Unofficial Guide vs. Birnbaum's

[Micca]

I would think just about any valuable info in the Birnbaum book would be on the official Disney site.

 

[Jamie77]

Birnbaum's is more fun to look at.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I don't like Birnbaum's. It leaves out certain attractions and doesn't go into detail about anything! I would honestly spring for the Unnoficial Guide and the Passporter. Combined, that is a great duo of books!

 

[poohraedopey]

I have both guides for WDW and have only read Birnbaums because the Unofficial guide looks so dry" to read. I will get to it eventually though!

 

[KimDis]

I'm going to chime in and say get both if you can. I was a long time fan of the official guide with its color and ease of use, but the touring plans in the unofficial were priceless to me during my trip last week. Now I own both.

 

[Ub_Iwerks]

Definitely the Unofficial Guide. Birnbaums is just a big fat vacation brochure.

 

[Lesley]

I will also recommend both....but its likely that you can get a copy of Birnbaum's at the library. Any copy from the last year or two should be fine and you can fill in any extra info from the WDW website.

The Unofficial Guide was of great help to me a long time ago.....but after buying a newer version 5 years after the first time I bought it I haven't purchased another...they weren't significantly different. That said, I think this is a book where you're best off getting the newest version if you're a first timer.

I recently subscribed to Tour Guide Mike also....and if you're an online sort of person its a reasonable option. But if you'd really prefer to have a book to carry around....get Unofficial.

 

[Jalva22]

I just scanned the other people's comments and didn't see these things to consider. Sorry if they are repeats.

1. If you are going to try to get them from the library, get your request in now. Our libraries have a mile long list of people waiting for the Disney books.

2. Do you like to read? The Unofficial guide is huge. The Birnbaum's is probably an easier read for a non-reader type.

3. Birnbaum's has some good coupons in the back, you might want to check them out to see if they will benefit you. They may justify the cost of your purchase.

4. The later it gets in the year, these books will be going on sale if they aren't already.

We are planning a multi-families vacation in October. First trip to WDW for many and first one in a long time for the rest of us. I actually read an outdated Unofficial guide and then purchased the current Unofficial and the current Birnbaum's (yes, I like to read). I enjoyed both of these books because they provided a well-rounded description.

Point 2 is the best piece of advice I've seen in this thread. Birnbaum's is just a quick little overview IMO. It gives you plenty of Disney "feel" and some pictures. But not a lot of substance. If you want something that will just whet your appetite for Disney, it's a good book. If you really want sound descriptions and ride information, the UG is far, far superior. But, it is huge.

I collect Birnbaum's Disney guides because of the "feel" they give you, but I don't use them for trip planning. I prefer the UG, but I also like to read. I've also never understood the criticism that it's overly negative. My experience was that the UG is generally right on the money. My only caution with it is that it is very strong on touring plans. These are valuable, but don't get drawn into them to the point that you don't stop and smell the roses along the way.

Passporter would be a good middle ground. I've never tried TGM, but I can tell you I've gotten the best advice and most information from the Disboards and from allearsnet.com . They are better than any guidebook I've seen.

 

[ZoZo]

I'm a librarian so I checked out every book my library system had on WDW! I liked the Unofficial Guide the best. The UG is very through, well-researched, detailed, objective, and even a bit humorous. The author is very honest, which some people take as being critical of Disney. I did not feel this way; rather, I felt like he was just being realistic. The UG also incorporates reader's opinions so you know you're getting varied viewpoints. I like the suggested touring plans the UG offers. This is a very good book for a person who likes to plan in-depth.

Birnbaum's guide was nice but I found it to lack objectivity and I suspect this is due to it being the "official" Disney sanctioned guide. I did like Birnbaum's for attraction descriptions and it does have pictures. This is a good book for a person who wants a general overview and doesn't need to plan every second of his or her trip.

I agree with the previous poster who said that each book makes up for what the other lacks. However, if I had to purchase just one, it would be the UG. Birnbaum's is a nice supplement to the UG. Birnbaum also has a nice dining guide, but I think it is only for WDW. Dining info is covered very well in the UG. Again, I used the Birnbaum dining guide as a supplement.

My suggestion: go to the library and check out both books before you decide to purchase one (or both). If your library does not have either book in circulation, they would probably be willing to purchase it for their collection.

Good luck and hope that helps!

Well said! I totally agree - UG is the best! Birnbaum's is nice, but doesn't provide opinions/ratings on things. Whether you agree with all of the UG opinions or not, it's valuable info!

 

[denimore]

Unofficial...

1st time we went I didn't feel that we really understood the lay of the land based on Birnbaum's. Next 2 trips we got the Unofficial Guide. Absolutely saved us time and felt that we were able to get in all that we wanted to do.

Last trip was on the meal plan and definately helped in deciding with our choices. I can't recall be disappointed with any of them.

In August just me and DH and couldn't resist buying the couples version...a lot of repeated info but enough new stuff so that I feel it is of value (biased opinion). We need to learn not to be Commando and be Slugs as the book puts it...

We get all the other ones from the library...and always send away for the Disney Planning DVD. The DVD (and old VHS's) are fun to watch in between vacations.

Personally I feel that you enjoy Disney World so much more going with an understanding of how much there is to do and knowing what is a reasonable expectation for your family. The Unofficial guides helps you do that with it's different planning/touring guides geared to Family's with Small Children...Older Children...and Couples (aka Slugs) as we are going to find out. (lucky us!)

 

[PrincessJasmine5]

I went to Barnes and Noble today & I think I'm going to buy the Unofficial Disneyland guide. I was very surprised at how small the Disneyland guide was compared to the Disney World guide. Thanks for all your help!

 

[va32h]

I found the UG to Disneyland extremely disappointing, so much so that I wrote to the authors to express my feelings.

For Disneyland (which is what I believe the OP was asking about), the UG offers a brief description of the three onsite hotels only - no reviews of offisite hotels, no explanation of the Good Neighbor program, no reviews of the TS restaurants (there aren't many in DL, but they are there!).

The DL guide does not seem to have been written specifically for DL - just regurgitates the principles and descriptions that could also apply to the parks in WDW, with a few words about the attractions and shows that are different.

And it left out a couple of important things namely - you don't have to pay extra to park hop at DLR, and park hopping is incredibly easy, as DL and DCA are literally yards apart!

The guide seems to treat DLR as WDW's ugly stepsister - and it deserves better.

 

[deekaypee]

I found the UG to Disneyland extremely disappointing, so much so that I wrote to the authors to express my feelings. [...]

The guide seems to treat DLR as WDW's ugly stepsister - and it deserves better.

I agree. I bought the 2006 UG for Disneyland, based on my satisfaction with the UG for WDW. I was disappointed and thought it needed to be better edited. For one, my book had no reader questionnaire included. Second, there were errors with their off-site hotel map. (Interestingly, there are even more errors for the OG's off-site hotel map! Does no one proof these images?)

That said, I think the general information the UG gives for the DLR attractions is more useful than the OG. In general, though, I'm depending much more on DIS and other boards to make my touring plans!