Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game

The Kingdom Keepers series is one of the few book series that will be repeatedly referenced on this blog, partly because of the obvious Disney Parks connection, but mostly because the series is REALLY good. The general premise of the series is that five Orlando teenagers have been chosen by the Imagineers to help protect the Disney Parks from the Disney Villains, who are known as the Overtakers. These thrillers are written for a teen audience, but can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. Ridley Pearson painstakingly researches (read: gets to go to the empty parks and look around for ideas) each book, and the Disney Park nerd in me really appreciates the rich detail of the novels. Until Shell Game, my favorite book in the series was the first one, Disney After Dark. The three that have come out since then are great books, but haven't captured my imagination like the original did. After packing the last few books with exposition, Pearson is finally able to hit the ground running with this book. Out of all the books so far, Shell Game is easily the darkest. It's a war book. The Keepers are drugged, attacked, and driven apart by the Overtakers nefarious plot to take over the Disney Dream on its inaugural voyage from WDW to DLR. I won't give away the plot, but I was surprised who was on the OT's side in this story, and can't wait until the next book is released. If you hate cliffhangers, don't read Shell Game until the next book is released, because this is one the first time that a cliffhanger has made me mad due to the story being so good. I can't wait for KK6. Five out of Five Stars.

Note: in the spirit of full disclosure, A copy of this book was not provided for free by the publisher. I bought it myself, and this price in no way affected my review.

Main Street, USA- Disneyland

Main Street will always be one of my favorite lands of Disneyland. One can truly feel Walt's presence when strolling down this romanticized recreation of his hometown, Marceline, Missouri. The windows act as the opening credits for the park, giving the talented artists , designers and managers of Disneyland the credit that they truly deserve. My personal favorite window is the one belonging to Dick Nunis, former head of Disney Parks and Resorts. It says that he specializes in wave machines, which is an uncharacteristically snarky reference to Nunis' failed attempt at having a wave machine put on the bottom of the Seven Seas Lagoon in Florida to create real, surf able waves for the guests. It failed, and the rusted parts remain to this day. While each of the windows allude to the person's contribution to Disney parks, none of the windows are nearly as funny as Mr. Nunis'. And I have no sarcastic comment for that. Darn.

New Orleans Square- Disneyland

Pirates of the Caribbean. For many park guests, those four words conjure up joyful memories of cursed treasure, burning Spanish ports, and startlingly lifelike Johnny Depp animatronics. Pirates was the first attraction to come 'full circle' by inspiring a film franchise and then having the films inspire new attraction elements. This was planned for the Haunted Mansion after the Eddie Murphy movie was released, but thankfully Disney didn't follow through with that particular idea. Anyways, back to Pirates. The cursed treasure chest and tattered dress worn by Keira Knightly aren't the only props from a Disney movie based on pirates found in the attraction. When you are going up the waterfall at the end of your adventure, pay close attention to the portrait in the sack that the pirate is trying to pull up. It's from the 1968 Disney movie Blackbeard's Ghost starring Dean Jones! Unfortunately, the movie is not as well known as its more recent counterparts, but the painting is still a great thing to point out to that one person in your party that seems to know everything about Pirates. Then enjoy the dumbstruck expression on their face.

Critter Country- Disneyland

While it's common knowledge that Splash Mountain pays tribute to America Sings by using almost all of its animatronics, not many people know that this ride also features subtle tributes to the ultimate unbuilt Disney attraction, the Western River Expedition. Just like WRE, Splash has a huge drop to draw people in, exquisitely detailed show scenes and a lift that goes past a hooting owl. You see, WRE was going to be narrated by this owl, so Tony Baxter put it on the ride to pay tribute to the genius of Marc Davis. And, yes, the Florida version has a gopher that shouts "FSU!"

Frontierland- Disneyland

While the first all Audio-Animatronic attraction was the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland featured crude robotic animals for about a year before the Tiki Room opened. WED knew they had something that was decently realistic on their hands, because the "animals" would be attacked by predators almost daily, requiring lots of maintenance on their part. While crude, they did represent one of the stepping stones to what is without a doubt one of WED's finest creations.

Adventureland- Disneyland

Adventureland was, for the longest time, the awkward person who sat in the corner not really doing anything. Until the Indiana Jones Adventure's opening in the mid-1990's, the Enchanted Tiki Room boasted the title of newest experience in this exotic paradise. It opened in 1963. So, to celebrate the first new attraction in 30 years Disneyland Management opened up just the immersive queue before the ride was even finished! The guests loved the taste of what would turn out to be one of the best themed attractions ever built, and Ops got a new "attraction" that barely needed to be staffed! Gotta love those Imagineers for coming up with that sorta thing, huh?

Toontown- Disneyland

I was seven, about to turn eight during my first visit to Disneyland and, for me, the highlight of the whole trip was Toontown, with the AMAZING Car Toon Spin and the chance to meet my personal favorite character, Sorcerer Mickey. Imagine my shock when I returned for the first time in almost a decade to find the Tree House's ball pit gone, the slide closed off, Goofy's house no longer bouncy and Roger Rabbit being refurbished! Toontown is a shadow of its former self, as children these days are apparently not as resilient as those of us who actually remember the show that Gadget's Go-Coaster is from. Disneyland management doesn't trust us anymore, and while it was a bit like the play place at your local McFranchise fast food joint, Toontown captured the imagination of at least one seven year old. Isn't that what the Disney Parks are all about?