Louis A. Mongello - The Walt Disney World Trivia Book: More Secrets, History & Fun Facts Behind the Magic

About the Author Louis A. Mongello has been fascinated by the Walt Disney World Resort (WDW) since his first visit at the age of three, when WDW and the Magic Kingdom were just over a month old. Since then, he has visited on dozens of occasions, each one more enjoyable than the last. He has also endeavored to learn everything he can about this magical place, assembling a vast array of Walt Disney World memorabilia in the process. His ever-growing collection includes rare documents outlining Walt Disneys original plans for his Florida project, books, articles, photos, videos, park merchandise from days gone by, and almost anything with the words Walt Disney World on it. Every visit continues to be a learning experience for him, as his passion for WDW parallels his desire to learn more about it.

By sharing his useless knowledge of WDWs history, secrets, and treasures with you, Louis hopes this book will add extra magic to your own visits, as well as bring the magic home for you. He believes that you will have as much fun reading the book as he did researching and writing it. He also hopes that it will spark your interest in what makes the magic really happen. Louis other interests include poker, computers, travel, and just spending time with family. He holds a bachelors degree in Sociology from Villanova University and received a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1994. After serving as law clerk to the Presiding Judge of the largest vicinage in the nation, he practiced law actively for nine years.

During that time, he formed and managed a computer consulting and web development firm for small businesses. Today, he is the Chief Technology Officer and Director of Operations for medical imaging centers located throughout New Jersey. He still doesnt know what he wants to be when he grows up. Louis lives in Florida, with his wife Deanna, daughter Marion Rose (whose face graces the cover of this book), and son Nicolas Peter. Acknowledgements I could not have created this book without the many individuals who helped along the way. I thank my entire family, who have always been there for me and given me reason to smile, along with the many other people who have accompanied me on this journey and whose support made this second book possible.

I also thank Sally Scanlon and Kelly Monaghan, my editor and publisher, for not only taking a chance with me and Volume 1 but also quickly becoming cherished friends. Thank you for letting me enjoy this incredible E-ticket ride. I hope it never ends. To my friends and extended family at DisneyWorldTrivia.com, I never imagined that our small message forum would grow so quickly, yet still remain the friendly community that it is today. Thank you for your support, assistance, and everything else you do to make our site a place so many people call home. I consider every member a part of my extended family, and there are many of you with whom I have made friendships I never could have imagined.

I hate to mention names, for fear of omission, but I have to give special thanks to: Valerie (LC) you have been with me from the very beginning, unwavering in your support, loyalty, and kindness; I cant say enough about what you have grown to mean to me and the community. Pat, we seemed to become friends overnight, as have our families; thanks for all you continue to do. Thank you, Nathan, for the friendship you and your family have extended to me and mine; see you in another life, brother. To all of you whom I consider close friends I hope you know who you are and understand why I cant name each of you here. To the Staff and each and every member who contributes in so many ways to the site it is all that it is because of you. To the countless dreamers and doers at the Walt Disney Company, including the Imagineers and Cast Members who clearly love what they do and bring the magic to so many people each and every day.

And to you, reader, for joining me in savoring the innocent feeling of being a kid again as you enter the Magic Kingdom. I am truly blessed to be able to share my love of WDW with you. We all get it as I like to say; so cmon
... lets have some fun together! Introduction When I get home, I shall write a book about this place. Alice in Wonderland I never planned to write a book about Walt Disney World let alone two books! People ask me all the time how the first book came to be, especially now that Ive written a second one. To be honest, my route was circuitous.

My parents took me for the first (of many) visits to Walt Disney World when I was three. My father took a photo of me, bad hair and all, on the curb of Main Street, U.S.A. in a place, which has come to be known affectionately as The Spot, and from that moment on, I was hooked. For years, the joke in my family was that during our subsequent visits, I either entertained or bored them by spouting WDW facts and trivia as we walked the parks. I had always said that I wished I could do something with all the useless knowledge I had floating around in my head. Then one evening, when I was looking for my next project, the idea of writing a book came to mind.

What could I possibly write about? I wasnt interested in writing about the law (my vocation at the time), and I didnt think I could write adequately about computers or technology (my other profession at the time). So, what else did I know something about... that really interested me? Well... I knew a bit about Walt Disney World. My mind started racing and the process began. I checked and was amazed to discover that no book devoted to WDW trivia existed.

Now I was a man on a mission. I started to write down (OK, type) things I knew off the top of my head and then tried to create what I hoped would be some interesting questions and answers. Slow down, Lou; are you sure this is a good idea? I asked myself. Who better to solicit for an honest answer than my wife? I went upstairs and hemmed and hawed my way into telling her my idea. In typical Deanna fashion, she immediately supported it and brainstormed with me, and my quest to write a WDW trivia book was officially born. In an effort to do it right the first time out, I gave myself a quick and dirty lesson in getting a book published.

While the option of self-publishing was available to me, I challenged myself to find a publisher that would take me and my book on the journey together. I was warned that my quest would be long, frustrating, and test the limits of my ego. Long story short (too late), after receiving more rejection letters than I care to discuss, I got a phone call from Kelly Monaghan, Publisher of The Intrepid Traveler, the company that publishes Steven Barretts Hidden Mickeys book. I had a feeling that they might just be the perfect fit. Little did I know how right I would be! My wife, who answered Kellys call, came running down the stairs to get me. Kelly and I spoke for some time, and a few weeks later, while vacationing with my family, I signed a contract.