2008 Best Published Book?

[MarinaD]

Which book would you recommend?

I was at B&N and looked at Passporter... which is the best to get great dining reviews? And up to date 2008 changes for EVERYTHING disney?

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

Which book would you recommend?

I was at B&N and looked at Passporter... which is the best to get great dining reviews? And up to date 2008 changes for EVERYTHING disney?

The Passporter is excellent, but for more in-depth dining reviews -- and of everying else Disney World, I would recommend the 2008 Unofficial Guide to Disney World, supplemented by their website ***************** for changes since their 2008 book.

 

[willis37862]

Another vote for the Unofficial Guide. It is a great book with tons of useful info and correct info ( I have found some that need to check their facts a little better ) .

 

[global_mom]

Another vote for the Unofficial Guide. It is a great book with tons of useful info and correct info ( I have found some that need to check their facts a little better ) .

Definately the Unofficial Guide. I have found some errors in other books.

 

[aviva5675]

Unofficial Guide.
But I would also check here on the boards for updates, as well as going to the allears site, which updates menus monthly.

 

[Brian Noble]

Unofficial Guide. And, if you google their name, you'll get the website, which is a Bad Word here on the DIS.

 

[Quiksilvr]

We recently used the 07 unofficial guide for an October trip and I will definitely be buying a new one each year in the future. Great info; restaurant reviews were right on.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Another vote for the Unofficial Guide, and check their website for updates, as well as a link to their Touring Plans website, to which you will get a discount as a purchaser of the UOG.

 

[dqpowell]

Unofficial Guide.

David

 

[Harambe]

I always buy the Passporter - lots of little extras in this book, like the open times of restaurants and the maps of resorts and parks, and the pockets are great!

And I buy Birnbaums (I know it is the official guide, which means it doesn't have a bad word to say about Disney), because I love the pictures! This book really gets me in the mood to plan our trips!

 

[GinnyFavers]

The Unofficial Guide is what made me obsessed with Disney!

It was the only book I had with me while I was stranded in a hotel room for three days with my husband and in-laws, 9 months pregnant and unable to walk much, after we evacuated (for no good reason it turned out) for hurricane Georges in September 1998.

I read every word of that book!

 

[dioxide45]

And I buy Birnbaums (I know it is the official guide, which means it doesn't have a bad word to say about Disney), because I love the pictures! This book really gets me in the mood to plan our trips!

We bought the Official Guide and have noticed several things that are out of date. In some sections it indiacted "when the book went to print, information was not available". The book must have went to print a while ago, because some things have been known for months. I will post some examples when I come across them again.

 

[Forevryoung]

I am also a lover of the unofficial guide.

I think it is because of HOW they do their research that they get pretty accurate in their reviews and ratings. They send out teams and or several individuals to gather the info so that it's not one person's review on any one particular day. They also ask tons of visitors to provide ratings as well.

For all us tech geeks out there it's also fascinating that their touring plans are spit out by a computer program and then tested (to ensure that they work). Instead of Joe Shmoe saying "I think we should have everyone go here, then here, then here cuz I said so"

 

[tinabheart]

1. Unofficial - a must!!
2. Birnbaum's

don't need anything else!

 

[mickeymedic]

I buy the Unofficial Guide every year whether I am going to Disney or not.

 

[BriarRosie]

I like both PassPorter and the Unofficial Guide for different reasons. Both guides give a lot of info, and yes, things do change (like Yak and Yeti opening after both have gone to print.) And the Birnbaum's guide was the first guidebook I ever purchased for a Disney trip, so I have sentimental feelings towards it. (It's great for pictures and "Disney" ad copy, but short on the details like the other books.)

However, both have websites that update the changes, and both are very good about doing that. What I like about Unofficial Guide is that I could read it from cover to cover and giggle over the humor included, not to mention the detail involved for everything.

What I like about the PassPorter is that it was the first guide I saw that filled a travel planning niche. It's a travel scrapbook combined with a guidebook, and this was the first (and maybe only) guide I saw that included resort maps.

And because I had been such a guidebook geek (and kept myself up to date via info I found online), I could tell you that I found HUGE mistakes in books like the "Dummies" and "Idiots" guides, and possibly Frommer's and Fodor's.

Of all the guidebooks out there, I always have a soft spot for Birnbaum's, but I think both PassPorter and the Unofficial Guide are probably the two best guides out there.