- Visit the Imagineering Graveyard
- Now Sailing: "Skipper Stories" - Tales from the Jungle Cruise
- Coming Soon: The biography of Disney animator Jack Hannah
- Coming Soon: A Haunted Mansion anthology
Awaking Adventureland
A Novel
by Stephanie Estrada | Release Date: March 3, 2020 | Availability: Print, Kindle
Working for the Mouse is Cake!
Said no one ever.
When Abigail first packed her bags for Orlando, she thought Walt Disney World could be the solution to all her modern-day problems, but after three years as a Pirates of the Caribbean cast member, she’s beginning to wonder if living a life full of Mickey bars and Dole Whip really is enough for a girl with dreams larger than a theme park.
Torn between the Disney universe she’s come to know and love and the world beyond it, Abigail enlists her two best friends to help her break the mold. Enter Amana and Bethany, an online Disfluencer and everyone’s favorite guest relations cast member, who plainly encourage new romance and a trip to Disneyland to compensate for Abigail’s perpetual boredom. On a quest for a new kind of happily ever after and pressured by her devious friends, Abigail does the unthinkable on a dare: hooks up with Devin, an old friend and current coworker, leading to the start of some rocky work shifts.
Secrets, lies, online bullies, and unreciprocated emotions lead to a thrilling chase across Disney World that takes readers to hotspots like Jellyrolls, House of Blues, California Grill, and of course, a trip to where it all began—Disneyland.
Romantic and adventurous, Awaking Adventureland highlights the question of the validity of one’s existence, what it is to take a leap of faith, and at the end of it all, how Disney has the “magic” to mend a broken heart. Essentially a love song for the unusual life of a cast member and the excitement it is to call yourself one, Estrada weaves a tale full of hidden gems, fun facts, and of course, a timeless love for the Mouse.
Following a main character with the insider ins and out of Disney, Awaking Adventureland brings to life the true Disney experience. That is—the one you get when you work there.
Stephanie Estrada
Once upon a time Stephanie spent most of her days working for the Mouse. She’s since gone on to become a high school English teacher. Her debut novel, Finding Fantasyland, was first published in 2015 and is followed by its companion novel, Awaking Adventureland.
About Theme Park Press
Theme Park Press is the world's leading independent publisher of books about the Disney company, its history, its films and animation, and its theme parks. We make the happiest books on earth!
Our catalog includes guidebooks, memoirs, fiction, popular history, scholarly works, family favorites, and many other titles written by Disney Legends, Disney animators and artists, Mouseketeers, Cast Members, historians, academics, executives, prominent bloggers, and talented first-time authors.
We love chatting about what we do: drop us a line, any time.
Theme Park Press Books
The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion The Ride Delegate 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation The Cotton Candy Road Trip The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney Disney Destinies Disney Melodies The Happiest Workplace on Earth Storm over the Bay A Historical Tour of Walt Disney World: Volume 1 Mouse in Transition Mouseketeers Down Under Murder in the Magic Kingdom Walt Disney and the Promise of Progress City Service with Character Son of Faster Cheaper A Tale of Two Resorts I Saw Ariel Do a Keg Stand The Adventures of Young Walt Disney Death in the Tragic Kingdom Two Girls and a Mouse Tale Ears & Bubbles The Easy Guide 2015 Who's the Leader of the Club? Disney's Hollywood Studios Funny Animals Life in the Mouse House The Book of Mouse Disney's Grand Tour The Accidental Mouseketeer The Vault of Walt: Volume 1 The Vault of Walt: Volume 2 The Vault of Walt: Volume 3 Who's Afraid of the Song of the South? Amber Earns Her Ears Ema Earns Her Ears Sara Earns Her Ears Katie Earns Her Ears Brittany Earns Her Ears Walt's People: Volume 1 Walt's People: Volume 2 Walt's People: Volume 13 Walt's People: Volume 14 Walt's People: Volume 15
Write for Theme Park Press
We're always in the market for new authors with great ideas. Or great authors with new ideas. Whichever type of author you are, we'd be happy to discuss your book. Before you contact us, however, please make sure you can answer "yes" to these threshold questions:
Is It Right for Us?
We specialize in books that have some connection to Disney or theme parks. Disney, of course, has become a broad topic, and encompasses not just theme parks and films but comic books, animation, and a big chunk of pop culture. Your book should fit into one (or more) of those broad categories.
Is It Going to Make Money?
There's never a guarantee that any book will make money, but certain types of books are less likely to do so than others. They include: hardcovers, books with color photos, and books that go on forever ("forever" as in 400+ pages). We won't automatically turn down these types of books, but you'll have to be a really good salesman to convince us.
Are You Great to Work With?
Writing books and publishing books should be fun. The last thing you want, and the last thing we want, is a contentious relationship. We work with authors who share our philosophy of no drama and zero attitude, and the desire for a respectful, realistic, mutually beneficial partnership.
If you said "yes" three times, please step inside.