Book Review - Heart and Darkness: Scary Adventures and the Evolution of Disney’s Dark Rides by Shawn Patrick Farrell

I found this book by accident while searching for Disney-related guides. I didn't expect much looking at the cover but it turned out to be a real treasure. The author not only dives into the history of dark rides but also details almost every single dark ride that ever existed at all the Disney parks. And I really enjoyed learning how the Imagineers handled different situations and the "secrets" of how they made these rides so popular.

The chapters are broken out in logical order starting with the history and making of dark rides in the first few chapters. Chapter 4 describes the World's Fair where Disney showcased Carousel of Progress (and an early version of People Mover) as well as Pirates and Haunted Mansion. Chapter five, humorously titled "Go East, Old Man", is an exploration of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Chapter six delves into Disneyland Tokyo and Disney Sea. Chapter seven visits Disneyland Paris. Chapter eight goes to Hong Kong Disneyland and chapter nine goes to Shanghai Disneyland. Chapter ten visits other amusement parks like Universal Studios and Knott's Berry Farm and their stand out dark rides. Chapter eleven discusses some abandoned dark ride ideas or concepts and the end of the chapter talks about the future of dark rides and some upcoming rides.

Keep in mind this book was published in 2017 which means a few of the rides are now retired and some of the rides listed in the future section are up and running today.

I like that each chapter that lists rides puts them in ascending order by date so we can see the evolution. A lot of the early rides are still operating.

This is a great book for not only Disney lovers but Amusement Park enthusiasts as well.

Title: Heart and Darkness: Scary Adventures and the Evolution of Disney’s Dark Rides
Author: Shawn Patrick Farrell
ISBN: 978-1683900962
Pages: 237

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Book Review - Lonely Planet Hong Kong Travel Guide

I've been planning out a trip to see the other Disneyland parks of the world. Of course, considering how expensive airfare to Asia can be, might be a several years down the road plan, but I've been checking books out for Shanghai and Hong Kong from the library. Lonely Planet is one of my favorite travel guide series and this book on Hong Kong was fantastic.

This book just came out in December so the information is pretty recent (keep in mind the publishing process takes time so always verify information before visiting especially with hours and prices).

There are several things I love about this guide. One, you will find little side bubbles filled with useful tips from experts or influencers who are very familiar with the area or topic. Second, I love the little food/coffee/bar tips that are shown along the bottom for every area. There are full colors maps plus walking trail guides.

Not to mention there are two pages dedicated to Hong Kong Disneyland.

On page 203 you will find the "Toolkit" with useful info on visiting. And on page 217 there's a "Storybook" which talks about the culture and history of Hong Kong.

This book is definitely a keeper, IMO.

Title: Lonely Planet Hong Kong
Author: Thomas O'Malley, Orlando Crowcroft, Angela Hui
ISBN: 978-1-83869-365-7

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