The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2004

Rating:
Summary: I wouldn't go to Disney without it!
Review: This book really, really came in handy for our trip to Disney. I purchased it a few months prior to leaving so I could read it cover to cover, highlighting the information important to me. How wonderful to be "in the know" about so many things! It made for smooth sailing the entire day at Disney, not to mention my DD making it for the all-important Princess Breakfast in the castle, and I learned about the Ye Olde Barber Shoppe and getting DD's haircut there for the first time, what an experience! I read my girlfriend's Birnbaum book and in comparison this is a MUCH more datailed informative book. Don't hesitate to purchase this if your planning that Disney trip......
Partner this book with Universal Orlando by Kelly Monaghan if you plan on heading there. (I highly recommend Universal Studios AND Islands of Adventure...we loved both of these parks)

.....Now to find that perfect Western Caribbean book for our upcoming cruise.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended to all who visit
Review: Living in Florida and often having guests I got this book to sit on my Coffee table in the living room. Before friends and family are off to Walt Disney World they are glued to this book!
It will save you time and money and is enjoyable reading.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST HAVE BOOK FOR ALL DISNEY WORLD TRAVELERS!!
Review: This book is the best book for Disney World travelers, both young and old. My family recently used this book on our trip December 2004. This book helps with rooms, restaurants, and most of all exhausting information about each park including Universal and Sea World. My 14 year old son and his 13 year old friend enjoyed asking me about each ride as we waited in line. They wanted to know: how many stars(which is how good a ride is) a particular ride had per age group, how long the ride was, if there were in drops (50ft etc). They enjoyed the book as much as my husband and I. We really enjoyed using the restaurant guides and charts. They helped us choose the best restaurants for the amount of money we wanted to spend. I really loved this book and carried it with us everyday on our trip!!!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing compared to previous issues
Review: I find it curious that a book that has been a staple for years has decided to lower its standards and now includes profanity in several places and has descriptions like the following for the "Pal Mickey" doll where Mickey allegedly says "get baked on a good joint right about now. Are you holding?" (page 329).

I realize that this is a cheap attempt at humor, but I don't see why a family book about one of the top family destinations in the world would include this, given their audience.

Rating:
Summary: Door Opener
Review: This book literally helped me to "open other doors" into my trip planning for our Disney World aventure. The author and his data gathering people presented this in a very easy to understand format. I now feel secure about what I can expect at Disney when our trip comes. This also goes beyond the typical when to go and where to stay format I have been familiar with previously.

Rating:
Summary: DON'T GO TO DISNEY WORLD WITHOUT IT.
Review: If I was giving advice on going to Disney World I'd strongly suggest buying two or even three such guides and study them as much as you can. There are always things that one guide is going to miss.

I've been to DW three times...in the 70's, 80's and 90's, and each time seems like the first because so much has been added since the previous trip. It is such an overwhelming place that you cannot go without a good guide or two.

Sehlinger's is one of the absolute best. The ratings are based on thousands of interviews with park patrons so you're really getting the man-on-the-street viewpoint.

Each attraction is rated along with tips on beating long lines, how to plan your itinerary, best places to eat and stay. It's also sectioned to include the best things to do depending on if you are a family, honeymooner, or senior citizen.

Also included is reviews for other area attractions ouside of DW. Truly a valuable guide.

Rating:
Summary: Saw everything on the busiest week of the year!
Review: My husband and I are theme park devotees, and honeymooned at Disney the week after Christmas. while this is the busiest single week of the year at the parks, we were able to see everything we wanted to see and do several big attractions twice. I credit this book. It helped us map out a game plan before going and allowed us to build enough flexibility into our day that we didn't feel pressured. I highly recommend their advice about booking restaurants several months out. we did and had a nice relaxing and fun sit down meal twice a day to recharge our "batteries".

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT RESOURCE
Review: THIS IS A GREAT BOOK! One other review bashed it and that it totally wrong. It is a HUGE book with way more than most would normally read, which is why it has a table of contents AND an index. I read the 2004 version prior to going to WDW and found it very helpful to know that Cinderella was at the Grand Floridian too! $25 for a prime rib dinner and Cinderella at my table! That was great...and my parents came at the last second and were able to come with us too. My 3 year old loved it! If you have specific interests - use the index. The parks open early on varable days and sometimes do not open early at all. I was told this feature fluxes with season, so call the resort and ask before you book. Overall the book is an 11! Get it and don't waste time wondering what, where, how much anything. PS - The resorts are worth it!

Rating:
Summary: I Love This Book!
Review: This book, along with the Passporter, and Deb's website (allearsnet.com) are the essentials for planning a Walt Disney World Trip. I used them all on my trip for 2003 and it saved us LOADS of time and money and I'm using the new editions for this trip as well! All these folks are great. All about making OUR Disney experience the best it can be. Not making Disney more money! Thanks guys for all the help!

Rating:
Summary: An awesome guide to save you time, money and your sanity.
Review: Walt Disney World is a special place, but it can also be an overwhelming place. The guide includes ratings for most local hotels, all Disney and many local places to dine.

The Unofficial Guide gives you plans for visiting each Disney park, including when and when not to use Fastpass (Disney's ride reservation system), and a guide to which parks to visit on each day of the week (there is a calendar with October 2004 - all of 2005 with recommneded parks for each day based upon historic park visitation data).

This guide will save you time because it rates all attractions, and your sanity because you will need a plan if you are visiting Disney during a busy time of year. Cannot recommend highly enough!