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.

The People v. Disneyland: How Lawsuits & Lawyers Transformed the Magic, the latest book from Mouse Tales author 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.

Based on exclusive interviews and nearly 1,300 lawsuits filed against the Mouse, The People v. Disneyland reveals how Walt's wonderland has been remade into a very different place.