Voted One of Library Journal’s Best Reference Books of the Year!
“Strodder’s love of Southern California’s famous theme park shines in this essential reference book. . . . Complete in every way. . . fun to read. . . . Essential for a Disney collector.”—Library Journal
“[The Disneyland Encyclopedia] digs deep into familiar places, but it also helps explain some of the less visible elements that make us love the place so much; the little histories of the long-gone shops on Main Street that sold things like greeting cards and children’s shoes are charming and wonderful.”—Los Angeles Magazine
“It’s a great read from cover to cover and an essential reference for any Disney and Disneyland fan.”—MouseInfo.com
“If a university ever offered a “Disneyland 101” course, The Disneyland Encyclopedia by Chris Strodder would be a solid textbook candidate. . . . The information and insight you’ll gain after reading The Disneyland Encyclopedia didn’t come from a few weeks of Googling. These are facts and trivia that come from hours and hours of painstaking studying literature, news archives and talking with people who have been with the park since its earliest days. But as detailed and informative as the book is, it’s written conversationally and directly, which makes reading it so much more enjoyable.”—Coaster101.com
“Once again the front cover makes the audacious promise, ‘Every land, attraction, restaurant, shop, and major event in the original Magic Kingdom.’ And, once again, it’s true. . . . There’s actually more inside the book than what the cover promises.”—Yesterland.com
“This book is so much more than just information about Disneyland—this book transports you there! If you are planning a trip, or if you would like to learn more about a park you would love to visit one day, this is for you. If you are looking for a great insight to a park that fans have loved for over sixty years, be sure to pick up a copy.”—SusansDisneyFamily.com
“At over 500 pages it’s a grand collection of the history and trivia of Disneyland, all nicely organized with concise entries for just about everything that has been installed, exhibited, removed or considered for the Happiest Place on Earth.”—MiceAge.com
“True to its title The Disneyland Encyclopedia documents the smallest snack cart, the shortest lived shows, the favorite restaurants and the beloved attractions inside the Disneyland Park from its 1955 opening. . . . It would be difficult to find any physical element of Disneyland that is not documented in the book’s entries.”—BetweenDisney.com
“His attention to detail shows and it is very important in a work of this caliber. . . . An indispensable tool for the Disneyland fan and researcher.” —MiceChat.com
Strodder's (The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool) love of Southern California's famous theme park shines in this essential reference book. After the introduction, maps are provided that show each land and where the shops, restaurants, and attractions were or are currently housed. Next, he examines in alphabetical order everything that ever existed in Disneyland; each reference has a map tag so readers can go back and look at where an operation used to be. Under chronology, Strodder shows the operation's opening date and closing date, or whether it still exists (in which case it says "ongoing"). When mentioning an individual Disney legend like Bob Gurr, the designer of the original Monorail, the chronology is still used, which is a bit odd. After the map and chronology, an intriguing history fills out the entry. Complete in every way, this guide even has entries for such attractions as the Dalmatian Celebration, which lasted for six weeks at the end of 1996. Reading this book from cover to cover would be difficult, but it is perfect for browsing.
Jeff Ayers