Best Guidebook Suggestion?

[Sunny dreams]

I would like to know what your favorite guidebook is and why. If it makes a difference we are staying off property for a week in late August. An8y help you offer i would appreciated! This will be our first trip and we have a 4 and 6 year old.

 

[Cormoran]

Unoffoicial Guide to WDW is the best IMO

 

[maryandtyson]

Unofficial Guide is widely considered to be the best. They have resort info for onsite and offsite. I believe you also get access to their online crowd calendars and touring plans. I highly recommend!

 

[ZoZo]

Another vote for the Unofficial Guide to WDW. It has excellent information, and gives "reviews" of the different restaurants, hotels, rides/attractions, etc. I find it very helpful to have well-researched reviews available; I think they do a very good job with their research. Tons of helpful information, including how to survive the parks with little kids!

For example, when trying to pick between several different restaurants at a park, it's nice to know which ones they rate higher than others (and which ones are scored the lowest). As always with reviews, you should take the info with a grain of salt, but you have to start somewhere!

 

[Cormoran]

I also love that the guide provides both the good and bad about a WDW vacation and how to avoid the pitfalls. they even have touring plans in the back for touring with small children. It's a fabulous resource. I read it cover to cover for my first trip and I found the information very helpful.

 

[meredith13]

Unofficial guide is great, and I have also found the Fodor's guide to be quite useful. Just to be safe I also read The Hidden Magic of WDW. I like to have a lot of info LOL. I have the biernbaum one as well, which has coupons and is easy to navigate.

 

[purple figment]

Another book that I like is The Complete Walt Disney World 2015 by Julie and Mike Neal which has lots and lots of pictures. The disboards and allears are my online sources of info because they have the "up to this minute" info, but I still like books for a general overview.

 

[disneybliss2]

Another vote for the Unofficial Guide to WDW. It contains great, thorough information, & good tips M. I like the detailed reviews of the hotels, restaurants, rides, attractions, etc. it's organized where you can read different snippets at a time.

 

[kmoore7]

I used Fodors for my first trip. I found it very helpful. Then I found this forum is even more helpful.

 

[sunshine girl]

Unofficial Guide! No contest.

 

[chefmb]

Here's another Unofficial Guide lover! I buy the new one every few years just to have for reference.

 

[mountdew1]

For your first trip, go grab a recent Birnbaums Official Guide out of the library. Read it, look at all the pretty pictures, get the official WDW scoop that candy coats everything. It's a good crash course without scaring you. Then buy the current Unofficial Guide and read that. See what you really need to do to make it less stressful and to plan ahead.

 

[speake]

Try The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit

It is written in part by Josh from www.easywdw.com. He is mentioned many times on this forum.

Below is an overview of his book, and a link to a Questions and Comments forum about the book.
http://www.easywdw.com/site-news/th...it-2015-now-available-save-30-through-nov-30/
http://www.easywdw.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?41-The-easy-Guide-Questions-and-Comments

Note - I am not a paid sponsor for the book - just a fan of the site.

 

[yooperfan]

For your first trip, go grab a recent Birnbaums Official Guide out of the library. Read it, look at all the pretty pictures, get the official WDW scoop that candy coats everything. It's a good crash course without scaring you. Then buy the current Unofficial Guide and read that. See what you really need to do to make it less stressful and to plan ahead.

Does Birnbaum still have coupons in the back for discounts on fishing excursions?

 

[goofy4tink]

For a first trip....both of Birnbaums books. Birnbaum's Official Guide to WDW and Birnbaum's Children's Official Guide. The kids love this book!
I like the UnOfficial Guide but it can be a bit much for someone with no experience. The Passporter is a very good alternative. I would get that as well. The Passporter and Birnbaums Official Guide each provide a slightly different point of view. Those three books are the ones I always recommend.

 

[OB1]

Try The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit

It is written in part by Josh from www.easywdw.com. He is mentioned many times on this forum.
.

Totally agree. I think the Unofficial Guide could be overwhelming for a new visitor. This makes it easy, and has plenty of information. This is cut down to basics, and provides the must do's and Best of the Best. Really like how the authors put this book together. Ever though I have been 40 times, I bought it just to see how they put the info together.

 

[Cyrano]

We use the Unofficial Guide for our first ever trip to WDW and have been a convert ever since. Bought the guides every year until moving to e-books

For their beautiful pictures The Complete Guide to WDW is another that we have used

 

[Cormoran]

We use the Unofficial Guide for our first ever trip to WDW and have been a convert ever since. Bought the guides every year until moving to e-books

For their beautiful pictures The Complete Guide to WDW is another that we have used

I tried the e-books but I can't flip to the exact page I'm looking for as easily as I can in the 5 pound book!