Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

If you've ever wondered what goes on at the Disney parks after closing time, this series is for you. Yes it is science fiction/fantasy but really well done. Who doesn't like a story where good triumphs over evil. This is my second read of this series. Ridley Pearson has done some updates but the story remains enjoyable.

As a former cast member, I loved this book. I've been in the parks after closing and it is so fun to imagine this is what's really lurking in the shadows. I have read this book twice and just purchased it to give my niece. It is definitely easier to picture if you've been to Walt Disney World, but I think the writing is descriptive enough that you can form a great picture in your mind even if you haven't!

4.25 starsAs a big Disney fan, I appreciated this one so much. All the little Easter eggs of the parks were great, and it put a smile on my face. There were quite a few chuckles that I had while reading. The Small World scene was just hilarious. The adventure that these kids went on as they solved the riddle was fabulous. There were quite a few times I was on the edge of my seat. It was just a fun and engaging adventure with a Disney twist. I loved that so much.

When I first picked up Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson two years after it was published, I was looking for books that would be age-appropriate and content-appropriate for my siblings-in-law who were ten at the time. I was instantly attracted it because of the ties to Disney, and because of the research I did on author, Ridley Pearson. It wasn’t until after I learned that in future installments, Pearson would be getting unprecedented, exclusive access to behind-the-scenes areas of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, I knew that this book was going to be a must-have!Worlds are about to collide and the line between reality and dream become forever erased for 5 pre-teen students who were selected to be models for a new Daylight Hologram Imaging attraction for Disney’s The Magic Kingdom where holographic versions of the kids would act as tour guides for guests of the park. As the park closes each night and the guests and Cast Members close up shop and go home, the parks come alive in a way never imagined: The characters, the real characters that Walt created over the decades come to life. The trouble is that some of the darker characters that Walt dreamed up have banded together to cause trouble for the Parks and Imagineers in a bid to take over the magic that the place thrives on.Dubbed the Overtakers by Disney Imagineers, they have aligned themselves against the Kingdom and it is up to Finn, Charlene, Philby, Willa, Maybeck to put a stop to their interference. Each night as the five children go to sleep they wake up in a dream-like state inside the Magic Kingdom as their hologram-selves. Programmed to do so by their soon-to-be mentor, an old friend of Walt Disney himself, long-time Imagineer, Wayne Kreskey, the children begin to learn about the challenges and struggles that have faced the parks over the last few years and are presented with the puzzle of the Stonecutter’s Quill, that Wayne believes can only be solved with their help, thus placing the fate of the entire Kingdom in their digitally glowing hands.The team struggles to pull together all of the pieces to their riddle in time while still holding down their real daytime lives of being students and members of their own families, knowing that no help from the outside could come because who would believe that the battle between good and evil would ever jeopardize the magic of Walt Disney? Along the way they are introduced to several characters who each have enough power to defeat them individually, but quickly learn that these Pirates and other characters answer to a higher power; the fairy witch Maleficent from Disney’s telling of the very old story of the Sleeping Beauty.Written for ages 10 and up, Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark is presented in a fashion that makes it really easy to read and comprehend by children and adults alike. If you are an adult and you want to read this book, you have to remember something that Walt is quoted as saying in the book: "I have plans to put this place in a different perspective.” Knowing ahead of time that this was part of a series of books, I didn’t hold it to too high of standards of content and character development as other reviewers have done. Readers need to keep in mind the age of the main protagonists and need to ask themselves, “do I know anyone that age?” and “do I know everything about my pre-teen?”All things considered, I give Pearson 5 stars for a job well done in telling a story that keeps as true to the spirit of Walt Disney’s intentions and creations as humanly possible while not being confined by those same creations. (Check out this review on GoodReads at [...]or on my blog at [...])

My 8 year old grandson loves to read and loves the Disney books. This was not only cheaper but a great read for him. I will be buying the others in this series.

amazing book,I loved it, positively loved it. it's a great book, with great characters, a great author, and a great story line. **********SPOILER ALERT***********so basically the story goes like this,five teenagers get chosen to be holographic hosts for the Disney's magic kingdom. they think that all they are going to have to do is pose for a few videos and say a few things into a mic, but that isn't the case at all!Finn is the first to crossover, go into the magic kingdom in hologram form while his sleeping body is still at home in his bed. And while there he meets a man named Wayne who is the only imagineer still alive who worked with Walt Disney. Wayne informs him while he is there that the overtakers a group of elite Disney villains led by Malificent from sleeping beauty.And that they are trying to take over the Disney parks.so, Yada Yada Yada, a bunch of stuff happens that I won't tell you about because I don't want to completely spoil the book for you.Finn ends up saving the life of his girlfriend/just friend not so sister. Malificent gets beaten, no I won't tell how, and they think everything is good, and fine and dandy but they discover a evil and menacing larger plan.you won't be able to put this book down, and once you read it you will want to read the rest of the books in the series. then you will read them over and over again, until you've drilled every single word into your brain. because they are such good books, and so well written.yeah, sorry, I get a bit, to excited. over some stuff but these books are totally worth the hype. just make sure, that you don't drive yourself crazy waiting for the final book to come out like I did.

So much fun reading this book in anticipation of a trip - a gift for my 12 y/o grandchild.

J'ai acheter ce livre car le résumé me plaisait bien. Au final je ne suis pas du tout déçu. J'ai dévoré le livre. Il se lit assez facilement même en VO. On suit un groupe de 5 ados qui se retrouvent mystérieusement tous ensemble à Disney World dès qu'ils s'endorment. Les parcs sont victimes d'actes et d'apparitions mystérieuses que les 5 jeunes vont devoir résoudre. Pour ceux ayant eu la chance de visiter les parcs américains, ça permet de revivre un peu son voyage et ça fait beaucoup de bien ! J'ai hâte de lire les tomes suivants.

se los recomiendo!esta super interesante, te picas bastante y esta muy padre el libro la verdadaunque tenga portada suave

I was really worried about weather I would enjoy this book or not... I am a HUGE disney fan so really wanted to read it and like it but after reading a headp of mixed reviews I almost didn't. I'm glad I did though, it's simple writing and a quick read, it's obviously written for a teenage audience due to the lack of descriptions or elaborations... It's read we I just mean for adults the author could have gotten into i the story a bit more...I enjoy harry potter, Twilight, the darke Academy and other teenage aimed books. This one is written the most simplest out of all of them but is still a good read as the story is interesting and it does leave you wanting to read one more chapter. I just need the rest of the series now!

Discovered this series and bought it for my kids after we went to Walt Disney World.Mystery and adventure awaits the reader. My son was hooked on the first book and we got the whole series. He had read and re-read them...