Planning book recommendations for adult visitors with no internet devices

[studiojmm]

What would you recommend for books I can buy for two family members who will be coming with me for their first visit ever at the beginning of 2024? They have no internet-capable devices and I don't 'know if they have access to a DVD player, so resources must be paper/books.

This trip is actually my in-laws idea and I'm pretty sure it's based on commercials on cable television and knowing that my daughter and I are regular visitors at Disney and whatever they've gleaned from us over the years, so their information is quite limited.

They don't need books that emphasize line strategies, hacks, or hotel stuff. I've visited many, many times and will handle all the logistics. The first time I took my daughter (then 9, now 16), I read the Unofficial Guide (Tourning Plans) and bought my daughter a kids Birnbaum guide. Thinking maybe adult Birnbaum.

What I want them to do is learn about the attractions and develop must-do and would-like to-do lists, so I can plan our week (roughly, I'm also happy to go with the flow, but I'm a plan-to-the-teeth-then-feel-free-to-ditch-the-plan kind of traveler. When I took my parents on their first and only visit in Dec 2019, my mom LOVED Behind the Seeds at Epcot and wanted to know afterward if there were any other guided tours we could do. There was an available Marsaline to Main Street but it involved switching our park plans and losing all our fastpasses and dining reservations for the next two days. We still did everything that was really important to everyone and had a blast).

Suggestions?

 

[midwestdee]

The Unofficial Guide is still your best bet. You’d have to check if Birnbaum is still doing print editions. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around somebody not having internet devices ( and I’m a senior). You may end up putting together your own
“travel guide” printing out important info from various sources. Good luck.

 

[Her Dotness]

I agree that Unofficial is still a pretty decent basic intro to Disney.

Also "vintage" myself and cannot imagine being without my iPad and smartphone. They're essential anymore.

Well, I can brag because I got onto AOL back in 1995 and met my DH in one of its chatrooms. These 20-odd years later, we and all our devices and cables go to WDW annually.

I agree that assembling your own WDW guide for them will be best if you've the time. You know what's likely to interest them most. If you live near enough to them, getting together for a what's-available session with you pulling up attractions to show them could, of course, save much time and might entice them to become Netters.

 

[Scalemaster34]

Unofficial Guide does still have printed editions... be fine for getting an idea on what the attractions are. But things change so fast that most these guides just can't keep up with how things "work".

 

[disneyseniors]

The Unofficial Guide is still your best bet. You’d have to check if Birnbaum is still doing print editions. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around somebody not having internet devices ( and I’m a senior). You may end up putting together your own
“travel guide” printing out important info from various sources. Good luck.

I agree with the Unofficial Guide. I bought a new one every year because I loved reading about WDW and dreaming of our trip, even though not much changed from year to year, LOL.

 

[Best Aunt]

Based on this:

They don't need books that emphasize line strategies, hacks, or hotel stuff.

What I want them to do is learn about the attractions and develop must-do and would-like to-do lists

I would get Birnbaum's Walt Disney World: The Official Guide (384 pages).

I think the Unofficial Guide is the better book for the person who will be doing the planning. But since you just want to get them familiar with the attractions, I would go the Birnbaum route. I think the Unofficial Guide (786 pages) might be overwhelming, and most of it is not geared toward what you want.

 

[Scalemaster34]

Passporter was my go to, back in the days of books and keeping track of all the plans on paper. But my last was around 2015.... doesn't look like they have done a new one since 2018, and the site looks like it's been taken over.

 

[Her Dotness]

Passporter was my go to, back in the days of books and keeping track of all the plans on paper. But my last was around 2015.... doesn't look like they have done a new one since 2018, and the site looks like it's been taken over.

PassPorter was a favorite of mine until the site's and guide-workbook's compiler-publishers were forced to shut down both several years ago.

There's nothing like it anymore that I'm aware of, sadly.

DISboards offers some great advice, but the PassPorter guides to resorts, attractions--really, to everything involved in a Disney stay--were so clearly and beautifully organized with accompanying worksheets, they made Disney trip planning almost a walk in the park.

Miss you guys lots, Jennifer and Dave Marx.

 

[beccasmom]

The Unofficial Guide is excellent and available in both book and e-book formats. The paperback book is pretty large though. Both are usually available in August for the following year’s edition.

Birnbaum’s is pretty good also. I believe it is still being published (available around October for the following year, I think) and was offered as an e-book at one time as well.