best disney guide book?

[Stevegriswold]

which Disney guide book do you like the best and why?

 

[DisneyConvert]

No glossy pictures; no Disney Corp. propaganda -- just a ton of info on how to plan and practice a fantastic WDW vacation.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Unofficial Guide. By far, the best information source on WDW around.

I always get Disney's book, too. It has cute pictures that can be used in scrapbooks and it is just so peppy.

Passporter is also very rah-rah Disney, but doesn't have the cute pics and isn't as informative as the Unofficial Guide. People on these boards seem to like it, though.

For Universal, I like the Kelly Monaghan book better than the Unofficial Guide.

 

[JessicaFaye508]

Birnbaum Guides- For kids by kids and the regular version.
I always reccomend this one to all of my family/friends
And the Passporter is good too =]

I'm not a fan of the Unofficial guide. Some of the stuff they said in it was a little negative IMO and I did not enjoy reading it at all. (no offense to those who like it)

 

[E-I-E-I-O]

I love the UG for the guts, but loved the complete guide by Julie Neal for the pictures and historical stuff.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I love the UG for the guts, but loved the complete guide by Julie Neal for the pictures and historical stuff.

I do like "The Complete Guide", but it isn't really a book that is useful for planning purposes.

So many books!

Birnbaum's Official Guide (Disney's book)

The Unofficial Guide (info)

The Complete Guide (interesting, not planning)

A newbie could seriously lose it trying to figure it all out.

 

[E-I-E-I-O]

I do like "The Complete Guide", but it isn't really a book that is useful for planning purposes.

So many books!

Birnbaum's Official Guide (Disney's book)

The Unofficial Guide (info)

The Complete Guide (interesting, not planning)

A newbie could seriously lose it trying to figure it all out.

You're right, it's really not useful for planning, but still think it's worth a look at, especially if you're like me and like having a visual idea of what to expect.

 

[mrqster]

The review below was posted on amazon.com by "princess jenny". I thought her review was very helpful. I personally got the 2009 Unofficial Guide, which comes out Aug 18, 2008 and the Complete guide........


Trying to figure out what Disney World guide to buy? So was I. After a little research, I learned there are three main books: This one, The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World 2008, and Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2008 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World). They are all pretty good, but there are big differences between them. I bought all three, including this new 2008 edition of the Unofficial Guide, and here are my thoughts on how they compare, at least in the categories that are important to me. I did this last year, too. Here are the results:

1) Easiest of use: The Complete Guide.
The Complete Guide has the best organization. Has a completely different look than the other books, with magazine-style articles and lots of color photos, which make the subject matter much more interesting and much easier to understand. The main chapters are color coded (Magic Kingdom is red, Epcot orange, etc.). Each attraction review is very easy to find, as each one starts on its own page. Second place: Birnbaum. It too has color-coded chapters.

2) Most fun to read. The Unofficial Guide and The Complete Guide.
The Complete Guide has an amazing number of little tidbits about the Disney attractions, so if you love Disney it's really fun to read. The Unofficial Guide has a lot of guests complaints about Disney, so if you're a Disney cynic it will make you laugh. Both have witty writers, and both made me laugh out loud.

3) Best information on attractions: The Complete Guide.
By a mile! It spends probably 10 times as much space on each attraction, offering up the story of each ride, some real good "Fun Finds" and all kinds of helpful specs that the other books ignore. Plus, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Second place: Unofficial.

4) Best information about Universal Studios and Seaworld. The Unofficial Guide.
Hands down. The Birnbaum guide doesn't mention anything outside of Walt Disney World, and the Complete Guide only has hotel listings.

5) Best information on hotels, restaurants and shopping: Unofficial.
The other books have photos of every Disney resort, which Unofficial doesn't, but the Unofficial Guide just goes crazy with its listings, rating each resort nine ways to Sunday! For shopping, the best Disney info is in the Complete Guide, the best outside-Disney info is in Unofficial.

6) Best information on important misc. information, like getting from the airport to Disney: Unofficial.
Not even close. Has everything you ever wanted to know about taxis and limos and Disney's Magical Express and many other things.

7) Best maps, photographs and illustrations. The Complete Guide
Nothing comes close to the Complete Guide for photographs, but this is an area where the Birnbaum guide does have something special -- Mickey, Donald and all the Disney cartoon characters! They're included on many pages. Both Birnbaum and the Complete Guide have good maps. Unofficial has good line drawings of the interiors of hotel rooms.

So, which one's best? You know, I think you'd have to pick two: The Unofficial Guide and The Complete Guide. Unofficial is pretty dull to look at, but it is so thorough in its coverage about everything outside of Disney and offers so much "cynical" insight that it just can't be ignored, and it has the best hotel and restaurant info. The Complete Guide, on the other hand, is a joy to look at and read, and is just stunning in its amount of fun and useful information on Disney attractions. As for Birnbaum, I say skip it, and, if you've got children, instead buy the children's version, Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids 2008 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids By Kids). It's not much money, and that way you'll still get all the "Official Disneyness" of a Birnbaum book AND have something for your kids to look at.

Why, you may ask, did I only give this new Unofficial Guide three stars if I recommend it? Because I was so disappointed in it! Yes, it IS a first rate book, but I bought this 2008 edition because I had heard about all these changes coming to Disney World next year, like how Disney-MGM Studios is going to change to Disney's Hollywood Studios, and wanted to find out more about them. It doesn't mention any of it! I guess that's because how early the book must be put together. But I think if it says 2008 it ought to have the 2008 information. It's misleading.

 

[swilson14]

I absolutley love the Complet Guide by Julie Neal. It tells so much I didnt know about the parks. It also has great pictures which to me makes it the best Disney guide book of all!

 

[nikki'smom]

You're on the best guide now... the DIS!!

The guide books are outdated by the time they print. The UG is terrible, and is one take on WDW.

Here you get many takes and lots of advice.

 

[dzaharchuk]

We purchased the Unofficial Guide, and I found it to be a little bit of a downer! I know they're trying to be impartial, but with a pos. and neg. comment on every hotel, ride, and restaurant, it was not helpful when making choices! The negative reviews always seem to stick in your mind..

Call me naive, but I like the Birnbaums, they make me excited about going. My 8 year old loved her guidebook (Kids edition).

I guess my recommendation is to purchase 2 diff. books, or borrow 1 from library...

 

[ireland_nicole]

I have pretty much every guide book (as far as I can find anyway)

I second the necessity for both the complete guide and the unofficial, at least and especially if you are a planner.

I would add Birnbaums guide for kids if you have children; It's really interesting, and a lot of it is written by other kids, so it has a little street cred.

If anyone in your family has special needs/disabilities, don't miss Passporter's Open Mouse - could not live without it.

For interesting info; check out the imagineer's guide to MK,Epcot and AK

Hope it helps!

 

[Tam1067]

Unofficial Guide is the best way to avoid lines. They are right on the money, and the writing is really funny.

The Complete Guide is a good introduction to the parks.

 

[rt2dz]

Birnbaum Guides are the official book and will tell you and show you everything Disney wants you to know and see. Great pictures, but not necessarily the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

PassPorter: Gives some information and some good tips, but, imo, is mostly an organizer. It’s a great organizer but only a so-so information source. Lacks the same pizzazz in pictures as the Birnbaum Guide. Still very pro Disney.

The Unofficial Guide, aka, The Disney Bible. Gives you all the information you need and much more you don’t. It’s honest, straight forward, and spares no detail. The UG offers both sides to the story, printing them out side by side. They love Disney, but their Mickey Mouse glasses aren’t rose-colored, which can help you make better decisions. It’s also very entertaining to read. Obviously, this is what I recommend.

 

[Hibernians]

I love the Complete Guide and would say its the best guide.

Its best for me because I love all the amazing color photos and it has a lot of interesting stories about the parks and attractions. Plus, the 2008 paperback version, while 336 pages, stills feels compact and its easy to carry around.

The Unofficial Guide provides the most tactical information and has some useful strategies but I do not like the cynical tone - I think the authors need to lighten a wee bit.

I like the original design of the Passporter and actually brought it with me last year to the DIS. The reviews from the Mom, Dad and daughter are all helpful and the fold out park maps are excellent, but I really found a lot of use out of the pages in the back for writing notes and keeping track of documents, reservations, tickets,etc.

For my next trip coming up in October I have been reading the Complete Guide and will probably bring it on the plane with me just to look at all the photos to really get me ready for the Mouse.