How To Be Like Walt

How to Be Like is a “character biography” series: biographies that also draw out important lessons from the life of their subjects. In this new book—by far the most exhaustive in the series—Pat Williams tackles one of the most influential people in recent history. While many recent biographies of Walt Disney have reveled in the negative, this book takes an honest but positive look at the man behind the myth. For the first time, the book pulls together all the various strands of Disney’s life into one straightforward, easy-to-read tale of imagination, perseverance, and optimism. Far from a preachy or oppressive tome, this book scrapes away the minutiae to capture the true magic of a brilliant maverick. Key Features This is for the millions of Disney fans—those who admire his artistry or his business savvy or the products of his namesake company. The tone and style of the book will capture the imagination of younger readers, especially teens, in the same way as How to Be Like Mike. Support within the Disney world includes the daughter and grandson of Walt Disney; nephew and former vice chairman Roy Disney; and numerous Disney insiders who are already spreading the word.

Draws on more than 1,000 interviews to present an inspirational portrait of the founder of the Walt Disney company, relating how his character strengths of imagination, perseverance, and optimism enabled him to pursue his dreams and achieve success and happiness. Original. 100,000 first printing.

Whether you are building a small business from the ground up or managing a multinational company, you can learn the 7 key traits for leadership success from one of the greatest business innovators and creative thinkers of the 20th century: Walt Disney. Whether you know him as the first to produce cartoons in Technicolor, the mastermind behind the theme park Disneyland, or the founder of the largest entertainment conglomerate, Walt's story of creativity, perseverance in spite of obstacles, and achieving goals resonates and inspires as much today as it ever has. Author Pat Williams began studying the life and leadership example of Walt Disney as he struggled to build an NBA franchise, the Orlando Magic. Since he was trying to accomplish a goal similar to so many of Walt's—starting with nothing and building a dream from the ground up—he realized that Walt could teach him what he needed to know. And indeed he did. Through Walt Disney's leadership example, Pat found 7 key leadership traits that all great leaders must possess: Vision, Communication, People Skills, Character, Competence, Boldness, and A Serving Heart. Through never-before-heard Walt stories and pragmatic principles for exceeding business goals, you'll learn how to build those skills and implement them to be effective in any leadership arena. As you discover the life of this great leader, you'll realize that no goal is too great and no dream too daring for anyone who leads like Walt.

Eat Like Walt, explores the lore of each land, beginning with Main Street, U.S.A., an homage to Walt's childhood home of Marceline, Missouri, to Tomorrowland, set in futuristic 1986, a year Disney would not live long enough to see. Although Disneyland opened in 1955, its culinary history dates back to 1923 when Walt Disney first arrived in Hollywood. Walt was a simple eater yet a big dreamer. By 1934, four years before his first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, would be released, Mickey Mouse had made him famous enough to have a recipe published in Better Homes & Gardens magazine. Ask fans what Walt's favorite food was and most will say, "Chili." Chili has a cult status at Disneyland. People want to eat what Walt ate, the way he ate, where he ate it.

The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in American history: Walt Disney. Walt Disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape, iron determination and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films–most notably Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi. In his superb biography, Neal Gabler shows us how, over the course of two decades, Disney revolutionized the entertainment industry. In a way that was unprecedented and later widely imitated, he built a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. Walt Disney is a revelation of both the work and the man–of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life. Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography USA Today Biography of the Year

"An award-winning videogame writer offers a rare behind-the-scenes look inside the gaming industry, and expands on how games are transformed from mere toys into meaningful, artistic experiences"--

A immersive guide to the attractions and landmarks Walt helped create in his original Magic Kingdom! Walt Disney's personal imprint remains firmly intact at Disneyland. Walt's Disneyland allows guests to walk around Disneyland identifying the attractions and landmarks Walt championed, touching what he touched, and seeing his original Magic Kingdom through his eyes. Walt's Disneyland is organized land by land, clockwise, beginning with Main Street, U.S.A. then on to Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. A must-have to add to your Disney Parks collection!

PUT WALT TO WORK FOR YOU! How do you go from dreaming of a theme park to building one? Walt Disney laid the blueprint. Learn how he did it, and how his wisdom can guide you toward achieving the things that you dream of. The experts told Walt it'd never work. A giant theme park, where parents and children could play together? Crazy! So Walt put all of his money into this crazy dream of his. He put his reputation on the line. Anyone else would have quit, discouraged and disillusioned, but Walt built Disneyland. How did he go from dreaming to doing? And how can you do the same, no matter what your goal? In The Wisdom of Walt, Professor Jeffrey Barnes distills Walt Disney's vision, his knowledge, and his methods into a series of actionable lessons. Through historical vignettes about Disneyland, as well as plentiful examples and exercises, Barnes creates a framework through which you can apply Walt's wisdom to improve your career, your company, and your life. Learn to: -Listen to your "Walter ego" and start trusting yourself -Go "beyond the berm" with the secrets of Disneyland's success -Make a "Main Street impression" on everyone you meet -Create "E-ticket experiences" that keep them coming back for more WITH THE WISDOM OF WALT, YOUR SUCCESS IS JUST A DREAM AWAY!