Are you a fan of everything "Mouse"?
Top Disney is a new book by Christopher Lucas in which he explains all things Disney through a series of 100 top ten lists.
At first glance, I thought the book was going to be about tips and tricks of planning a perfect Disney World vacation. However, it’s so much more than that. Rather, Christopher Lucas immerses you into the nostalgia of the world of Disney.
Lucas is clearly a long-time fan.
He presents 100 top ten lists of the best of Disney. Lists and lists of every aspect of Disney you can think of.
Top movies.
Top actors and actresses.
Characters.
Rides.
Shows.
...You name it.
Also, the book introduced a concept I was unfamiliar with, Disney Legends. These are like Hollywood or Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, but for Disney. After reading who has and hasn’t received this honor, I’m right there with the writer in being amazed that Don Knotts and Tom Hanks have not yet made the cut!
Besides the list of movies and actors, the book includes history. Each piece of history keeps with the theme of the book and is broken out into lists by year and event. Sure, some of the history is still about actors and actresses. Many celebrities got their start with Disney such as Kurt Russell, Julie Andrews, and Sean Connery. Russell has always been a favorite of mine. I grew up with him as Snake Plissken and MacReady but would love any time that the Wonderful World of Disney would show one of his Disney classics like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes or The Barefoot Executive. Also, did you know Connery owes his most famous role of James Bond to his Disney movie Darby O’Gill and the Little People?
Additionally, Lucas covers the history of the studio and the creation of the parks. At one point, the idea of a full-length animated movie was unheard of. Walt knew better though. You have to love the story, included in the book, where he convinces his staff to make Snow White. He performed the entire story himself as each and every character on stage for them. By the end of his performance, they were all on board, and the rest is history as Snow White became that first full-length animated movie.
Personally, I loved the history. However, the most interesting, and the part that seemed most like Lucas’ love letter to the family-oriented fun of Disney was his history on the man himself, Walt. The man that created the movies which have sparked the imagination of generations of children and adults alike as well as the “Happiest Place on Earth” led a remarkable life. From being a paid artist at age 9 to altering his birth certificate so he could join WWI, Disney’s adventure didn’t start with his studio.
Over the years, Disney, the man and the company, have garnered a permanent spot in pop culture. Our very vernacular. Our collective nostalgia. Humanity has sang “It’s a Small World,” “Hakuna Matata,” or “Let it Go” for decades. Generations pass the movies and the memories on to their kids. It’s more than family traditions, it’s love and enjoyment that is unsurpassed.
As a result, many even name their kids after characters of Disney. Ariel. Anna. Elsa. Belle. Or, like the name of this reviewer, Mickey!
You can’t escape Disney, and why would you want to? Christopher Lucas does a wonderful job of reminding his readers of this over and over with his fun top ten lists. You'll have a hard time putting the book down. With each list, you'll have to decide where you agree with Lucas and where you would have made different top ten choices, but it's all part of the fun as you don't just read the lists, you get involved. You reminisce. You enjoy.
Be sure to check out our other reviews.
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