‘Disneyland Encyclopedia': Third Edition Debuts

Study up on attractions, history, and all you need to know about The Happiest Place on Earth.

YOUR MAGICAL 411: There are two types of Disneyland-lovin' trivia-obsessed smarties in this world. The first? You'll find them saving up all of their fascinating tidbits — what year the Haunted Mansion debuted, the first time Walt Disney visited Anaheim — for when they walk inside the park. They're a fun font of fizzy fact-a-tudes, and they'll share all they know about each and every ride, snack, and character with their buds. The other type of trivia person? Golly, they don't even wait to hit Katella Avenue. They're talking Disneyland trivia at home, at work, on the bus, to the neighbors, because the ginormous world of names, dates, and stories absolutely fills their well. And speaking of wells, did you know Snow White's Grotto, which boasts a beloved well, opened in 1961? If this all floats your (Storybook Land Canal) boat, best pick up a new copy of...

"THE DISNEYLAND ENCYCLOPEDIA": The hefty tome just debuted this spring, in its lovely and meaty third edition form, with author and Disneyland-everything expert Chris Strodder at the helm. A peek inside the review copy Santa Monica Press, the encyclopedia's publisher, sent our way reveals that it is for the Disneyland completest in addition to the new fan who is looking to dip their toes into the theme park for the first time ever. For the first-timer, the big attractions are well-covered, from Matterhorn Mountain ("The finished mountain, its landscaped grounds, and its alpine-themed queue area created a circular park footprint of about one and a half acres," says the book") to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (yep, that's the old Mine Train buildings you see at Rainbow Ridge). But if you're into deep, new, and quirky information, there's that too, from...

THE OMNIMOVER, a "vehicle system that debuted at the park in 1967" to the Parasol Cart. You've seen it in New Orleans Square, but do you know it opened in 1990? This is the stuff that Disneyland tidbit mavens build their brain files on, admirably, the dates and lands and long-ago rides that give The Happiest Place on Earth so much of its charm and quintessential oomph. There are over 600 Disneyland-themed topics in the book, a jump from the 502 entries that appeared in the first edition back in 2008. And are there "Star Wars" nods, too, given all the galactic construction that's happening at Disneyland Park? You bet: "Season of the Force" makes a cameo. Some elements of the park experience now have new entries, too, in this edition, including Mouse Ears, Fort Wilderness, and more.

ARE YOU READY FOR SUMMER? A season you'll devote to at least one or two or eight Disneyland visits? Best peruse a few dozen entries, each day, in the new "Disneyland Encyclopedia," to prepare. After all, are you the sort of fan who saves your trivia knowledge for when you're inside the Anaheim destination, or do you bestow it upon the world each and every day? High fives if it's the latter. (Of course it is.)

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