Keeping up with Disney’s “Kingdom Keepers” : Ridley Pearson talks about all the research that goes into this popular book series

Jim Hill

14 years ago

When Ridley Pearson first wrote that scene for "Disney After Dark" where the Kingdom Keepers kids are looking for clues inside of WDW's
version of "it's a small world" and then get attacked by the dolls, he thought
that there was just no way that Mouse House managers would ever allow something
like that to appear in a Disney Hyperion book.

"I mean, I had the dolls biting the kids and actually
drawing blood," Ridley recalled. "I thought for sure that that scene would be
censored as my manuscript moved through the approval process."

To Disney's credit, that frightening scene was not only left
intact in the first "Kingdom Keepers" book, but Mickey has rarely – if ever –
asked Pearson to rewrite or remove anything from this ongoing series.

"Obviously, for safety and security reasons, there are
certain behind-the-scenes aspects of the Parks that the people who actually run
these places would prefer that I not talk about," Ridley explained. "But beyond
that, I've been given cart blanche to make the 'Kingdom Keepers' books just as
scary and exciting as I can."

Pearson and I spoke on the phone late last week as this
author was getting ready to make yet another trip to Walt Disney World. Not to
do research for his next "Kingdom Keepers" book, mind you. But – rather – to
meet with his fans and do some PR for "Power Play," the fourth installment in
this super-popular series. Which will officially hit store shelves on Tuesday.

And given that "Power Play" actually starts out with a scene
set at DisneyQuest, where Finn and Amanda are almost killed while riding
CyberSpace Mountain … Well, it only makes sense that the first stop of Ridley's
WDW book-signing tour this time around should be Once Upon a Toy in the
Downtown Disney Marketplace. Where Pearson will be meeting with fans and
autographing copies of "Kingdom Keepers IV" from 4 to 7 p.m. today.

Then – given that
"Power Play" features an extended sequence at Disney's Hollywood Studios
where (SPOILER ALERT) Willa is rescued by a certain mermaid … It's
only appropriate that Pearson make an appearance at that theme park's book
store, The Writer's Stop. Where Ridley will be greeting Guests as well as signing
copies of his latest "Kingdom Keepers" book from 2 – 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Speaking of the Little Mermaid … Given that the "Kingdom
Keepers" series has – up until now – used the Disney Villains as its chief
baddies (i.e. the Overtakers), what makes "Power Play" particularly interesting
is that Pearson is bringing some other players on the field. To be specific
(AGAIN, SPOILER ALERT), Ariel, Mulan, Pluto
and Minnie Mouse. Not to mention
some Disney Villains (i.e. Jafar from "Aladdin" and Shan-Yu from "Mulan") who appear to operating
independently from the Overtakers.

So what's the deal with bringing good Disney characters into
the "Kingdom Keeper" storyline? Not to mention independent Disney Villains.
It's all part of Ridley likes to call (especially when he's interacting with
this series' fans online) the "Big Plan."

"My long range goal has always been to get the Kingdom
Keepers out to Disneyland, and then to the Disney Archives," Pearson said.
"There's a certain Disney character that we haven't seen for a while that hold
the key to this whole story."

Speaking of which … While Ridley originally outlined
"Kingdom Keepers" as a five part book series, given how well "Disney After
Dark" sold, Hyperion immediately pushed Pearson to expand the number of books
to 10.

"That seemed like way too much to me. I was worried that –
if we went from 5 books to 10 – I'd spreading this story too thin," Ridley
stated. "But then I went back over my outline and saw that there were in fact
places that I could expand and extend the 'Kingdom Keepers' storyline. Which is
why there's now going to be seven books in the series."

"And what will Book 5 in the "Kingdom Keepers" series
cover?," you ask. Well, given that Pearson needs to move his characters out to
California for the Disneyland and Walt Disney Archives portions of his tale …
Well, what better way is there to do that then sending the Kingdom Keepers off for
a voyage on the Disney Magic?

"I was actually complaining to someone from the Disney
Cruise Line that I needed to get the Kingdom Keepers from California from
Florida. And he then mentioned that they were about to reposition one of the
boats in the fleet. Taking the Magic through the Panama Canal so that Disney
Cruise Line could then begin offering West Coast cruises," Ridley reported. "And
I went along on that repositioning cruise so that I could then have my
characters see everything that I saw and experienced while they're traveling
from the East Coast to the West Coast."

That – to Pearson tell the tale – is the very best part of
working on the "Kingdom Keepers" books. The chances that it gives him to
experience all sorts of Disney magic. Be it exploring every nook & cranny
of the Disney Magic with the help of that ship's crew and/or getting to go
behind-the-scenes at one of the Company's theme parks in the wee small hours of
the morning.

"Very early on in the research process for these books, I
got to do a walk-thru of Disney World's Splash Mountain. This cast member –
who'd worked for the Company for nearly 20 years – met me at 5 a.m. and then
took me through the entire attraction," Ridley recalled. "We visited every
setting in this ride, where this Cast Member then told me how everything
worked, pointing out of all of the hidden details. He even took me out back and
showed me how they pump the water through the flume."

And Ridley was so taken by how generous and open this Cast
Member was with his time & his knowledge … Well, I'll let Pearson tell this
part of the story:

"I told him 'I've got this character – Fred – who's an older
Imagineer who helps guide the Kingdom Keepers. But you're kind of the spitting
image of how I pictured this character. So would you mind if I named him Wayne
instead?' And Wayne said 'I'd be honored.' "

Now where this story gets fun is that Wayne continues to
work at WDW's Splash Mountain. And every so often, he'll load a Kingdom Keeper
fan onto one of the logs. And this boy or girl will spy Wayne's Disney nametag
and then get very big-eyed. They'll then ask him if he's the Wayne from the
'Kingdom Keepers' series. And he gets to
say 'Yes. Yes, I am." "

That's perhaps one of the more fun aspects of the "Kingdom
Keepers" series. How the real Walt Disney World Resort and the fantasy version
that Ridley Pearson writes about sometimes overlap and collide.

Take – for example – the recent closure of Mickey's Toontown
Fair. "Power Play" actually mentions this in passing. Though – according to
Pearson's expertly spun narrative – it's not because of the Fantasyland
expansion project. But – rather – to quote from this Disney Hyperion book:

"They've taken down his house, you know? Minnie's, too.
'Updating,' they call it. Don't believe it. It's all because of 'the Night. ' "

None of the Keepers had ever heard of a particular night or
event. As a group, they looked at her curiously.

"We heard noises from his house on that night," Ariel
continued, oblivious to their confusion. "A struggle of some kind. He's not
been seen since …"

What's become of Mickey Mouse? Well, to find that out,
you're going to need to pick up "Kingdom Keeper VI: Power Play." Which sets the
stage for the "Big Plan" that Ridley Pearson will begin playing out over the
last three books in the "Kingdom Keepers" series. Or – better yet – check out
the Kingdom Keepers online game.

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