When "It's a Small World" Attacks

Over spring break, my family, as usual, is heading for Disneyland. We go every year, sometimes twice a year, and one year we went four times! But this year, in celebration of our annual/semi-annual 14-hour drive to the land of Disney, I decided to read a book about Disney. I have been wanting to read this biography of Walt Disney, but since that book is gigantic, I decided upon a much much easier book. Disney After Dark: The Kingdom Keepers #1 by Ridley Pearson. I really liked Peter and the Starcatchers, a collaboration between Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, which is a prequel to Peter Pan. No, Dave Barry is not the actual author of Peter Pan. But it was a good book, and the second one was good too. I really will get to books three and four soon...
So, Disney After Dark. The story's main character is a thirteen-year-old boy named Finn, who has recently met fame. With new technology, Disney has created a system of young tour guides to lead you through Disneyworld that are completely holographic. Five children were chosen and their movements and scripts were recorded on a stage and then turned into an advanced, interactive hologram. Finn is learning the deal with the fame of being Disney's newest star when something strange happens. At night, when he falls asleep, he is transported into Disneyworld, after the park has closed. And even stranger, he is the holographic version of himself. An old imagineer, Wayne, who actually knew Walt Disney way back when, says that Finn and the other DHI's (Disney Host Interactives) need to all fall asleep at the same time and meet up in the park. Some dark magic is brewing, and Wayne thinks the characters in the park are behind it!
This sounded like such an amazing plot. I was upset that I hadn't thought of it myself! I went into this book with high hopes, but they weren't really met. The dialogue felt very forced, along with the emotion. The whole time I was reading the book, I felt like Ridley Pearson was writing what he thought the audience would think character's reactions would be, but he didn't really understand the characters himself. I did like the scene in It's a Small World, with all the little dolls attacking the kids, because I've always thought those little dolls were creepy, and I also loved the idea of being at Disneyworld after all of the lights were out. At the end I was a little confused, but I found out that the book has three other books, with a forth on the way, so I'm thinking it will all be explained.
Overall, I have to give Pearson props for keeping me reading. I read this book in one day, and I will pass it on to my younger sister, but I just don't think that it holds up once you are over a certain age. It just doesn't have the Disney magic I wanted. I wanted more characters! Maybe those will be in the other books... I will probably still read book two, because I have a hard time not finishing a series, but if the second is written as poorly as the first, I don't know if I will make it to book three. Oh! And while I was writing this review, I found out that Peter and the Starcatchers has a fifth book out! I really have some catching up to do.

Rating: 2.5/5