I need a book reccommendation please.

[mommylibrarian]

I use both the Unofficial Guide and Passporter. The touring plans in the UG are awesome and save LOADS of time... the planner pages in Passporter are great. Plus I really like to read both Bob and Len's reviews next to Jennifer and Daves. Gives me a better overall feel for the restaurant or resort.

If you can only buy one, buy the Passporter and check out the Unofficial Guide from the library. You definitely want to write in your Passporter, and for that reason, your library probably doesn't own it anyway.

 

[allie1078]

I bought both the unofficial guide to wdw and passporter. I have read both and seam to keep going back to passporter. Passporter will probably go with us on the trip.

 

[auntie]

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is my 1st choice.

I think this is the best book also...as they actual give opinions. The "Official" Guide, is pretty generic and everything is great..NOT. With the UnOfficial Guide, there is a host of information and opinions..but you still need to figure out what's right for YOUR family and then apply the tips and info you've read about.

_____

 

[drnlhome]

I love the unofficial guide as well. We used it for the first time last year during Easter week. Worked great!! We were able to get all of the rides in that we wanted using fastpasses and standing in some lines (less than 20 minutes). Worked like a charm. We are using it again this year. My DH saw my plans last year and said it looked a little anal. I told him to give it 2 days and by then he was hooked!!!

Have a great time!

 

[mousebymarriage]

The Walt Disney World Birnbaum Book and the Unofficial Guide are books that we buy every year and my DH reads them cover to cover, over and over again. You may also want to consider the Unofficial Guide with Kids which is great too. I also buy the Walt Disney World Birnbaum Book For Kids By Kids, my DD11 and DS6 love to read it. Even though your kids may not be able to read the book it will give you a view of Disney from a child's perspective, like if a ride is dark, scary, loud, if you get wet, if it goes backward and just an overall opinion of what kids think of the rides.

 

[momto2greatgirls]

I LOVE the passporter, just bought my 2nd one since it's been almost 3 yrs since we last went (and gave my old passporter to a friend). We also bought The Complete Walt Disney World 2008 (tried to link but apparantly not enough posts...it's on amazon)
DH likes that one more, it's nice, lots of pictures, history etc. I prefer the passporter.

 

[ellenmiele]

I bought both the unofficial guide to wdw and passporter. I have read both and seam to keep going back to passporter. Passporter will probably go with us on the trip.

DITTO - I also have both but the Passporter always comes along on our trips!

 

[Donald Duck Dad]

I vote the Unoffical Guide combined with Tour Guide Mike.

Our first trip we used the Guide and it saved us a lot of
waits. Second trip we used both and really cut down waits
and crowds. Our first trip in 06 DD was only 6 and she had
to meet every charcater possible, and STITCH 4 times.

We also go to Star Wars @ MGM and both have been a great help.

 

[Doogan]

In addition to the UG or TGM or Passporter type guides, I really like Walt Disney World with Kids by Kim Wright Wiley. She doesn't have detailed planning information about when to go where, but she does have a lot of really useful information such as "scare factor" of rides and "kid friendliness" of restaurants, etc. She provides a lot useful tips like where good places to eat CS meals are, etc. I've found her tips to be worth the money for the book. I also enjoy her writing style. It's a good addition to the planning guides mentioned above.

 

[Gillian]

I really like the Passporter as well. If you are going to be researching online, your DH doesn't need an in depth book like the unofficial guide. I used to read the Unofficial guide cover to cover every year (since 1988!) but lately find it's just too much.

The Passporter is very user friendly.

 

[Aliceacc]

Here's the unofficial guide: http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Gu...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203438563&sr=1-1

It's way too much info, but pretty much whatever you need is in there somewhere!

 

[Minniemouse07]

I have the following in the order that I like/recommend them:

Passporter
Unofficial Guide
Imagineering Guides (MK, Epcot, AK)
The Complete Walt Disney World

As for books FOR kids (not for kid planning):
The Guide to the Magic for Kids

Have and do NOT recommend in any way shape or form:
Birnbaum's WDW for Kids, by Kids

If I had to buy only one... Passporter, hands down

 

[irene_dsc]

Well, I started at the library, with the big UG and Birnbaums, shortly before I found the DIS. I ended up using both of them, together, to try and get ideas and strategies for beginning my planning. UG was a bit overwhelming at first, so I went back to Birnbaums to get ideas of what we might want to do, then double-checked them against the UG and the DIS, and that worked out pretty well. To actually bring with us on the trip, I bought UG with Kids, which I didn't like as much, but it had the essential (to me) part of explaining each attraction as far as scariness, etc. Plus, it is only about 1/3 the size! The Passporter didn't seem to match my personal organizational style, esp. since I had most of my planning done by the time I got to the bookstore!

 

[lntsmom]

Passporters website. They work with the Unofficial Guide folks to offer both.

That said, I'm a fan of the Unofficial Guide. There is no such thing as too much information, lol! I try to buy the Guide as soon as I know we're going. This time I'll have had 7 months to go through it prior to our trip.

I'm not sure about the "ugly" comment...I go by the whole "never judge a book by it's cover" credo. It is big...and that's a good thing if you're looking for lots of info. Once you buy it you can go online and access their online resources...such as a day-by-day prediction of crowd levels, vacation schedules for major school districts along the coast, etc. Things you can't find anywhere else. With the book, those things are free. Without the book you have to pay to join.

I'd also add: steer clear of Kim Wiley's books if you want objective information. She works for Disney. If you want a cheerleader , get a copy of her book WDW with Kids. I bought it for my 12 year old to read. It gives a less honest rating of rides...and since my son is a worrier, I didn't want him reading all the horror stories in the Unofficial Guide, !

 

[lindsmom]

Cause it was HUGE, and ugly, and WAY too granular. It also had way more stuff than I really needed. It's about as easy to read as the Bible.

I REALLY enjoy the Unofficial Guide; it IS really huge, but keep in mind that you only need to read what applies to you. For example, we're staying off property and already had our room booked. Two chapters I skipped right there. Skimmed the restaurants, but found the info on this site MUCH more helpful. Another chapter down. You probably won't need all the discussions on "special groups" like newlyweds AND families with young children AND families with teens AND families with special needs AND senior citizens. (And let me tell you, if you need all those sections at the same time, then GOD BLESS YOU! )

As long as you don't look at UG (unofficial guide) as a cover to cover read, then you won't be intimidated by it. The book police aren't going to come and get you for skipping a section, and I also found the "voice" was nice to read - very easy going, entertaining.

I don't think everybody who reads the bible starts at Genesis and reads all the way to Revelation. Most read sections in regard to what's going on in their lives right at the moment.

JMO, of course

 

[karajeboo]

Unofficial Guide and Disboards! Keep the Unofficial Guide in the bathroom and DH will end up reading it cover to cover like mine did! What???? Like y'all weren't thinking the same thing!!!!

 

[angiepangie8]

I love Tour Guide MIke!

I received the BirnBaum Guide for Xmas, and do like it and will take it with me to WDW however, I've gotten more info from TGM (i just wish the membership didn't end with your trip date, i feel that it should at least last a year!)


Right now I am debating whether or not to get Guide to the Magic for Kids

 

[mom_of_3_70737]

I personally like the Birnbaums WDW 2008. It has lots of info on parks, hotel accommodations and restaurant, ect. The color photos are great too! Easy to read and is wonderful to use as a reference. Just my opinion though