Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.
YOUR PERSONAL DISNEY LIBRARY (56)
By Jim Korkis
- Lots to Do in Line: Walt Disney World by Meredith Lyn Pierce
I have always had a fascination for books that claim to reveal details that are clearly visible in the Disney theme parks. My personal book collection has many disappointing examples but occasionally there will be some information that was previously unknown to me and excites me to go and check it out.
If you are reading this site, then you are probably like me and want to know more about what you are seeing and experiencing and so might also be interested in books promising to point out things you may have missed no matter how many times you visited a park.
With all the many changes at Walt Disney World that are happening at such a rapid rate, any book, even one published just minutes ago, will be hopelessly out-of-date but fortunately some details will still remain.
Lots to Do in Line is four inches wide by nine inches tall and is designed much like the popular Hidden Mickey series of books so it can be tucked easily into a back pocket or a purse. However, the book is 336 pages long covering all four WDW theme parks and as such is actually a little too bulky to carry easily.
According to the book, “the inspiration for Lots To Do In Line: Disneyland came to Meredith during her first trip to Disneyland with her own daughter, then age 7. Looking at the park in the role of Mommy made her notice things she had failed to register before. The lines were a wonderland of things to see and do, and they were going unnoticed and under appreciated. One year later, Lots To Do In Line: Disneyland was born.”
It was released in 2012 and proved popular enough for this sequel on Walt Disney World to be released 2013. Even though it was published almost a decade ago, I just stumbled across it recently and surprisingly, many of the multiple choice questions are still valid so if this is the type of thing that interests you it will be worth the price.
There is a white sign in the window telling you that you are at the Main Street Train Station but what animal is pictured on this sign? At Splash Mountain, there is a box next to Brer Goose’s picture but what did it contain? In the Living Seas with Nemo & Friends what color was the largest school of fish that were all the same color? On Star Tours, what must all interplanetary travelers present? In Fantasmic, how many claws are on each foot of the dragon? On Kilimanjaro Safaris, a sign reminds guests that it is improper to do what?
Fortunately, Lots to Do in Line provides four possible answers for each question and the answers are easily located at the end of each section. There are also scavenger hunts designed to fill some of your time.
Even though the book was obviously intended to be used by families, some readers have commented that some of the examples are too obscure to hold the attention of young children and they quickly become bored. However, many others have praised the book for introducing them to things they never knew and making the waiting in a queue line actually fun.
My advice is to read the questions before you get in line or on the attraction so you know what to look for during your time.
With alternative routes like Lightning Lanes as well as other options like optional interactive queues, many guests will never see some of these details unless they make a conscious effort. In the future, I may cover a few more of these type of books, although I suspect most of you will want them on some device for quicker, easier reference.
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Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!
In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, Off to Never Land: 70 Years of Disney’s Peter Pan and Final Secret Stories of Walt Disney World!
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