Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

DISNEY LEGEND DAVE SMITH (1940–2019) founded the Walt Disney Archives in 1970 and served as chief archivist for more than forty years. Beginning with the July 1983 issue of Disney Channel Magazine, Dave began answering Disney trivia questions from viewers of the Disney Channel. In the ensuing thirty years, his “Ask Dave” column continued through multiple publications, including Disney Magazine, the online Disney Insider, the D23 website, and his question-and-answer books Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered and Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans’ Curious Questions. Dave was a featured speaker at countless Disney events and coauthored all volumes of The Ultimate Disney Trivia Book 1–4 and Disney: The First 100 Years. He compiled The Quotable Walt Disney, as well as the first five editions of Disney A to Z:The Official Encyclopedia.

STEVEN VAGNINI began as an associate at the Walt Disney Archives in 2006, a year after starting his Disney career at Walt Disney World. He officially joined the Archives staff as head of research in 2010 and later transferred to D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, where he produced a variety of Disney events and programs. In 2018, Steven became a show awareness producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, where he curated the stories behind Disney parks, resorts, and other experiences. In 2022, he returned to the Archives, where he serves as a producer and content strategy manager. Steven has written for several Disney publications, coauthored A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth, and collaborated with his mentor, Disney Legend Dave Smith, on the two previous editions of Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia.