deer Park, Knotts Berry Farm, Lion Country Safari, Marineland, Busch Gardens, and many others.

My bias is simple. I was born and raised in Southern California. With that in mind, this is a wonderful book. It will bring back many memories. For those new to the Disneyland Resort or are students of WDW, for the first time you will clearly see why Walt wanted Walt Disney World and why the entrance to the Magic Kingdom was designed the way it was.

For those who have lived in the Southern California area for more than 20 years,

Please note that I purchased this book.

Book Review: KNOTT'S BERRY FARM: THE EARLY YEARS

Although I typically focus on the Disney parks, every now and again a book comes along about another Southern California attraction I have to shove everything out of the way and to dive in. Jay Jennings has written an excellent book about the early history of Knott's Berry Farm. Knott's is credited as the first theme park and a major influence on Walt Disney. Located in nearby Buena Park, Knott's has an amazing history going all the way back to 1923. If you recall, 1923 was also significant as it was the year Walt Disney moved to Hollywood.

The book starts with a look at Walter and Cordelia Knott's early years. In 1920, Walter started to farm a variety of berries on 20 acres and decided to boost business with a stand along Highway 39 (Beach Blvd.). Business was pretty good but not quite enough. Walter loved berries and kept looking for the next big thing. Walter found that in 1932 when he began harvesting his signature Boysenberry. To increase revenues, his wife began selling chicken dinners on her wedding china in 1934. By 1938 the Knott's were serving more than 4,000 chicken dinners on a typical Sunday.

The lines were so long Walter decided to find a way of entertaining the crowds. So he took inspiration from his love of the old west and built a ghost town. The book does an excellent job of detailing the rapid growth of Knott's Berry Farm and all of the amazing attractions, many which are no longer there or buried under layers without recognition. There is also a look at many of the personalities who left their stamp on the park.

Things change and in Knott's case the big change came in 1968. But that time, vandalism forced the Knott's to put a fence around the ghost town and charge an admission. But this also brought new attractions such as one of the first flume rides, an early looped rollercoaster, a parachute ride (which used to the be scariest ride I have ever been on), soapbox racers, and many more.

If you are a fan of Knott's Berry Farm or old Southern California attractions, I could not recommend this book more highly.

The book is loaded with historic photos.

Please note that I purchased this book.

A LOOK AT THE SAMLAND LIBRARY

I am off to Walt Disney World for a "research" this week. Friday night I enjoyed the Magic Kingdom's Halloween party and then the rest of the week I have been eating and drinking myself silly at the food and wine fest. Got to read something on the plane right? This week will be filled with little book reviews. Let's see what is in my collection at the moment:

BOOK COLLECTION

September 22, 2009

1. Alcorn, Steve; Building a Better Mouse: The Story of the Electronic Imagineers Who Designed Epcot 2007

2. Baham, Jeff; The Secret’s of Disney’s Haunted Mansion 2006

3. Ballard, Donald; Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years 1954-1988 2005

4. Barrett, Steven M.; Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Disneyland Resort’s Best Kept Secrets 2007

5. Barrett, Steven M.; The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation 2008

6. Barrier, Michael; The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney 2007

7. Bright, Randy; Disneyland: Inside Story 1987

8. Broggie, Michael; Walt Disney’s Railroad Story: The Small Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom 1998

9. Burke, Bill; Mousejunkies! Tips, Tales, and Tricks for a Disney World Fix 2009

10. Burnes, Brian and Robert Butler and Dan Viets; Walt Disney’s Missouri: The Roots of a Creative Genius 2002

11. Cockerell, Lee; Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney 2008

12. Davison, Steven and Carolyn Gardner; The Thirteen Days of Christmas 2009

13. DeGaetano, Steve; From Plantation to Theme Park: The Story of Disneyland Railroad Locomotive No. 5 The Ward Kimball 2006

14. DeGaetano, Steve; Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad: The Complete Disneyland Railroad Reference Guide 2004

15. Disney Vacation Club; Dream 2007

16. Dunlop, Beth; Building a Dream: The Art of Disney Architecture 1996

17. Easterling, Anne S.; Mouse Map 2008-2009

18. Epstein, Jeffrey and Eddie Shapiro; Queens in the Kingdom 2nd Edition 2007

19. Fanning, Jim; Finding Nemo in the Disney Theme Parks 2009

20. Findlay, John; Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940 1992

21. Finnie, Shaun; The Disneylands That Never Were 2006

22. Foglesong, Richard; Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando 2001

23. Foster, Tim; Guide to the Magic: The Lost Journals 2007

24. Frankel, Lory; Walt Disney’s EPCOT: Creating the New World of Tomorrow 1982

25. Gabler, Neal; Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination 2006

26. Gindin, Rona; The Little Black Book of Walt Disney World 2008

27. Girveau, Bruno; Once Upon a Time: Walt Disney – The Sources of Inspiration for the Disney Studios 2006

28. Gordon, Bruce and David Mumford; Disneyland: The Nickel Tour – A Postcard Journey Through a Half Century of the Happiest Place on Earth 2000

29. Gordon, Bruce and Jeff Kurtti; Walt Disney World Resort: Then, Now and Forever 2008

30. Gordon, Bruce and Tim O’Day; Disneyland: Then, Now, and Forever 2005

31. Gordon, Bruce and Tim O’Day; Disneyland: Then, Now, and Forever 2008

32. Greene, Katherine and Richard; Inside the Dream: The Personal Story of Walt Disney 2001

33. Hansford, Dee; Gardens of the Walt Disney World Resort 1992

34. Harris, Richard; Early Amusement Parks of Orange County 2008

35. Hiaasen, Carl; Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World 1998

36. Hench, John with Peggy Van Pelt; Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show 2003

37. The Imagineers; The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World 2007

38. The Imagineers; The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland 2008

39. The Imagineers; The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World 2006

40. The Imagineers; The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World 2005

41. The Imagineers; The Imagineering Way: Ideas to Ignite Your Creativity 2003

42. The Imagineers: Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real 1996

43. Jackson, Kathy Merlock: Walt Disney Conversations 2006

44. Jennings, Jay; Knott's Berry Farm: The Early Years 2009

45. Joyce, Alan; Secrets of the Mouse: An Unofficial Behind-the-Scenes Guide to Disneyland Park 2008

46. Keller, Keith; Mickey Mouse Club Scrapbook 1975

47. Kilpatrick, Mell and Carlene Thie; A Photographer’s Life with Disney Under Construction Volume 1 2002

48. Kilpatrick, Mell and Carlene Thie; Disney’s Early Years Through the Eye of a Photographer Volume 2 2002

49. Kilpatrick, Mell and Carlene Thie; Disney Years Seen Through a Photographer’s Lens Volume 3 2002

50. Koenig, David; More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland 2002

51. Koenig, David; Mouse Tales: A Behind the Ears Look at Disneyland Special Edition 2005

52. Koenig, David; Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation and Theme Parks 2001

53. Koenig, David; Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World 2007

54. Kurtti, Jeff; Since the World Began 1996

55. Kurtti, Jeff; Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park 2008

56. Kurtti, Jeff and Bruce Gordon; The Art of Disneyland 2005

57. Kurtti, Jeff and Bruce Gordon; The Art of Walt Disney World Resort 2009

58. Lassell, Michael; Celebration: The Story of a Town 2004

59. Lefkon, Wendy; Disney Insider Yearbook: 2005 Year in Review 2006

60. Lefkon, Wendy; The Magic Begins with Me 2005

61. Lefkon, Wendy; Walt Disney World: Where Magic Lives 2003

62. Liar, Horatio Q.; Liar’s Guide to Disneyland 2006

63. Littaye, Alain and Didier Ghez; Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality 2002

64. Malmberg, Melody; The Making of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park 1998

65. Maltin, Leonard; The Disney Films 3^rd edition 1995

66. Mannheim, Steve; Walt Disney and the Quest for Community 2002

67. Markey, Kevin; Around the World with Disney 2005

68. Marling, Kraal Ann; Designing Disney’s Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance 1997

69. Marling, Karal Ann with Donna Braden; Behind the Magic: 50 Years of Disneyland 2006

70. Martin, Stacia with Bruce Gordon-Design; The Sounds of Disneyland 2005

71. Martin, Stacia with Randy Thorton-CD Producer; Walt Disney and the 1964 World’s Fair 2008

72. Marx, Jennifer, Dave Mark and Allison Marx; PassPorter’s Walt Disney World

73. Masters, Kim; The Keys to the Kingdom: How Michael Eisner Lost His Grip 2000

74. Merritt, Russell and J.B. Kaufman; Walt Disney’s Silly Symphones: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series 2006

75. Miller, Diane Disney as told to Pete Martin; Walt Disney: A Fabulous Rags-to-Riches Saga 2005

76. Mongello, Louis A.; The Walt Disney World Trivia Book: Secrets, History & Fun Facts Behind the Magic 2004

77. Mongello, Louis A.; The Walt Disney World Trivia Book Volume 2: More Secrets, History & Fun Facts Behind the Magic 2006

78. Moore, Charles; You Have to Pay for the Public Life 1965

79. Neal, Julie and Mike; The Complete Walt Disney World: The Definitive Disney Handbook Annual

80. O’Day, Tim and Lorraine Santoli; Disneyland Resort: Magical Memories for a Lifetime 2002

81. Oneal, David; Anaheim Vacationland 2009

82. Peterson, Monique; The little Big Book of Disney 2001

83. Price, Harrison “Buzz”; Walt’s Revolution by the Numbers

84. Ridgeway, Charles; Spinning Disney’s World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent 2007

85. Sehlinger, Bob; The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland

86. Sehlinger, Bob and Len Testa; The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World

87. Singer, Michael; Bring Me That Horizon: The Making of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean 2007

88. Sklar, Martin; Walt Disney’s Disneyland 1965

89. Smith, Dave; The Quotable Walt Disney 2001

90. Sorkin, Michael; Variations on a Theme Park: The New American City and the End of Public Space 1992

91. Srodder, Chris; The Disneyland Encyclopedia 2008

92. Stewart, James B; Disneywar 2005

93. Surrell, Jason; The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at its Peak 2007

94. Surrell, Jason; The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies 2003

95. Surrell, Jason; Pirates of the Caribean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies 2005

96. Telotte, J.P.; The Mouse Machine: Disney and Technology 2008

97. Thie, Carlene; Disneyland…the Beginning 2003

98. Thie, Carlene; Homecoming Destination Disneyland 2005

99. Thomas, Bob; Walt Disney: An American Original 1976

100. Thomas, Frank and Ollie Johnston; Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life 1981

101. Tieman, Robert; The Disney Treasures 2003

102. Trahan, Kendra; Disney’s California Adventure Detective: An Independent Guide to Exploring the Trivia, Secrets and Magic of the Park Dedicated to California 2008

103. Trahan, Kendra; Disneyland Detective: An Independent Guide to Discovering Disney’s Legend, Lore, and Magic! 2004

104. Veness, Susan; The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World 2009

105. West, Rick; Theme Park Adventure: Walt Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean 1994(?)

106. Whitman Giant Tell All Book; Walt Disney’s Disneyland 1964

107. Williams, Pat with Jim Denney; How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life 2004

108. Yee, Kevin; 101 Things You Never Knew about Walt Disney World 2^nd Edition 2009

109. Yee, Kevin and Jason Schultz; 101 Things You Never Knew about Disneyland 2005

110. Yee, Kevin and Jason Schultz; Magic Quizdom: Disneylandia Minutiae Semper Absurda 2003

111. Zibart, Eve; Inside Disney: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney World and the Man Behind the Mouse 2000

112. Zibart, Eve; The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World for Grown-Ups 2006

113. Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World without Kids

114. Zagat Walt Disney World Insider’s Guide

115. Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain 2006

PICTORIAL GUIDEBOOKS

116. The Story of Disneyland with a complete guide to Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Main Street, U.S.A 1955

117. Picture Souvenir Book of Disneyland in Natural Color 1955

118. Disneyland: A complete guide to Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Main Street, U.S.A. 1957

119. Walt Disney’s Guide to Disneyland 1958

120. Walt Disney’s Guide to Disneyland 1962

121. Walt Disney’s Guide to Disneyland 1964

122. Walt Disney’s Guide to Disneyland 1965

123. Walt Disney’s Disneyland: A Pictorial Souvenir and Guide 1968

124. Disneyland: A Pictorial Souvenir 1974

125. Disneyland: A Pictorial Souvenir 1976

126. Disneyland: The First Quarter Century 1979

127. Disneyland: A Pictorial Souvenir 1981

128. A Pictorial Souvenir of Walt Disney’s Disneyland 1987

129. The Original Disneyland 1993

130. Disneyland 1994

131. Disneyland: A Pictorial Souvenir 1999

132. Disneyland Resort: A Pictorial Souvenir 2002

133. Disneyland Resort: Remember the Moments 2005

134. Walt Disney World: A Pictorial Souvenir 1993

135. Walt Disney World: Pictorial Memory Book 2000

136. Walt Disney World: Pictorial Memory Book 2005

137. Walt Disney World: Where Dreams Come True 2007

138. Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean 1968

and just added -

Broggie, Michael; Walt's Words of Wisdom 2009

Duvivier, Eleonora; From Mars to Marceline: In Search of Disney 2009

Klien, Rob, Becky Cline and Steven Clark; Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives 2009

Snyder, Chuck; Windows on Main Street 2009

Fanning, Jim; Disneyland Challenge 2009

Duvivier, Elenora; Disneyssence 2008