Best WDW book?

[areno79]

I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday and became overwhelmed by the selection of travel books about DisneyWorld.
Can anyone recommend the "best" book? Then there's the Official Guide vs. Unofficial Guide debate...anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[alanapapa]

Hi areno79,
I have read most of them and I prefer the Offical guide by Birnbaum, even though I know it is a bit biased. Some of the information I take with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to wait times.If you have kids, buy them the Birnbaum for Kids by Kids, they will love it

 

[areno79]

Thanks, that's the type of of info I was looking for...do you think 9 and 11 year old girls would enjoy the Official Guide For Kids?

 

[MNSusan]

Here's a vote for the Unofficial Guide, as I think it gives much more detailed information than Birnbaum's. I've devoured it!

 

[niks81]

Buy them all

My personal opinion is they all do a different job. If this is your first trip it might be worth it. I bought the Unofficial Guide first, read it, and it really provides a LOT of good information. As a first timer, it really helps you figure things out, navigate, and such. The Birnbaum official guide is the "official" guide with the pretty pictures. Great for sharing with kids. I also have bought the Passporter, which I highly recommend. It is both a guidebook and kind of an itinerary planner too, with pockets to hold your stuff at the parks, etc.

Just my thoughts

 

[DisMN]

I thought Birnbaums was excellent but I did give up buying all the books after I discovered the DIS. I found the most up to date and pertinent information right here. If the info isn't on the DIS someone will usually post a link to one of the other well informed Disney websites in cyberspace......

ya can't beat the internet for immediate information!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

I think the Passporter is really the most useful of them all but I love the official guide because it has all the pretty pictures in it

 

[crazee4mickey]

I may have overdone the book buying when planning for our trip last December but at least I enjoyed reading them! My DH thought I was crazy with my stack of books
I liked Birnbaums as it wasn't too heavy of a read, Fodor's "Walt Disney world with Kids 2004" is really informative and had a lot of good tips for going as a family, I had the "Passporter" and it is a good planning book but is more for someone staying onsite(which we weren't) and wasn't much detail on the rides, etc. but excellent if staying onsite---but I must say the book we used the most was the "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World"-we used the plans and they worked out fantastic, the info on the rides was not misleading at all and it unbiased!
So if you want to buy one book to do it all, IMHO I would recommend the "Unofficial Guide"!
But in all honesty the place where you get the most useful, practical, honest advice is right here on these boards--the info I learned here was invaluable!!

 

[Spoisal]

What point during the year are books usually published? We are going in Nov 2005, but I don't want to buy a book now if a new one will be out in September....

 

[SnackyStacky]

What point during the year are books usually published? We are going in Nov 2005, but I don't want to buy a book now if a new one will be out in September....

It depends. The Passporters are shipping just now. I believe the Unofficial Guide is released about September/October time.

I'm not sure when the Birnbaum's comes out.

 

[eeyore0062]

I used to rely on 3 different books for different reasons:

Birnbaum's Guide to Walt Disney World --only one with pictures of the resorts, attractions, etc.

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World--- tells it like it is

The PassPorter-- great for organizing the trip and keeping notes and confirmation numbers.

Another book, Foder's puts out a book on Walt Disney World on a budget... which is good if you really have to budget while on vacation.

 

[areno79]

Thanks for the great advice, it's nice to hear some different opinions. This is actually our second time at WDW. Our first time was in Feb. 2003, and at that time I had Birnbaum's 2003 and The Cheapskate's Guide (or something like that). Both good books for a first timer
The reason I want one now is, truthfully, I just need another fix for my Disney obsession I'm thinking I should get the Official Guide for Kids for my kids though, I think it will help on the long roadtrip!

 

[DisneyBill]

Hey, this would make a great "poll" question. I'd vote for the Unofficial Guide.

 

[scoutsmom99]

Ohhh I always bought the official guide, but now I think the unofficial is my favorite

 

[15MinutesFromWDW]

I live here, and still buy the Birnbaum Official Guidebook. (Usually updated in September, btw.) It's the absolute BEST for restaurant information. They've actually started selling a small, restaurants-only version of it down here. (Mostly for locals, I think.)

I've read the Unofficial guide, but the tone turned me off a little. Birnbaum's is a rosy, magical view, while the Unofficial seemed like more of a "this is WAR!" kind of view. I haven't read the Unofficial in several years, but it seemed like Birnbaum's does a much better job of describing the actual ride. (Very helpful if you've got kids with unusual fears, travelers prone to motion sickness, or even just to decide if it's a "must-see".)

I think first-timers probably do well with both, so they get the magical and the practical views.

 

[kirbsam]

I have bought many of them...official guide, unofficial guide, guides for kids by kids, for teens by teens, wdw with kids, the irreverent guide(funny)...but the one i keep going back to is the unofficial guide. keep it in the room where i can get some peqce and quiet and read, if you know what i mean.

 

[BLBCB]

Libraries usually carry most of these books, or they can borrow them from other libraries. You could check them out, and then just buy the one you really like.

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

Like the other posters, I ususally get the Official, the Unofficial, and the Passporter. Now a few years ago I saw one produced by Rita Aero. That one looked very nice but I think the latest edition was 2002 or 2003. I wish she would release an updated version.

 

[MrBelding]

I know this has nothing to do w/your orig quesitons but I picked up "The Walt Disney World Trivia Book" by Louis A. Mongello for the Plan Ride down, have finished more that half already....fun book!

 

[missminniemouse]

I absolutely agree with 15minutesfromwdw about the unofficial guide. The one time I read it (several years ago), it seemed to be a very "unfriendly" read. I didn't like the way it complained about so many of the restaurants and other things at Disney. Yes, it's good to know what other people think needs improvement, but this just seemed really overboard in the opinions presented, as if everything was "bad."

I bought my first Birnbaum's guide back in 1990 thinking I'd buy it then and never buy another. Guess what? I've bought it every year since and find it a valuable tool to keep around. A lot of people know we head to Disney almost every year and will call us for info. If I don't know the answer off the top of my head, I can always find it in the official guide. There are no "negative" opinions presented here, which allows you to form your own opinion. After all, what one person loves, another may absolutely hate, just as with the two books.