A full review will be coming to Communicore Weekly soon, but I’ve been enjoying Chris Strodder’s new Disneyland Book of Lists so much that I wanted to do a mini-review.
I’m only halfway through Chris’ latest title and I’m already thinking that this is going to be my favorite book of the year; it’s that good.
The book offers over 250 lists that look at some pretty amazing, intricate and detailed Disneyland facts and bits. Chris warns up front that sometimes he does offer his own opinion, but that’s what a curated book of lists is all about. Still, this is someone that I trust completely when doing researching or simply just for knowing his stuff.
7 of My Favorite Lists in the Book (in no order):
- 16 Splendid Disneyland Restrooms
- Approximate Speeds of 15 Disneyland Attractions
- 17 Facts About Disneyland’s Flowers and Trees
- 38 Remaining Signs and Structures From Disneyland’s Past
- 13 Disneyland-Related Sentences and Phrases That Are 13 Words Long
- 26 Special Events at Disneyland You May Not Have Heard Of
- A List of Facts Describing the Author (might be one of the cleverest things I’ve read in a long time)
Possibly one of my favorite paragraphs ever written (outside of The Nickel Tour, which is brilliant):
Disneyland’s first nationally televised “list” came on July 17, 1955, during the Opening Day festivities. After christening the Mark Twain, actress Irene Dunne quickly yelled, “We’re listing!” when she noticed that the overloaded boat was starting to tilt to one side. (p. 14)
And that’s brilliantly funny.
If you’re a fan of theme parks, Disneyland or just really good writing, then this book is for you. Chris manages to entertain while offering an unparalleled look at Disneyland. You will never look at the park the same way again. As expected, this book is great for trivia fans
- Check out my review of The Disneyland Encyclopedia at Mice Chat.
- Chris let me interview him at Mice Chat.
- The Disneyland Encyclopedia also made my list of Top Ten Disneyland books (I can make lists, too, Chris!)