The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides)
by Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bob Sehlinger, Len TestaEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-08-27
ISBN: 0470089636
Number of pages: 864
Publisher: Wiley
Book Reviews of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides)
Book Review: An excellent investment
Summary: 5 Stars
The 2008 edition of the Unofficial Guide runs to over 800 pages, plus maps on the inside covers, and provides exhaustive coverage of Disneyworld, Orlando. Such a massive book looks quite daunting at first - but Disneyworld itself is far more daunting if you're not prepared, and it's well worth investing time in planning and research before you go.
As in previous editions, there is a huge amount of information about hotels, particularly the Disney ones - even down to room plans and dimensions and the best room numbers to request: if you're considering staying in a Disney resort, it is certainly worth consulting this book before booking. Travelling times to each park from Disney and local hotels are listed, by car and Disney transport. There is a small section on vacation homes/villas including a nice little map showing the most popular locations - as many UK visitors choose villa accommodation, this is a very useful addition, though less detailed than other sections of the book.
There is also extensive coverage (90 pages! plus a separate section on 'character dining') of the Disney and local restaurants, including tips for booking, ratings for value, service, etc. etc. Perhaps this reflects the concerns of the mainly American readership - personally, I wouldn't go to a theme park for the food.
For the parks themselves, each attraction is described in detail and rated for various age groups, and there are plans for touring each park, one for adults, one for families, etc. which are supposed to help you get the most out of Disney with minimal queuing, though aren't so necessary if you go out of season. These touring plans are a big feature of the guide, and the authors reckon they can make the most of your holiday; as there isn't one tailored for the 8-year-old rollercoaster freak and family we've never tried them, but there is a huge amount of generally useful information which would apply to any visit.
Previous editions included a calendar showing how busy each park is likely to be each day - so you could look up each day of your holiday, find out which park is quietest and how crowded it is likely to be on a scale of 1-10. This isn't in the 2008 edition for good reasons, but if you buy the guide, you can access an updated calendar online giving you the same information.
The guide is unbelievably detailed on the subject of Disneyworld, and surprisingly readable and amusing, sprinkled with quotes from readers and witty asides. As the authors are independent of Disney, they are not afraid to be critical when appropriate. There are many more or less useful tips, from the best time to arrive at each park, which roads to take, how to get sought-after character breakfast reservations, even a chapter on preventing tantrums. There is also useful information about provision for disabled visitors etc. - well worth investigating if it's relevant to you.
Although the guide only claims to cover Disney, there are also comprehensive listings and ratings for attractions at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and a few other attractions are also covered in less detail. Seaworld and Discovery Cove get only a couple of pages each, and Busch Gardens is barely mentioned (there is a separate Unofficial Guide which covers these and other Florida attractions but not in as much depth). There is a whole chapter about local golf courses, and some information about shopping opportunities etc.
It is worth noting that this is written for a mainly US readership. The ratings for attractions should be treated with a handful of salt (3 stars for teens to see Winnie the Pooh and 2 stars for teens to see Barney the purple dinosaur? The representative sample of teenagers I consulted would sooner chew off his own foot.) As you'd expect, there is a shortage of information about booking from the UK, and about the Disney tickets only available in the UK, and not much to help with the cultural and practical differences. I would recommend that UK visitors, especially first-timers, use this book in conjunction with the Brit's Guide by Simon Veness - when you think how much you're spending on your holiday, it's well worth investing in both (and doing some online research too).
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