Which guide do you recommend ?

[SpykeYs]

Hello Folks,

I've done a couple search here and I am not sure what guide I should purchase to plan my trip to Walt Disney in 19 days!!!

I heard alot of good things about the Unofficial Guide.. (Whats that.. where can I find it ?)

Also heard about WD-Secrets ? One about MIke... ?

What do you guys suggest ?

Thanks!

 

[GenerationX]

Hello to all,

From Montreal, QC to Orlando FL with Air Canada, it's a 3:30 hour trip. I will then purchase both the UnOfficial and the Official guide that will keep me busy during the flight. I am now reading info on the passport site...

Where's the best place to purchase the Official and UnOfficial guide ?

*Please note that I live in Canada so I don't think it is available in most book store..*

Amazon prices:

The UnOfficial 2007: 11.96$USD
The Official 2007 (Birnbaums): 10.68$USD

Thanks!

The Unofficial Guide to WDW is the best of the lot, by far. I've purchased five other guidebooks throughout the years, but the Unofficial Guide is the only one in which I have multiple versions (4). Buy it now, because you won't have enough time on the plane trip to read all of the key information.

 

[JML42691]

The only two that I have ever used are Passporter and the Unofficial Guide. The Passporter is an amazing guide and I only recently recieved the Unoficial Guide for this year and recently lended it to my neighbor (who just got back on Wednesday), so I can't give much of a review yet, but it is very detailed (this could be a good thing or a bad depending on how much time you have to read it). Passporter can be ordered from its website (http://www.passporterstore.com/store/), and I could only find the Unoficial Guide online at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Gu...047179032X/ref=pd_sim_b_4/002-7814180-4460833). Hope this helps.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Birnbaum's book reads like a press release. There is no good, honest, practical information in it.

For me, The Unofficial Guide is BY FAR the best book. It's more thoroughly researched than my masters dissertation was. These people examine EVERYTHING. They're very honest, and will let you know what's great and not so great about WDW.

It's very thorough, and their claims are backed up by very meticuous research. Everything you need to know about anything WDW related is there. If you want to know exactly how to get a seat to Cinderella's Royal Table, for example, they tell you just what you need to do.

I can't say enough good things about this guide.

 

[pinkrose]

I've bought the Unofficial Guide before and I didn't care for it. I know others who felt the same way. Your best bet is going to be to go to a book store and check them out in person to see what are the best books for you. Everyone is different, so what some like or don't like, you may not like or love.

 

[summerluvin]

passporter is great, it provides you with everything you need to know plus it provides detailed maps and places for you to plan and keep your trips information.

 

[Amber]

The Unofficial Guide is by far my favorite. I still use it on occasion, like when we are looking to try a restaurant that we have never been to before and I buy the new issue every year. I looked at Birnbaums once and I felt like I was reading a brochure - so much good and no bad makes for a guidebook that is not very useful. I've never tried Passporter, so I'm not sure about that one.

 

[tjkref418]

keeping with the general consensus here, I recommend both Passporter and the Unofficial Guide. Both have proven quite useful to me.

 

[domndebs]

Here in the UK the unofficial guide's not widley available in bookshops, but most will order it for you, but the web is probably the best place. If you're not worried about it being brand new, you can sometimes get current editions on ebay for a good price.

 

[xx_lilo_xx]

i recomed passport 2007 it great i ve learned loads from it and you get a planer in the back, there bayciaily very thing you need

 

[Nansafan]

I'm not a big fan of sarcasm so the Unofficial Guide occasionally bothers me. Check out the Travel section in any good bookstore and you should find all kinds of books with info on WDW including Birnbaums, Unofficial Guide, Passporter plus Fodor's. Find the one that you find is easy to enjoy.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Unofficial Guide, hands down. The Birnbaum is like a Disney brochure, not a guide. The Passporter is OK, and is a little better to take around the parks, but nothing beats the UG for unbiased reviews and some of the best touring advice in the business.

 

[ann0d1]

The Unofficial Guide is THE book to get - hands down. There's actually a researcher for that book that stops in on the boards from time to time. To me, this book is essential. Plus you get to take advantage of access to touringplans.com if you have purchased the book. It's a must-buy.

DITTO!

 

[JimboJones123]

I'm not a big fan of sarcasm so the Unofficial Guide occasionally bothers me. Check out the Travel section in any good bookstore and you should find all kinds of books with info on WDW including Birnbaums, Unofficial Guide, Passporter plus Fodor's. Find the one that you find is easy to enjoy.

Don't feel bad, I'm a HUGE fan of sarcasm and the Unofficial Guide just eats at me.

It brings in politics where they shouldn't be and takes way to many shots at the company, and the average guest whenever it can. It is almost a "talk you out of going" guide. Maybe if they wern't trying to be the "rebel" guide so much, I'd like it more.

That and it WAY overpushes the tour guide thing -- with a must have and jadded point of view. I don't personally get tour guides AT ALL. I have never felt that a book written 9 months ago could predict what a Tusday afternoon line would look like for the Jungle Cruise. The book makes it sound like that by not following their advice you will have a terrible trip. They also put down lots of things that a lot of people really enjoy.

The one thing about all these guidebooks is that it isn't much more information than Disney already gives you. Almost ALL hold the exact same info. Passport has the Pix that most don't and that's really great for making you feel like you have something you can really relate too. The Official Guide is really slim in details (Alfredos in Italy has Italian food).

Like others have said, take about 2 hrs to sit at a B&N and thumb through 5-6 of them and see what you like. Read about resorts you want to stay in or have been to before and see if it's giving you the detail that you want with the "attitude" you want.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I am a Disney World and Disneyland guide book junkie! I buy them all! There are two that I buy every year though. One is the Unofficial Guide and one is Passporter. My favorite for Disney World and Disneyland will always be the Unofficial Guide. I recommend it to anyone who is going. We tend to go in off season so we don't use the touring plans, but even without them there is still a TON of great information in that book. I wouldn't plan a trip without using their crowd calendars to pick which park on which day.

Not that you asked but if you're thinking about a Disney Cruise, then Passporter is the way to go. The Unofficial Guide only has a small section about the cruise in their Unofficial Guide to Cruises book. Passporter has an entire book dedicated to it, and has every detail you could want to know about the Disney Cruise.

 

[MickeyTigg]

I've bought the Unofficial Guide before and I didn't care for it. I know others who felt the same way. Your best bet is going to be to go to a book store and check them out in person to see what are the best books for you. Everyone is different, so what some like or don't like, you may not like or love.

When was the last time you looked at it? I used to think that way too. We had bought an Unofficial Guide back in the 90's and I didn't care for it. It's changed for the better. If it's been more than 5 years since you've looked at the book, I suggest giving it another try.

 

[Momx3]

I love the Unofficial Guide, I call it my Disney Bible. I have gotten that years addition each year I've gone to Disney and there is always something new in it. I love the resturant reviews and also where to stay at each resort. I also got the Passporter and I take that into the parks with me as I put all of my confirmation numbers in it along with every phone number I might need.

 

[unkadug]

Don't feel bad, I'm a HUGE fan of sarcasm and the Unofficial Guide just eats at me.

It brings in politics where they shouldn't be and takes way to many shots at the company, and the average guest whenever it can. It is almost a "talk you out of going" guide. Maybe if they wern't trying to be the "rebel" guide so much, I'd like it more.

That and it WAY overpushes the tour guide thing -- with a must have and jadded point of view. I don't personally get tour guides AT ALL. I have never felt that a book written 9 months ago could predict what a Tusday afternoon line would look like for the Jungle Cruise. The book makes it sound like that by not following their advice you will have a terrible trip. They also put down lots of things that a lot of people really enjoy.

The one thing about all these guidebooks is that it isn't much more information than Disney already gives you. Almost ALL hold the exact same info. Passport has the Pix that most don't and that's really great for making you feel like you have something you can really relate too. The Official Guide is really slim in details (Alfredos in Italy has Italian food).

Like others have said, take about 2 hrs to sit at a B&N and thumb through 5-6 of them and see what you like. Read about resorts you want to stay in or have been to before and see if it's giving you the detail that you want with the "attitude" you want.

I believe that the reason it seems that they over push the tour guide thing is - that if the first time visitor (and even the second and third timer) doesn't have a game plan, they will become very frustrated that they spent most of their vacation standing in line.

You really don't have to follow it verbatim, but should understand the basics and reasoning behind them.

For seasoned veterans of the parks, we know what what we want to see and how to go about it. Not so the average visitor!

 

[pinkrose]

Don't feel bad, I'm a HUGE fan of sarcasm and the Unofficial Guide just eats at me.

It brings in politics where they shouldn't be and takes way to many shots at the company, and the average guest whenever it can. It is almost a "talk you out of going" guide. Maybe if they wern't trying to be the "rebel" guide so much, I'd like it more.

.

That's exactly what it did to my neighbor. She bought the Unofficial Guide and said that it was so negative that she decided that it made her not want to go (first time visitor). I talked to her though and explained that things are not as the book makes them appear. I convinced her to go, helped her plan, and they had a wonderful time.

When was the last time you looked at it? I used to think that way too. We had bought an Unofficial Guide back in the 90's and I didn't care for it. It's changed for the better. If it's been more than 5 years since you've looked at the book, I suggest giving it another try.

I don't remember which year my book is, but it hasn't been that long.

 

[SpykeYs]

DateTimeLocationEvent DetailsApr 24, 200706:55:00 AMGATINEAU QC CAOut for delivery

Looks like my UnOfficial Guide 2007 will arrive today!!!!

Thanks to all,
Peter B.

 

[maryszhi]

Great Choice, the unoffical guide is the best !!!!
~A dream is what your heart makes~
~When You wish upon a star~