Rating: 
Summary: Inaccurate Data Causes Problem
Review: Bought this book because we have two children aged 8 and 2. It was by far the BEST spent money for the whole trip. It was amazing how well the day planning guides were. We were able to ride all the rides we wanted too - see everything we wanted too and almost NEVER wait in any lines. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going to Disneyland and wants to get the most for their time!!!
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Disneyland Guide Book Available!
Review: Complete and up-to-date! Covers Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Includes hotel and restaurant ratings. The guides for getting the most out of your trip to Disneyland are worth the price of the book alone. Of course, you don't have to follow the guides exactly. But, by reading them through they give you great insight into how to maximize your time in the park and see what you what to see in the time you have ... even with crowds. I wish I had this book on my previous trips. I know they would have seemed a lot less frustrating and harriedI had been to Disneyland twice before I found this book so I can tell you first hand what a differnce this book makes in trip planning and in making your day at DL the most complete. The book covers every ride and attraction at DL. It has great information on the local hotels. It has goobs of information on going to DL with kids of all ages. If you are not experienced at doing DL, then get this book. Because of the information in this book you'll be able to see and do twice as much especially on busy days at the park. If you are going to Disneyland, do yourself a favor and get this book. It's worth its weight in gold. 5 stars at least!
Rating:
Summary: Follow the touring plans - You'll be glad you did!
Review: Extremely helpful on deciding which rides to take kids on and how to make the most of your time. I am very excited to try their tested and true day plans for saving a lot of time in lines. Not very helpful with meal planning. Though it rates hotel rooms (in depth) it does not rate hotels (by quality or location). Overall a very useful book but so was Birnbaum's Official guide and the Econoguide was pretty good too.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Useful
Review: Extremely helpful on deciding which rides to take kids on and how to make the most of your time. I am very excited to try their tested and true day plans for saving a lot of time in lines. Not very helpful with meal planning. Though it rates hotel rooms (in depth) it does not rate hotels (by quality or location). Overall a very useful book but so was Birnbaum's Official guide and the Econoguide was pretty good too.
Rating:
Summary: My Disneyland Bible!
Review: I have been using this book for 10 years and it has been my guide for getting the most out of the park. The park attendance portion of the book has always provided me with the ideal days to attend. My family and I visited Disneyland the week after Thanksgiving last year. As described, the crowd was minimal with little or no lines on the popular rides (ever go on Splash Mountain a second time without getting back in line?). Don't go to Disneyland without it!
Rating:
Summary: Follow the touring plans - You'll be glad you did!
Review: I have had an annual passport to Disneyland and CA for the past three years. I go at least 6 times a year and I've been visiting Disneyland since the late 60's. But I had family coming to visit in the summer and I wanted to see if there were any strategies that would help us all enjoy our two days at Disneyland resort. I don't usually go in the summer. Too crowded. But we followed the touring plans laid out in the back of this book and we were astounded at how quickly we got on rides. We had done all the major rides at Disneyland by about 1:00 p.m. and spent the rest of the day on repeats and shows. In June!! We had a great time. I still remember waiting in line for 1-2 hours to get on Peter Pan when I was a kid. So when my kids complain about a line longer than 15 minutes, it cracks me up. But between guides like this book and Disney's FastPass, you really can cover a lot of ground and not waste a lot of time waiting in line.
Rating:
Summary: Worth ten times the price...
Review: Other reviews here give you a good understanding of what the guide includes as well as a concern about the near-military precision the touring plans specify. On first reading, I would guess that any Disney fan would be horrified to think that one would try to experience WDW or Disneyland in this ordered fashion. However, upon further reading you will see that the authors address this issue with recommendations on how to tailor the plans to fit your needs and the needs of the rest of your group. You don't have to follow every step in the plan, nor do you have to follow the plans at all to get a great deal of benefit from having this book. With the plans, though, you will know when you are doing something costly (in terms of time or dollars). Most first time visitors to the park make the mistake of trying to do everything in one day and there is a plan for that -- aptly named something like "Dumbo in a Day or Die". It's not recommended, but it is offered. If you are taking children, you will soon realize that this book is worth its weight in gold. Did you know that there are all sorts of provisions made for parents with children? What if you want to go on a ride that your child won't or can't ride? - this book tells you what options you have. What if your child wants to ride two times in a row without getting back in line? -- this book tells you how to do it. What if your child realizes that he doesn't want to go on the scary ride but you still do? -- this book tells you how to handle it without having to get out of line. What if your child wants to meet Mickey face to face? -- this book tells you where and when the best place to do it. I've made trips to Disney World, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Every time I've managed to have a fun, exciting, and relaxing time while watching hundreds of families wasting time in the wrong lines at the wrong times, children screaming, and adults looking like they're half dead. That's not the way to spend your vacation. Every time I visit a Disney part I purchase the most up to date copy of these guides. Yes, there is a lot of overlap between years, but since the parks change, so must the books. I wouldn't consider buying a guide that was more than a year old. This book is a great value for the wealth of information it offers. It's up to you and your family to decide how to use it. At least you have the information. Even if you don't follow the touring plans, just knowing some of the unofficial secrets can save your family dollars and a great deal of frustration and disappointments. My personal tips for Disney parks: 1. If it rains, definitely go to the park. You will have a great time. The lines will be really short and you can purchase inexpensive yellow Mickey ponchos to make it seem like an adventure. My best memories are of rainy day visits. 2. Take that recommended break in the afternoon. 3. You can't go too early. 4. Don't try to do everything in one day. If you really can only afford one day, then prioritized the things you want to do and tackle them in that order. Focus on having a quality time, not a quantity time. 5. Use the lockers to store snacks, drinks, and other goodies. Carry a belt bag and refill it throughout the day. 6. If you aren't having fun, then stop what you are doing and do something else. 7. If you go every year, purchase an annual pass and go a week earlier every year so that you only have to purchase the pass every other year. The annual pass also gets you discounts at some Disney areas as well as free parking. It's a great deal.
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Summary: Experience Disneyland the Correct Way
Review: The Disneyland Resort is a very wonderful place. Unfortunately, some people didn't experience the true magic and fun that The Magic Kingdom and Disney's California Adventure has to offer. Why? Long lines, cranky children, and lots of walking. This book, compared to other guides on the subject, will put the joy in your Disneyland vacation. If the only time you can visit the resort is during peak seasons (spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas week, etc.), this book can, literally, save your vacation. No one enjoys two hours, or more, wait lines. You'll know the right times and wrong times to wait in line for an attraction. You have tour plans that work like a charm - for kids, adults, and even seniors. If you've been to Disneyland and didn't have the fun you expected, try it with this book. If you never been there, read through this book before you go. If you already love the place, see how much more you might enjoy DL by using this wonderful guide. A Disney enthusiast might just enjoy the fun way the author describes the parks, resort hotels, eateries, and the such. He also quotes letters by different attractions that readers write in, which keeps it fun. This book explores Universal Hollywood in great detail as well. You may want to wait for the 2005 version which will be released sometime in August 2004. All and all, a must have for the traveler who wants to experience Disneyland the correct way.
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Summary: Great book - even the locals use it!
Review: This is a great reference guide! My husband and I are Disneyland fanatics - we live about 15 minutes away and go at least every other weekend. Now that we have a five month old daughter, we have found the book to be even more invaluable (example: both Disneyland and California Adventure have these amazing baby/child care centers with changing tables, high chairs, private booths for breast feeding, facilities for warming bottles and teeny tiny potties for the little ones). However, unless you know they're there, you might never find them. Thank heavens for this book. The information regarding the best time of year to go and which rides are suitable for which ages is also invaluable. Before our daughter was born we took our four year old niece to the park a lot. The guides in the book for age ranges were much more accurate than our own judgment of what she would enjoy and what she might find scary. If nothing else,the statistics for the "Chuck Bubba relay" are worth the book's weight in gold. How else could you possible endure going on Dumbo 15 times in a row? As for information regarding ride closures, I would check out www.mouseplanet.com just before your trip - they have a weekly update of what's going on in the parks, as well as lists of ride closures and special events. Our best advice for visiting Disneyland? DON'T try to do it all in one day. If you're tired or your kids are tired, take a break. Because we often go to the parks in the late afternoon/early evening, we have seen literally hundreds of miserable families who are worn out and getting on each other's nerves by the end of the day, and this was supposed to be their "dream vacation."
Rating:
Summary: Worth its Weight in Gold
Review: We just returned from our five day Disneyland vacation(May 29-June 3, 2004), and this book was a lifesaver! Read this book and save time and money.
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