The Thinking Fan's Guide is different kind of guidebook for a different kind of theme park experience. Aaron Wallace avoids the ephemera of prices and menus to explore the heart of the Disney experience, the attractions themselves. He provides a lighthearted but scholarly look at the history, lore, and literature that inform the designs and storylines of every ride and attraction in the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland, as well as the Walt Disney World Railroad, the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game, the Celebrate a Dream Come True and SpectroMagic parades, the Wishes fireworks show, and Main Street, U.S.A. itself. Far from being mere “amusements,” these 36 attractions provide a complex, multi-layered narrative that can be experienced and appreciated just like a great novel, play, or film. The Thinking Fan's Guide will fascinate Disney buffs with the sometimes surprising insights it offers into old favorites while offering newcomers to the Disney magic a much richer experience. If you are ready to immerse yourself in the magnificent achievement that is Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, this is the guide for you. “The Thinking Fan's Guide” is insanely readable. Through personal experiences and opinions, Wallace is able to keep the reader grounded in the real world, while still taking time to look back at the history of the attraction. ...I had a lot of fun reading this book. (Andrew Tipton, Disney blogger Disney Hipster Blog, March 19, 2013 ) Aaron Wallace has put together a very interesting book that is a little hard to classify. It is part guidebook, part Disney history, and part academic discussion. ... Many of the attractions, concepts, etc. are explored through the lens of their Disneyland roots and ultimately Walt. Being a fan of Disney history, I enjoyed learning about the connections and reasons for them Aaron makes. (Jason Dziegielewski, blogger Disneygeek, The Geek’s Library March 29, 2013 ) I actually found the notes section the most interesting place in the book, and any readers of Wallace's book should not bypass this wonderful section. Wallace has mini biographies of influential individuals, comments on the nomenclature in the parks, and even includes the full Shakespearean verse that gave rise to the phrase ‘Grim Grinning Ghosts' (wonderful!). ...[The book is] a perfect introduction to the wonderful depths of artistry that so many eyes overlook. (David Younger, theme park expert Theme Park Theory.com, April 3, 2013 ) Ever wonder why the Disney parks are so successful? A new book called “The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom” goes a long way toward answering that question. (Rudy Maxa, Journalist & TV personality Rudy Maxa’s World (rudymaxa.com), April 15, 2013 ) I have to say that this might be my favorite Disney book, to date! … I love Aaron Wallace's writing style. It's intelligent, with a hint of humorous mixed in for good measure. (Heidi Strawser, blogger What's Going on in Heidi's Head, April 4, 2013 ) Playing on the fact that Disney is more about the story than the spectacle and thrill, Wallace gives you more of the back story and notes on the theme and development of the attractions in Walt Disney World as well as some of the hidden meanings behind them. The result is a guide that allows new visitors and veterans alike ...to see the park in a totally new light. …Make sure this book is either a pre-visit read, or take it along with you so you can fully appreciate all that the Magic Kingdom has to offer. (Charlie Hensel, high school librarian and blogger NJ Biblio, July 3, 2013 ) Regardless of how many times you have personally visited, ... this book will not only increase your knowledge of the rich history and all the great attractions that the Magic Kingdom Park offers, but will also entertain you and give you an overview of the park you love... from another fan's perspective. (Sam Carta Orlando Theme Park News, April 29, 2013 ) “The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World” is like giving every Disney Guest who reads it their own Disney historian as a tour guide. (Natalie Reiner, blogger Ink and Paint Blog, May 25, 2013 ) Aaron supplies fans (new and old) with a refreshing take on Magic Kingdom… he has an amicable way of making his information feel accessible and fun. (Estelle Hallick, blogger This Happy Place Blog, August 20, 2013 ) The author presents each ride separately, weaving a story of its creation, why it fits within each land (or doesn't), and paints a description so rich that… I have a new appreciation for several rides. (Anthony Markham, Disney blogger WDW Happy Place.com, July 16, 2013 ) The descriptive, contemplative views of each ride are so comprehensive that The Thinking Fan’s Guide To Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom is recommended for erudite armchair travelers as it is for starry-eyed tourists! (Small Press Bookwatch Midwest Book Review, August 2014 ) The highli