Reviews (4)

A Must for any Newbie to Disney World
If you've never been to Disney World (or if you haven't been for a long time), this book is a must.As a first-timer, I am so very grateful that I bought it.Reading it prepared me for my trip like nothing else I did prior to leaving.The other books on Disney World vacations are of varying usefulness, but this one should be required reading for all first-timers. (By the way, in terms of the other guide books, I like both Passporter and the EZ-Guide for their maps and fun attitude, but found Birnbaum's Official Guide to be both lacking in substance and filled with too much detail about some attractions, which could have potentially ruined my experience had I kept reading that dastardly book).
FINALLY, Testa makes the cover!
I'm another loyal UG reader--every trip, every year (whether we go or not that year).I agree with a previous reviewer's comments that the book is peppered with author comments--for me, that's the beauty.If you are looking for the pure sunny version of "what's at WDW" this may not be the book for you.Consider Birnbaum's or the PassPorter.
Lots of new content for the new edition!!
I've bought this guidebook for the past 4 trips I have taken to WDW.This book is the BEST guide out anywhere for WDW.This issue has some new content which I was very pleased with.I especially like the new map of vacation house resort locations in/around Disney. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    2. Special Interest - Family    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. Travel Guides - U.S.    6. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    7. United States - South Atlantic - Florida    8. Florida    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Reviews (2)

A MUST FOR DISNEY VACATIONERS
Birmbaums is the most comprehensive disney guide there is. Its a fun way to plan your trip. Though not as detailed as some its a very lively look at all that is disney. A great book to get you excited about your trip to the happiest place on earth.

The Official Book of Disney World
My husband, son, and I just got back from Disney World a few weeks ago. We planned the trip in just a month's time, and WDW guides were very helpful!
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Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Travel - General    2. Parks & Campgrounds    3. Special Interest - Family    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. Travel Guides - U.S.    7. United States - General    8. United States - South Atlantic - Florida    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Travel    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. USA   

Reviews (7)

Simply The Best
If you are going to Disney with your kids, this is, hands down, the best guide out there.

my kids (and grandkids) like action
My kids & I used to make a yearly pilgrimmage to WDW in Orlando and now my gradnkids want to do the same. So off I go again. But I wouldn't leave the house (or the car) unles I had Wiley's great guide book in my bag. Everything we need to know is there and the yearly updates make this an imperative take-along travel choice.
Excellent Guide
This is one of the best travel guides that I have used! I took my kids to Disney and this book helped me avoid the long lines (that we all know about!), know where to eat and helped me find a good hotel where my kids could be kids. This is a must if you plan on going to Disney! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Family recreation    2. Florida    3. Guidebooks    4. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    5. Orlando Region    6. Orlando Region (Fla.)    7. Parks & Campgrounds    8. Special Interest - Family    9. Travel    10. Travel - United States    11. Travel Guides - U.S.    12. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    13. United States - South Atlantic - Florida    14. Walt Disney World (Fla.)    15. Travel & holiday guides    16. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Reviews (1)

Will Stoke a Child's Enthusiasm!
When my husband and I were considering going to WDW for our anniversary, we happened to visit a Disney store in a mall. The manager gushed about WDW (doesn't everybody, really?) and showed us the Birnbaum's 2006 guide for kids. I thought we'd buy it, just to get an idea of what was in the parks and such. Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Travel - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    4. Special Interest - Family    5. Travel    6. Travel Guides - U.S.    7. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    8. Juvenile Nonfiction / Travel    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. USA   

Reviews (25)

Great for Disney fans who want to know more
This book was great!It explains the reasoning behind why and how all the current attractions were constructed.I would have liked to see a little more on the past and the potential for future attractions, but it was good.It is really interesting to see why this ride was built just like it was and how the idea formed into what it is.

The Mouse is Best.
A great behind the scenes look at the Best Place on Earth.For those who want to pick the brains of the Imagineers to hear their versions of what we see at the Magic Kingdom. I really appreciated this book.

The Magic of the Magic Kingdom
It's kind of funny to have a field guide to Disneyland, but it really does answer a lot of the questions that you have walking around.It's a good size for carrying with you which is why it's a filed guide, I guess.I just read it home.That works well too.It's an interesting book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amusement parks    2. Buildings    3. Design    4. History    5. Parks & Campgrounds    6. Special Interest - Family    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States    10. Walt Disney Company    11. Walt Disney World (Fla.)    12. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (2)

Not EXACLY what I had hoped for
I had really hoped for more realistic ideas to go on vacation with my three children, one elementary age, preschooler, and toddler. I expected the book to leave out ideas for my toddler, but was surprised to see a lot of the suggestions left out my preschooler as well.
Interesting but Unrealistic
I had high expectations for this book but they fell flat.First, the layout is o.k. but not great.Areas are grouped by categories such as "Out and About" and "On the Water."As the book covers the world, I think it might have been better to be laid out geographically and maybe cross-referenced.As for the selections, they are very diverse.Some make sense but some I really don't feel are appropraite for children, except for maybe the very well travelled child.For example, number 397 is Mount Fuji:Scaling the Symbol of Japan.The age range is 8 and up.The author writes, "Take a shortcut directly to Kawaguchiko's Fifth Stage by bus from Shinjuku Station (be sure to book in advance); the trip takes about 2 1/2 hours.From this starting point it's about a 6 hour climb to the summit, with another 3 hours to make the descent; at the top, a 1-hour hiking trail circles the crater.The highlight of the classic Fuji Climb is to watch the sunrise from the peak, which in summer means being there by 4:30 am."I was hoping for more "kid friendly" suggestions.I don't think I'll be visiting number 280 "Hiroshima:The Original Ground Zero" or number 277 "The D-Day Beaches of Normandy" with my son anytime soon.Perhaps the child that is a huge history buff would understand the significance.
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Subjects:  1. Parent And Child    2. Special Interest - Family    3. Travel    4. Travel - General    5. Travel Guides    6. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    7. Travel / Family Travel   

Reviews (80)

Most helpful
This book helped us to plan our trip. It details lodging inside the park as well as those hotels outside the park. It has maps of each of the Disney Resorts with tips on which rooms to ask for. We hadn't been to Disney World in 15 years and weren't sure what was there. This book told us all that and more. It gave us tips on what park attractions to see during different times of the day and numerous tips for dining, lodging and getting around the parks. It gives details of each and every attraction at Disney World and Universal. It rates the rides for various age groups. It rates the restaurants and food courts in various categories. We carried it in a backpack everywhere we went and referred to it often during our stay. I would recommend this book to anyone going to Disney World for the first time or the fifty fifth time.

Worth Every Penny and More!
Bought this book in anticipation of a trip to WDW in 2007, but got to use it on a spontaneous trip to WDW a couple of weeks ago. We had just one day to make our travel arrangements. Found a great package deal through Priceline for air, hotel (Dolphin) and car. Had one day at Magic Kingdom, and followed the books tips and touring plan. Saw almost all of the Kingdom in 12 hours, including all the top attractions. For a quick trip through the Magic Kingdom, this book was the only way we could have seen and done everything we did.
Excellent!
My family and I just returned from our first trip to Disney World. (It was as blast!) Because it was our first time and we were essentially clueless to the Disney experience, we bought several guides.
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Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Special Interest - Family    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    6. United States - South Atlantic - Florida    7. Walt Disney World (Fla.)    8. Florida    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Travel - General    2. General    3. Special Interest - Family    4. Travel    5. Travel - General    6. Travel Guides    7. Juvenile Nonfiction / Travel   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Travel - General    2. General    3. Parks & Campgrounds    4. Restaurants    5. Special Interest - Family    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. Travel Guides    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Travel   

Reviews (7)

Great Relocation Resource
As just one component of your relocation research this is a great tool.While it is hard to question the underlying research presented in the book you have to look for nuances in the recommendations the authors make to gain a better understanding of a particular area.These carefully worded nuances are a critical part of gaining a true picture of the "Best Place" being rated.
It's OK.
There is a lot of information here.We especially liked the 100 `family' places around the country, but isn't that what any suburb is anyway?Still, the selections are interesting.
Eye-opening research
I can't begin to imagine the work that went into putting this book together.I'm on my second time reading it through and I've already learned about the ins and outs of 20 or 30 neighborhoods that weren't even on my radar before.
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Subjects:  1. Community life    2. Family Development    3. Neighborhood    4. Parenting - General    5. Quality of life    6. Special Interest - Family    7. Statistics    8. Travel    9. Travel - United States    10. Travel Guides - U.S.    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Encyclopaedias & Reference Works    14. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    15. Travel / United States / General    16. USA   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Travel - General    2. General    3. Parks & Campgrounds    4. Special Interest - Family    5. Travel    6. Travel - General    7. Travel Guides - U.S.    8. United States - General    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Travel    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. USA   

Reviews (2)

POCKET SIZE FUN
68 Fun Things to Do-- from Jones Beach to NBC Studio Tour, with the usual destinations as well. New York is so extraordinary that a lot of guidebooks try to be all too thorough. But really a short and sweet book can do the trick. If your young visitors are age seven and up, give them Melanie in Manhattan too, a novel about a New York girl. (Warning Melanie and her brother Matt the Brat have a favorite museum game called Point Out the Naked People. Their art teacher mom has no idea....)
Written with humor and fun, this book made our trip the best!
Thanks to this book, we were able to figure out just the right bites of the big apple to take. We also were prepared for when we'd have to wait in line, and we saved big bucks through the author's tips on Broadway on a Budget. We used the author's fun facts to impress our kids. For example, if you were to look at every piece of art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it would take more than four years to see it all! We used several guidebooks. This one was by far the best! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Special Interest - Family    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. Travel Guides - U.S.    5. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    6. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    7. New York    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / United States / Northeast / Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)   

Reviews (32)

No substance
It was like reading a Disney brochure- no real info. There were tidbits about each park, but nothing that would help us out. The Unofficial Guide to Disney World was much, much, much better.

Not for everyone
If you are going to Walt Disney World Resort for the first time and want to keep some mystery until you actually ride the attractions, then this book may not be for you.Some of the descriptions for the various attractions go step-by-step through them, including plot points in 3D movies and so on. The book also leaves a lot out in other areas, such as dining (little coverage), getting around Walt Disney World, and off-site hotels and dining.
Good Primer On Disney World
My husband, son, and I just got back from Disney World a few weeks ago. We planned the trip in just a month's time, and WDW guides were very helpful!
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/All Ages    2. General    3. Reference - General    4. Special Interest - Family    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - South Atlantic - Florida    8. Juvenile Fiction / General    9. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

Nan Jeffrey's classic guide to adventure travel is not to be missed by any family interested in--or even curious about--traveling off the beaten path. Jeffrey, who has traveled with twin boys Read more

Reviews (2)

Inspirational and also very practical
I still haven't had a chance to use the tips from this book, since our trip to Greece with our one-year-old is planned for a few months from now. I can say that reading so many real-life, much more complicated examples of Ms. Jeffrey's family's own travels have made planning a few weeks in Greece seem like no big deal, though. World class book for world class adventures...with children
There are many travel books on the market, and there are many travel books for those who have children.This books stands out because the author actually took her kids on wonderful, real "adventures," not justtame camping trips in the U.S.She and her husband traveled to remoteplaces (Morocco, Spain, Bali, Nepal, New Zealand...), kids in tow, andshare the experience with us through text and photos.They sailed, biked,hiked, and drove about, and lived for several weeks in differentcountries.Read more

Subjects:  1. Activities    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Special Interest - Family    4. Travel    5. Travel - General    6. Backpacking    7. Camping    8. Canoeing    9. Handbooks    10. Manuals    11. Outdoor Life    12. Recreation    13. Sports    14. Tourism   

Reviews (1)

Genuinely "all-family" must-have guidebook
The payoff for reading Cynthia Harriman's "Take Your Kids to Europe" carefully is tremendous.We have a five-week trip to Europe coming up and our copy if already getting dog-eared from overreading. This guidebook is different and better.Most "what to do with the kids overseas" books are filled with things you already instinctively knew - i.e. your kid will like Legoland and here is how to get there and the hours it's open. Harriman's guide acknowledges there is more to a successful family trip than just picking the right things to see, and she uses the reactions of her own actual kids to back up her suggestions. For example, she is a master of managing family dynamics on a trip.Here are a few of her suggestions:
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Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. Personal & Practical Guides    3. Special Interest - Family    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Europe    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / Europe / General   

Subjects:  1. Reference - Guides (General)    2. Special Interest - Family    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. United States - Pacific - Hawaii    6. United States - West - Pacific (General)    7. Hawaii    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Subjects:  1. Food Industry Services    2. HotelsInnsetc.    3. North America    4. Special Interest - Family    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. Travel Guides - U.S.    8. United States - General    9. Hotel & holiday accommodation guides    10. USA   

Reviews (1)

Very helpful
This book gives a nice review of Savannah, from history, to where to stay, what do do, where to eat.It's very compact and will be easy for us to carry along on our trip next week to Savannah. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    2. Recreational Areas    3. Special Interest - Family    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. Travel Guides - U.S.    7. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    8. United States - South Atlantic - Georgia    9. Georgia    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Reviews (12)

A lot of wrong info.
We recently planned a trip to NYC with our 6 and 1 year old.I picked up this book, seeing as we have never been to NYC.The hotel we chose out of this book was in a neighborhood I would not consider safe for children.We ended up changing hotels because of it.The book said there was a children's playroom in our new hotel...there was not.We went to the Children's Museum of Manhattan, which the book says is good for kids 8 and under...our 6 year old was bored!!Also, the museum does not allow strollers, which I think is important info that should have been mentioned, but was not.There were other little bits of info that the book mentioned that were incorrect.
Great resource for first time visitors to NYC!
We recently spent a week in New York state for a family wedding. Three of those days were spent sightseeing in NYC with our two children, ages 6 and 3. This guidebook was invaluable! We used it to plan our agenda in advance, and then carried it with us on our trip. We had a great time, and we knew exactly where to go and what to do. This is a great resource for any family! I especially liked the detailed information about transportation options, playgrounds in the city, and family-friendly restaurants.

Not a Great Guidebook
This book covers a lot of information, but lacks details on key traveller needs.The maps are very poor and the information on the subway system is not enough to help first-time users get where they are going.We always wished we had more information.The only way I would recommend this book is if it was used in conjunction with another guidebook. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Family recreation    2. Guidebooks    3. New York (N.Y.)    4. Reference - Guides (General)    5. Special Interest - Family    6. Travel    7. Travel - United States    8. Travel Guides - U.S.    9. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    10. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    11. New York    12. Travel & holiday guides    13. Travel / United States / Northeast / Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)   

Reviews (13)

Great for Kids!
When my husband and I were considering going to WDW for our anniversary, we happened to visit a Disney store in a mall. The manager gushed about WDW (doesn't everybody, really?) and showed us the Birnbaum's 2006 guide for kids. I thought we'd buy it, just to get an idea of what was in the parks and such. Great guide and preparation for trip
This refers to the 2005 edition. - I wanted something to help prepare my 3 year old for a trip to Disney.This book was great because it gave her pictures of the major attrctions.She was so excited at the park when she recognized each one.It also helped us pick which rides were best for her ahead of time.One of my favorite parts is how it lists where to find kid favorite foods in each theme park.We also enjoyed the section for autographs and scrapbook/souvenirs in the back.It is worn out from being used so much...and looked at to remember our vacation.This book filled the roles of a guide for me and a book that was for my little girl to look at and enjoy!

My Boys FLIPPED for this book!
My Boys, went INSANE over this book....they even read it everynight before bed for weeks leading up to our trip!This was our very 1st trip to Disney and this book was loaded with info for them!They knew just what they wanted to see and do when we got there!Amazing!If you have kids old enuf to read and plan (my boys are 10, 8, 6 and 2) then this is a MUST for them!Really gets them involved!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. Children's Books/All Ages    3. Family recreation    4. Florida    5. General    6. Guidebooks    7. Juvenile literature    8. Orlando Region    9. Reference - General    10. Special Interest - Family    11. Travel    12. Walt Disney World (Fla.)    13. Juvenile Fiction / General    14. Theme parks & funfairs