FREE Disney World Christmas eBook!
You may have noticed that new posts haven’t been occurring around here with the normal regularity, and perhaps you thought I was busy buying gifts (that’s not until Christmas Eve!), training for the Dopey Challenge (aka eating fewer Christmas cookies), or because I had abandoned the blog to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a professional POGs champion.
Actually, I’ve been hard at work preparing an eBook titled Vacation Kingdom at Christmas. Among other things, this has been taking a lot of my time as I’ve raced to have it ready before Christmas. First, the good news: this one is totally free. Now, the bad news: it’s not done yet.
My original goal was to release it tomorrow as Christmas is fast approaching and most people probably aren’t going to want to read this after Christmas. However, it turns out that creating an eBook takes longer than I remember, especially as I keep going back and tweaking things I’ve written and edit a ton of new photos for the book.
Speaking of photos, there are a lot of them! Thus far, I’ve edited roughly 75 brand new photos for the eBook, and I’m not done. I expect the total number of photos in the eBook to be over 300, but I haven’t taken the time to count, so that’s really just a guess.
Although there will be a lot of photos, this isn’t strictly a coffee table (err…coffee tablet?) eBook. As you can see in my “behind the scenes” design shot above, it also covers the history of Christmas celebrations at Walt Disney World, and offers extensive planning information and tips for doing the holidays at Walt Disney World. It’s sort of like the blog, except organized into one convenient pdf.
If you’re a Disney theme parks book buff like me, you should quickly notice that the cover is a nod to one of the most iconic souvenir books in Walt Disney World history, the eponymously titled Walt Disney World. I’ve gone to great lengths (7 hours and I’m still not happy with my “stencil” designs at the top) to create this cover, but owners of that title will a lot of other nods beyond the cover, from contextual references down to the font.
I did a couple of Disney eBooks a few years ago, but I have to say I’m much more excited about this one. Previously, the eBooks were sold, and with that came a certain pressure to comport with the general public’s expectations. By giving the thing away via the blog, I have no such pressures, and can stick with my vision and voice.
That means it’s written in the normal style of the blog, with obscure and irrelevant references thrown in, plus my rambling, conversational style. That’s either a good or bad thing depending upon your perspective. It has made the process a lot more fun for me, as I feel like I’m writing it for friends. I don’t have to worry about someone leaving a scathing review due to nonsensical references to ALF or an overly long ode to Baby Sinclair (and rest assured, this will have both). I get to go nuts, and hopefully whomever reads it enjoys it. If not, well, it was free–you only wasted your time reading it and I “only” wasted 100+ hours creating it.
With that said, I’ll level with you. We both know that there is no such thing as a free lunch, especially on the internet. There’s always a catch, whether that be providing your credit card number (oh sorry, our servers got hacked and someone in Pakistan bought a $3,000 mink coat with your info!) or trading in your first born child to claim your freebie.
In this case, I want neither your credit card nor your children. (Well, maybe the former but definitely not the latter.) The catch is that you have to sign up for our newsletter, as the link for downloading this free eBook will be sent to subscribers of the newsletter. The internet keeps telling me how important a “strong” email list is, and although I still don’t understand how this is applicable to me, I’m never one to doubt the wisdom of random unicorns. So, here we are.
While we don’t sell your newsletter to all the hottest pharmaceutical manufacturers or anyone else, rest assured that I will spam the heck out of you once I have your info. Like, emails every single day with photos of our cat and dog, political messages, chain mail “curses”, and all sorts of other garbage.
Or…just our newsletter with tips, links, and free wallpaper downloads 1-2 times per month (or less if I get overwhelmed with other stuff and forget to send it out).You probably get worse in your inbox on a daily basis. I view this as win-win: I get to have fun creating an eBook on subjects about which I’m passionate without having to worry about the unpleasant business side of things, and you get a potentially cool, free eBook without compromising your credit card.
Hopefully all of that sounds fair, interesting, and worthwhile. If it does, and you want a free Walt Disney World Christmas eBook with photos & tips, click here to sign-up for our newsletter (if you aren’t already a subscriber). Assuming all goes according to plan, it’ll go out on Sunday. If this doesn’t sound good, well…click here to banish yourself to monkey island.
Your Thoughts
Have any suggestions for the Walt Disney World Christmas eBook? Any specific topics you’d like to see covered? Any other feedback? We love hearing from readers, so please share your thoughts in the comments below!
One word – YAY! Looking forward to it – Thanks so much for all the hard work you are putting in just to give people the joy of Disney and Christmas all together in one package 🙂
Oh I can’t wait! This looks fabulous!!
Really a nice post. Come and enjoy your vacation
This sounds super cool and will give me something to look forward to when we get back from our first family trip to Disneyland. We leave in less than 30 hours and I am still checking out your blog for tips! If I don’t get packed and have to wear the same clothes 5 days in a row I’ll remember to blame it on Alf.
I’m totally looking forward to the e-book. Looks really well done!
Really looking forward to this.
Haha, you know everyone clicked the Monkey Island link just out of curiosity. Or WAS it just me??
I don’t understand how you have any time for “day job”… The one you went to school for, that is.. Crazy! Looking forward to it..
I never sign up for anything. I hate email. I am signing up for your newsletter because I love your this blog, your pictures and Alf. Not necessarily in that order. Looking forward to the book!
Tom – I love all the work you do and the great pics you take. I have seen you a couple of times at Disneyland but had not the chance to thank you in person. After this book (since Holidays are my favorite time) I will have to make sure to catch you one of these days. Looking forward to the newsletter.
Looking forward to this, Tom – and THANKS for the gift! (BTW … I would have paid anyway as I enjoy your ramblings … AND Alf)!
Nice! I am looking forward to this. ( I wouldn’t mind the occasional dog and/or cat picture either!)
Is there an way to opt-in to the random cat & dog pics too?
You sir, earned yourself a new subscriber.
Love the blog!
You quote ALF in this book. That rocks. I wish they bring him back on TV. But remember if you get up on his commercial break he might eat your cat!!!
One of my favorite episodes from when I was a kid was the one he went to the resort with the talking toaster. I can still here the ‘toast up’ saying when I think of ALF. I hope thats not over the top……
Cant wait until Sunday.
Technically, I don’t quote ALF so much as make up my own quotes and then misattribute them to him. I’m pretty confident that ALF agrees with me, though.
It’s a trap? That’s my line!
Ooooooooo! I’m excited about the e-book! So if I am already a subscriber a link to it will be sent to me automatically? Or are there some magic hoops to jump through? Do I have to solve a puzzle? And feel free to send me pictures of your dog and cat (as well as interesting stories about smuggling your dog into Disney World and your cat’s attempts to coach you in your Dopey training)–I love that kind of stuff.
Yeah, the link to download the eBook will be included in the regular issue of the newsletter that goes out on Sunday (assuming I can get it done by then).
This sounds incredible, Tom! I’m so looking forward to this. Your photos and photography tips have inspired me so much and I can’t wait to see what you put together. Happiest of holidays to you!
Ah, I didn’t even think to add a photography section to the eBook. That might have to be another section…
Looking forward to Sunday, what a great Christmas surprise. I would have been more than happy to pay for your book, you deserve to get paid for all the work you do, but free is good too! I’d pay good money for a paper, coffee table book of your photos and commentary. If you ever decide to do something like this sign me up
Well, if it makes you feel any better, this is my plan towards profiting:
1) collect email addresses
2) ???
3) Profit!
Yep, if all goes according to plan, I should be stinking rich by this time next week!!!
I want to read it everyday forever…. considering I don’t manage to give mt Bible that much love, I probably won’t. But seriously WOW!!! THANKS!!
Don’t be so thankful just yet–you don’t have the eBook as of now. Who knows, perhaps this is all an elaborate ruse so I can spam you, MERRICK, with photos of my cat & dog. It’s a trap! 😉
I’m fast with the delete button. No worries.