Walt Disney World Trivia Book: Secrets, History and Fun Facts Behind the Magic

The Walt Disney World Trivia Book, Volume 1: Secrets, History and Fun Facts Behind the Magic is written by Louis A. Mongello and was published in 2004. There is also a second volume, Walt Disney World Trivia Book, Volume 2: More Secrets, History and Fun Facts Behind the Magic, published in 2006.

Format: Paperback
Page: 224 pages
Publisher: The Intrepid Traveler
Date: June 25, 2004
ISBN: 1887140492
Size: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches

This is not a guidebook or travel planner but an entertaining collection of facts, figures and hidden treasures about all aspects of Walt Disney World. It can be read as a prelude to visiting “The World” or carried around to entertain you and your family, particularly when standing in line or waiting for the start of a show.

The book is split into six chapters; the first is a general overview followed by one chapter on each of the four theme parks split by “land”. The final chapter covers the rest of Walt Disney World including the water parks, Downtown Disney, the resort hotels and even the monorail.

Each chapter starts with a multi-choice trivia quiz covering that particular park or topic. Questions range from where you might find a character to lines of dialogue, general history and details about the attractions, rides and shows.

The answers plus interesting explanations are at the back of each chapter so you can check just how knowledgeable you really are. Some people might find it irritating to have to keep flipping back and forth between questions and answers but in reality this is a problem with any printed “question and answer” book.

An example question: What colour are the walkways as you enter the Magic Kingdom? Answer: Red because Disney wanted all the guests to feel they were walking along a red carpet, as if they were a special guest entering a theatre. That is also why the employees are known as cast members.

As well as the questions, each chapter also contains hundreds of facts like where the inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle came from. The book is illustrated with black and white photographs. The book also covered rides and attractions that are no longer there, giving an insight into times gone by.

Lou has an amazing knowledge of Walt Disney World and the book is backed up by a website and blog (www.disneyworldtrivia.com) and Lou also runs a successful podcast called The WDW Radio Show.

You can often buy both volumes at a discounted price.