Seldom-seen concept art a highlight of “The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland”

Jim Hill

16 years ago

Having already put together Imagineering Field Guides for the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom, Alex Wright has taken a break from writing about the Walt Disney World Resort (Reportedly because the folks at Disney Editions want WDW Guests to get used to calling the park-formerly-known-as-MGM Disney's Hollywood Studios instead before they then publish a guide book about that theme park).

Not to worry, though. Orlando's loss is Anaheim's gain. For — while we're all waiting for the April 2009 publication of "The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Hollywood Studios" — Alex has turned his attention on the theme park that started it all. The Happiest Place on Earth.

And if you liked the first three books in this series, I can guarantee that you'll enjoy "The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland" (Disney Editions, November 2008). For Wright follows his now well-established formula with this 128-page paperback, liberally mixing fun behind-the-scenes tidbits with cool seldom-seen pieces of concept art.

What I always enjoy about Alex's books is that he genuinely strives to show his readers things that they've never ever seen before. Take — for example — that John Hench & Herb Ryman concept painting below. Sure, you've probably seen the exterior of Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room before. But take a closer look at the marquee of this Adventureland showing building. Do you notice anything unusual?

In this painting, the sponsor of this attraction is shown as being RCA. Yet — when The Enchanted Tiki Room first opened its doors in July of 1963 — the original sponsor of this Disneyland show was United Airlines.

You see what I'm getting at yet? Wright actually dug out the concept painting that the Imagineers used to try & convince RCA executives to sponsor this new Disneyland attraction. A sales pitch that obviously failed.

Alex clearly has a love for concepts that never quite made it off the drawing board. Be it the version of the Indiana Jones Adventure where you were to have zoomed through the Temple of the Forbidden Eye aboard a runaway mine car …

Or Walt's original, far more elaborate vision for Disneyland's Fantasyland section. Which was to have featured a ferris wheel themed around that Academy Award-winning short, "The Old Mill" …

… as well as a shoot-the-chutes ride that would have sent Guests careening out of Monstro's mouth.

Of course, as every good Disney history fan knows, Disney didn't have have enough money back in 1955 to put everything that he wanted into Disneyland. Which is why the fanciful exterior that Herb Ryman originally created for Peter Pan's Flight never made it out of Neverland.

Now please don't make the mistake of thinking that "The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland" is some sort of tribute to the Disneyland that never was. The sort of book that would only appeal to the dweebiest of Disneyana fan. Far from it. This book also has plenty of material that will appeal to even the most casual of theme park visitors. Like pointing out some of Disneyland's less obvious storytelling, like those sails that tower over New Orleans Square. Which suggest the bustling harbor that should exist just beyond those show buildings.

Wright also details the process that goes into the creation of your favorite Disneyland rides. Everything from dimensional design (IE: the talented sculptors who created all of the figures that that you find in this theme park, including the macquette of a hippo from "it's a small world" pictured below) …

In short, there's lots to like about this pocket-sized paperback. So if you're looking for some sort of stocking stuffer for the Disneyana fan on your holiday shopping list, "The Imagineering Field Guide for Disneyland" comes highly recommended.