Read one Cast Member's stories of backstage areas, fights, fires, private parties, orientation, cast events, cast romance, pranks, stupid guest tricks, mishaps, accidents, helping to create the Haunted Mansion Holiday, and working on September 11, 2001. But this is no mere listing of things that go wrong at Disneyland. For the first time, readers can experience what it's like to really work at Disneyland, from the mundane to the extravagant. The book is aimed primarily at current and former Cast Members, who will recognize so much of their experience captured in these pages. Readers who have worked at the park will be entranced all over again by the magic of working in Walt Disney's park. It's not an experience one soon forgets, and readers will find themselves inevitably drawn in as well.
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
Mouse Trap: Memoir of a Disneyland Cast Member , December 20, 2008
By
D. Mahdik (San Jose, CA)
Because my company has a vested interest in all details about the theme park business, I found this book (in general) to be very helpful. The writer seems to convey a sense of expertise.
The first half really focuses on things that I was interested in learning about. The second half became a bit slow, and I didn't come away with enough of the information that made the fist half compelling.
Specifically... I wanted to learn a bit more about the hiring process, and specifically the movie that I have heard so much about, that Disney "used as a tool" to eliminated undesirable applicants.
Apparently this film isn't used anymore, but I did want to know more details about what was in that film that made it so powerful to Disney's hiring process. Other than that, I doubt if the general public will stick with it from cover to cover, because much of it centers on how the business is run. Especially the last half. The writer also seems to stretch a bit to include a lot of seventy-five cent words, when he really doesn't have to... he is an educated man and I believe that later work will reflect how much his writing abilities have improved. Therefore, I would certainly consider reading more of his work in the future. Again, keep in mind my business interests would be the driving force in that decision.
Clunky but Compelling, December 19, 2008
By
The Night ReaderI agree with the reviewers who wrote that the author is not the world's most riveting writer and that his experiences while a cast member at Disneyland were mostly mundane. But still, come on - how often are you able to read a cast member's unexpurgated (we hope!) memoirs? For me, what goes on at 'ground level' is so much more interesting than the books written by Disney executives. I'm glad I read this book. Depending on how much backdoor Disney you want in your life, you'll be very glad that you read it, too.
Day to day boring stuff with boring vague stories, October 11, 2008
By
Amy (Missouri)
The book was very boring. It is a almost day by day story of this persons job at Disneyland. After he describes every thing in WAY TOO much detail, the actual story about the place he described is boring.I would not recommend this book for anyone that wants a interesting read. Also the writing was terrible.
Subpar Disney book, September 20, 2008
By
Lizz A. Belle (North Bend, OR United States)
I have a couple of the other books Kevin Yee has published and they are not much better than this one. I enjoyed several aspects of Mouse Trap in terms of some of the behind the scenes bits and pieces of Disneyland, like the pranks the cast members played and Disney setting out to break the world record for hula hooping. The trivia aspects of it were quite interesting.
However, I found the on stage/backstage "tour" part to be horribly tedious and very difficult to follow. I was an annual passholder for five years and am fairly familiar with the layout of Disneyland. That being said, I had a terrible time following what he was saying in terms of trying to provide a written "guided" tour of these areas and found myself skipping over some parts because they were so poorly written.
I think that Yee had a very good premise going but the Disney University part of the book also got a bit boring in terms of the management tactics he was taught. This chapter basically focuses on what makes good customer service, which most people will be familiar with if they have ever worked in a customer service job.
My other complaint is the cost of this book. I thought for $18 the book would be hard cover. I guess I missed that in the product description. Overall, I think if you are a die hard Disney fan this book is worth reading but you should try to obtain it for less money. Yee is a good writer when he is writing about something he is clearly passionate about but when he is focusing on more technical aspects his prose seems to fail. I did not feel like I wasted my time when I finished the book, I was just a bit disappointed since I was expecting something a bit more like David Koenig's Mouse Tales, which is far more interesting.
This is really how it is folks!, September 16, 2008
By
D. Giddings (San Diego, CA USA)
The reviewers who trashed this book because it tells the story of being a Disneyland cast member in a non-magical way are missing the point. This IS what working at Disneyland is like. I know, I was also a long-time cast member and believe me it is not all fun and fantasy. I held the same position as the author although in a much more frantic location and I can vouch for the accuracy of his account of how it works. If you think you can walk in and get a job as Mickey Mouse, wake up. You're far more likely to end up in food service or shops than one of the glamour jobs. So, if you really want to know what goes on behind the scenes, this is it. The book is probably more suited to former cast members than the general public, but I enjoyed it. If you think Mr. Yee's account of the park is too harsh, you should hear what the rest of us have to say!
