It’s already been another great year for books about Walt Disney World and Disneyland, with more highly-anticipated titles coming out in the next few months, all in time for Christmas 2025. This post lists the coffee table books about which we’re most excited, with descriptions and why each is a must-buy for diehard fans.
We’re putting this most anticipated Disney book list together so far in advance of the holiday season for a couple of reasons. First, because books are sometimes delayed or have limited inventory immediately upon release. The best example of that has been A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth, which was basically the 50th Anniversary’s version of Tickle Me Elmo.
More recently, there have been reports that the similarly superlative title, The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland, is difficult to find at the parks. That’s not difficult to find via Amazon, but it also raises another important point: prices on these books will vary between now and the holiday season. Some will be cheapest to pre-order; others will go on sale during one of Amazon’s Prime Day sales; more will have their lowest prices on Black Friday. This is something we monitor and will flag in the future, should a sale materially (so more than a few cents or dollars) drop the prices.
To that point, and a bit off-topic but I’m not sure where else to mention this, there’s currently an exceptional sale on Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks. This tremendous tome is currently 77% off, which is the lowest price ever. This is one of my all-time favorite Disney books, and although it’s a bit more niche, it’s a must-own for diehard Disney fans.
This two volume behemoth by Pixar director Pete Docter and Imagineer Christopher Merritt is a passion project about one of the true Walt-era Imagineering heavyweights. Disney Legend Marc Davis is the creative mind behind countless clever gags in iconic attractions, including Country Bear Jamboree!
Having been around the block with Disney books like this, we’re probably nearing the point when this book is going to go out of print. Whenever that does happen, prices will dip and then spike. (Maybe it’s happening now, explaining the low prices as remaining inventory is clearanced out.)
The book will eventually cost more on the secondary market than its original MSRP, as it becomes exceedingly difficult to find, and new collectors want to add it to their libraries. The sale on this book may or may not be the true reason for publishing this post now, or at least, what finally gave me the final push in putting it together.
One final note is that we receive a small commission from Amazon for your purchases, so buying through these links helps support the site. However, neither the price you pay nor our recommendations (or lack thereof) are impacted by that. There are a ton of Disney books coming out this year that aren’t listed here because they’re unappealing to us!
Walt Disney’s Trains: A Grand Circle Tour Through His Life and Legacy – When it comes to the “what would Walt want?” debate, we often joke that there are only two things of which we can be certain: canned chili on restaurant menus and more trains. Walt loved trains, and this book purports to explore how railroading influenced Walt’s films, theme parks, and personal life, as well as how Walt, in turn, influenced the perception of railroading in America.
Including more than 200 artifacts, firsthand accounts of Walt’s passion for the craft, archival videos, images of Walt and his trains, and actual model trains running throughout The Walt Disney Family Museum’s exhibit, Walt Disney’s Trains: A Grand Circle Tour Through His Life and Legacy highlights how Walt’s interest in trains developed long before manifesting itself in his work.
Xavier “X” Atencio: The Legacy of An Artist, Imagineer, and Disney Legend – This book depicts the life, art, and lasting legacy of X. Featuring previously unpublished artwork and photographs from X’s personal collection, this book grants readers the unique opportunity to discover the true depths of influence X attained on his life journey. It covers X’s curious career path, from “small-town Colorado boy” to art school attendee, Disney animator, attraction scriptwriter, lyricist, voice-over artist, and Disney Legend.
The book purports to be the most comprehensive look to date at the one of Walt’s original and most versatile Imagineers. It is likely to succeed at that, as the perhaps the most notable aspect about the book is its three coauthors:
- Tori Atencio McCullough is X’s eldest daughter following in her father’s footsteps with her own forty-year career at Walt Disney Imagineering in the interior design department. Tori retired in 2016 and later co-authored a book about her Disney career, Women of Walt Disney Imagineering: 12 Women Reflect on Their Trailblazing Theme Park Careers. This is an excellent book (currently 45% off!) and is all I need to see here to sell me on the X book.
- Kelsey McCullough is X’s first granddaughter. Following in the family footsteps, she started her Disney career working in technology for Disney Parks in 2013 and has since moved over to working on technology innovation at Walt Disney Studios.
- Bobbie Lucas could most closely be defined as X’s “grandchild-in-law.” She is a writer, producer, and film professor in Los Angeles and spent part of her career at Disney.
Disneyland Is Your Land! Little Golden Book – In the span of only a few years, Little Golden Books have become the dominant purchase in our household. Reasonably priced, well-paced, and space-saving, they’re perfect for our toddler. But I probably don’t need to extol the virtues of Little Golden Books–you already know.
As for this one, it promises to celebrate Disneyland’s 70th anniversary with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and their friends as they explore the iconic park in this beautifully illustrated Little Golden Book. Join Mickey Mouse and the gang to explore Disneyland through the years in this fun and sweet Little Golden Book.
Disney’s The Art of Zootopia 2 – I’m a big fan of the ‘Art of’ Disney book series that has been made for every animated film for the last couple of decades. I’m also a big fan of Zootopia, and find it to be a film that’s well-suited for this type of title given how jam-packed the lived-in metropolis is with inhabitants and details. A lot that’s easy to miss.
This book highlights the beautiful development art and paintings from the film’s creation—including character designs, storyboards, colorscripts, and much more—and features exclusive interviews from the creative team along with behind-the-scenes details.
Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel: The Complete Art Collection – This book is technically a new release, but I just noticed that it came into stock at Amazon. Honestly, I’m not sure about this title. On the one hand, I love adding more niche parks titles to my library, and one about a specific hotel checks a lot of boxes for me. On the other hand, ugh Marvel. I really need to see this one in person, because if it’s heavy on Michael Graves discourse, it’s an instant purchase. If it’s just a bunch of pieces of Marvel art, hard pass.
The official description suggests it might be the latter: Containing one of the biggest collections of Marvel art in the world, Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel in Disneyland Paris is a dream world for every Marvel fan. With walls covered by posters, comic book covers, and fine art, and rooms equipped with recognizable colors and objects from the Marvel Universe, one feels like a real superhero in this artful hotel.
This book takes a peek into the rooms of Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel―where beds take the shape of Thor’s home city of Asgard or furniture is inspired by Spider-Man’s costume―and reveals their details along with the art showcased in them. Immerse yourself in these pages and explore this unique hotel for yourself, reveling in the wonderful artistry, design, and history of Marvel―all under one roof.
The Official Disney Parks Desserts Cookbook: Remembering 101 Sweet Delicious Disney Recipes – The past ‘Delicious Disney’ titles have pleasantly surprised, offering a nice mix of history and recipes with unique content (food!) that is incredibly significant to our sentimentality for the parks, but doesn’t typically garner coverage in coffee table or even souvenir books. Suffice to say, I’m a fan. I’m also a completionist, so obviously I’ll be adding the 101 desserts edition to my collection of Delicious Disney titles.
This rich volume collects 101 tasty desserts from across the Disneyland Resort; the Walt Disney World Resort; Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa; and even the Disney Cruise Line ships. Some are Delicious Disney Vault recipes: tried-and-true fan favorites from beloved restaurants of today and days past. Others are new delights that pop up at seasonal Disney events. Each is just right for preparing in home kitchens and has been tested by real home chefs.
The Disney Afternoon: The Making of a Television Renaissance – This book was supposed to come out two years ago, but has been delayed several times. It was originally supposed to come out in 2020 or 2021, and was pushed back to last year before being delayed indefinitely. It’s supposedly done, and has been for a while, and is just waiting for the most opportune release window. I’ve heard that’s now going to be the Disney Afternoon’s 35th Anniversary. We shall see if I’m able to snag a title at Destination D23!
As a child of the 1990s, the Disney Afternoon was what quenched my thirst for all things Disney on a daily basis and kept me excited about characters between pilgrimages to the parks. It’s impossible to understand just how big of a deal these shows were, unless you’re also around my age and likewise tuned in every day after school.
Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, TaleSpin, and DuckTales changed the game, redefining television animation. This book offers the behind-the-scenes history of the Disney Afternoon shows, interviews from the creative teams, and rare artwork, plus the full making of story of the modern-day DuckTales series and its legacy connections to the past.
If you’re looking for other book recommendations for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or beyond, check out Our Disney Theme Parks Library post. Many of the newer releases from the last few years will almost certainly be on sale during Amazon’s Prime Day in mid-July 202. Several of those books are now out-of-print, but are available used. Some older titles you can get for pennies, while others cost hundreds of dollars. Like any collectibles, prices are really all over the place for old Disney books!
If you are planning a Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation, check out our planning resources! The best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide or Disneyland Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What from my list of most-anticipated Walt Disney World and Disneyland books coming out in time for this Christmas is a must-have for you? Any upcoming or recent books about Disney that you’d add to the list? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
