Customer Reviews

Waking Walt

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What if the urban legend about Walt Disney being frozen were true? That's the premise of Larry Pontius' book, Waking Walt.

Waking Walt takes us inside "The Circle", a small group of close friends that Walt Disney entrusted with the most important job of his life ... literally! And when The Walt Disney Company is threatened with being taken over and broken up by a ruthless corporate raider, the Circle knows it is time to act.

I found this book a VERY entertaining read. Pontius, a retired Disney marketing executive, does a great job creating an honest representation of Walt, eschewing the easy way out and not giving us a watered down "Uncle Walt" type character. Rather he portrays Walt with all of his rough edges still intact.

The story is just the tiniest bit contrived, but it's really fun and if you take it for what it is (don't go in expecting Shakespeare ) you should really enjoy it. This is Pontius' first effort at a novel, so the writing is just a bit amateurish, but it never gets in the way of the story at all.

If you're a Disney and and you're look for a light, entertaining read I highly recommend you pick this one up!!

Suspense novelist Larry Pontius provides his readers with a thrilling display of good versus evil with a complex cast of characters to match. His exceptional ability to develop his characters into believable figures makes the novel even better. Pontius makes the words fly across the pages of this lengthy book. I literally couldn't (amd much to my husband's dismay, wouldn't) put it down until the very end. I still have goosebumps from the last scene of the book. A fantastic read for all ages! I highly recommend Waking Walt.

Waking Walt is a captivating tale of conspiracy, magic, and intrigue. If you are a Disney fan, you will especially revel in the fantasy of Walt's original energy and inspiration that created the "Disney Worlds" of today. Even if you are not a fan, you will be caught up in the endless possibilities of the reoccurring world of fantasy and mystery. Planning a trip to Florida or California to see one of the Disney extravaganzas? -- perhaps spring break vacation -- be sure to take a copy of this book for leisure time reading. It will only enhance your world of magic -- what a trip!

The time is the fairly close future and the Disney company is on the ropes. Through bad investments, poor planning, and lack of clear guidance on the part of management, the stock price is at an all-time low and a hostile take over is at hand by a man named Arnold Garth. Garth is a ruthless businessman whose first act will be to break up the company and sell off the assets, dismantling the corporation that was built on a mouse. To the members of "the Circle" there is only one thing left to do.

It's time to wake up Walt.

The premise of "Waking Walt" is that the old urban legend of Walt Disney being frozen just before his death is true, and that he's been in cryogenic storage for the past forty years. One of the circle is a former doctor, and he takes the lead in attempting to steal an experimental drug that is said to be a miracle cure for lung cancer. When he's unsuccessful at the theft and has stroke in the process, his nephew, Harry Poole is brought in to take his place. The rest of the circle is too old to be doing so much running around. Nearly fifty himself, Harry isn't your typical run of the mill hero but that doesn't stop Lisa, one of the circle's granddaughters from taking an interest in him, though romance isn't really what this book is about.

Harry must help out Lisa, her grandfather, and the rest of Walt's inner circle to pull off a miracle and thaw out Walt so he can save the company before it's too late. As if cheating death wasn't enough, they have other problems. There are several people who have no interest in seeing Walter Elias Disney come back from the dead... and they aren't particular who they have to hurt in the process.

In addition to the action adventure plot of getting Walt out of storage, treating him for his cancer, and evading the bad guys, the book is filled with information about the Disney Company. Some of these are historical facts, and others are the kind of tales that long-timers in a company like to share over cocktails or dinner. And when the resurrected Walt is telling the story the reader almost feels like they really are getting it from the horse's mouth.

The author knew that Disney had his faults and shows the man as he was, with sometimes-extreme prejudices, but he also shows a man capable of learning, and in serious love with the future. When Walt sees some of what has become of his dream you feel cheered at the parts that worked and sad over the ones that didn't. This is a book any Disneyphile would love, if only for the stories most of which have been documented before, but never so poignantly.

The book is exciting and action-packed, and very well written. The characters were interesting and charming. "Waking Walt" is an excellent book, different and a lot of fun.

Walt Disney was an American icon, a purveyor of dreams, a man who proved that it truly "makes no difference who you are". He was a midwestern boy with a gift that found life with his first cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. Through the dark years of the American depression, Walt's cartoon characters brought laughter, hope, and promise to a country that had very little to dream about. Mickey was quickly followed by Pluto, Donald Duck, Goofy, Snow White and her Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. The world lost Walt Disney to lung cancer in 1966. Supposedly he was cremated, but rumors circulated and continue to persist that he was cryogenically preserved until a cure for cancer could be found.
Larry Pontius takes that rumor and runs with it, and thereby hangs a tale.

Failed projects, modern problems, and mismanagement by men who lost sight of Walt's original dream have brought the Disney Corp. to a serious predicament. Several elderly men - Walt's secret Circle - know the time has come to activate his resurrection. Disney HAS been cryogenically preserved and an as yet FDA approved cure for cancer has been developed. When the old friends try to steal ampules of the experimental cancer drug, one of them dies from the excitement and the plan fails. On to Plan B of a very well-planned out return of Walt Disney to life and power. Younger members join the inner circle. Walt is thawed, rejuvenated, and the cancer treatment begins.

Waking Walt is a fun, exhilarating read. Mr. Pontius writes very well and creates his story so plausibly that I had no problem whatsoever believing the fiction. The characters were top notch, especially the cranky opinionated Walt Disney who hides his Peter Pan-Jiminy Cricket heart under a gruff exterior. His Circle of protectors and friends is an unlikely mix of quirky personalities. Their devotion to Walt, his dream and its bright promise, was quite touching. And in the end, everyone learns a fitting lesson, including Mr. Disney.

Nicely rendered resurrection, Mr. Pontius.

I so enjoyed this book and I was lucky enough to meet with the author and his lovely wife at a book club meeting. The book shows us all how innovative Walt Disney was and how he was a man so before his time. Mr. Pontius shows us that Walt Disney had his flaws just like everyone else but you come away hoping beyond hope that he comes back to rescue his company and save us all.

We all have heard stories of Walt Disney being cryopreserved, but wait for this story. It takes that premise and grows into a fast paced mystery/adventure. You get the feeling that Larry knows Walt and knows the inside scoop. It definitely is an enjoyable read.

Waking Walt is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. The story line is fast paced yet easy to follow while still tossing in a curve or two so as not to be too predictable. The character traits and frozen in time prejudices assigned to Walt Disney are wonderfully conceived. As "Uncle Walt" spends some time in the present day his narrow-minded views expand to a more realistic, modern point of view. While his perceptions alter appropriately in regards to women and other races/cultures, he thankfully retains his old fashioned ideas regarding the lack of a moral compass that is prevalent in society in general and Disney World in particular.

The premise of the book is that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen before his lung cancer would kill him (as rumors and urban legends have proposed) and is waiting for a cancer cure so that he can come back and reclaim his kingdom (as in Magic Kingdom). The poorly run Disney company is in a shambles and a hostile take over bid threatens to rip the company into small edible pieces. So, a circle of friends decides to thaw out the legend and treat him with an experimental drug. Then Walt is thrown into a world 40 years into the future where he laments things such as men on the moon, and the poor state of the Disney company, theme parks, and films.

It is an interesting story line and there were some very enjoyable moments as Walt got to experience Disney World for the first time in tow with a car load of teenagers who do not know who he is and insult the Disney food, the Disney employees attitude, and the theme park experience. Those parts are good fun.

However, there was an often distracting preoccupation with alcohol and drinking in this book, which could have been left out without causing harm to the story. Also, I had trouble connecting with the characters in this story (other than Walt), but found the premise too interesting to stop reading. It had a great premise and should have been explored long ago. I would recommend it to Walt Disney enthusiasts and science-fiction fans looking for an entertaining read.

This book tells the story that every Disney fan wonders about: what if the legend that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen were true? The plot begins with a group of old men called "The Circle", who have been guarding Walt's secret and have found a doctor with an experimental cure for cancer. It's an amazing moment when they actually revive Walt, and spend time catching up on history with him - everything from man on the moon to Vietnam. At the same time, there's huge problems at the Walt Disney Company with a hostile takeover on the horizon, so there are hit men out after the group, making this a bit of a spy story as well! The story is well written and has lots of twists and turns, but the best chapters are filled with Walt telling stories, sneaking scotch, going fishing, and the moment of all moments - Walt visiting Epcot! The author was a former Disney executive, so the details scattered throughout the book are accurate and interesting. The other characters in the book are interesting, too, especially Harry, who "inherits" his place in the Circle and ends up as the receiver of a true Willy Wonka moment. Even though the pacing bogs down in places, this is a great story that really presents Walt in a truthful light, yet still honors his genius.