Guidebooks: Read one, or read them all?

[ScarletIndigo]

About two weeks ago I picked up the Birnbaum's Official Guide at Border's. I skipped the Unofficial Guide because it looked too long and too textbook-like, and I skipped the Passporter because it looked a lot like the Birnbaum's. Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out. I've read through nearly all of the Birnbaum's guide, and I've really enjoyed the fact that it's colorful and an easy read with lots of pictures, but I also read the thread about the best guidebook for WDW, and everyone seems to swear by the Unofficial Guide or the Passporter.

So here's my question -- since I've already read the Birnbaum's Official Guide nearly cover-to-cover, should I invest in another guide, or will it be repetitious? Before you ask, I've pretty much completed all of my travel plans (accomodations, tickets, PS reservations, etc.) and I'm just looking for another way to get my Disney fix and find out more and more interesting information about WDW at the same time.

Thoughts? Suggestions? If you had to choose ONE guidebook to reccommend, what would it be? Is the Unofficial Guide really as long and wordy as it looks? Is the Passporter really that much different than the Birnbaum's Official Guide? Help!

 

[Penny2]

I'd recommend reading one more just to get a more 'balanced' view. You don't say if you have children, but that may be able to assist in narrowing your choices.

If you have children, invest in the Unofficial Guide. From what I have heard, this really assists parents in choosing which rides are appropriate for their children due to the additional child friendly ratings.

If you don't have children, there are two that I recommend. Hard to decide which I prefer, so I am giving you their names in random order. Rita Aero's DW Book is great in helping select restaurants and hotels. The descriptions are in-depth and accurate (IMHO). There is another tome; WDW without Children (or Kids) by the Perlmutters. I really like this book because they truly give an adult perspective of DW, especially things to do in the various resorts, etc. It is from this book that I learned about many of the hidden treasures that are off the beaten path at DW like boat rides, etc.

I'm a reader...so I buy the books to get my fix before bedtime...one can't be on line all the time!!!

 

[EpcotBill]

Just be advised that Rita's book is 2 years old. You might want something more recent.

 

[ScarletIndigo]

Penny2, thanks for the suggestions!

I don't have any children; I'll be travelling with DF (aww, how romantical!) Like I said, we already have accomodatiions and restaurants picked out and taken care of, so I'm just looking for more tidbits about WDW and info on attractions, things to see, and stuff like that!

 

[Penny2]

You are more than welcome...although from what Epcot Bill says it seems that the Aero book hasn't been updated in a while (not sure myself).

Again, many of the publications are geared more towards families...its nice to read a book that is geared more towards adult tastes.

Make sure you take a boat ride...not the big, mass transit kind but the ones that go across the lake/lagoon near the MK or down the river from POR to DTD. Especially at night...these can be a really nice way to relax and see parts of DW that most will never see. If you are lucky, you'll see some interesting wild life as well.

Know that you will enjoy your trip...no matter what books you read...that's one of the nicest thing about DW...it really is a custom event. Do as little or as much as you want...eat a hot dog or coq au vin....whatever works for you!

 

[soccerchick]

Hi,
Check out your local library for WDW guides. I read every one I could get my hands on and learned something from them all, but probably did get the most out of the Unofficial Guide. Of course, the help I got from my fellow Disers was the BEST

 

[dbail2]

I always recomend the Unofficial Guide to people who have not been to Disney that many times. It has many helpful hints. This board is an excellent source for information I still use it all the time.

 

[Harambe]

I vote for the Passporter. I love it. The guide you have is good, for pictures, etc. and I also have the Birnbaum guide for couples without kids (even though I have kids - gives good advice for more adult stuff).

But the Passporter has the neat pockets to keep everything in, tickets, PS's, an organizer's dream! And it has maps of each resort!

One feature I love about the Passporter is the restaurant times are listed for each eatery!

 

[pennyplanner]

I also like the Passporter. It is very thorough and up to date via the internet site.

It details the rides in a very reader friendly manner and rates them quite fairly in my opinion. It also has romantic and adult oriented suggestions.

While I love reading over the Unofficial Guide, it needs updating more regularly and is quite a wieldly read.

My money is on the Passporter.

--pennyplanner

 

[alyssa810]

We are HUGE fans of Rick Namey's books. We got the first one, Disney Like a Pro about 6 years ago, and then the next edition, Orlando Like Pro, and both have proven and effective tips that we've used over and over! I'm not sure how recent the most recent one is, if there even is a newer one, but we've done really well using these books. They were originally recommended by a friend, and we've passed it to others to borrow as well.
We were also delighted to see all the billboards on the highways with quotes from the book (although he does like Universal better than Disney...).

 

[lentesta]

Hi Pennyplanner,

Updates to the Unofficial Guide can be found here: www.TouringPlans.com/GuideUpdates.html . Please let me know if there's anything we've missed.

Sincerely,

Len Testa

 

[laceemouse]

I have read all of them except the Passporter (will have to check that one out!) I LOVE the Unofficial Guide! It looks thick but is a real easy read. I literally laughed out loud the first time I read it! The readers comments are a real hoot! The only thing I don't like about it is they are very critical of just about every restaraunt on property. I know my family and I are not real picky eaters but I think they really go overboard on the criticism. The worst book I ever read was The Complete Idiot's Guide to WDW! These people hated everything! All they like are thrill rides and I hate them!

 

[donna in Oz]

Hey, Scarlet . . . happy to hear you're still plannin' !! (A good dose of plannin' never hurt anyone, I always say!)

The Unofficial Guide is really a fun read. You can skip over those portions with which you may already be familiar, but it has lots of letters from folks relating their experiences in the parks.

Some letters are an absolute hoot . . . and some just let you see things from a different perspective and possibly, adjust your plans.

I highly recommend this (but I love Birnbaum's for the photos!)

But I'm probably a bad person to ask . . . any guidebook I see which I don't already have becomes a gotta-buy. Can you say obsessive-compulsive??

 

[jaysue]

If I had to buy only one - The Unofficial Guide gets 2 thumbs up from me - yes it has a lot of info, but you can skip the sections that are not relevant. For example, not cruising skip the cruise chapter, not going to stay off-site, skip the offsite section etc.

The information is presented in a fair, balanced and detailed fashion. For example the section on Ecstacy and Agony (writing about taking kids) is very very helpful and informative.

The book is an amazing value and has saved us countless hours of touring and aimless wandering (except when we want to wander around

My second guide book is the Passporter - I like it because it is set like a daytimer so I just take out the sections I do not need for the trip and voila, a thinner book. The Passporter gets in the luggage and comes out in the room but does not go to the parks.

I have read Birnbaum's, Frommer's, WDW with Kids and Dummies all borrowed from the library - in my opinion, they are not worth it.

I do not take the Unofficial Guide on our trips as I do my research prior and.....

I make up a couple of sheets in Word and Excel with our PS, ressies, EMH park days, park hours, parade times etc. and place the sheets in a sheet protector and that is my "reference" guide for the actual trip.


Thanks
jaysue

 

[Bella2000]

I think you would absolutely miss something if you only have read Birnbaums. Yes, the unofficial guide and the Passporter are very different than Birnbaums and even each other. Don't get me wrong I do purchase Birnbaum every year for the pictures . The library is a good bet to check out the different books for their style and tone but most likely the additions there are old ones and won't be as useful for planning and touring. My personal favorites are the Unofficial Guide and Passporter. They are both very unique for different reasons. Do not be intimidated by the size of the unofficial guide. It is just jam packed with so much info. I plan extensively with this one. I am similar to Jaysue in how I use both guides as well. I typically bring my Passporter on the trip and bring my passpockets into the park with me and leave the rest in the room. My unofficial guide is usually at home with highlighting, notes, markers, comments etc from my planning. I think they are updating the little unofficial guide books (minimickey etc) which you may be interested in. You are really making me suffer answering your question on which to chose. I use them both and I always say it's like comparing apples to oranges as they serve different purposes to me and I use them as companion guides BUT if I absolutely have to pick - ....this is difficult...when I give them as gifts to WDW newbies I give both but...back to your question... now that the unofficial guide has updates available online I'd have to pick unofficial guide. The research they provide is invaluable. There are opinions and feedback and they explain how they come up with it all. It doesn't mean I agree with everthing but it's nice to get the good and bad opinions from people using the guide and the authors. I also like the humor in it. The touring plans are unbeatable especially if you haven't been there in a while or not at all. That was hard to say because Passporter is a wonderful book. It publishes later than most of the guide books so most of the info is more current in the book than any of them. The unofficial guide is not touchy feely like Passporter (organizer,journal, keepsake portion). I can't think of a better way to describe the difference. Passporter is gentler I guess, font, tone but the content stands up also it's not just gloss. Birnbaums is without a doubt the "official guide".

 

[dbail2]

From the Unofficial Guide which are the best days in the summer to go to Epcot?? And the Water Parks??

 

[DrTomorrow]

Hey, ScarletIndigo!

I believe that Birnbaum and the Unofficial are two halves of a whole. Birnbaum has the color, the giddy prose and Disney Magic that can get you really geeked about your trip. Unofficial is more like a reference, but humorously written; If you want to know how early to get somewhere, where to stand for SpectroMagic or which rides will make you hurl, this is the book.

I've heard many good things about Passporter, but DW already has a Franklin Planner.

There is one other book I'm going to get from the library - Walt Disney World for couples: with or without kids, 2002-2003 by Rick Perlmutter. It is supposed to be good for those of us looking for romantical stuff to do , but I don't think you'd need to bring it with you to WDW like the Unofficial.

Take care,
Erick

 

[kmgl78]

Don't forget when reading the Unofficial Guide, or any other guidebook that has opinions and comments, that you may not agree. You may love a ride or attraction that another person does not or vice versa. So with that in mind, don't automatically rule out something just because you see a bad comment. You might love it. All the guidebooks are great, but I like Birnbaums because you can read about what is available and decide what you might like without being influenced by opinions that might not match yours anyway.

Have Fun!!

 

[ScarletIndigo]

Wow, you all are fantastic! I absolutely love the fact that you can ask a question here at the DIS boards and get many different answers, but everyone geniunely wants to be helpful to everyone else. DIS Magic really IS some amazing stuff!

Based on all of the good reports, I think I'll be picking up both the Unofficial Guide and the Passporter once I finish the Birnbaum's Official Guide. The pictures and tips have been great, but I agree -- let's get past the gloss and onto the REALLY good stuff! It just goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover ... I thought the Unofficial Guide looked too long and uninteresting, and the Passporter looked too much like the Birnbaum's -- but appearances can be deceiving!

Thanks for the great tips, everyone! Pixie dust for all of you!

 

[chipscinderelly]

I have read and own almost all of the books everyone else mentioned. The Perlmutter's wrote the Disney for Couple's book and I love it, especially if you are going without children this trip. Some of the information is not as up to date as the others as it was published for 2003 - 2003, however I have found it very valuable.