Rating: 
Summary: OK, but takes itself WAY to seriously
Review: This book is OK, but takes itself WAY to seriously. If you want to cram every possible ride into your stay, then this book is for you. If you look at your trip to Disney as a vacation where you would like to have some fun, you will still get some useful advice from this book, but the tone of the writing may be a bit discouraging. Strengths: There is some useful advice on how to manage the crowds, at what time of day different rides will be crowded, and how to pick the most cost effective admission tickets. Information about other Orlando Parks, such as Universal Studios and Sea World. Weaknesses: Information about the Disney resorts is rather skimpy, with only a sketchy description of each one. The system that is used to rate the parks is cryptic, to the point of meaninglessness. There is a section which details the time required to get to the parks via driving and utilization of the transporatation system, however the times listed are highly variable, and don't appear to be that accurate. The Restaurant reviews and ratings are too subjective to be helpful, and are meaningless. For example, Planet Hollywood, a very bad restaurant gets good reviews. The overall tone of the book is very goal oriented - how much can you cram the most into your vacation, instead of how can you enjoy yourself. It also takes Disney a little too seriously; this is a theme park after all, not Paris or Venice!
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Have for your trip to Disney
Review: This will be the best investment you make for your trip to Disney World. We just spent spring break at the parks (peak time to visit),and had the BEST time we ever had, & this was our fifth visit. Traveled with a party of ten, ages ranged from 5 to 79, & saw many people carrying this volume with them everywhere they went. Tip--use the plans, they are the real magic at the Magic Kingdom--don't carry the whole book with you. Since it's updated annually, I just ripped out the plan pages I wanted to use & carried them & a pen in my pocket all day, checking off as we went along...--you're spending lots of "moola" for your trip--how can you not maximize your time and your fun!
Rating:
Summary: What was I thinking?
Review: This book was really unuseful. I was taking my 13 & 10 yr. olds and we had already booked everything so we just needed to know about the park not the plans and stuff. And the index wasn't set up so it was easy to use. We were trying to find out about the resturants but I found that you had to look up each by name, and the reason we brought the book was to find out things like the names. I perferred about books that we bought in addition to this better.
Rating: 
Summary: Disney, less painful than you expected
Review: I had an earlier version of this guide and it really saved our hides on an earlier trip to the Magic Kingdom with an almost-4-year-old. Like there was a tip on how parents could ride the "grown-up" rides by telling the attendants that one of you was waiting with the kiddo(s) and one going up the Matterhorn (or whatever). This was not practical on all rides but the guide said which ones. The tips on early opening and "commando plans" were worth their weight in gold. Our best trick was, go first thing in the morning, leave when it gets crowded, nap at the hotel, then come back in the evening. The lines to see Mickey, or Dumbo (which has a notoriously long wait time) are much better in the evening!
Rating:
Summary: Traveling to WDW, the Survival Edition...
Review: If you are going to Walt Disney Word and looking for the book to cut through the publicity machine that Disney is, you will want this book. Its tone, can be skeptical (some say cynical), and not always the Disney "cheerleading" guide that some purists insist only be written about Disney properties. Please know that there are no pretty pictures of the Disney parks in this book. It is a "battle" guide that does not pull punches. The author(s) are traffic gurus and are looking to get you through the park, not standing in lines. If you are an "easy going", "take things as they come" type of person, then this book is not going to be your cup of tea. If you are looking to get the most from your dollar by avoiding lines, bad food, and brutally honest opinions, then this book will do you well. If you have kids, this will show you the way to limit stress, and keep everyone happy with planning tips and schedules appropriate to age groups and interests. It is okay to get the Birnbaum book for the kids. Let them see the pictures and read the descriptions of the park, but if you want to be serious about minimizing the stresses of a family vacation, use this book. I have used editions of this book for the last 10 years, and I will always by a copy of this book when planning my future vacations. I have saved time and money, and always find this book to improve the quality of my trip. My three tips for YOU to make your WDW vacation the best; 1. Stay onsite and use the Disney transportation system; 2. Take an afternoon break from the parks and get off your feet; 3. Use Fast Pass - Make Fast Pass your friend. I will be using this book again on my Family reunion trip 2/2003. Thirteen people, one a baby, will be with us and the planning has already begun. I have bought extra copies for the family to read.
Rating:
Summary: The Bible of Disney World!
Review: This is an awesome book! It was especially helpful in the sense of which attractions were a "must-see", with reviews on every single one, and tips on maneuvering through the area (we strolled right past a half-hour line and into an attraction with the help of this guide.)It gives star ratings for age groups (preschool, teenagers, seniors)which was extremely helpful. Do not look over this one, it's a must have for your trip to WDW. I read it over and over before our family trip and was the official tour guide!
Rating:
Summary: Dumbo or Die
Review: This book was a great way to ensure that we had the best possible Disney World vacation, without killing ourselves. It helped us plan our days, pick our restuarants, and helped us decide what to FASTPASS and what lines would move quickly. Plus, we found some great new experiences like dinner at Ohana at the Polynesian and Boma at the Animal Lodge, that we would have missed without the book. For us, having the book limited our time on lines, and gave us more time to enjoy the Disney magic!
Rating:
Summary: The best Walt Disney World guide i've ever seen!!!
Review: Great Book!!! Everything you need to know,the how toos, and what to avoid.I highly recommend this guide to any WDW travler and,or fan.
Rating:
Summary: Great trip thanks to this book! Awesome!
Review: I went to Disney with a 5 month old and a 3 year old almost 2 years ago. I read every inch of the manual it made my vacation the BEST Disney vacation and one of the best vacations of my life. WE didn't wait in ONE line or for more than 10 MINUTES to get into a restaurant. We followed the touring patters to a T and they were excellent. Plus we got a lot of exercise! The restaurant reviews were accurate and we were very pleased with the restaurants that we chose. All I can say is that I went to Disney 5 times before reading this book and that was BEFORE I had children. I saw more with 2 children thanks to this book then we ever saw without them in 5 prior visits! I'm actually buying the 2002 version right now for my next trip. It is a MUST HAVE and will be money very, very well spent! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Great source
Review: This book is a great source for starting your info quest on Disney but don't stop here. It is packed with info you can use, especially if you are going during peak times. It can help you make decisions about where to stay and where to eat plus what rides and attractions to see. Use it in conjunction with another guide book to fill in the gaps.
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