Three Years in Wonderland: The Disney Brothers, C. V. Wood, and the Making of the Great American Theme Park

by Todd James Pierce Narrated by Al Kessel

Overview

While the success of Disneyland is largely credited to Walt and Roy Disney, there was a third, mostly forgotten dynamo instrumental to the development of the park-fast-talking Texan C. V. Wood. Three Years in Wonderland presents the never-before-told, full story of "the happiest place on earth." Using information from over one hundred unpublished interviews, Todd James Pierce lays down the arc of Disneyland's development from an idea to a paragon of entertainment.



In compelling detail, Three Years in Wonderland lays out the struggles and rewards of building the world's first cinematic theme park and convincing the American public that a seventeen million dollar amusement park was the ideal place for a family vacation. The early experience of Walt Disney, Roy Disney, and C. V. Wood is one of the most captivating untold stories in the history of Hollywood. Pierce interviewed dozens of individuals who enjoyed long careers at the Walt Disney Company as well as dozens of individuals who-like C. V. Wood-helped develop the park but then left the company for good once the park was finished. Through much research and many interviews, Three Years in Wonderland offers readers a rare opportunity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the men and women who built the best-known theme park in the world.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Readers will get an inside look at the Disney brothers and their dubious yet immensely charismatic associate C. V. Wood, along with Disneyland's near-disastrous opening day in 1955. With the extensive appeal of the backstory of America's original theme park, this book will be equally engaging for those drawn to the origins of such destinations, mid-twentieth-century American workplace culture, California history, and all things Disney."

—Library Journal, 04/01/2016 issue (Volume 141, No. 6, pgs. 105-106)

"Three Years in Wonderland is one of the most important contributions ever made to Disney parks history. Meticulously researched, it is a revolutionary book which sheds new light on the early days of Disneyland. Written with passion and talent, Todd Pierce's magnum opus is a fascinating read for Disney enthusiasts and history buffs alike."

—Didier Ghez, author of Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality; Disney's Grand Tour: Walt and Roy's European Vacation, Summer 1935; and They Drew as They Pleased: The Hidden Art of Disney's Golden Age

Library Journal

04/01/2016
Major companies and banks were not interested in sponsoring the fanciful, and sure to fail, concept of a theme park when Walt Disney floated the idea, especially at a time when television was causing turmoil among the Walt Disney Company's relationships with its traditional partners—theater chains. Here, Pierce (creative writing, California Polytechnic State Univ.; Newsworld) chronicles the early life of C.V. Wood (1920–92), a smooth-talking Texan who would become integral to the building, funding, and opening of Disneyland amid often contentious collaboration with Walt and Roy Disney. The author goes beyond the official history of the resort, sharing the backroom deals, conflict, and near failures that went into selecting a location, purchasing large parcels of land, and designing and developing the park's novel rides. Readers will get an inside look at the Disney brothers and their dubious yet immensely charismatic associate Wood, along with Disneyland's near disastrous opening day in 1955. VERDICT With the extensive appeal of the backstory of America's original theme park, this book will be equally engaging for those drawn to the origins of such destinations, mid-19th-century American workplace culture, California history, and all things Disney.—Zebulin Evelhoch, Central Washington Univ. Lib.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170987726
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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