Birnbaum's or PassPorter?

[wdwholic1206]

I haven't bought a new guide book since 2004. Which do you like best...
Birnbaum's or Passporter? Thanks for the help.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I would pick Passporter over Birnbaums...but UG is definitely a lot more informative.

Birnbaums is known for leaving attraction out or barely discussing them. Plus it's the official book, so they write NOTHING even potentially negative. Definitely not a place to get accurate coverage.

 

[1DISNEYLVR]

I love Passporter! It's my favorite guide book. I buy a new one for each trip because I love to make notes in it while I'm there. The pockets are great for keeping organized too.

 

[donaldtutter]

i prefer the UG to either.

 

[Kapp]

go with the Unofficial Guide. Hands-down, it is the best!

 

[wdwguide]

I have issues with each guidebook I have ever looked it.

Birnbaum's, while well-written, is just too easy on the company. It also lacks a lot of time-saving tips and tricks that most independent guides incorporate.

I like the Passporter, although I find the theme park descriptions too concise and the whole book is written too much from the authors' perspective (I personally really don't care for the fact that most of the stamp-sized pictures in the book are pictures of themselves). Often way too saccharine, but it also offers a fair share of criticism.

The Unofficial Guide continues to be my favorite. What I don't understand is how, with a team of over 20 excellent researchers, the thing retains the same small inaccuracies year after year (my personal pet peeve: Bob - Frontierland does NOT connect to the hub any more than Mickey's Toontown Fair does). It is also poorly edited - there are some typos, mis-pasted paragraphs and other formatting issues. Ignores most live entertainment and non-permanent shows. Still a great resource. If you have the time to go through the entire 800-page behemoth, I recommend this one. Otherwise, make it the Passporter.

 

[Quinn222]

Unofficial Guide. I can't imagine being without it for a trip.

 

[grinningghost]

Neither - I like the UG best. It's the most honest.

Birnbaum's sucks up to Disney - well because it has to.

Passporter is just too busy for me.

And another thing about Birnbaums. Although I read every new issue, they really need to change some of the wording. There are so many spots where the wording has been the same since God knows when. I mean, if you must say the same thing, at least find different words to say it with - it gets old. I can almost recite the first couple pages word for word each year.

 

[Thierry444]

I haven't bought a new guide book since 2004. Which do you like best...
Birnbaum's or Passporter? Thanks for the help.

I know nothing about these books but if you want accurate informations and tips go to tourguidemike.com. It worths all the books in the world !!!

 

[PixiePop]

I love my passporter!!

 

[LadyLuc361]

I prefer the UG as well. It is brutally honest. I have the Passporter, and it gets me excited for my trip probably more so than the UG just b/c the UG is so honest it sometimes makes you worry about the details of your trip. (At least for me). However, the UG provides so much helpful info it is my favorite!

I love Birnbaum because it has Disney pictures in it. It sort of seems like the least helpful of the 3, but it is really fun and it gets me excited for my trip. I guess it depends what you are looking for.

 

[Sandi12404]

I have all the guidebooks but I love the passporter and UG. The UG was the first one I bought and I read it cover to cover. It has so much information in it and really helped plan my trip. That said I love the passporter because it has pockets to keep things in, places to wrtie in your itinerary (sp?) and fold out maps of all the parks. We're taking the passporter with us on our trip because we can just slip it in the diaper bag and it will have all our confirmation numbers right there.

 

[zuzu310]

Another vote for UG! It is so very informative.

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

I've tried Fodors, Birbaums, and The Unofficial Guide.

Of those three, the Unofficial Guide is by far the best.
Get the Unofficial Guide.

 

[FigmentKid]

For my last trip I got both the Unofficial Guide and Birnbaum's and I decided I will never buy a Birnbaum's again. I like the personal stories from readers in the UG and it gives you the big picture view of everything (good and bad). Also, the amount of details in the UG is amazing, everything from what hour of the day certain rides are busy to commute times from point to point on Disney transportation! Birnbaum's is just so sickly-sweet that it makes me think it's propoganda rather than a guide and I didn't find it detailed enough. If you want something quick with lots of pretty pictures go for Birnbaum's.

 

[Anna114]

I'm a Passporter fan. I think it's a great planning tool.

Have a magical day,
Anna

 

[wdwholic1206]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I don't know why I have neer bought the UG. I always seem to pass over it in the bookstore. (maybe there is something to the whole packaging thing!LOL!). I used to buy the new Birnbaums every year I have one from 1993-2004 and there really isn't much difference from year to year but I do LOVE the pictures.
I do love my 2004 Passporter. I used it so much for our last trip I can barely read it anymore.
I will check out the UG. Thanks!

 

[new_mouser]

Go to amazon.com and buy all three of them. Your total will come to $37.63 with free shipping and no tax. Not bad considering a Passporter will cost you $21.95 + tax.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

I voted for birnbaums, and i will tell you why: its for nostalgic purposes. LOL

when i was a kid, it was the book my mum always bought before our trips to disney.

when i went with dh 4 years ago, and again this past jan when my mum announced to me that she was taking us all as her birthday gift, it was the first thing i did the next day...buy a copy of birnbaums. i love reading the fun parts, rather than any 'honesty' because thats what i want to read in a book

i love the way its laid out, i love the photos, i love the feel of the paper (call me wierd) i like the size, the map, the info...its bright and cheery and makes me long for disney.


this time around we also decided to get a 2nd book. we decided on the ultimate guide pocket edition. lots of great info in there. like reading a novel, no fun pics, and there are negative points in there, but u need to know reactions of people who have been and what htey honestly say.

anyway. first purchase without skipping a beat was birnbaums guide to wdw, regular edition.

 

[MJMcBride]

The passporter is much better than Birnbaum's. But like many of you, I prefer the UG overall.