Filled with great photographs of the park itself (as well as seldom seen shots of WDI concept art and models), Alain Littaye and Didier Ghez’s “Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality” is a good book. A really good book. One that every Disneyana fan should think seriously about adding to their collection.
But is “Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality” a great book? Sadly, no. It misses greatness by mere inches.
What’s the problem? Well, as nice as the volume is to look at — and make no mistake, kids. “From Sketch to Reality” is filled to the brim with eye candy — its text is a little bit on the thin side. Reading through the thing, one can’t help but think “These are cute anecdotes and all. But where are all the really juicy stories? The behind-the-scenes intrigues, the reports on what a struggle it was to open this park on time, the cost over-runs, etc?”
To be fair, it should be pointed out that “Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality” is an authorized book. Which means that — in order to gain access to all the amazing imagery that’s featured in this volume — Littaye and Ghez had to agree to dance to Disney’s tune. Which means that they had to produce a book that deliberately skirted controversy, one that kept a basically upbeat tone when describing the history of the project.
As a result, all of those really great stories about what actually happened during the design & construction phase of the Euro Disneyland / Disneyland Paris Resort (the ones that Disneyana insiders have been whispering to each other & chortling over for the past 15 years) didn’t make it into this book. Which is a bit of a shame.
But in retrospect, that’s a minor quibble when you consider the bounty that’s to be found inside the pages of this book. I mean, where else are you going to find imagery of intriguing but abandoned concepts like a 1920s version of Main Street U.S.A.? Or be able to view photographs of some of the wilder ideas that noted architects proposed as possible hotels for the Euro Disneyland / Disneyland Paris resort. (Wait ’til you see the model for Jean Nouvel’s totally transparent hotel. Or better yet, Hans Hollein’s plans for a five star resort that was shaped like an aircraft carrier.)
Okay, so Alain Littaye and Didier Ghez’s “Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality” isn’t exactly in the same class as Randy Bright’s “Disneyland: Inside Story” or David Mumford and Bruce Gordon’s “Disneyland: The Nickel Tour.” After all, those books had killer stories to go with their amazing illustrations.
“Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality” may be light on stories. But there’s no denying that this attractively laid out book is filled to the brim with eye popping photographs and concept art. (750 illustrations, to be exact. 500 photos and 250 concept drawings straight from the archives of Walt Disney Imagineering.) That amazing imagery alone is a good enough reason for every serious Disneyana scholar out there to add this colorful volume to their library.
Availability: If you’d like to pick up a copy of Alain Littaye and Didier Ghez’s “Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality” for either yourself or the Disney dweeb on your Christmas shopping list, MouseShoppe has a few slighted damaged copies of the book currently up for sale at their site. So — if you’d like to pick up this handsome book for a bargain price — now might be a good time to buy. Sadly, the Laughing Place Store is temporarily out of stock of this title.
My advice: Don’t dawdle. Only 4000 copies of “Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality” were printed (2000 in English, 2000 in French). And when they’re gone … they’re gone. So get crackin’, kids.