Designing Disney

John Hench (1908-2004) was an employee of The Walt Disney Company for over 65 years during which he actively participated in the creation of beloved Disney animated classics, theme parks and rides. On a side note, he was also the official Mickey Mouse portrait artist for many years ºoº

Commencing as a story artist in 1939, John Hench weaved his way through Walt Disney’s animation team working in areas including background design, layout, art direction, effects animation and special effects. Hench (one of the original Imagineers) was respected by Walt Disney as one of the studio’s most gifted artists, and has come to be known as “the guru of Disney design”.

Show, story, character, and colour are all key elements in a successful design, whether the medium is architecture, animation, live-action film, theme parks, stage plays, costumes, restaurants, or shops.

In Designing Disney (which includes over 200 sketches, paintings, and photographs) John Hench illustrates and explains what makes a design successful, revealing key lessons that he learnt working alongside Walt Disney himself and other legendary Imagineers that changed the concept of familiy entertainment.

This inspiring Disney book includes a plethora of stories, anecdotes and insights that will both entertain and inform the discerning Disney fan. Designing Disney examines the values and logic that went into the original plans and concepts for the Disney theme parks, reveals the magic behind some Hench’s great discoveries, and essentially explains what makes the parks work.

As master planner and concept designer for Disney, John Hench decided on the look and feel of the original Tomorrowland in Disneyland and designed many iconic buildings for Disney’s theme parks across the globe, including Cinderella Castle (at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland) and Space Mountain.

• Series: A Walt Disney Imagineering Book
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Disney Editions (January 6, 2009)
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9 x 0.4 inches 
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park

Almost 60 years ago Walt Disney inaugurated Disneyland, radically transforming the concept of family entertainment.

The execution of Walt’s ambitious dream, however, required the disparate skills, talents and personalities of a creative team of genuises that blended imagination with engineering. 

Walt dubbed this group The Imagineers, and this awesome book by film historian Jeff Kurtti explores their relationships with Walt and with each other, their creative accomplishments and failures, and their legacy which is still very much alive-and-kicking in the parks today.

Beautifully illustrated and easy to read, this Disney book will further enrich the discerning fan’s appreciation of the exceptional talent behind the creation of Disneyland and the subsequent Disney theme parks worldwide.

Within the profile of each Imagineer (not only the famous ones, but some lesser known members of the team) Kurtti presents a wealth of great anecdotes, reminiscences, quotes, rare photographs and never-before-seen artwork that will delight even the most demanding of Disney aficionados.

In summary, this Disney book offers outstanding reference material for fans of Imagineering and the genesis of the Disney theme parks.

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Disney Editions (August 26, 2008)
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.3 x 0.6 inches
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service

Anyone who has visited a Disney theme park, or stepped into a Disney Store (and I bet that 100% of the people reading this have done both), will probably be amazed by the Company’s exquisite attention to detail and sky-high customer service standards.

In this highly inspirational Disney book by author Ted Kinni and The Disney Institute, you will learn how to apply the Disney philosophy to your business or team.

Whatever you do must be of the highest quality, with the customers’ needs in mind, and constantly over-delivering to make each interaction memorable. If you’re up to the challenge, your team will never be the same.

Author Ted Kinni has authored over a dozen business books for prestigious companies such as Booz & Company, Prime Resource Group, The Walt Disney Company, LIF Group, and IMPAQ, Inc. The Disney Institute specializes in helping professionals see new possibilities through concepts not found in the typical workplace, and over the last twenty-five years has hosted business programs for thousands of professionals from more than thirty-five countries and more than forty industries eager to learn more about the Disney approach to customer service.

Now, instead of spending thousands of dollars for one of these business courses, you can learn the details for building a better company straight from this Disney book.

Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service is simply a must for anyone working in the hospitality industry and a strongly recommended for any manager who wants to be more effective and productive.

• Series: A Disney Institute Book
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Disney Editions; Rev Upd edition (November 8, 2011)
• Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 6 x 9 inches
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars