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Disneyland Book Reviews/ Favorites

Unless you are new to this blog, you probably know that I love Disneyland. Disneyland history, stories, and concept art are very important to my library collection. Today I would like to share some of the books I have read and enjoyed about Disneyland.
 Disneyland Through The Decades ♥♥♥♥
If you have visited the park, there's no doubt you have probably seen this in stores. Disneyland Through the Decades is a beautiful hardcover book, that retells the history of Disneyland in Anaheim and includes beautiful pictures and artwork. Although I do have books that I like even better, this one is definitely among my favorites.
 Mouse Tales ♥♥♥♥♥
If you are looking for unique stories, history, and secrets about the park, this is a great book to pick up and is one of my favorites. I am always looking for books that offer things about the park I haven't heard before (which, after enough research, can be a difficult task). This book has a lot of good information and is an entertaining read. I am also looking forward to reading its sequel...More Mouse Tales. A little word of caution however, this story does not shy from negative aspects of Disneyland's history.
 The Disneyland Encyclopedia ♥♥♥♥
As you would expect, The Disneyland Encyclopedia includes basic information about every land, attraction, shop, or event relating to Disneyland in Anaheim. Although a lot of the information included was not new to me, some things were and this is a book I am happy to have in my collection. This, along with another book in this post, would also make a good gift for an older child who will be visiting Disneyland. It is easy to read and is designed with pictures that breaks up the information into small, ingestible bits.
 The Haunted Mansion(From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies) ♥♥♥♥♥
Another favorite of mine, The Haunted Mansion was the first book I purchased written by Jason Surrell and I was more than happy with what I got. Even after having read the book fully, this is one I always go back to and read. The book is broken up into three parts, the conceptualization of the attraction, the attraction today in each Disney park, and how the ride connects to the Haunted Mansion film. My favorite parts of course are the first two, which are chock full of beautiful artwork, illustrations, and photos, my favorite part of this series of books. The book is also well-written, containing an abundance of information about the Haunted Mansion. Definite favorite and would highly recommend (if looking for this book, one way to find it used a bit cheaper is Amazon.com, but it has been out a while and you may be able to find a better deal. Worth looking around, as these books can be a little on the expensive side).


 Little Known Facts about Well Known Places: Disneyland ♥♥
Out of all of the books I own, this is one I feel I could do without. It is not bad; it is well designed and the format is easy to read, but the information is all very basic. Most likely if you read up on Disneyland history, this book isn't going to offer anything new. If you are looking for Disneyland secrets and facts however and you are new to the park, the layout and information is inviting and easy to read.
 Secrets of Disneyland ♥♥♥
Like the previous book, the layout of this one is quite simple and it includes a lot of secrets and facts about Disneyland. I was surprised to find that there were in fact new facts and secrets I did not know in this book; the information is good and fun to read. The book is also illustrated and designed very colorfully and I would highly recommend this book for a child going to Disneyland for the first time.
 The Haunted Mansion ♥♥♥♥♥
This book is not like the other books, but I felt this collection was not complete without mentioning it. I am very lucky to have in my collection some of the vintage story and soundtrack sets about Disneyland. This one is based on the Haunted Mansion and one of the things that makes it special is that it includes the Hatbox ghost, an animatronic that was extra creepy and only made an appearance in the park very briefly.
Pirates of the Caribbean (From The Magic Kingdom to the Movies) ♥♥♥♥♥
After reading Jason Surrell's book about the Haunted Mansion, I couldn't resist getting another one in the series about Pirates of the Caribbean. I was not disappointed, as this book included as many wonderful illustrations, photos, and stories as the Haunted Mansion book in the series. Highly recommend!
Vintage Disneyland Souvenir Book ♥♥♥♥♥
Last I wanted to mention a more recent find, which I got on ebay. This book is a souvenir book from Disneyland's early days. This book really transports you to the early days of Disneyland and I love to take a look at it every now and again.

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