best Disney planning books

[kniquy]

I love all these forums there is so much useful information here, but i was wondering if anyone has a book that you would recomend that would help with the planning process. What i am referring to is the day to day park planning. Something that explains attractions, maps of the parks, restaurants and shows that are at each park. It could be paperback or digital version. Sometimes i just don't want to be on the computer searching all this stuff

 

[zooger]

I like Birnbaum's Walt Disney World. There is a new release every year. 2015 is already released.

 

[OSUgirl77]

Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. They've already released the one for 2015. It's a great resource, I buy the updated version every year.

 

[DizneyPryncess]

Passporter is my favorite. I buy a new edition for each trip. I love the color maps, and the pockets to hold receipts or paper souvenirs. We decorate ours with the little stickers, and fill out the memory journal section at the end of each day of trip. The book itself makes for a great souvenir!

 

[Tinkerfan4ever]

I don't know if you are traveling with kids or just adults, but I really like Fodor's Walt Disney World with Kids. They come out with a new addition each year. The book is great because it breaks down each park by what kids of certain ages would like. Good places to eat with kids. There are maps. And it is available in both paperback and digital.

 

[sophie_the_pooh]

Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. They've already released the one for 2015. It's a great resource, I buy the updated version every year.

I love the Unofficial Guide! They have independant researchers on the field bringing back valuable info on resorts, parks, restaurants... It also brings a very realistic point of view; you can have the time of your life on a WDW vacation if you plan it well, but if you don't, it can become a nightmare (long wait times for attractions, no ADRs for TS restaurants, bad hotel choice, etc...)!

 

[4disneylovers]

I also like Birnbaums. They have a regular and kids version. You definitely want the regular. The kids would be a supplemental you would give to them to read.

 

[Halloweenhead]

This one has proven me with lots of info for booking my first journey and tips once I'm there. Also provides info about the surrounding areas/ other attractions. I'd say 2/3 of the book is disney related though.

 

[loriloughs]

Hands down "the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" is the most comprehensive book out there. I purchase one almost every year because things change often at Disney. They have touring plans you can cut out and take with you to the parks. Also for an extra charge you can get wait times, historical crowds and other info on their website touring plans.com. Also, I love the comments from readers and the Disney trivia scattered throughout the book. Have fun!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

We've tried Birnbaums and The Unofficial Guide. We now always buy The Unofficial Guide as it is more in depth in its planning and descriptions and it updates once a year. We have the 2015 edition, bought to help us catch up with everything since our last visit in 08 and will get the 2016 before we go away next year

 

[dreamfinder]

The Official Book by Birnbaum is just that, a glossy WDW does nothing wrong view of WDW. It's a reasonable crash course on the parks, as it keeps things fairly concise. However, it's the official line, so you won't find out nitty gritty details or anything beyond "We Love This Ride!". The Unofficial Guide is awesome. Tons of detail, fairly in depth reviews and ratings of everything in the parks. And if you buy their Kindle version, it is supposed to be getting monthly/quarterly updates so it shouldn't be out of date. However no doubt about it, it is a massive tome. The sheer amount of content can be overwhelming to some people, and not everyone likes the cheeky remarks they will make about things. @lentesta and his crew compile tons and tons of stats, and have a real good read on the crowd levels and flow in the parks. I'd suggest getting the Official Book out of your library (even if it's a year old, should still give you a crash course on 95% of the stuff) and then buying the Unofficial Guide to get a different viewpoint.

If you want something to carry in the parks, then Passporter is the way to go. It's meant to go with you. Personally however, I would do my research in advance, grab a park map when I walk in the gate, and go from there. Even with a monthly update, no book will be as current as what you find on sites like this, and any time sheets/pamphlets you get handed when you walk in the park.

 

[zurgandfriend]

Another vote for the unofficial guide, I also buy one each year.

 

[Tink28]

I buy the Birnbaum book each year whether I am going to WDW or not, gives me a Disney hit, and have just bought the Brit guide to WDW and Orlando as well

 

[Weather_Lady]

I like the Unofficial Guide, and in particular, its website, touringplans.com. (When you buy the book, you get a discounted rate on a subscription to the customizable portions of the website, which is cheap even without the discount.) By "customizable portions," I mean the ability to make touring plans, customized for your travel dates and the park hours/EMH scheduled for that day, along with your ADRs and FP+ reservations, with estimated wait times. You can have the website optimize the touring plans for you, or if you're like me and you enjoy fiddling around with it yourself, you can simply tinker and rearrange your plan to fit your family's priorities, and get a realistic idea of expected wait times.

 

[JohnD]

Definitely the unofficial guide. It's a great tome for studying everything about WDW before you go. I agree too big to take to the parks. They do have a concise version called "Mini Mickey", which is intended as quick reference in the parks.

 

[cgulls]

Another vote for Unofficial Guide and a No vote for Birnbaums. Birnbaums is like reading the official Disney site. And some of the touring advice they give is horrendously bad.

with the UG, I'd add a subscription to touringplans.com (when I signed up, there was a small discount for having the book). I know you wrote that you want paper, not more electronic stuff, but once you decide what you want to do at the parks, using the Personalized Touring Plans feature, I've found, is really helpful in getting the most out of your day.

 

[got2lovedisney]

Another vote for Passporter! I find the other guidebooks to be too much like a commercial for Disney.

 

[Rodb]

These are all great guides and the best part is that most of them are available at your local library. I spent many an hour reading these while my kids did some studying...

 

[JIMINYCR]

Unofficial Guide... along with online sites can get you all you need. It's a big book to read through but full of valuable insights and well worth the time. It's never let me down. I purchase a new copy and go through it with my highlighter pen, page tabs and I'm all set for the next trip. For anyone wanting the best tips, travel plans, and even things to avoid, its in there.

 

[Kate Alan]

I have an affection towards the Birnbaum book since it was the first Disney guide I ever read years and years ago. Even though it often reads like WDW's mouthpiece, it has a simple layout and concise breakdowns of rides and restaurants, and I have found it to be a good guide for newbies in that sense when they literally don't know that the parks aren't all next to each other, that Peter Pan isn't found in EPCOT, etc. (though agree with whoever mentioned above that some of the touring plan information they give is rubbish).

For myself - I love the Unofficial Guide. It's incredibly comprehensive, and the best thing next to sites like this. I can get lost in those pages forever, but I do find that the sheer size and depth of information has scared off some of my friends.