Cast Member Confidential

November 1, 2009
A close-up of life at Disney World.

Mitchell's memoir speaks to a popular fantasy of running away to join the workforce at the iconic vacation destination:"All my life, Disney has been a kind of sanctuary for me, a place that felt safe when everything else was going fuzzy." The California-bred author had worked as a semi-professional skateboarder and freelance photographer when cascading personal crises propelled him toward an impulsive move to the Magic Kingdom, where he quickly found work in photo processing. He was instantly fascinated by the intricacies of Disney culture: hidden messages in park architecture, endless regulations enforced by prissy managers and a high-school–like system of cliques with the employees who play"characters" at the top."Anyone who believed in fairies could work, live, eat, drink, and date entirely within the Disney matrix without ever leaving Disney property," he writes."And from what I could tell, it wasn't uncommon." Initially disdained, Mitchell figured out a way to break the rules, becoming known as the"out of character" photographer—Goofy smoking, for instance—which ingratiated him with the snooty inner circle of Cast Members.Soon he committed the ultimate sin, when an attractive co-worker ("Dale", as in Chip'n Dale) initiated him into the SOP (Sex on Property) Club:"I was if I could almost see the spirit of Walt shaking his head, sorely disappointed." Eventually, Mitchell became disillusioned in Orlando, especially after he was turned down for a coveted"face character" role of Aladdin, and learned that his friends and girlfriend at Disney were not the carefree perpetual adolescents they pretended to be. Mitchell effectively captures the inside minutiae of working at Disney, which will surely interest fans, and its surreal effect on the Central Florida landscape.However, the prose is often rambling and heavy on adjectives and clumsy similes.

An unremarkable memoir, but Disney fans will probably appreciate the insider view.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 25, 2009
Journalist and sports photographer Mitchell fled to Florida to escape and start over. He ended up working as a cast member at Walt Disney World, and the next year changed his life. In this memoir, he describes his experiences photographing guests with the characters, his observations, and his eventual invitation into the strange hierarchy of the people who work in the parks (an atmosphere akin to that of the recent film Adventureland). Of course, he discovers a lot about himself as well. The behind-the-scenes stories and the urban legends Mitchell shares are quite fascinating; however, the author comes across as somewhat unlikable, and his personal angst proves tiresome. Since he changed names, among other things, to make sure nobody got in trouble with Disney, the end result forces the reader to wonder how much was "imagineered" for the sake of a compelling story. Verdict The intended market for this book may find this a mixed bag. Buy only if you have die-hard Disney fans.-Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.