The Unofficial Guide researchers are not, however, just a bunch of control freaks. They discuss existentialism. They claim to be all for spontaneity, in jazz, for example, or cooking. "When it comes to Walt Disney World, however, we all agree that you either need a good plan or a frontal lobotomy." They further agree that the purpose of the plan is not to tick off the activities on your list and make it to the end of the day. It's to enable you to enjoy, to actually experience, the many moments that make up a day at Walt Disney World. What a concept!

The Guide includes essential advice on navigating lines, dealing with line-hoppers and attempting to eat without going broke. It provides excellent maps, as well as lodging recommendations and budget options. Because your Walt Disney World preferences will likely be different, depending on whether you're a family, a couple, a group of singles, or a pair of honeymooners, there are tailored suggestions for a variety of visitors, including tips for seniors, disabled guests and expectant mothers. The Unofficial Guide is a fun and lively read, but it's also exceptionally useful. Unlike, say, a Magic Kingdom all- you-can-eat experience, it's a small investment for a very beneficial return. --Stephanie Gold

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 investing in a copy of this book before booking. Travelling times to each park from Disney and local hotels are listed, by car and Disney transport. There is also extensive coverage (over the top in my opinion) of the Disney restaurants, including tips for booking, ratings for value, service, etc. etc. And that's before you get to the parks - 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.

A particularly useful feature is a calendar showing how busy each park is likely each day through the year - so you can 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. I would say this alone makes the guidebook a worthwhile investment to plan your visits for minimum stress.

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 gets only a couple of pages, and Busch Gardens is barely mentioned (there is a separate Unofficial Guide which covers these and other Florida attractions). There is a listing of local golf courses, and some brief information about shopping opportunities etc.

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.

It is worth noting that this is written for a mainly US readership. For example, there is very little about villas, which are popular accommodation for UK visitors. 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).


Good Book, but for certain times of year   December 25, 2004
Me and my family went to Florida at the end of October for 16 days and I read this book before going.

I did not know what to expect, but this book did enlighten me. There were some funny stories and it helped that the author had included letters from other readers.

At the time of year we went I did not feel it necessary to use the tour plans provided and I was right. It was not as busy as I expected and we pretty much got on the rides within at least 10 - 20 minutes.

Disneyland Florida is an amazing place and I will certainly go again. This book helped me with what to expect and gave me ideas of what I could do to save some money.


Spectacular Book   June 29, 2004
This is an absoulutly amazing book. When my family went in early december, we knew we needed a guide. We searched Amazon and found this book. We used it continuously throughout our stay in Orlando. We have recently lent it to three families who went on a trip. The trip wouldn't of been the same without it.


DON'T GO TO DISNEY IN FLORIDA WITHOUT THIS BOOK   May 10, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This book is a real MUST if you're planning a holiday in Florida and intend going to the theme parks. It gives you good useful tips for planning your days in the Disney parks and also the other major attractions within central Folrida. It includes which periods are the quieter times to go, as well as what days of the week are quieter in each of the Disney parks, where to see your favourite Disney charactors, and general tips for touring with younger children and disabled visitors.

It even plans your day at the parks, informing you of when to go on the various rides in order to minimise the time queuing.

I first used this in 2001 (our 3rd trip to Disney), and it made such a difference knowing the score and beating the queues. If you love planning your holidays in great detail, or just want to be one step ahead of the crowd then get this book.