Price: $13.59

December 06, 2009.

Outstanding Resource - Phenominal Support.

Rating: 5
I have visited Disney a number of times and this time we tried the Touring Plans when we visited over Christmas Week. I was skeptical that either I would find it too restrictive and non-spontaneous or would not work during the peak crowds. It worked flawlessly and found we could hit all the popular attractions and not have to wait in line for more than 20-30 mins with an average wait time of probably about 15mins.

While I recommend the book highly I found the Web site [...] an even more invaluable resource and well worth the investment of less than [...] even if you don't have the current edition of the book. The Trip Planning tool and the ability to access other customized touring plans was invaluable for our trip.

Finally, the biggest and best resource was the Authors, who I contacted via the link from their web site. I was pleasantly surprised by their responsiveness and willingness to help and answer questions. Below is sample from one of the emails to give you an idea. We followed his advice and would visit a different Resort Hotel either as a break during the day or on our way home. Thanks to his Tips we took advantage of the Night Vision goggles and story tellers at the Animal Kingdom Lodge - we loved it!

The book and/or web sites are a great resource especially when supplemented by your own research on sites like [...] or one of the other guidebooks.

Andrew Seward

--- Text from email follows --
Hey Andrew,

Nice schedule! Depending on what you want to see, you may find that by lunchtime Wednesday, you've seen all you want at the Magic Kingdom. In that case, there's nothing at all wrong with heading back to your resort for a nap, a dip in the pool and a reasonably early bedtime. Your kids are old enough that they can tell you when they're tired. Mention that the afternoon break will keep them going through the next few early mornings.

If you need a break in the afternoon but you're not sure if you want to head back to your hotel, try a quick break over in the lobby of the Grand Floridian. It's got comfortable chairs, snacks, and will be decorated for the holidays. I've done that many times, with a couple of unintentional naps thrown in. If you're uncomfortable with a nap in the lobby, there are chairs in one of the corners of the second floor, equally comfortable and more secluded.

You may also find that your Epcot visit on Friday, December 26 finds you satisfied with the park in the afternoon. Try visiting the Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts to view their holiday decorations. They've also got an amazing pool complex.

The one other resort I'd suggest viewing is the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Besides the holiday decorations, they've got nightly fireside storytelling (call ahead to verify they're holding it on whatever night you want to go), and our back there are Castmembers with night vision goggles to help you see the animals. Grab a hot drink from the bar or one of the quick service restaurants, then head out back and sit in a rocking chair to listen to the African Castmembers tell stories about their home countries. Fabulous time. Kids enjoy it.

December 06, 2009.

Saves HOURS of time.

Rating: 5
My husband & i got the 1990 version for our honeymoon in High season, hot July of that year. We could literally see the crowds just a few minutes behind us. We estimate the book / info / plans saved us 2 hours a day. That trip. And on the subsequent dozen trips with updated versions.

The important thing to remember is this needs to be read BEFORE you reserve a hotel or even tell the kids. WDW is an expensive proposition and this book tells you ways to budget your money, time, energy. Totally the best in this arena - the official guide is practically a souviner program by comparison.

This book is great at helping you:

a) decide IF go - & how much you will spend
(if Santa at the mall freaks your toddler - what will a 6' rodent do? and if all they recall is the pool - maybe next year.)
b) when to go - what factors to consider (school vs. crowds?)
c) where to stay (big decision if you have small kids or older adults or a limited budget - or me!)

d) deciding on a plan for touring the parks. Some complain about the authoritative tone - hey - just read the first few chapters and you can understand at least WHY you are broiling under the FL/ CA sun for hours. It's your choice - make it an informed one and you'll be better prepared to roll with the punches. That is the core message here - Have a plan or ...

The place has changed a lot in the 18 years and the book has gotten a bit overwhelming. Read it to make decisions then slice out the relevant (or irrelevant) pages for hauling around.

BTW: everyone complains about the food cost - but i think it is not as bad as others make out. sure you can tailgate back to your car - but that's between your foot leather and your wallet. It is no more expensive than food @ concert or sports event. & you can't beat the character buffets if you have a fan.

& BTW from the rather AR: WDW is the 43 sq. mile property. Magic Kingdom is the cute park with the characters IN WDW.

Good Luck!

December 05, 2009.

This book paid for itself immediately.

Rating: 5
If you're going to Walt Disney World and are serious about getting the most out of your vacation you must get this book. It's that simple.

This book has all the insider information that Disney may not want you to have. It is an incredible wealth of information - there is something here for everyone.

The biggest payoffs for us were knowing which days would be least busy. By using this book we were able to modify our vacation days so we would have several days with smaller crowds. The book tells you which days are least busy, by park, by day of week. By the time the crowds arrived for Christmas, we had done everything we wanted to do.

Another huge tip was the small child switching off policy. If you have an infant you can get a pass that allows one parent to hold the child while the rest of the family rides the ride. Then the family returns, and take the kid while the caregiver uses the Fastpass line to ride the ride. The best part of the switching off pass is that up to 3 more people can ride the ride AGAIN! So it's basically a way for most of the family to ride the same ride twice. No one at Disney told us about this tip, but a cast member complimented us on using this policy.

The one part of the book that was perhaps wrong was guiding us away from extended hours. If you stay at a Disney resort you get to stay later. The book told us the lines would be insane. After the Epcot fireworks we did Mission: Space and there was zero line and that was during extended hours.

December 30, 2008.

Very Detailed Guidebook.

Rating: 5
This is a great guidebook but it has A LOT of words. Be prepared to spend many months reading this if you want to know everything before you go. I research every vacation to the fullest before I leave but I'm getting very bogged down in this book. So far I haven't seen anything that was left out. It is very thorough.

December 20, 2008.

Great Guide .

Rating: 5
This guide was the most helpful book among many I have read on Walt Disney World.