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96 of 103 found the following review helpful:
A Must for First Time Visitors to Disney World! Aug 18, 2006
By Janet Boyer
"Author, Blogger, Mystic"
My family and I just returned from our first trip to Disney World. (It was as blast!) Because it was our first time and we were essentially clueless to the Disney experience, we bought several guides.
The Unofficial Guide by Bob Sehlinger is the one book that I kept returning to over and over again. It's full of such detailed information that even the clueless will be prepared to visit Disney World. However, *because* this book provides an incredible amount of information (such as how to increase your chances for getting into the Hot Seat for MGM's Millionaire game), it could be almost overwhelming for first time visitors to Disney World. (I often got headaches trying to absorb everything!)
In this book, you'll find a Crowd-Level Calendar, Park Traffic Patterns, Clip-Out Touring Plans, and much, much more. This book is updated yearly, so the 2006 version had information on Mickey's PhilharMagic, Expedition Everest, Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt Show, and so on.
Reader feedback is peppered throughout the book, as is the critical and often snarky comments by the author. He provides fascinating "behind the scenes" facts, too. For example, the Imagineers of Mickey's PhilharMagic thought they were being clever when they released Jasmine's deodorant scent when she flies by on the carpet. However, many people were allergic to the scent (the show was often disrupted by sneezing!) so they pulled it from the show. Another amusing behind the scenes: Disney cast members sometimes mess with the Hall of Presidents to reflect current events (e.g., during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, the Prez had a condom sticking out of his jacket pocket.)
As you can see, the author can be irreverent.
Each attraction gets a thorough overview, as do the restaurants and hotels. For example, a phone number to each restaurant is provided, as is an evaluation of friendliness, service, wine slection, description of setting and atmosphere, menu samples/house specialities, hours of operation, and more. Although a few of the evaluations didn't jive with my experience (for example, the author raves about the Muppet 3D pre-show and movie whereas I thought it was suprisingly boring), there's enough information provided to at least get an idea if a restaurant or attraction would likely appeal. In fact, their star-system rating according to age (grade school vs. young adults vs. those over 30 etc.) is invaluable--and mostly correlated with my experience with the attractions.
I found myself returing to the Unofficial Guide over and over again. In fact, it's the only guide I took WITH me to Disney World! Although I sometimes felt overwhelmed at all the information (it's hard for a newbie to take in all that Disney World offers, especially sight-unseen), I felt PREPARED due in large part to this book.
The author is THOROUGH on his updates--including which attractions have been discontinued and the new ones to be introduced--so I know that the 2007 guide will be just as awesome as the 2006 version! (By the way, that's a picture of Expedition Everest on the 2007 cover--the new rollercoaster in Animal Kingdom that debuted in April of 2006. Here's a tip for ya: it's not HALF as scary--or fun--as people have said. I enjoyed Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom much more! The wait in the heat wasn't worth it for the Expedition ride, IMO, but we did get a pretty funny picture of the family when the Yeti makes an appearance!)
Another great book you may want to get--and, unlike the Unofficial Guide, it has hundreds of color photographs--is the The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World which was just published in April of 2007. A second edition of that book will be published at the end of 2007.
22 of 22 found the following review helpful:
Don't Leave Home Without It!! Apr 14, 2007
By Rocco B. Rubino
"Rocco R."
My wife and I have been to WDW a total of 6 times in our lifetimes. When we decided to take our children back in December 2001, my wife bought the 2001 edition of this book. At the time I thought it was a little silly, since, as I mentioned, we had both been to the properties so many times previous. But as I was soon to learn, this book was to prove an invaluable guide to planning the perfect trip.
My philosophy regarding the purchase and digestion of this book is very simple; you have a finite number of dollars to spend, a finite level of energy, and only so much time to spend on this, the most fantastic of vacation experiences. You owe it to yourself to invest some time preparing for the trip. This guide helps you learn about the WDW experience in an unbiased, unsentimental, practical way. The authors share the good, the bad, and the ugly--all for the purpose of empowering the reader/consumer to maximize their entertainment dollars and time spent in at the Disney resort.
Some WDW Kool-Aid drinkers may be a bit put-off by the brutal honesty of the authors. I, for one, was not. I appreciate their candor, their thouroughness, and honesty in assessing/reporting about all things Disney. You have to keep in mind that when you undertake to go on a vacation of this magnitude, you are in for the ride of your life, financially speaking. The price of the park tickets, for example, has increased 100% since 1989. The food at the fine restaurants in the park is incredibly expensive, and the souveniers...I don't want to get into how I feel about a corporation that ensures that the exits for the most popular rides are positioned right at the gift shop!
Still, it is an exciting and fun place to take the family. So if you are planning your first trip, or you are returning, do yourself a favor and get some smarts before you go. When we return to Disney within the next 2-3 years, we will purchase this book again and plan accordingly. It is the only way to ensure you are getting the most for your money. Believe me, Disney has designed an entertainmnet experience to TAKE as much of that money as they can; you owe it to yourself to be a wise consumer.
Have a great trip!
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
FINALLY, Testa makes the cover! Aug 27, 2006
By M. K. Krum
"Consumer with attitude"
I'm another loyal UG reader--every trip, every year (whether we go or not that year). I agree with a previous reviewer's comments that the book is peppered with author comments--for me, that's the beauty. If you are looking for the pure sunny version of "what's at WDW" this may not be the book for you. Consider Birnbaum's or the PassPorter.
The "Unofficial Guides" do a great job of rating/ranking and describing each attraction, resort and dining location. Their own opinions are bookended with responses from their readers--both those that agree and those that don't. They celebrate what they feel Disney did well and pan those items to which they feel Disney did not do justice. They also rank each by age--so it's clear that Dumbo, while imperative to those of us with the under 6 set, isn't necessary for the over-ten crowd. And Hall of Presidents is a great nap spot for the young (and young at heart), as well as a big hit with the patriotic over-fifty set.
Warning: It's monstrous! The 2006 was just over 800 pages and 2 inches thick. Give yourself plenty of time to read it.
I recommend this book without hesitation!
32 of 36 found the following review helpful:
Very Informative for Planners! Nov 10, 2006
By Kelli Hughes
I bought this book for our first Disney World trip in Feb. 2007. We haven't been yet, but everything is completely booked, and I know our vacation will be perfect. This book tells you EVERYTHING! This is an honest book -- they tell you like it is! From what I've heard from other people, they are right on. I'm a planner, so I used the hotel ratings, the discount codes from websites, the touring plans, dining information, etc... to plan our trip. We are taking our almost 6 year old twin daughters, so we want it to be a fun and enjoyable experience for all. I think flexible planning is the key. Everyone I know that used this book had a great trip as a result. If you are going during peak time, I suggest buying this book at least a year in advance to start planning. I really liked the organization of the book compared to many other "travel" books. They have a section on making the most of your time and money, one on hotels, one on dining, one on going with kids, then chapters on each park. The website that goes along with this book is also excellent! I couldn't ask for more information! They even give you information like how scary each ride is for young kids, which rides aren't worth it, height requirements, and other information you need to really plan out each day. Even if you don't have kids, there is a section just for you! If you don't like a lot of information, this book might be too much for you (it's 818 pages), but I love it. I pretty much read the entire thing. They also include a few touring plans, phone numbers, and maps. This is the only book I plan to use for our Disney trip.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
A Must for any Newbie to Disney World Sep 24, 2006
By J. Walsh
If you've never been to Disney World (or if you haven't been for a long time), this book is a must. As a first-timer, I am so very grateful that I bought it. Reading it prepared me for my trip like nothing else I did prior to leaving. The other books on Disney World vacations are of varying usefulness, but this one should be required reading for all first-timers. (By the way, in terms of the other guide books, I like both Passporter and the EZ-Guide for their maps and fun attitude, but found Birnbaum's Official Guide to be both lacking in substance and filled with too much detail about some attractions, which could have potentially ruined my experience had I kept reading that dastardly book).
Buy this book! It's the best choice I made for our family vacation (aside from picking Walt Disney World as our destination, of course).
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