A Friday Visit with Jim Korkis: Your Disney Library (5)

By Dave Shute

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 DISNEY LIBRARY: LOU MONGELLO’S WALT DISNEY WORLD TRIVIA BOOK SERIES

By Jim Korkis

• The Walt Disney World Trivia Book: Secrets, History & Fun Facts Behind the Magic by Lou Mongello (Volume 1) (2004)
• The Walt Disney World Trivia Book: More Secrets, History & Fun Facts Behind the Magic by Lou Mongello (Volume 2) (2006)

I decided to write about these books because I know Lou is finishing up the third and final promised volume in this series. I am a friend of Lou’s and a frequent guest on his popular podcast, but I don’t think that disqualifies me from writing about these books.

On the contrary, I think my connection has given me a better perspective on exactly how much work he had to do to write these books and the validity of his sources. I bought both of these books. They were not gifts. And I look forward to the final volume. I have not read his 2014 book 102 Ways to Save Money For and At Walt Disney World.

For those unfamiliar with Lou Mongello, here is his short biography from his website WDWRadio.com:

“Lou Mongello is former attorney and owner of an IT consulting firm who left the practice of law to move with his family to Florida, pursue his passion, and share his love for Disney with others. He launched WDWRadio.com in 2003 and has been awarded Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years. He is also the author of several books and seven audio tours of Walt Disney World.”

A social media pioneer and one of the leading authorities on Disney, Lou has been featured on numerous television shows and quoted in magazine articles as a Disney expert.

Lou set a personal challenge for himself to write a book about Walt Disney World which he first visited as a kid during the year it opened in 1971. That book grew into a website and a podcast that is now over 500 episodes.

While some readers might wonder why I sometimes showcase older books in this column, I need to point out that Walt Disney World is constantly changing so any book about WDW is immediately out of date whenever it first appears. Some things disappear gradually and quietly like the annual Blessing of the Four Directions at Wilderness Lodge that ceased years ago. Other things that are announced with great fanfare and detailed concept art never materialize or get delayed like the musical theater building planned for Main Street U.S.A.

Lou’s books are not guidebooks but an entertaining way to test your WDW knowledge and to enhance what you are seeing during your visit. In the case of things that are no longer there, it can also be a reminder of something you experienced on an earlier vacation.

The material was accurate when it was written and there are many generic, not necessarily specific to WDW, black and white photos to break up the text.

In addition to the multiple choice question and answer quizzes for each chapter, the pages are filled with “Did You Know?” fun facts.

The first chapter covers WDW in general and the next four chapters cover each of the theme parks. An additional chapter focuses on the areas beyond the parks like the resort hotels, water parks, and more. Fortunately, an index helps in locating a specific topic.

Some readers, especially using the Kindle version, have complained they disliked flipping back and forth between the question and the answer at the back of each chapter. Those answers are at least a paragraph long giving some in-depth information and background. Personally, I like the answers separated from the questions so that I am not tempted to look ahead.

This format can make it a fun family activity before a trip to the park. I found the books well written and well researched and am pleased to have them in my own Disney library.

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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, Call Me Walt, and his Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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