Disney Events at the Festival of Books 2016 – Daynah’s Report

The Festival of Books has come and gone, but the memories will still remain with me. It was one magical weekend despite the strange weather we had. Rain or shine, Disney manage to keep those smiles coming. They were pretty busy with several events on both days of the festival.

Here were some of the events that took place during the Festival of Books weekend:

Saturday, April 9th

• In-Booth Autographing:
  10:00am – 11:00am: Ridley Pearson
  Author of Kingdom Keepers: The Return Book Two Legacy of Secrets

  Disneyland, Opening Day, 1955.
  When five present-day teenagers known as the Kingdom Keepers find themselves thrown into a past that would make anyone envious, things don’t exactly work out the way they’d hoped. Finn, Charlene, Maybeck, Willa, and Philby open a door into a place and a time when the legend of the Disney parks is just starting. They are there, in 1955, to retrieve Walt Disney’s infamous pen that once saved the parks as we know them. But like all things Disney, nothing is as it seems.

• YA Stage Panel:
  10:30am – 11:30am: Young Adult Fiction Magical Realism on the Page
  Moderate: Brandy Colbert
  Panelists: Shaun David Hutchinson, Sean McGinty (The End of Fun), Peter Rock
• Children’s Stage Performance:
  12:00pm – 12:20pm: Disney’s Lion Guard Rock and Roar Experience
  Presented by Disney and Kindermusik
• In-Booth Story Time:
  12:30pm: The Jungle Book
• In-Booth Autographing:
  4:00 – 4:30pm: Cecil Castelucci
  Journey to Star Wars: Moving Target
• Children’s Stage Presentation:
  5:50 – 5:25pm: Join Andy Harkness for a special presentation and reading of Bug Zoo

Sunday, April 10th

• In-Booth Story Time:
  10:00am – 11:00am: Zootopia: Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop

  Officer Judy Hopps is on an exciting case in Zootopia. Her day started out like any other, until she stumbled across a crying elephant who was missing his Jumbo-pop. Hand-in-hand, the two retraced his steps and followed clues across the city. Will this whirlwind tour lead them to the Jumbo-pop before it melts?

• Middle Grade Panel
  10:00am – 11:00am: Middle Grade Fiction: Epic Adventures
  Moderator: Sarah Enni
  Panelists: Ridley Pearson (A Kingdom Kepers Novel: The Return Book Two, Legacy of Secrets), Soman Chainani, M. A. Larson, Taheresh Mafi
• In-Booth Autographing
  11:00am – 12:00pm: Melissa de la Cruz
  The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel

  Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon to the Isle of the Lost–a dark and dreary place protected by a force field that makes it impossible for them to leave. Stripped of their magical powers, the villains now live in total isolation, forgotten by the world.

• Children’s Stage Presentation
  11:30 – 11:55am – Join James Burks for a special presentation and reading of Pigs and a Blanket

  Pig siblings Henry and Henrietta love their green blanket. It is soft, it smells good, and it makes a great cape! As much as they each love playing with the blanket, they don’t love sharing it. Will ripping it in two solve all their problems?
  Author/illustrator James Burks has created a funny, relatable, sweet story about two pigs who, despite their individual interests pulling them in different directions, really prefer to remain side by side.

• Young Adult Panel
  12:00 – 1:00pm – Young Adult Fantasy: Beyond This Realm
  Moderator: Tobie Easton
  Panelists: Micahel Buckeley, Mercedes Lackey (Hunter), Romaina Russel, Sabaa Tahir
• In-Booth Reading / Autographing
  1:00pm – 1:30pm: Andy Harkness
  Bug Zoo

  Andy Harkness is art director for the Walt Disney Animation Studios who also worked on such films as “Pocahontas,” “Mulan,” “Lilo and Stitch,” “Tangled” and “Frozen.” He has art-directed short films such as “The Ballad of Nessie” and Mickey Mouse’s “Get a Horse!” and won both an Annie and Emmy Award for art-directing ABC’s “Prep and Landing.” He lives With his wife and two sons in Manhattan Beach, and his newest book is “Bug Zoo.”

• YA Stage Panel
  1:30 – 2:30pm: Young Adult Fiction: The Rest of the Story
  Moderator: Gretchen McNeil
  Panelists: Cecil Castellucci – Journey to Star Wars: The Forces Awakens: Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure
  Melissa de la Cruz – The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel,
  Danielle Paige
  Margaret Stohl – Black Widow: Forever Red
• In-Booth Story Time
  2:30pm Alice in Wonderland
• In-Booth Autographing
  3:30 – 430pm – Shana Muldoon Zappa & Ahmet Zappa – Star Darlings Series

Festival of Books Experience

There was just so much to do and see at the Festival of Books. The guests all enjoyed themselves and Disney had a big presence at the event. In addition to all the events, they also had giveaways at the booth and contests as well.

The most memorable experience for my daughter and me were all the stories read on Children Stage by the authors and participating in all of the musical acts! We greatly enjoyed ourselves and cannot wait until next year’s event. We look forward to everything Disney has to offer then!

So be sure to put the Festival of Books as one of your must to-do list for next year! Mark your calendar, it will be April 22-23, 2017!