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Can you see the hidden Mickey in the ceiling of this Epcot store?
The last of my books about Disney World, “The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World,” is for the park’s devotees. Its subtitle is, “Over 600 secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom,” and author Susan Veness makes good on that promise.
If you’re a fan of Disney World, not just of its rides but of its whole experience, this is the book for you. If you’ve been to the park so many times that now you’re starting to notice all of its little details, or even if you haven’t but learning about the massive amount of work that goes into making WDW a uniquely detailed experience, then you want to check out Hidden Magic.
Hidden Magic is, essentially, a book about the Imagineers: how they crafted Disney World and how they continue to add to its experience. It points out all of the little secrets hidden in the corners of Disney World – from the tiny mouse ears that might make up larger designs passed which guests walk every day, to Walt Disney’s initials that he carved himself into his old school desk that now resides at the Animation Studio.
Enhancing what is basically an ode to the Imagineers and the exhaustive work they put into the park, scattered throughout the book are little sections called “Imagine That!” They’re on the topic of whatever the book is currently discussing, featuring interviews with various Imagineers about the why’s and how’s of the relevant attraction. For example, an “Imagine That!” within the Disney Hollywood Studios section features Imagineer Eric Jacobson talking about the challenges of taking something as iconic as the Twilight Zone and doing it justice in creating the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
All of this is very fascinating, as the book likes to point out; it’s also scattered with various “Fascinating Facts.” What it also does, however, is narrow the audience for the book.
I might be a Disney fan, and I might even like learning a tidbit or two like this about the parks, but I admit that the book itself didn’t hold my attention for long. I didn’t get the whole way through it. I suspect that all but the most devoted Disney World fans would have a similar experience.
However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Not all books need to appeal to all audiences, and Hidden Magic certainly fills a niche. It’s also not essential to read the book all in one go. Its structure, working its way through all of Disney World’s parks and revealing exhaustive details about each, makes it easy to pick up and read for just a moment.
In fact, I think Hidden Magic is better read in doses. Trying to go through all of it at once makes it feel too much like Disney World propaganda: look at how amazing the park is! Look at all of the details! Be amazed!
A staggering amount of work really has been put into the park, especially given that most people won’t notice all of the details. The Imagineers truly deserve the recognition this book has given them, so it’s better to read it in bits so one doesn’t get overwhelmed.
“The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World” serves perhaps a very different audience than the other two Disney World books at which I looked, though I imagine that Mousejunkies’ Bill Burke would appreciate the information contained within Hidden Magic. If you’re also interested in just what, exactly, the Imagineers do, then Hidden Magic is worth a look.
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*(This image by meshmar2 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
