“We started with story. And, though many guests won't notice all the details…. they can feel them.”

“(In designing experiences) You have to be emotionally sincere. Emotions override our intellect… to create valid emotion, you have to have valid emotions. You have to feel them yourself, and then you have to be able to say, ‘How could other people feel them based on what I intend to do?’”

“It’s that commitment to story that brings a lump to our throats and a tear to our eyes when we go on Disney attractions and see Disney movies. Because Walt’s original concept is coming through in that moment to the guests and audience. And it happens generation after generation. I was a small part of Disney but I’m so proud of having been connected with a genius.”

“When I was twelve, I remember standing on Main Street in Disneyland as it got dark. The lights started coming on along all those gingerbread buildings, a horse car was clapping quietly by, I could hear the whistle of the steam train, and suddenly it was twilight on a tranquil American small city street in 1908.  And I thought, ‘I want to stay here forever.’ And, in a way, I did.”

“As we planned a Disney World trip, my mom unexpectedly passed away. But, knowing she would want us to go, we did. And around every corner, there was a memory of her. On that trip, it hit me how Disney had become our second home.”

In How Does Disney Do That? James Warda explores an important subject. You see, Walt Disney was many things: a film maker, a dreamer, an innovator, an idealist and a futurist, but perhaps his greatest title was that of “storyteller." Indeed, perhaps Disney was the greatest storyteller of the 20th century. Certainly, the company he created was an extension of his genius. Ultimately, it’s through the storytellers, visionaries, and architects of today that we learn to draw the blueprints for tomorrow. Could there be any more important instruction manual than one that teaches us how to do just that?

This very fun-to-read book is a heartfelt study of the science, creativity, and just plain hard work that makes Disney magic so uniquely potent. (As Arthur C. Clarke famously said, 'Magic’s just science that we don’t understand yet.') Anyone who has been swept away by Bambi, or Mary Poppins, or the Haunted Mansion, or whatever first 'got them into Disney' will enjoy this deep dive into Disney’s creative process, told through the author’s personal experience and interviews with Imagineers, themed entertainment designers, authors, and other Disney fans.

James Warda invites us to board the emotional roller coaster of Disney's enchanting universe, where every ride, every detail, is a testament to the power of imagination. With anecdotes that blend humor and sincerity, he peels back the layers of wonder and invites us to ask, “How does Disney do that?” Strap in, hold tight, and prepare for a journey that will touch your heart and reignite your sense of awe.

If you ever wondered, “How Does Disney Do That?,” then you will enjoy this book by the same name. With it, James Warda has figured out what I have known for a long time. That Disney does it with a special kind of Magic. But it’s not magic that makes Disney World work; it’s the way we work that creates the magic. Magic is actually created when you perform so well that nobody can figure out how you did it.

These are my people! In How Does Disney Do That?, Warda explores with tremendous curiosity (and just the right amount of emotional entanglement) what it is that draws Disney fans back to the parks again and again. How do we so naturally become a part of the story, surrender to magical distractions to escape the everyday, and come to crave that sense of being "home" that only a trip to Disney can fulfill?  From casual guests turned absolute addicts to entertainment pros who get lost in the wonder of their own creations, he astutely interviews a massive collection of "Disney people" who form an intangible, unshakable, and intensely personal bond with one of the world's biggest brands in search of the answer.