Walt
Disney World Trivia Book: Secrets, History & Fun Facts
Behind the Magic, by Louis A. Mongello
This new book by Louis Mongello,
The Walt Disney World Trivia Book: Secrets, History
& Fun Facts Behind the Magic, manages to overcome
two very significant challenges to securing a favorable
response from this reviewer. First, I have never been
drawn to book collections of any kind of trivia, and
second, I am not, in any shape or form, a fan of any
of the Walt Disney World theme parks. A visit more than
once a decade would be a "stop-the-presses"
event for me. All that said, I found the author's treatment
of the Walt Disney World (WDW) phenomena to be quite
fascinating and certainly entertaining.
Mostly in question-and-answer format,
this book is great for keeping road trip companions
entertained while sitting in traffic jams or perking
everyone up if travel fatigue sets in. The book is organized
into six chapters with multiple-choice questions probing
the reader's knowledge of a huge array of WDW facts
about the Disney resorts in Florida, California, and
around the world. The level of research required to
even ask some of these questions is truly impressive,
not to mention the sleuthing required to determine what
the correct answers are. For instance, do you know what
the song is that the musical notes behind the registration
desk at Disney's Port Orleans Resort-French Quarter
spell out (When the Saints Go Marching In) or the number
of logs that are running when the "Splash Mountain"
ride is operating at full capacity (50-54)? Or the number
of ghosts that "live" at the Haunted Mansion?
If you read this book, you will.
One thing I have always enjoyed
about the WDW theme parks is the attention to detail
in the sets and costumes. This book does a masterful
job of highlighting and illuminating many of these often
unappreciated details. For instance, graffiti on the
walls surrounding the "Kali River Rapids"
waiting line in Disney's Animal Kingdom targets the
fictional logging company portrayed in the ride as being
guilty of despoiling the rainforests. The author reports
that in order to obtain the authentic thatched roofs
for the Harambe Village Marketplace, Disney hired Zulu
craftsman Kwa-Zulu-Natal from Kenya to recreate the
look. One of the special things about WDW is the performances
of cast members who show up at certain locations without
much fanfare - the book does a good job of revealing
how to have of these "chance" encounters.
Belle from "Beauty and the Beast," for example,
shows up in the Fairytale Garden (behind the Cinderella
Castle in Fantasyland) to tell stories to guests who
happen to be there.
It is even possible that Louis Mongello's
literary effort will be responsible for scheduling my
own visit to WDW one day in the near future so I can
locate and appreciate some of the hidden gems he has
made me aware of. In the meantime, this book offers
interesting revelations about the history and magic
of Walt Disney theme parks.
Mark
10/3/04
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