Universal versus Disney: The Unofficial Guide to American Theme Parks' Greatest Rivalry

Sam Gennawey is the author of the newly released history of Walt Disney's first ever destination attraction, The Disneyland Story. Gennaway is also the author of Walt and the Promise of Progress City, a contributor to Planning Los Angeles and other books, and a columnist for the popular MiceChat website. His unique point of view built on his passion for history, his professional training as an urban planner, and his obsession with theme parks has brought speaking invitations from Walt Disney Imagineering, the Walt Disney Family Museum, Disney Creative, the American Planning Association, the California Preservation Foundation, the California League of Cities, and many Disneyana clubs, libraries, and podcasts. He is a senior associate at the planning firm of Katherine Padilla and Associates, and he lives in Pasadena, CA.

• Foreword by Phil HettemaPrefaceAcknowledgmentsCHAPTER 1: Pulling Back the CurtainCHAPTER 2: The Industrial TourCHAPTER 3: A Peek Behind the CurtainCHAPTER 4: Defining the Universal ExperienceCHAPTER 5: The Sunshine State CHAPTER 6: The Battle BeginsCHAPTER 7: From Industrial Tour to Theme Park CHAPTER 8: Matsushita, 1991–1995CHAPTER 9: Seagram, 1995–2001CHAPTER 10: Universal’s Islands of AdventureCHAPTER 11: Vivendi, 2001–2004CHAPTER 12: General Electric, 2004–2009CHAPTER 13: Comcast, 2009–PresentIndexAbout the Author