The Revised Vault of Walt: Unofficial Disney Stories Never Told (The Vault of Walt)

I’m a huge fan of the man, Walt Disney. This book didn’t disappoint but I’m not saying you might not be. I enjoyed reading it and I will keep it on my bookshelf to read it again and again.

This is actually two reviews in one - one review for everyone who does not already own the original Vault of Walt that was published back in 2010. The other review is for those fortunate people who still own the original book. First, to everyone who does not own the original book - this is a very special Disney book that is written by the most knowledgeable Disney historian I know - Jim Korkis. I have read many of Jim's numerous articles on all facets of Disney history, his various other books, and have seen several of his video presentations in front of live audiences. Jim presents his information with fact, humor, and style. Unlike some other authors of Disney books, Jim does not let any bad experiences as a former employee of the Disney Corporation creep into his writings or live presentations. He stick to the facts, avoiding gushing about how perfect Walt Disney and the Disney Company was and is - and also avoiding demonizing every action by Walt or the company. I love that Jim shares many Disney stories that I have never heard before, many told with humor. He verifies or debunks the numerous "urban legends" about Disney, but he will clearly indicate when there are no facts to prove or disprove a rumor. This book is in 5 sections: Stories about Walt Disney, stories about the Disney films, stories about the Disney parks, "other worlds" stories about miscellaneous Disney, and info on Song Of The South - with answers to frequently asked questions. This last section refers to Jim's other recently published book "Who's Afraid Of Song Of The South ...", which I have also reviewed. Most people with any interest in Walt Disney and the Disney Company over the years will be entertained and amused by this book. One final plus to the book is that it contains a foreword by Diane Disney Miller, Walt Disney's daughter. I don't recall her doing a foreword to any other Disney book. If she has, I'm sure the number of Disney books with her foreword is very small. Second, to those who own the original book. In addition to the five new subjects that total about 41 pages, Jim adds some additional info throughout the book of the original book information. The new story titles are: Eating Like Walt, And The Oscar Goes To ... Walt Disney, The Carousel Of Progress, The Man Who Shot Walt Disney, and Song of the South: Frequently Asked Questions. One clarification - although this revised version appears to only be about one half the thickness of the original book, there are not that many pages missing from the original due to the way the books were published by different publishers. The original book has numerous blank pages that separate the stories, but those blank pages are numbered as part of the total pages. Also this newer book has nicer quality pages and a clearer / cleaner type for reading. Any Disney fan who enjoyed the original book will find much in this new book to make buying this book worthwhile. I have not mentioned the Kindle edition, because I don't own a Kindle.

I heard Jim Korkis re-tell a couple of the stories in this book when I was listening to the Be Our Guest Podcast (A Walt Disney World travel podcast) and he really is a great storyteller. Don't go into this thinking this is going to be some sort of exposé on Walt Disney filled with embarrassing or unfavorable stories. It's not and I'm glad because that is not what I was looking for. Instead, there are several stories of Walt's close involvement with the development of Disneyland, the reception and poplularity of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and an interesting story of Warner Bros. animator Chuck Jones coming to Disney Studios for a short time. There are, of course, several other stories but those are the ones that really stood out to me.All in all, if you are a fan of Walt Disney Studios (then or now or both), Disneyland, or Disney World, I think you'd really enjoy this book. Even if you are just mildly interested in Walt Disney, pickup (or download) this book. You won't be disappointed.

I'm old enough to remember Walt Disney. I can remember watching the first telecast of "Disneyland" where he tours the new park and talks about his ambitions for it and his show on television. I wanted to be on the Mickey Mouse Club, and looked forward to watching everything branded with the magic word, "Disney."So, for me, this book revives a good many wonderful memories of a man and a company that helped make my childhood fun. Korkis has set out to introduce the man who dreamed, planned, and directed the creation of animated shorts and features, live action films, and places that have inspired and entertained people for around 75 years.He's achieved this goal well. I highly recommend that you spend some time meeting Mickey's "father."

I"m giving it 4 stars because the stories and history are really great. However, that is all that's carrying this book. The editing is atrocious. There are places where the author has said something and then repeats the exact paragraph on the next page. There are other places where he tells us something, then quotes someone's interview with the exact information. We don't need it twice.I really enjoyed each story, so I looked past the glaring editorial fails. I might even buy book 2 for the same reason, but if poor editing annoys you, maybe give this a pass.On the plus side, I can't recall any typos, just bad writing style and editing.

Excellent stories. I'm a big Disney fan and have read fairly extensively about Walt but these were all new to me, which was nice because much of the information out there about him is the same stuff over and over. I enjoyed the short story format that the book is laid out, which makes for nice easy "pick up and go" reading. Also, I liked the stories and quotes from folks who knew and worked with Walt and their more personal tone. Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase and would recommend the book to other interested in Walt Disney.

I first picked up this book at my local library but really wanted a copy for myself and I have been minimizing and what was better than adding it to my Kindle. I found this book to be one of the most interesting book of short stories that is truly a hidden gem of Disney. I started reading on story they are all short and then I was done with it and I just had to read the next one and the next one because each was so interesting. If you are looking for that extra different stories you have not read before - this is the book for you to read. I have a long time dream of working for Disney and these stories could make me stand out and be interesting stories for a VIP tour guide.

Just finished this book and I have learnt so much. From Walt Disney to his parks to the stories behind the scenes. This is a must read for any fan of Walt Disney fans or just Disney fans.Thank you Jim

It was interesting to read "behind the scenes" stories about Walt and the man that he was - he had great insight and has made the world such a better place. Well worth the read.

Really interesting....A lot of great stories about Walt and his movies and life. I would recommend this to anyone interested in Walt Disney

Not sure why this has "unofficial" "unauthorized" and/or "uncensored" in the title to be honest. It's the honey-coated extended stories about WD that are widely known and have been published before. Maybe not to such detail, but there's nothing new to it. The foreword says it all - read this until you're able to buy the revised PRINTED version of the book later in the year. I'm a huge Disney fan in general and do like Walt a lot for everything that he's done. But what is called unofficial, unauthorized and uncensored in this book is beyond me. It's uncritical and just as well be the official, authorized and censored disney story...