Sadly my wife bought this book because it was new, on sale, and she wanted something to read on Disney for our upcoming trip (we're Annual Passholders) while waiting in line to pick up the children.

I have reviewed the Unofficial Guide to WDW with Children version in the past and gave it one star because IMHO it just plain has too many errors. Well, guess what - they did it again. What is it with the lack of accuracy in these books?

Just a few errors I know are things in the book that are wrong as examples. We recently stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort within WDW. Nice Moderate resort. Interesting feature is that all rooms come with a refrigerator as part of the room rate - its NOT an extra at CBR. Oh, but according to this book it is and you have to request one?!?!? Or how about this, every other book rates POP Century as nicer than the All-Star resorts - except this one??

We've become big fans of the PassPorter books on Disney (sold here at Amazon too). They even have a website to back up their books with updates, newsletters, etc. to keep everything up-to-the-minute. Sounds like overkill until you realize that if you have the right Discount Code or Program option you can save 4-5-600 dollars on a 6 night vacation at WDW. They seem to do all the research to keep up-to-date that this book says they do but I see ZERO evidence of for those things with which I have personal knowledge related to WDW.

Pass on this one and the entire series is my best advice.

This is the best product I have ever purchased on amazon and the most useful. Shipped very quickly. Very useful for my 2008 Disney Trip.

This book has tons of information on everything in and around the world. I recommend getting this book, especially if you are considering staying and/or playing outside the resort. Though not big on pictures, this book does offer some funny cartoons and a good dose of the realities of a Disney vacation.

Whether you go for one day or two weeks, you won't get into WDW for less than $200 per person, even with a AAA discount. You are investing a substantial amount of money, and your anticipated return on investment is fun and great memories. You will only achieve that result IF YOU ARE PROPERLY PREPARED.

A typical family might buy tickets from the Disney site, find their way to the park and wander in with no plan whatsoever. We met one such family on our way out of Magic Kingdom on the eve of a "Pirates and Princesses" party. We knew about the 7 PM shutdown of the park and planned our day around it. We knew that crowds are much thinner on a P&P day. Others were confused, dissapointed and angry. Those with the "park hopper" ticket option could commute to another park from 7 PM to 11 PM. The unprepared ended up at a fast food joint for the rest of the evening.

"The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" is a near-perfect manual for getting the most bang for your buck at the 4 amusement parks, the water parks, and other areas around "The World." I spent approximately 40 hours with this book from January through May, 2008, and was able to make the following decisions:

1) Which Ticket Options to Buy or Avoid (and why),

2) Specific Days for Each Park (via the "crowd planner" on the website - try it at www.touringplans.com for a one-month free lookahead),

3) Where to Stay (Off-campus at the Marriott Springhill Suites - 5 minutes away),

4) Which Attractions to Visit When in Each Park,

5) Which Rides Require Fastpass (the fast-track tickets to popular attractions that require you to come back after an hour or so, then ride almost immediately),

6) The Best Places to Eat (and Worst Places to Avoid) on Campus (for price and quality).

If you don't find the answers that you are looking for, write to the author and ask him your question. He responded to my email very quickly. he may put your question and answer in the next edition (although at 848 pages, additions are making the book less portable). For example, I am 6'7" tall, and found that "cast members" (park workers) would accomodate my need for extra knee room by giving me 2 seats on rides like Splash Mountain, where I would not otherwise fit. I will ask the author to include that tip.

I am recommending this book to everyone I know who is planning a trip to WDW. We had three days in three of the four parks; the knowledge of which attractions could and could not be skipped was well worth the price of this book.

Authors come off as anti-child in a book about Disney. They'd have you believe you shouldn't bring children under 7 to WDW.

Also not really up-to-date. Even though this says 2008, descriptions of rides/attractions have info from a few years ago (i.e. calling Disney Hollywood Studios Disney-MGM and higlighting TV show attractions for shows that have been off the air for 4 years as though they were current).

A better planning book: The Hassle Free Walt Disney World Vacation, by Steven Barrett; Walt Disney World & Orlando for Dummies, by Laura Miller; [...]

We just completed a trip to WDW. This comprehensive book is all you need. They take you through planning for your trip to tips during your stay. The best part is the touring plans. They help save time and stress, and they're flexible. I totally recommend this book!

If you are new to Disney vacations...it would be extremely helpful to read this book! Disney can be very overwhelming - and some tips can mean the difference between a so-so visit and an extraordinary one (like making character meal reservations way in advance).

This is a really great book!! I've been to Disney twice before with my 2 children who are under the age of 5. This book offers great tips on things to do with children while waiting in line, what to do about strollers, etc. Lots of things I hadn't thought of before. I wish I had bought this sooner. There is a ton of info in here all in one place. As far as the touring plans, I think you just need to take those in stride...if you have a family that will follow them...great...if not then try to follow as closely as possbile. I think as long as you are armed with information, your trip will be much more pleasant than if you just show up and wing it! Love the comparisons on Character Meals and also on the Hotels on Disney Property. There's even info on hotels and restaurants other than on Disney Property. Again...great source of info all in one place.

This book has been a great resource in planning our upcoming trip to Disney World this fall. Without this guide, we would have missed out on some great deals and opportunities, and probably ended up with a far less enjoyable trip than what we have planned. Definitely required reading for anyone anticipating a Disney getaway.

This is a fantastic book. It gives an organized, thoughtful overview of every aspect of Disney World-- hotels, rides, food, events. Visiting Disney is NOT an inexpensive trip, and we wanted to see the things that were most important to us and not waste time on inappropriate rides or long lines. The Unofficial Guide gives great touring plans that you can modify to fit your particular needs and wants. THESE PLANS WORK! We weren't militant about them, but used their general guidelines. I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old, and the suggestions for age-appropriate rides and shows are quite accurate. Our trip was 2 weeks ago, and we are still basking in the glow of a succesful vacation. DO follow the book's recommendations to make reservations for the Fantasmic! show and for Cinderella's Table. Great book, don't go to Disney World without it.

Want tons of information about everything you need to know before going to DisneyWorld? Then this is the book you need. It details every aspect in a well layed out format that allows you to read as much/little as you want. What you will find is you read more than less due to the wonderful tips that will help you save money and spend your time wisely. Great information on the parks, the restaurants, places to stay (on and off campus) and a wealth of other information such as: only have one day for a park? there is a rip out map to show you how to maximize your time! Want a specific type of food? the restaurants are listed categorically. (TIP: set your reservations months in advance!) Need a direct phone number to pretty much anywhere that takes calls in the parks? its there.

The only 'con' i will throw out is that the pictures are few and then not in color. This is more by design than a real flaw. Plenty of other park books have full color pics if that's what you want. I ended up ordering both types as my 10 year old daughter wanted something to look at too. (I stuck with this one, she loves her book.)

I am an admitted Disney fanatic - I have two rooms in my home that are disneyfied. I own a disney time share and I used to work for the disney store when my children were little. I never miss an opportunity to go to Disney. Everytime we go to Disney, I buy another one of these books. Not only are they realistic, not just the standard Disney line, the touring maps that they give are ExCELLENT! We have used their maps and guidelines everytime and they have been awesome. Yes, you criss-cross the parks at times but the shorter wait times made it so worth the effort!! It may seem ridiculous to plan your day like that but do it just ONE time and you will be hooked!! We will not go to WDW without it!!

The book has been very informative so far. It has answered a lot of the questions we had and is helping us to plan our trip. It is a great guide when going to Disney.

I've bought several Disney books and this one has more than enough information. I don't think they've forgotten anything. I love that it includes the opinions of many, many people. Would highly recommend to anyone that's got the Disney "bug."

After using Birnbaums Official Guide for years I thought I would follow Consumers Report listing the Unofficial Guide as the better book. I found this book to contain way too much info, and difficult to find the specific info I wanted. I primarily wanted info about the 2008 Disney dining plan. ( I did order the 2008 version) This book had lots of info, but it was based on the 2007 plan. Disney changed the plan for 2008. Also, the unofficial guide didn't know that rooms in the Carribean Beach resort are larger than rooms in the other moderate resorts. Also, some of their suggestions don't make sense. Such as never take a room that overlooks the parking lot. The view of the parking lot is fine, and generally less expensive. After all day in the parks, all most people are going to look at is the inside of their eyelids. (They are going to be asleep)I am going back to the Birnbaum Official Guide. It has just as much info but in a much easier to use format.

This was our first trip to Disney and we used this book as our guide. We attended during Easter weekend/spring break, a very busy season. We (wife and 5 children) visited the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, MGM, and Blizzard Beach. This book made our trip truly unbelieveable. If you go there without a plan you'll wait in very long lines. This book has very important tips and plans that will ensure that you don't wait in lines, see all the great attractions, and get plenty of rest. If you have the chance to get this book before your trip GET IT. We carried it with us in the parks as well. It NEVER let us down. Going to Disney with out a plan is a huge mistake, and this book will make sure that your very expensive trip is profitable in every way. We had a truly magical time and it was in very large part due to the incredible help that this book provided. I can't recommend it highly enough. Get this book, read and heed! You'll be glad that you did!

Very thorough and very detailed. Takes on a different tone than PassPorter or Birnbaum's. Gives the good, bad and ugly of Disney....everything you need to know and more. I have all 3 of these Disney planners and this is by far the most thorough. Although it can be negative in some places, it is just giving you a realistic view. Touring plans are GREAT!

Do your research and your trip to WDW will be smooth sailing. We bought two guides before our trip and this one was far and away the most useful, from reviews of each and every attraction and restraunt, to things you might otherwise overlook, like the talking trashcan in Tomorrowland. The tour plans are great, even though we didn't really follow them to the letter, we knew where the attractions were so we weren't just wandering around aimlessly.

I viewed via the bookstore just about every Disney guide available and this one was by far the best! It has great insider info, helped us plan before going to Disney (didn't waste time going to the rides the kids weren't tall enough to ride and used other parent's advice for guidance).
We did not stay at a Disney resort so that part of the book was not useful to us but everything else it contains (and I mean everything you could want to know) made our trip wonderful. Definitely worth the price and then some!

I bought this book after a friend of mine bought it. I've been to Disney World 4 times, and figured that I know almost everything I needed to know. I really bought the book so I can get excited about my trip.
After I began reading however, I realized that there is a whole side to Disney that I didn't know about. The author gives interesting trivia about some of the most popular rides (like those tiny cars in the Peter Pan ride). He also gives a list of shopping places inside and outside the park. I never knew that Japan in Epcot had a Hello Kitty/Yu-gi-oh store! He also lists a couple of places that I never knew excisted, like a miniature train track near Germany. He also gives driving routes to avoid traffic jams if you are staying outside the park.
The only reason I don't give this book a 5 out of 5 is because I think the author is sometimes a bit too negative about Disney. I understand that he wants to remain as impartial as he can, but sometimes the negative sarcasm is a bit too much. Don't let this scare you from buying the book though. It really is worth it, because you learn EVERYTHING there is to know about Disney. This book is great for first-time travelers and the veterans!

The book is big. It contains over 800 pages. However this does not imply that there is a lot of information in the book. The first hundreds of pages just repeat -and repeat -and repeat that when you visit Disney that you have to be at the gates 1 hour before opening. I think I understood the message halfway. For a lot of people the crowd descriptions may be tuirn down to go!
Everyone go to Disneyworld for the rides. The reviews of the rather poor. Just approx 15 lines average per ride. All Disney rides score 3 to 5 stars. Even the well known plain old things. The reviews of the Universal and Seaworld rides are basically the same, although there range is from 1 to 5 stars.
My conclusion is that the book is nice to read for first timer visitors, but for everyone who has *ever* visited a themepark bfore (Disney of non-Disney) hardly interesting.

This book is full of very useful information and gives access to a website to view updates. It is a great companion to the Passporter travel guide. I never buy anything else for my Disney trips.

I suggest getting the book "top 10 orlando" on top of this book. The Unofficial Guide has over 800 pages and I found it is quite overwhelming.
The "top 10 orlando" is a smaller guide and helped me figure out the attractions that I most wanted to see.
I am using this book "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" to research the information further and have post it notes to bookmark the pages that I need.
This book is full of great information while not all of it is information I myself needed. The "accomodations section" takes up over 150 pages and we already knew what hotel we were staying at. So we didn't need all of that information. However it did provide great tips on the hotel we did choose as far as using a Rental car vs. the bus service that disney provides and which rooms were better to have.
I highly recommend this book for the main research on your trip. I would not recommend trying to take a trip to Orlando without a guide book and a plan or you will be lost.

I believe the book is very thorough and I especially like the layout of each part of your trip. The pages in the back of the book you can tear our and use as a guide or a schedule for your tours and trips.

Pros: We have been going to Walt Disney World since the mid-1970s and still find updated versions of this guide useful. For first time visitors, it is essential to get a feel for what is interesting to your family's age group. The book has suggested itineraries for each park for different length stays. This information helps decide which parks to visit and which rides to go on. For experienced families, it includes little know and fun facts. For everyone the restaurant reviews are essential. A description of the menu items, prices, and level of service is given. There are so many to choose from and the selections are not just fries and hamburgers.

Cons: It would be nice if the information was more up to date. For instance, restaurant infomation is dated. Each version of the book has said Boma has no steam tables. That is just not true, its a buffet! The book doesn't fully explore and rate the two waterparks and Disney Quest. Unless you know they are there, it is hard to find them in the book.

We just completed our 3rd Disney vacation, I wish I knew about this book for the first two visits. The information is detailed and very helpful. From where to stay to what the rides are like, prices, everything you could possibly think to ask. Each park is laid out in an informative and interesting manner. They also have a great website that adds to the book even more. The touring plans are great. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to a friend, in fact I given my other guides away this is the only one I kept.

I used their 2004 edition to go to WDW and had a blast ... this edition is not as complete but it's updated and still got a lot of information ... definetly a must !!!

My husband and I loved the touring plans included in this book. Filled with insider information and helpful tips for those of us who have not been to Disney in 25+ years! I would definitely recommend this book to those who are looking to save money and time.

I have read at least 6 books (some borrowed some bought) and this is the only one I will bring with me to Disney. If you are going to WDW buy this book NOW! It doesn't sugar coat Disney World; it tells you the truth about parks, hotels, and restaurants. I love how it gives different itineraries for different scenarios. I also used there website to build my own itinerary. The only thing I didn't like was the room descriptions, it was hard to tell which area of the hotel they were talking about sometimes. Other than that, I found out how to make my character breakfast reservations and which ones to go to!

This is an excellent guidebook for all things Disney World. It also has good info about surrounding attractions like Sea-World and Universal Studios. The main reason I like this series of guidebooks is that the infomation is really detailed and well written. It explains anything and everything about all the resorts, tickets, packages, restaurants, theme parks, rides, attractions, and more. Now, for the bad part: the info in this guide is 99.99% the same as last year's. I know there aren't many changes to Disney World, but the important ones (MGM now Hollywood Studios, Dining Package changes, etc.) are not mentioned at all which could prove really frusterating for a non Disney fanatic who's not constantly up to date with everything going on in the World. This is not info necessary to having a good vacation, but still it should have been changed. Overall, this guide is very intuitive in its explanations and info. I highly recommend it!

I consistently find this guide book to be really informative and helpful. I love the input from other readers, and I like that it gives all viewpoints. One of the things I find this particularly useful for is to help me decide which restaurants to try. If this book gives a restaurant a high percentage mark for satisfaction, it's usually been a good experience for me too! It's just as informative for other things at Disney as well. Keep up the great work!

The 2008 edition is excellent as usual. Keep up the great work! As far as the general Disney World guide books go (as opposed to the specialized ones for disability, luxury disney or queue line entertainment) this is my favorite. I get a lot from this book and I do recommend it highly.

We are a family of 5, with 2 younger teenagers and one grade school kid. We had only 2 days in Orlando. This book was very helpful to us in deciding where to stay (Buena Vista Palace, short drive to parks, walking distance to Downtown Disney) and how to structure our 2 days (1 at Epcot, 1 at Magic Kingdom). I did not realize the great advantage to arriving early in the morning- using our own variation of the itineraries this guide described, we were able to see nearly everything we wanted, in a manner that preserved sanity and family harmony. I highly recommend it!

We go to WDW every year and every year I purchase this book. The first year I decided to use their touring plans, in 1998, my family told me I was over planning, they balked, but eventually went along with my plan. They were sold. We didn't wait hours in lines, saw the best shows in the best seats, ate in the best restaurants, and really got our money's worth. A vacation to the "World" is expensive, why wouldn't you want to make the most of your trip? Buy this book, you won't be sorry.

Great Book. I have read it from cover to cover and now feel that I am ready to tackle Disney with my family, without fear. I cross reference it with the diney book by Birnbaum's ( which has more pictures) and I have outlined the good and bad for my family...

This is a book I have purchased over-and-over-and-over. It's THE book I give as a gift to friends traveling to Walt Disney World. It's a shame that reviews need to be written with each printing and if you look at prior year reviews, this book continues to be positively rated. The high ratings are well deserved.

Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa have consistently written THE travel book for those obsessed with WDW to those making their first foray into Walt Disney World-Orlando. The authors also run a most helpful website (available free to purchasers of the book) and have always been responsive to book purchasers who have questions and comments (via email.)

There is no reason to rehash all the positive and well written reviews. My only comment would be that if you have purchased prior year editions, the new 2008 version has lots of new information, worth throwing another $14 at!

An outstanding product. Everyone going to Disney World should read this book. A Disney experience is expensive. And, if ill-planned, can result in an exhausting nightmare. But, if you read this book ahead of time (and implement its recommendations) you'll have a WONDERFUL time!

There are enough reviews here to know that this book offers much. The question you must ask yourself is whether or not you can be ruled by a book on your vacation. When it comes to Disney World, I most certainly can. The first time I bought the Unofficial Guide, I followed it completely and breezed (ok, as much as one CAN breeze) through the park, while a co-worker, there one week prior to my family left in the frustration in the middle of the day. I purchased the latest edition for a trip there this past October and it worked like a charm most of the time. Then I cheated, got in a couple of short lines early in the afternoon and put things out of whack; still enjoyed that whole day, but you see what I'm getting at. If you can stand to skip a ride with a short line you can see in favor of one across the park just because the guide says so, then that guide is your best friend. If you can't, you will still probably enjoy the book for all it's other information, but don't think you can only pay attention to the tour route when you find it convenient; my personal experience says you cannot.

I'm real split on this guide book - on the one hand they provide a lot of useful information (best times to go, maps, touring suggestions) but so much of the book includes opinions from readers. I can see how that might appeal to some people, but for me I am not interested in what other visitors experienced. What works for me and my family probably won't translate to another and vice versa.

I expect everybody has their own opinion on what they prefer to see on vacation and with that said there is far too much opining in this book and not enough objectivity. I would much rather have a concise guide explaining the many attractions in Disney World and less anecdotal quotes about how long a line was.

Just so you know what you are getting, the editors of this book even include letters from readers complaining about the (gasp)CHILDREN at Disney World. Oh the horror! And as often as the editors say they enjoy Disney World, they spend more time mocking and complaing about the parks than they do in praise of them. I could see someone actually being turned off to take their vacation here after reading this book.

To be fair though, this book does offer incredible insight on how to navigate ones way around a place as massive as Disney World. Schedules, maps, suggested itineraries are exactly what I was lookign for in a guide book, and the Unoffical Team delivered in that regard.

Too much editorializing, more facts please. Thank you!

Like other reviews have said, this new version doesn't have much about the new things at Disney for 2008, so if you have the 2007 version you should probably just stick with that. But if you haven't bought a Disney guidebook yet, you should know that this one is a must. It has probably a thousand little bits of information to help you plan your trip, especially if you're planning to go to Universal Studios as part of your vacation. The other book I would recommend is the The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World 2008, especially if you're planning to spend a large number of days at Disney. It has the most information about Disney World and is filled with gorgeous color photos.

We have purchased an Unofficial Guide before every trip to WDW and each time we learn so much more. It makes the difference between letting WDW control you and getting want you want out of your trip. If you don't like lines, purchase this book.

My husband and I are planning a trip with our youngest 3 to WDW. This book has been invaluable in the planning. From lodging (on-property and off-property) to ticket prices to special events we wouldn't have been able to attend had we not reserved in advance, this book is a great tool. It also gives tips on how to tour the different theme parks to minimize wait times.

Disney also has a way of packaging things that makes it hard to compare pricing, and I am always thinking that they are trying to get more out of their visitors than necessary. This Guide also helps us break down their packages. Knowing that we are going to spend a lot of money on this trip, this resource helps us to get the most for our money.

I have made many trips to Disney World with and without kids. Everytime, I have used the Unofficial Guide to plan the trips. These guides have saved me countless hours and money. Over the years, I have also read many other Disney Guides but none compare to this one! Everything you ever wanted or needed to know (and then some) about having a great trip to Disney World are included in these guides.

We have used these books for our last 5 trips to Walt Disney World and would never go without it. It's the best!!

I am one who studies much before we go to Disney. This book contains everything that you need to know before you go! It is the best!

I took a chance on this book based another Disney fan's feedback. What a pleasant surprise! This book is wonderful reference. I love Disney and also frequent Sea World, Universal Studios and other parks. After visiting Disney World 8 times and purchasing at least 5 Birnbaum guides, I found this 'unofficial' guide very insightful and conveniently up-do-date. There are many great maps and even information about things outside of Disney World. It is my new 'must have' for planning the best vacation possible.

Get this if it's your first or twenty-first trip to WDW. I have been to WDW 3 out of the last 4 years, plan on returning in late '08, and have bought this book each of the last 5. The book offers extensive and interesting assistance for "The World" and will make anyone's trip easier. So much so, even a 'seasoned' Disney Traveler will find it helpful & informative. With info on Lodging, Dining, the Parks, Attractions, Rides..... You'll get "Touring Plans" to help streamline your days in each park, links for updates to help keep-up with the ever-changing Disney experience! The investment in this book is absolutely negligible when compared to (let's face it) a visit to see Mickey! Buy it & read it, read it again. Each time, you'll learn something new to help you have the best Disney Vacation You could wish for....your first......or twenty-first!

I buy a new "Unofficial Guide" every year. It is one of the best Disney World books I have read.(And I have read A LOT of them)

This guide is the most informative guide on the market. You can't possibly go wrong.

A must read for any trip to Walt Disney World. Packed with useful information and tips. Should be read as soon as you make arrangements for your trip since there is a lot of information that is critical to successfully planning your trip to the World.