Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - The Complete Walt Disney World 2011

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Book Review - The Complete Walt Disney World 2011

About the Book
Like earlier editions, the travel guide rates and reviews nearly 700 attractions, restaurants, shops and hotels and offers hundreds of helpful tips. Theme parks are the heart of the book. Each ride and show is showcased on its own page or pages, with an insightful description, frank review, specs such as hour-by-hour wait times and often quirky bonuses such as Fun Finds and Hidden Mickeys. About a third of the 530 color photos are new for this edition. 
Parents will love the book's thoughtful focus on children. Included are creative ways to involve kids in planning a Disney vacation, Fear Factors for every ride and show, and many Family Matters theme-park tips. A Character Guide reveals where to meet Mickey Mouse and 80 other Disney stars. Young families in particular will find the book helpful, as the abundance of photos gives children a way to read it with their parents. “The Complete Walt Disney World 2011” is written by parents Julie and Mike Neal, who have visited Disney World nearly 2,000 times.
The only independent Disney guide ever honored by the Walt Disney Company, “The Complete Walt Disney World” is the winner of Disney's iParenting Media Award for Outstanding Family Product. Altogether the title has won 15 national and international book awards.
My Take on the Book 
I have purchased many Walt Disney World guide books over the years to help plan our trips to this magical spot in Florida. They were very helpful in planning ahead what we wanted to do and see, which restaurants or character breakfasts we planned to attend, the attractions  to visit and of course the resort we would chose to use as our home base while exploring Walt Disney World. However this is the most comprehensive guide I have ever seen, and I will say if you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World you really need to purchase this guide in planning your trip. Don't forget to take it with you too!

I would like to give you an overview of the guild book and why I see it as a valuable resource. ( There are so many chapters and helpful information that it will be difficult to share everything)

Each of the four parks,  water parks, Downtown Disney, ESPN Wild World of Sports, Tours of Walt Disney World, restaurants, hotels and resorts is highlighted with beautiful photos and maps or directions . .
You will find specific full page information about attractions, such as the type of attraction, how  long it lasts, wait time,  and the best time to ride. There are  fun facts such as the dust in the Haunted Mansion is actually an ingredient in kitty litter and where to watch for special ghosts along the tour.

The entertainment sections include where you will find the artist(s), what they perform,and the days of the week they perform. An example of this is, in Disney's Animal Kingdom there is a funnyman guitarist who performs in Camp Minnie-Mickey on Mondays through Fridays.

Is visiting a water park in your plans? If so you will find detailed information concerning what to bring, hours, specific attractions with details about the suitability for children or adults. Here is one example: Summit Plummet , an attraction at Disney's Blizzard Beach, is a steep body slide ride of 9-10 seconds. It is 360 feet tall with a drop of 120 feet  with a maximum speed of 60 mph.

Not only does the guide list the details of each Disney resort/hotel on the property, but it also lists and describes the non-Disney hotels on Disney property and hotels within a 10 mile radius. This should help planning with your budget in mind.

The last sections are equally valuable. They include a step by step suggested guide in planning your trip, activities and recipes you can experience in your home leading up to the vacation, and a list of Disney attractions that may have frightening elements for children.

Keep reading to the last chapter which is a real gem. Character greetings are an all important event with children and adults, so the authors have given you a detailed list of Disney characters and the location of the park you  will find this character. If Meeko, that rascally raccoon from "Pocohontas" is a favorite, look for him at Disney's Aminal Kingdom park, in Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Once again I highly recommend this guide book. It is well worth the money and will give you the peace of mind that you have planned your trip well and will enjoy every single  moment.   Have a magical day!!


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
 
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