Disney book review; “Married to the Mouse”
I often hear people asking about what books they can read to learn more about Walt Disney World, Imagineering, the company and Walt himself. I have a decent sized collection of books about the Mouse, so I thought it would be helpful to people looking to learn more if I review some of the older books that are still in print. I hope you find these useful…
How close was Walt Disney World from being located in St. Louis? Did Walt Disney ever really intend to build an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow with permanent residents? Have you ever wondered how the Mouse seemingly took over central Florida? These are just the very beginning of all the fascinating questions that are answered in Richard E. Fogelsong’s book “Married to the Mouse; Walt Disney World and Orlando”.
From the outset, the book is a Disney World addicts dream. It offers amazing detail on how Disney was able to acquire all their land, set up shop, and become a world onto itself. You go inside both the Disney offices and those of the local politicians and businessman who help facilitate the partnership. But like all good books, things don’t stay rosy for too long, and in the volume it turns quickly to a story of backroom wrangling, secret plans, and all out publicity war. Although Fogelsong tends to write occasionally in a clinical manner, the plot seems to always thicken.
“Married to the Mouse” chronicles the major bumps in the road that seems to have brought Disney and Orlando from happy newlyweds to a divorced couple sorting out a mess. It covers the development and operations of the mysterious Reedy Creek Improvement District, the name casual Disney World guests may recognize from the firehouse they pass within the “Disney bubble”. The amount of leverage and benefits Disney received from the deal to build in Central Florida is sometimes mind-blowing, and the author opens our eyes to things we might never have noticed. But this about more than just the marriage, it’s about the relationship as well.
As Michael Eisner took over, things changed. Tax battles, road improvement debates, and everything in between separated these once happy partners, as Disney seemed more openly interested in growing the bubble, rather then being a partner in developing the future of the area. With the introduction of Celebration, Disney’s planned community, and Downtown Disney, the Mouse opened a competition war with the town that gave them so much.
Fogelsong uses the idea of marriage to layout this story in a concise way, though sometimes with a slight “text book” feel. But he never lets the nuts and bolts get in the way of the story. “Married to the Mouse” is required reading for every Disney World fan who is interested in learning how the Mouse became so big.