What is the best disney tip book to get??

[Sumac]

I love my Passporter. I just purchased the 2004 deluxe refill and have been having fun reading it!

 

[vhoffman]

IMHO, Unofficial Guide is information overload. A lot of it is opinion rather than facts, and the opinions are, of course, biased. For example, the UG tends to go on and on about the various WDW hotels, which rooms have the best views, which are in an inconvient location, etc. Well, you really can't choose your exact room, so I consider that information to be almost useless. Our first trip we stayed at the Polynesian and loved it. After returning, I bought a copy of the UG. Much to my surprise, it listed our room as undesirable because it faced the monorail. Well, we considered that a bonus. The monorail glided past our balcony close enough for my kids to wave to it and oftentimes people would wave back. However, it was very quiet. At most, if we had our balcony open, it sounded like an air conditioner humm. And the monorail shuts down at night (I believe midnight). If I had read the UG first, I would have been upset to find we were assigned an "undesirable" room. I find their advice to be more opinions and can confuse one, especially if you're a first-timer. I really like Birnbaum's guide better. It's more fact than opinion.

 

[jjsmom]

I've purchased them all at one time or another...
Passporter gets my vote

 

[insmom]

I am looking to get one of these books and I am leaning toward the Passporter, just because I like to be organized and have all my ducks in a row . Does the passporter give you info on all things Disney? Resorts, resteraunts, and parks? If so that is the one I would be looking for.

 

[robertsmom]

I love The Unofficial Guide! Great tips to make the most out of your vacation

 

[mouseRD]

INSMOM - Yes, Passporter includes all of those things & more! I checked it out at Books A Million & decided it was just what we needed.

 

[insmom]

Thanks MouseRN,

I actually saw it at a book store last week and picked it up and then put it down because I wanted to check here first and see if this is what I wanted I am soooo hooked on this site. It seems that I check here first before I do anything just to be sure that I am doing or buying the right thing. Thanks everyone

 

[vhoffman]

Guide books in general should be taken with a grain of salt. Oftentimes their information such as phone numbers, prices, hours, are inaccurate. I've found usually AAA guide books have the most up-to-date information. I usually take one along regardless of whatever else I take. I've been mislead by guidebooks many times over the years. Sometimes they give advice that is just plain silly. I'm not talking about WDW in particular but other destinations as well. For example, we recently made a trip to Hawaii--our first, and, of course, I read everything I could get my hands on before the trip. However, do use your common sense as to how much of the advice you take. I read in one Hawaii guide book that people don't wear shoes on the islands, everyone just wears flip flops, or "slippahs" and that's what you should do if you want to fit in. Baloney! Most of the people I saw were wearing some sort of shoe, some had "slippahs", but relatively few. Even if this was true, you wear what is most comfortable for you, not what's "in". Another guide book I read said that women in Mexico do not wear nylon stockings in the summer, so don't bother to bring any. Well, even if that was true (which it isn't) nylon stockings don't take up any room or space. They're also quite expensive to buy in hotel shops. Who wants to spend half their vacatioin buying stuff they could have jest as easily packed? Another guide book I read about Las Vegas tried to steer the visitor away from the Strip to quieter, less busy hotels without casinos where you could "get away from it all". Well, if you're looking for peace and quiet you wouldn't be in Las Vegas to begin with. These are all examples of the guide book author's bias and opinions, not facts. My advice--read all you can, utilize boards such as these, then take just one guide book with you and your own common sense. After all, its your vacation, not the guide book's!

 

[swilphil]

The Mini-Mickey. The Unofficial Guides "condensed version." It's small enough to fit in a fanny pack. I still get the current UG from the library. It really IS the Disney Bible with the Gospel according to Bob and Len.

 

[KermiesPal]

We LOVE our Passporter. When we went last year, our Passporter went into the parks with us. Gave us better maps than what the gate did.

When we decided to go again this year (for our honeymoon!), we picked a new one up so we could start planning!

 

[insmom]

I think that is the one(passporter) that I will be buying here pretty soon. Need to start getting used to where everything is in the parks and more info to learn about.

 

[fanofmickey]

I have used Birnbaum's in the past, but have heard so much about the Passporter that I believe it will be my next guidebook. I like to thoroughly obsess (I mean, research) for each trip!

 

[insmom]

Fanofmickey-I hear ya. I do the same thing. My family keeps telling me I have a long way before we go in December. I say just more time to check this board and obsess some more about details

 

[The Sweetness]

Going into Barnes and Noble ( or other nice book shop) regularly, buying a nice creamy coffee drink, picking up a couple of guides and giving them a thorough test drive, before I buy one? This gives me at least 2 hours of me-time therapy, at least once a month

 

[WDWmaniac125]

My personal favorite is Unofficial Guide. At times it might be a little harsh, but I still love it!!

 

[mamamia]

I have the Birnbaum books from 2000, 2002 & 2003 (don't ask why!! LOL). I also have the Unofficial Guide, Disney World with Kids, The Passporter and the mini Unofficial Guide, Birnbaum for Kids, and a Universal Orlando book. All of these books are either from 2002 or 2003. I really like all of the above books too.

We are going back to the World in September and I felt the need to get yet another guide book. Again, I don't know why I need them. I can read all the books that I have with my eyes closed and I get such great up-to-date information here on the disboards.

So today when I was at Border's I looked at a few. I didn't want to get any of the ones that already had because most of the information is the same. I did, however, find a book that is a nice addition to the ones I have.

Its in the Econoguide series; its titled "Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando 2004" and its by Corey Sandler. It includes information on Disney, Universal, Sea World, Busch Gardens and all of the smaller attractions in the area. It lists the "Share a Dream Come True Parade", but not Spectromagic. It gives a nice description on all the attractions and restaurants. Its not a bad book. The only thing I don't like is that there's a little paragraph telling you about a few "unofficial" ways of buying your park tickets, such as suggesting that you buy your tickets froma side-of-the-road ticket broker; they do tell you to stick with the 1 or 2 day tickets from them.

 

[Amirah95]

Birnbaum's as a reference, the Unofficial for the funny reviews and the Passporter as a keepsake. But I give Birnbaum's two thumbs up!

 

[katiemegcz]

We by a new Passporter every year, and now for the Disney Cruise line as well. Itg wins hands-down for us. Another great buy is the UG.

 

[toystoryduo]

Like some of the others, I try to read as many WDW guide books as I can. I like Birnbaum's for the colorful pictures. I like the UG for all of the information. I also like the Econoguide to WDW/US 2004. It's got some great information in it as well.

 

[Clotho]

What do we need these books for at all, what with AllEars, MousePlanet and many other great resources, as well as these discussion forums, giving us above and beyond the information we might need. What can the books provide that we can't find for free (and searchable) online?