So I recently got dragged to a Disney park. It was in that moment that I realised all I knew about it was a man called Walt Disney was the founder of it all, and he created Mickey Mouse. Needless to say, I was rather embarrassed about walking around the park and not having a clue about anything. So, when I returned home I instantly decided to get clued into the whole Disney thing and that meant searching for a book.
I eventually landed on one called The World of Disney by Jim Fanning. It looked rather like a comprehensive guide, up until at least 2016, so I thought that would get that and have a look through it. First of all, I noticed all the characters on the front page and I remembered a few from the parks. I remember hearing some of the names of them, which was good. I really love the way the book has some of the well known characters on the front of the book! It really appears inviting.
Another thing I loved reading was the timeline of Disney. It was split into different categories: Important Events, Documentary, Nature Documentary, Hand-drawn animated, Live-action, CG Animated, Backlit Animated, and Academy Award. I loved this, because it really showed just how much Walt Disney has produced and that amazed me. I really had no idea that the company had produced as much as they had! It seems crazy to think that something which started in the 1920s is still around and thriving now.
I took a look at the contents page and it was split into 3 clearly designed areas: Drawn Disney, Disney in Action, and Experience Disney. This was to clearly make sure that every area was covered. I began to look through the book and the layout is so clean. Each page/moment is dedicated to something. It even starts from before Mr. Disney created Mickey Mouse, aka The Mouse That Started It All. The early pages build up to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which was the first movie released by Walt Disney.
I loved reading and learning about how the company was built from scratch, and how every single animation and event led to Mickey Mouse, and then everything that followed. It really inspired me to know that you could start with nothing, and then slowly build up and look how popular Disney is now! It's amazing and inspiring! If Mr. Disney can do it then so can I! I really want to achieve my dreams now.
I must confess that I really did begin to get into the book, and it's rather like a visual timeline that shows all the tricks that were used to create the movies. From first sketches to voice artists and the developing skills and technologies that were used to create the masterpieces. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves only just made its release date, and there were even movies that were in the production stage when Mr. Disney died. The Jungle Book is an example of that. Woolie Reitherman was the man who had to finish bringing Walt's vision to an epic conclusion.
After the Drawn Disney section comes the Disney in Action. This section shows how the company progressed onto creating live action movies. This is the start of when humans were cast and directed, another direction that Disney went in. This was the era of Mary Poppins and Pirates of the Caribbean. Now, Disney has also been starting to recreate a lot of their animated classics such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast (that stars a girl who looks rather similar to Hermione Granger if you ask me). This, for most people, is when Disney began to get really magical. They could see everything before their eyes and the fact that everything is happening to real people makes them connect in a different way to the animated characters. For me I prefer the 'Live Action' segments and a lot of my favourite movies are from this period... although I have to admit they are the more recent ones such as Aladdin, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast (really, she looks exactly like Hermione Granger!). This era has also brought some of the Walt Disney company's greatest movies, and marked them as both an animation giant and a stellar Live Action producer as well.
The final area of the book was the one I began my Disney journey with. Experience Disney is all about the interactive side of things, and I find it mad to think that a US based entertainment company has managed to produce so much! Disney is a global company with places and parks all over the world. There's so much to see and do and Disney certainly brings the magic and sparkle to our lives that we all need. I was amazed to read about the Disney Cruises and all the Castles and how each park has a different Princess Castle at its heart. I know there are also so many different styles of park as well.
Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to finish reading this rather lovely book.
Until next time,
Adele x