Walt Disney and the Quest for Community

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating read, but can't answer the burning questions...
Review: 'What if Walt Disney had lived 10 or 20 more years?' and 'What would Walt's EPCOT have been like?' are, to me, two of the most burning "What Ifs" of our time. Steve Mannheim's "Walt Disney and the Quest for Community" is a captivating and fascinating read. Excrutiatingly well-researched, well-written, and incredibly informative, it provides Disney fans and those interested in urban renewal with basic incites into the last great dream of the visionary Disney. But that's as far as it goes. Mannheim treads lightly around the basic questions of what life would have actually been like in the city of EPCOT and, sadly, never provides much more than a teasing glimpse of the "might-have-beens". According to Mannheim, Disney himself was only in the preliminary stages of planning and working out the details of his experimental city when he died and that we will likely never know for sure exactly what it would've been. Perhaps this is true, but seeing as how so much of the early planning/purchasing/contracting/construction/building stages of the proposed Disney World project were already a done deal (or, at least, well under way), it seems quite unlikely that Walt hadn't confided his plans to someone. He was a meticulous planner and not given to flying by the seat of his pants when realizing a vision of this scope. Not to mention the fact that EPCOT was going to be joint venture with several leaders in American Industry who would likely NOT invest in undisclosed ideas that existed only in someone's mind, even Disney's. Also, Mannheim seems to too strongly defend current Disney management in the closing chapter and states that, with the construction and population of Celebration, Florida, that somehow Walt's EPCOT truly lives and that the time has finally come for some slight realizations of his last unfullfilled dreams. Celebration, as any student of Disney's final dream can tell you, is a FAR cry from the EPCOT concept and that current Disney Company philosophies and standards show little resemblance to the high moral standards and belief system he held his company to during his lifetime. The book portrays today's EPCOT Center as a living tribute to the man and his bold vision, but even the most casual recent visitor to that park can see that this simply is not so. Stil, I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who's a Disney fan or, like me, still fascinated after all these years by Walt's ambitious vision, just be warned going in that you'll likely still have the same burning questions after finishing it.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating read, but can't answer the burning questions...
Review: 'What if Walt Disney had lived 10 or 20 more years?' and 'What would Walt's EPCOT have been like?' are, to me, two of the most burning "What Ifs" of our time. Steve Mannheim's "Walt Disney and the Quest for Community" is a captivating and fascinating read. Excrutiatingly well-researched, well-written, and incredibly informative, it provides Disney fans and those interested in urban renewal with basic incites into the last great dream of the visionary Disney. But that's as far as it goes. Mannheim treads lightly around the basic questions of what life would have actually been like in the city of EPCOT and, sadly, never provides much more than a teasing glimpse of the "might-have-beens". According to Mannheim, Disney himself was only in the preliminary stages of planning and working out the details of his experimental city when he died and that we will likely never know for sure exactly what it would've been. Perhaps this is true, but seeing as how so much of the early planning/purchasing/contracting/construction/building stages of the proposed Disney World project were already a done deal (or, at least, well under way), it seems quite unlikely that Walt hadn't confided his plans to someone. He was a meticulous planner and not given to flying by the seat of his pants when realizing a vision of this scope. Not to mention the fact that EPCOT was going to be joint venture with several leaders in American Industry who would likely NOT invest in undisclosed ideas that existed only in someone's mind, even Disney's. Also, Mannheim seems to too strongly defend current Disney management in the closing chapter and states that, with the construction and population of Celebration, Florida, that somehow Walt's EPCOT truly lives and that the time has finally come for some slight realizations of his last unfullfilled dreams. Celebration, as any student of Disney's final dream can tell you, is a FAR cry from the EPCOT concept and that current Disney Company philosophies and standards show little resemblance to the high moral standards and belief system he held his company to during his lifetime. The book portrays today's EPCOT Center as a living tribute to the man and his bold vision, but even the most casual recent visitor to that park can see that this simply is not so. Stil, I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who's a Disney fan or, like me, still fascinated after all these years by Walt's ambitious vision, just be warned going in that you'll likely still have the same burning questions after finishing it.

Rating:
Summary: What a Shame Walt Couldn't Finish...
Review: Although a bit technical in places, this is simply the best book on Walt Disney that I have ever read. The author fearlessly draws upon many disciplines to help explain what the genius of Walt Disney was consumed with at the time of his death. Author Steve Mannheim used documents as well as interviews with Disney family and colleagues to paint a fascinating picture of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). It is worth the academic book price and I would not be surprised if its collectors' value increases.

Rating:
Summary: Researching the Story of Walt Disney's Final Dream
Review: It is clear that it will be the responsibility of historians to accurately reflect the influence that Walt Disney had upon the development of cultural and social structures; beginning during the twentieth century and continuing into a new millennium. Though Walt Disney reflected the social values of his contemporaries in the United States, he also tapped into the essential curiosity that drives all human beings toward exploration and discovery. It is that final phase of Walt Disney's bold and creative exploration that provides the backdrop for this important study.

In "Walt Disney and the Quest for Community", author Steve Mannheim brings Walt's original idea for EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) back to the table after almost four decades of neglect. While the creation of Epcot Center at Walt Disney World provides for an interesting day of amusement, the origins of EPCOT (the community) had far greater implications. Those living and working at the EPCOT of Walt Disney's mind would participate in an innovative commercial, social, and political experiment that would be unprecedented in human history. Regrettably, the genius of Walt Disney was revealed to be finite with his passing in December 1966. With Disney's death, the dream of EPCOT as originally conceived was shelved as being unattainable without the necessary provision of Walt Disney's personal authority and command.

Mannheim's text explores the historical context and influences upon Walt's research and imagination, along with many first hand interviews and accounts from those who worked closely with Disney during this exploratory period in the mid 1960's. The text is expertly researched and provides the most thorough account to date of the vision behind Walt Disney's final dream: E.P.C.O.T.

Rating:
Summary: The Evolution of Walt's EPCOT Concept
Review: This is a great read about Walt Disney's EPCOT concept. It draws upon original interviews, research in archives, Disney company building experience, and history to tell a fascinating story of Walt's original ideas and how they evolved into later projects like Epcot and Celebration. Most important, it is clear that the author has a solid understanding of Walt Disney the man and uses it to put EPCOT into context. In addition, the author provides many references with which I was unfamiliar. Finally, the book is organized in such a way as to make it very accessible. I think that this book will be an important resource for both scholars and Disney fans in the future.

Rating:
Summary: The Evolution of Walt's EPCOT Concept
Review: This is a great read about Walt Disney's EPCOT concept. It draws upon original interviews, research in archives, Disney company building experience, and history to tell a fascinating story of Walt's original ideas and how they evolved into later projects like Epcot and Celebration. Most important, it is clear that the author has a solid understanding of Walt Disney the man and uses it to put EPCOT into context. In addition, the author provides many references with which I was unfamiliar. Finally, the book is organized in such a way as to make it very accessible. I think that this book will be an important resource for both scholars and Disney fans in the future.

Rating:
Summary: The Story Behind Walt's EPCOT
Review: This well organized, well researched book provides great insight to the original dreams and plans Walt Disney had for the prototype community of tomorrow - the EPCOT that never was built.

A great read for any EPCOT fan, Walt Disney fan or those interested in city plannning.