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Another interesting source of information is one of the many unofficial guides to Disneyland. There are similar guides to Walt Disney World. These are sort of in response to Steve Birnbaum's Official Guides to DL and WDW. Here you will find lots of useful information about lines, crowds, what's worth standing on queue for, and more importantly, what isn't. Of course, this is totally subjective, and a true Disneyland afficianado may find himself or herself compelled to stand in line for anything. But that's what makes Disneyland interesting: one person's champagne is another's poison, or something like that. This particular edition was for 1997, and I'm not sure if other editions have been published since, or whether the books are still in print at all. I found this one at a book store in an outlet shopping center, so perhaps they weren't that popular. If you're interested, they are (were) published by Macmillan Travel, a Simon & Schuster Macmillan Company, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019-6785. The ISBN for this edition was 0-02-861271-X.

Here's a Disney collectible publication that you might find for a quarter or less. It's the August 1963 (Vol. 124 No. 2) edition of the National Geographic magazine. Inside, you'll find a great article called The Magic Worlds of Walt Disney. It's a wonderful glimpse into the Disney kingdoms of that era, with a personal interview with Walt, and many great photos (including Lincoln unmasked!). This story also included the first ever published photo of the interior of Walt's apartment above the fire station on Main Street USA, a picture of Tiny Kline (the aerialist who was the first Tinkerbell to soar over Disneyland, starting Fantasy in the Sky fireworks), and a large section on the process of producing animated films. Some of the photos are now wonderfully dated, such as a shot of the Flying Saucers, Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, the old round skyway cabins, and both Rainbow Ridge mine train and Bear Country (the first one, not the singing one). I've come across several copies of this in different "thrift" shops for no more than a dollar. Again, your Disneyland library should include a copy of this wonderful article.

Window on Main Street is a first-hand account of the early Disney days and the creation of Disneyland, right up into the 80's and beyond. Van Arsdale France, the founder and Professor Emeritus of Disney University, has created a candid and colorful mosaic of the people, times, efforts, and talents that combined at a moment in time, giving life to the Happiest Place on Earth. Van's story is not a whitewash, though, as he plainly says what went right, and what was totally screwed up at every turn. His honesty is appreciated throughout the book, but his genuine fondness for Walt and many of the creative forces around him is plain to see. This book contains many photos not available anywhere else, including lots of behind-the-scene photos and early construction photos of Disneyland. I'm not sure if this is still in print, as I think the publisher may have gone out of business a few years ago. But just in case, here's the info: Laughter Publications, Inc. 80 Main Street, Nashua, NH 03060, copyright 1991 The ISBN number is 0-941613-18-6 (change those last three digits to 17-8 for the softcover edition). The original price was $18.95 for the softcover edition.

Here's a rarity. Disneyland produced several books coinciding with the opening of new attractions at Disneyland. This book, an overview of the ride and story-line of the ride, features lots of Marc Davis' original artwork and rendering for the ride, right from the storyboards. It even contains a photo of Marc at work on what has become his most famous attraction at Disneyland (he did the principal design work for the story and characters, and his wife was the costume designer for all of the characters in the attraction). There are also photos of the original mock-ups, and a few shots of actual figures from the ride. There's a rather interesting segment in the front of the book on actual pirates and many of the inspirations for the attraction, with a brief biography of some of the most notorious pirates of that bygone era. It's an interesting bit of Disneyland, and has been out of print for many years. You might find a copy at a Disneyana show or sale, or perhaps at your local "thrift" store or used book store.

Just like the POTC book above, this edition was presented at Disneyland in 1966, and was discontinued just a few years later. This particular version has a copyright date of 1968. It features a lot of Mary Blair's original artwork and concept drawings for It's a Small World, and a pictorial trip through the attraction as it appeared at that time. There is also considerable text and photos of the development and creation of the ride, and a complete listing of the song lyrics (OH NO!!). Again, if you happen to be an afficianado of this attraction, it's a must have, but it is rather rare at this point. Again, you might find a copy at a used book store, thrift shop, or Disneyana sale. While it is colorful and contains a lot of general information about the attraction, it's not particularly "deep" in background (like what would constitute depth in these terms?).

While not specifically about Disneyland, much of Walt Disney Imagineering, A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real is a wonderful book. Very large format, with tons of color and b/w drawings, rendering, sketches, concepts and photos from all of Disney's Parks, including those never built (remember Disney's America?). This covers everything from the first concepts of Disneyland (that little studio park) and the team that later became WDI, all the way to Disney's California Adventure and Tokyo Disney Seas (both under construction as you read this). There's something for every Disney park fan in this book, loaded with history, information, humor, and absolutely stunning visuals. Great coffee table book for the Disneyphile household. I believe it is in print and can be purchased at your local Disney Store. If not in stock, try ordering from Hyperion Publishing, 114 fifth Avenue, NY NY 10011, ISBN 0-7868-6246-7. Like several other great books where the quality of the photos and printed pages really, really matter, this book was printed and bound in the orient, Singapore to be exact. The retail price is $50.00.

Here's something commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland that is worth really talking about (for a mass produced souvenir book.  It's "Disneyland Then, Now, and Forever".  The format is the same as the books first listed on this page at the top, but the design screams Bruce Gordon, and you will note the layout is similar to the Nickel Tour and Walt's Time, also listed above.  The text is intelligent and witty, and it contains tons of new information, insights and humor.  It also contains a vast number of photographs and art work never before seen in such a publication, with many never seen outside the studio before.  There are pictures of construction, opening day, behind-the-scene shots, and lots of memories of long-gone attractions.  Of course there is one glaring error but that's another story. 

A great book with a load of production value.  Quality paper, quality photos and quality all around.

Disneyland Then, Now, and Forever is on sale at the Disneyland Resort in many locations for $24.95 and it's worth every penny of that and more.  It is definitely part of your essential Disneyland library.