Plutofan1 said:
The monorail to MGM was just to keep the story going quicker. It is a FICTION story! Who says Pearson can't make stuff uP?
Its poor research and editing.
There was nothing in the plot that required the monorail to go to MGM.
The guy just didn't KNOW it doesn't go there.
A good editor would have caught and fixed it.
The "hook" of the book is that it is all about a place we all know about, care about, and can visit.
Using the rides as the basis for the plot is great.
But that makes the MISTAKES stick out so much worse.
We've all seen these kind of technical errors on TV and in the movies.
And we've all discussed them. That's all I'm doing.
If you love the book, that's fine.
And I know its a kids book, but we here are discussing that we, as adults are reading it, so I think I am allowed to point out the things that I found so ODDLY mistaken about something that was SUPPOSED to be based on so much RESEARCH.
I suggest you re-read the INTRO in the book where the author names the names of CM's who helped him with "facts", his editors and how much time he spent in MK and WDW to get it all RIGHT.
But after reading, to me he's still an "outsider" to the way WDW actually "works".
You'll note I didn't criticize him "finding" hidden dungeons under a major attraction...
or the new "technology" of the VR "Hosts"...
or that an "old-timer" CM lives over the Fire Station...
or that something at MGM that belonged to a major player at WDW held a "key" to the drama.
Now, THOSE things are the kind of "artistic licenses" that DO further the plot.
Other of his bits are right-on:
I loved that a person was almost unseen as he sat next to a statue of Goofy in front of the Opera House... Its a great statute that I've seen many times.
I looked for the "hidden door" at the MGM exhibit that leads to the "room" in question... it IS there.
But making plain old MISTAKES about what we all know to be simple everyday WDW facts (Monorail example)... is just ODD.
He certainly knows that there are lots of BUSES... he uses one prominently in the book.
I loved the "swimming" in Splash Mtn. I remeber thinking "what will happen when they get to the big LIFT?"
Every WDW veteran (little kids to grandpa) knows that the "big LIFT" is where you get READY (and get NERVOUS)... so why didn't he just write that the kids were "caught in the mechanism" that pulls the logs up to the big drop instead of just IGNORING that there IS one... that's a pretty big oversight... its SPLASH MOUNTAIN, for heaven's sake... in nearly everyone's top 5 WDW attractions... at least give us THAT right.
I loved the creature that comes alive on BTM, but that thing is actually at the very END of the BTM ride and he has the kids running and running toward the end of the ride (when they would already BE there).
All he would have had to change would be to have the kids turn around and run the OTHER WAY, but he didn't bother to fix it.
It simply must be because he just didn't KNOW or CARE how the rides actually work.
That's lack of attention to details.
That's just not Disney.
(I have been rather "vague" about my examples above so as not to ruin any plot-points for those who've not yet read the book.)
I wish I had liked the book more. I tried to.
We listened to the audio version, and my wife (also a major WDW lover) kept falling asleep.
So there are at least two of us who were less than thrilled.
Sorry.
...just read the summary on Amazon's website.
