Fifteen years ago, author Ridley Pearson released a book called Kingdom Keepers where Orlando teenagers are tasked with defending Walt Disney World from very real versions of Disney Villains like Maleficent. A decade and a half later this wildly successful book is responsible for almost a dozen books with more to come in the near future.
The Walt Disney World Pearson wrote about in his first book a decade and half ago has changed. What readers see on page one of that original book is very different from what they would experience if they visited the parks today. Disney Books has asked Pearson to update his saga to reflect the more contemporary Walt Disney World.
I recently had a chance to ask Pearson some questions for Laughing Place about all things related to the Kingdom Keepers as he promotes the new editions of his classic series (Editor’s note: the following is a transcript of an e-mail exchange between)
Laughing Place: It’s been fifteen years since Kingdom Keepers was published. Looking back on that first book in the series, what have been the biggest surprises to you?
Ridley Pearson: Disney Books asked me to create and write a suspense story for younger readers set inside their theme parks. That request of course came with a bunch of rules and restrictions. Since I am a researcher, I voiced my concern that I would need full access to the Disney parks after closing hours. Initially, I was told that was impossible. But… my clever editor wrote me back a month later and said she’d arranged an after-hour visit for me. I’ve now been over 30 times, I think, including work done on the cruise ships, and in the Disney Archives – that has been SO helpful!
Kingdom Keepers was published with no subtitle, as a one book stand alone. It would be nearly two years after publishing the first book that Disney Books came back and asked for a series. We agreed on five books. Then the Disney Cruise Line offered me access to their fleet, and the series became 7 books. Then the Return was written – three more books. So the surprise was this EVER got written, and that it has grown into at least 10 books… with more to come!
LP: How has the pressure of the Kingdom Keepers fandom impacted your writing? Do you see the potential fan community’s response as a motivator or hindrance while you are writing?
RP: It’s more support than pressure. I have found a new home in the Disney-verse. I receive emails and letters from all over the world. Parents, excited their children are reading; or how the books enhanced a family trip to the parks.
LP: Between the Kingdom Keepers and The Return, which one presented the most challenges to you as a writer? What was it like to dive into the history books and make Walt Disney a supporting character in your work?
RP: The most challenges came from The Return series (three books) because of the factual history involved. Disney Archives (Becky Cline and Kevin M. Kern) along with Marty Sklar, Alex Wright, Kim Irvine, and others provided oral history for me, archive photos and more.
LP: With the upcoming revision to the Kingdom Keepers series, what do you hope to accomplish with the new editions? What has been the most difficult part of revising your work to include the parks of today?
RP: The hope is to give new readers a series of books that “make sense” according to the Parks they visit. Disney’s transformation of (especially) Disney World over the past 15 years made some of the original 7 books “unrelatable.” Some of the attractions or characters are now absent from the Parks.
The “fun” factor is that devoted Kingdom Keepers readers will find books like #3 basically “brand new.” This provides the loyal readers new action, characters and storyline. And it’s an “Insider” thing, because without having read the first, original, seven, you won’t know what has been changed!
LP: If the Kingdom Keepers were adapted for the screen, whether it’s the theatres or Disney+, what would you hope the adaptations would retain from your work? Is there any aspect of your books that mustn’t be changed? Would you want a hands-on role in any big screen adaptation?
RP: I’m trusting Disney to do a good job if we’re ever so lucky. As the writer of the books I would LOVE the Harry Potter approach of sticking to the chronological storylines and relationships from the novels. It’s interesting to me (in my adult suspense as well) that Hollywood tends to adapt a book and not pay much attention to the book. Yet, the best adaptations stay pretty close, if not perfectly close to the books.
That said, Rick Elice and Disney Theatrical adapted Dave Barry’s and my Peter and the Starcatchers in a way Dave and I NEVER would have – and it’s the most fun, action-packed, brilliant adaptation authors could ever ask for.
So, what do I know?
The Kingdom Keepers rerelease has begun with books 1,2,3 in the series available for purchase now. The rest of the series should be available later this year. A new book continuing the story of the Kingdom Keepers, Kingdom Keepers: Inheritance, is slated to be released in March 2021.