The People v. Disneyland ─ How Lawsuits & Lawyers Transformed the Magic

On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney opened his first venture directly serving the general public: Disneyland. Three days later, a small girl smashed her miniature Autopia car into a curb, slamming her face against the bare metal steering wheel. Her family filed suit. Disney quickly went to work making the ride safer, while at the same time it began vigorously fighting the family's charges. And, the park started gearing up for more lawsuits—thousands more.Based on exclusive interviews and nearly 1,300 lawsuits filed against the Mouse, "The People v. Disneyland: How Lawsuits & Lawyers Transformed the Magic" by David Koenig chronicles 60 years of tumbles, attraction mishaps, ticket scams, attacks by security guards and costumed characters, disability disputes, and employees who turned on their employer.Sometimes the allegations convinced Disney to change its operations, usually secretly. Other times, they stuck by their guns, convinced the claims were bogus.Discover how, through it all, Disneyland has become a very different place to visit and to work at.

David Koenig is chief editor for Costa Mesa, Ca.-based 526 Media Group. He received his degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton, and has become arguably the theme park industry's best-known “outsider,” after penning such best-sellers as Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland, Mouse Under Glass:?Secrets of Disney Animation &?Theme Parks, and Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World. He is also an original contributor to MousePlanet.com.He lives with his wife Laura and children Zachary and Rebecca in Aliso Viejo, Ca.