what is your favourite WDW guidebook?

[tink65]

My favorite is the Complete Guide..... I just love the color pictures! I can look at one and say "oh yeah, I've been there, seen that....." I didn't get the 2010 edition. Gonna wait on 2011 and see what's new!

 

[forevermickey]

Try Julie and Mike Neal's Complete Guide to Walt Disney World. There are some different tips in there, and lots of information that you won't find elsewhere (i.e., other books).

I agree, have it and love it.

 

[blackthidot]

The Complete Walt Disney World 2010 is AMAZING!

The Unnoficial Guide standard and color edition are good as well...

Passporters, Birbaums are some good ones too...but my FAV is The Complete WDW 2010

 

[stuart]

Not bought a guidebook in years now but do flick thru them in the bookshops from time to time - usually when they are updated.

One thing to be wary of is the 'sample itineraries' which I've found in a few books to be utter tosh. They often seem to have you doing three parks in a day, criss-crossing each one, and you see people with the print outs following them thru the day and then at night you see them all cranky and pretty much sleeping having tired themselves out trying to do it all.

 

[goofykt]

We've always used the "Complete Walt Disney World" guides and have been happy with them. I like the way they have the book set up (it's really easy to find things) and they have a lot of good tips here and there. Plus it's small & light enough that I can easily fit it in my backpack purse and carry it around all day.

You can see a pic and read reviews here:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walt...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280771855&sr=8-3

Hope that helps!

 

[Epcotian]

The Unofficial Guide is my favorite for information.

The Official Guide is my favorite for fun (usually just read random sections whenever I'm in a Disney mood).

 

[David S.]

My favorites are the "Imagineering Field Guides" to the 4 parks, which are now all available since the Studios one was released last week.

They are not like the other guidebooks being discussed because they don't discuss trip planning or hotels or touring plans and don't really go into shopping and dining. They are more about the design details and theming of the parks with a focus on the themed sections and attractions of each. I find them really good and interesting reads, as they cover what I am most interested in at WDW - the parks and their design, with emphasis on attractions.

 

[ThinkTink721]

It has to be the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (the complete edition)

That is my fav too! :wave:

 

[stlbobby]

All true, although now the Birnbaum's guides are actually published by Disney.

I didn't realize they had actually taken over publishing them. When I first wrote the post I said published by Disney, but I changed it because I didn't want someone to bash me, but let's face it Disney's been putting them together for as long as I can remember no matter who the actual listed publisher was.

 

[julieneal]

Hi everybody. Amazon now has our book, "The Complete Walt Disney World 2011"! Here's the link to Amazon's page if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walt-...0970959621/ref

Anyone ordering today will get their book on Tuesday.

Barnes & Noble says April 12th for some reason as a delivery date, but it should be closer to April 1st. Here's that link: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/boo...70959621&#TABS

It's quicker through Amazon; less expensive through Barnes & Noble (at least for now).

Thanks again for all your patience. Disney fans are the best

 

[jjharvpro]

Birnbaums is my favorite. I buy one every other year.

So do I

 

[Malvito]

I am also an advocate of the Unofficial Guide. Yes, it is large, but it's not a novel, to be read from cover to cover. It's a browser, by any means.

I purchased their Color Edition this year, but doubt I will again; I didn't find the pics worth the price, though, of course, that is always a matter of personal taste.

I have never purchased a Passporter, but probably will before our next trip; I like the idea of the pockets for easily-forgotten items and the places for notes.

 

[DizneyPryncess]

I am a devoted Passporter user. I love the details of it. I always scrapbook my trips, so the pockets make it easy to store little things that I would normally lose or ruin somehow. And I always use the spaces to write my favorite memories from each day. I feel like the whole book ends up being like a souvenir of the trip.

 

[lbrad]

So do I

:sohappy: Me too....sentimental

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Is there anyone out there like me who really dislikes the Unofficial Guide? I'm a Passporter man, and I bought the Unofficial Guide before my last trip to see what I was "missing". I will say that it's nice to have WDW, the cruise line, Universal and Sea World all in the same book. Like most 850 page books, though, it could use a good editor. While that may sound contradictory, it's not; relatively little of the book is for actually describing the parks themselves. There is a lot of fluff (no pictures, though). They don't begin describing the Magic Kingdom and the attractions in it until page 505! Visually, the book is just two-color printing: black and blue. The maps are all blue and I don't like the way they are rendered. Also, they are not fold-out like in the Passporter; in a thick, thick book like this, it is difficult to see the middle of maps. In the MK map, you can barely see the castle or the MSUSA train station, while Dumbo and the carousel are just about completely MIA!

Glad to hear the Complete WDW 2011 is in... I will most likely try it next time I'm shopping on Amazon.