Unofficial Guide or Passporter

[Sunshine56]

Which do you prefer or recommend and why?

 

[ppony]

Honestly I get both each time we go. I also get the offical one too. Why? Because I'm WDW obsessed! And it's just fun planing. If I could choose only one though? I woudl choose the unoffical guide by Shelinger. Becuase it has SO much crammed into it. Just about anything you'd want to know I think you woudl find in there. I have been bringing mine with me everywhere I go when my son will be playing and I just have to sit there and I bring a highlighter and go to town. I haven't made much of a dent in the book yet it feels. Good thing I have time! Passporter is fun and useful but not as informational as the unoffical guide I think. BUT I still recommend both!

 

[metivier]

Both.

I get Passporter for the trip planning (to make notes of "must dos", ADRs, etc.), the pockets, and the maps -- I clip the maps onto our stroller when we go to the parks.

I get the Unofficial Guide because it has EVERYTHING in there.

 

[Meezers]

I have both from 2005 and will not need them after this next trip....wonder how much postage would cost if ur interested?

 

[Kristina]

The Passporter maps are the best anywhere, really nice! However I ordered the Deluxe version last year and never really used it as it it was way to small for me. Plus the info I've collected over the years from the Unofficial Guide and this site left me I felt far wiser than the info I got with my Passporter. However, it's a very popular book and loved by many ! Perhaps you shouldn't listen to me since I copy and paste so much that I ended up taking one slim yet full size 3 ring binder with me on our trip plus many soft floppy folders with all sorts of information, including our very detailed itinerary!

Then, other than our itinerary, which I had pretty much memorized anyway, I never looked at anything once we were there! And we had a blast too, haha !

 

[Meezers]

I should have said that I have the deluxe Passporter....the binder was too small for me....so I got one of the storage binders from Franklin-Covey...it has about 3 inch rings. It is cardboard so wouldn't be good to carry around but I have ALOT of stuff in it...

 

[Micca]

I've only ever glanced at the Passporter, but I love the UG. It's just fun to read.

 

[MAGGIED]

I am a big fan of the passporter - as like many of you.. I am an obsessive planner - yes it is true... and the passporter has so many wonderful places for me to fill things in - pockets to put copies of menus, places to list our ressie #'s - I get so excited just thinking of all the planning........I am also rying TGM for the first time this year... can't be too prepared I tell my family........

 

[lovethattink]

I prefer UG. I live close to WDW and still get it every year.

 

[goofy4tink]

Both! I love to just sit and read the UG. It has so much info in it, and it does give a pretty unbiased veiw of WDW.....so unbiased that my dh wondered why Disney didn't put a contract out on the UoG writers (watch out Len!!). But, I love using my Passporter as both a planner and a trip diary. I have 3 or 4 of them from past trips. At the end of each day, I sit on my bed at my resort and jot down those special memories in the spaces. I find that I tend to either forget a lot or get the trips confused in my mind. So, each trip gets a new Passporter....I'm sure Dave and Jennifer are happy to hear that. And I actually got Dave Marx to sign an older copy for me last Dec. My dd is thrilled with it.
And to add insult to injury here....I also get my dd the Birnbaum's WDW for Kids book each time so she can have her own planning book.
I have quite a library now.

 

[ChristyJ]

I agree with BOTH!!

 

[we3disneygo]

i have all 3 books too!!! I take the passporter on the trip and read, highlight, the other two books and they stay at home. I also get dd the kids offical guide--she reads it from cover to cover......and tells us stuff..... hope this helps.....happy planning......

 

[joanchris]

I've not read the UG, however did have the Passporter for our trip in Oct and LOVED IT! If for nothing else, get it for the maps! I did not have the binder edition, but ripped out the maps of each park to take to the park every day, they were much clearer than the ones Disney gives out--kept it in my pocket and could find things on it instantly! I might add that I also used this site and Tour Guide Mike, I felt I was very well prepared for our trip.

 

[salmoneous]

Which do I recommend? I highly recommend people hang out at the local library or bookstore and take a look at *all* the various guide books. Then buy the one (or 2 or 3) that best matches your style. People are different and like different things. Which bring us to...

Which do I prefer? The Passporter. It's not just that I like the Passporter for all good information, nice maps and planning functions. Or the ease of removing unnecessary pages from the non-spiral PP for easy take along. My main reason for preferring the PP is that the UG annoys me. I have issues with a book that

A) Presents the goal of WDW vacations to be getting on as many rides as possible. Everything else comes far down the list. When a book talks about a child wanting to see Mickey Mouse as an obstacle to overcome, it's lost me as a fan.

B) Leaves people with the impression that they must do what the book says or they won't have a good trip. People get so intimidated they come on this board and ask questions like, "my DS has always dreamed of spending his birthday at the MK, but his birthday falls on a Monday, and the UG says not to go to the MK on Mondays. What should I do?"

C) doesn't differentiate between the subjects it knows extremely well, and those it knows less about. Everything in the book is covered in the same, "we know exactly what we are talking about" style. Hmm, I not sure how to explain this exactly. Let me try an example.

The UG talks a lot about transportation problems getting to HDDMR. Then says MBBBQ doesn't have these problems. Huh? - they are right next to each other. Anyway, my problem isn't that I think the information is less than perfect. That's the nature of guide-book writing. What bugs me is the writing style, which presents everything as settled fact. (As perhaps a better example, read the long explanation in the UG on why their touring plans are mathematically near-perfect. Then read up on this board the experiences of many people who find that some things are actually better done differently).

But, hey, that's me. You may love the book. Check it out for yourself.

 

[vatmark]

The passporter is worth it for the maps alone. I didn't really find the info. in it that useful because I was using Tourguidemike but I loved the little pockets and cards to fill out itinerary and ressie conf. #'s. The maps were great because they had all the attractions labled right on the map instead of those annoying number keys to deal with. They were also a good size to carry around.

I used Tourguidemike, this site and the passporter and had a great trip.

Annie

 

[Brianne]

Amazon was doing a discounted "package" if you buy both--it's not much less, but it convinced me enough to get both.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587710277/104-3437754-2623907?_encoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155


Buy this book with The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, 2006 by Bob Sehlinger today!
PassPorter Walt Disney World 2006 : The unique travel guide, planner, organizer, and keepsake! (Passporter Walt Disney World Resort) The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, 2006
Total List Price: $40.94
Buy Together Today: $27.84

 

[dpuck1998]

I prefer passporter

 

[Mariposa]

I love both but prefer Passporter- if I have to choose.

 

[kimmikayb]

Which do you prefer or recommend and why?

Well, I'd say I might be a little crazy but not only do I have both the pass porter and UG, I have the official and Fodders. Each has lots of positives. If I had to pick two, it would be UG and pass porter. UG is FULL of information and it has a sense of humor. The Pass Porter has good info but is a great vacation planner with great maps and places to journal the trip. Right up my alley. I think the two compliment each other.

 

[karen l]

I also buy the deluxe passporter, UG & birnbaum. I love the passporter for the color maps, the pockets at the back & the ability to write in ADRs etc.
If I could only have one, I'd probably stick with the passporter but as others
have stated, it's really personal preference. Today, I picked up the trivia book & will start reading it tonight. Nothing like a Disney fix!!!!