Theme Parks Books

This is the most informative book on the market for persons about to journey to Walt Disney World. It is absolutely essential if you want to approach your WDW vacation with knowledge enough to make the most of it. My advice is to purchase the most recent edition, as it is updated each year to include new attractions, and there are always new attractions. The book is filled with information about hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, and attractions throughout the entire Disney property. I have made about 25 trips to WDW, and I buy a new one each year I go so that my information is current. Well worth the reasonable price.

This book is a must to own when planning your trip to Disney. Alot of very useful information that other travel guides do not have. I loved this book alot it helped me plan my trip.

I was very impressed with this book. It was very informative and covered every subject concerning a Disney vacation, from what to pack and how to get there, to planning your itinerary and figuring your budget. It also gives info on the different resorts and restaraunts in the Disney park and their price ranges. There are illustrations on every page, my kids can't put it down. It describes every attraction and gives it's location as each park is divided into sections. It covers transportation needs, including the surrounding areas like Downtown Disney,Pleasure Island, Boardwalk, and downtown Disney West Side, and what they entail. Several water parks are also discribed. It even breaks down the Florida weather for each month so you can choose when to go. The book offers tips on saving money, avoiding crowds, and etc. It gives schedules for character meals and labels her "Birnbaum's Best" for best family restaraunts, best dinner shows, best fireworks view, and many more. There are even money saving coupons in the back of the book that are good through December of this year. I plan on taking this book with me on my trip this year to use as a guide.

We just got the book a few days ago, and my husband and I can't put it down! We were already excited about our anticipated trip to Disney World next year, but this book is heightening the excitement! Lots of information on lodging, food and the parks, what more could you want?

This was the book we used on our first visit to Walt Disney World. We would never have gotten around Walt Disney World without this book. If you have never been to Walt Disney World I recommend that you really get a copy of this book or the most current version of it. If you really enjoy Walt Disney World like we did you may want to hold on to your copy of this book. It is just as much a souvenir as anything else you may purchase on your visit. This book will hold fond and cherished memories for you and your family.

This book is like three books in one. It's a travel guide, a picture book and a trivia book. We tried to buy it at Borders but they were out, so I got it here. Great information and fun to read.

With over 400 full color pictures, the Complete Walt Disney World 2008 is my favorite guide book for WDW. For Disney fans, it's great to pickup this book and read detailed information and fun facts about each Disney attraction. This book is the definitive Disney handbook.

I couldn't recommend this book enough. It has thorough explanations, backstories and hidden gems for anything and everything in Walt Disney World. My only gripe would be an adjustment to the "wait times" portion of each attraction. Nearly all of the attractions show just a minimum (early morning) and maximum (peak afternoon) wait time, giving large ranges that aren't very helpful. I don't have the newest version (I have the 2007 version), but the range for "it's a small world" was 5-60 minutes. I feel that average wait times would be far more useful in this area.

I am so impressed with this colorful, helpful guidebook! I got it for my family so we could plan a trip to Disney World, and we all love it. All the hundreds of photos helped immensely to help us "get our bearings" before leaving for our vacation. The pictures helped the kids pick out their favorite rides for us to go on.

The Accommodations chapter helped us pick out where to stay during our trip. We didn't realize there were actual animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge! We stayed there, and had a ball.

The writing is so smart and funny! I actually laughed out loud when I read the Hall of Presidents article, about when the Abe Lincoln character kept malfunctioning and hitting itself in the head. It was also fun to read about The Simpson's parody of the attraction. There is interesting and unusual information throughout the book, more than any other guidebook I've ever seen.

I'm very glad I decided to get this book! Enthusiastically recommended!

I am a true Disney fanatic. I have more than a dozen books that review the World, but this one has so many interesting details and yes, as it states, great pictures too. It is worth the cost and is very entertaining. It doesn't have the same information that you find in most of the other books out there, but new interesting info and a history of where most of the attractions and what inspired them came from. I highly recommend this guide to anyone who enjoys Disney!

This is a really useful book, tons of tips, saved me a lot $$ and time. The most valuable thing I learn is to rent a multi-family vacation house with my friends, 16 people for $199 a day. We all enjoy the stay at a luxury emerald island resort. check this out: http://www.cyberrentals.com/index.cfm/property/126687

This book is indispensable for the neophyte Disneyland visitor, with spot-on strategies for avoiding lines, ratings for key aspects of rides (age appropriateness, motion sickness potential, etc.) and excellent one- and two-day tour plans. The only respect in which I found it lacking is that it did nothing to prepare me for the truly astounding awfulness of Disney food. For every tiny, hidden pocket of not-totally-revolting fare there are five huge palaces of expensive grease, the purportedly "upscale" venues not excepted. After feeding our child at a lunch place to which she literally beggged us not to return, waiting an hour to be seated (with reservations!)at the Blue Bayou and staring in amazement at the staggeringly bad dollar-to-nutritional-value ratio of Ariel's Grotto, I concluded this book could usefully include an entire chapter on eating strategies. One day of this garbage won't kill anyone, but two or more days of it - oy!

I bought this book because we found the WDW version to be very helpful. This was not as comprehensive, but still had more information than any other book we have found. They have excellent ideas for touring the parks which can save lots of time. You don't have to follow the touring plans step by step to benefit from them. If you follow their suggesion you should have a very magical vacation.

On our first trip to Disneyland, we found this book invaluable. We used it to help plan our day, reviewing the book the night before so we had a plan of attack for the next day. We made sure we got to all the Must See attractions. I highly recommend the book for anyone new to Disneyland.

We are travelling to Disneyland very shortly from Australia. This book gave us alot to think about and had plenty of tips to beat the crowds and costs.

This is a definate buy if your planning to go to Disneyland, and would highly recommend it !!

Ummmmm.... This book was ok... The text was to simple and almost no pictures were shown. Also, nobody needs activitys in a travel book! But, it fun to read and learn about disney world.
THE VIRDICT: Check before you buy!

This is a really useful book, tons of tips, saved me a lot $$ and time. The most valuable thing I learn is to rent a multi-family vacation house with my friends, 16 people for $199 a day. We all enjoy the stay at a luxury emerald island resort. check this out: http://www.cyberrentals.com/index.cfm/property/126687

I loved this book and think it is great for children! I heard that it had lots of the same info as the other books, but I really liked the fact that I did not have to worry about the children messing up my book or losing it. They had their own book which spared us the frustration of trying to all share one! The pictures and text are very exciting and it has made my children even more anxious to get there! We all wish it was tomorrow!!

I read this for my daughters (2 and 5) and found it helpful in deciding which rides to prioritize and which ones to avoid. It gives a kids perspective of what's dark, scary, rough or wild. It's also fun to look at the pictures with the kids although it would be nicer with more photos from Disney and fewer cartoons.

I bought this book for my daughter (age 9) before our upcoming trip. She loved it and has read it over and over and is planning things she wants to do. It is a very good value and contains information the kids want to know such as if an attraction is loud, dark, wet, etc...

After reasearching, and riding coasters I soon fell in love with them. This book is an awesome must have book, even if you don't like reading. This book is packed with great color photos, and interesting and exciting facts. Talks about the highest, fastest, and coolest coasters. If you love coasters, or reading this book is awesome!

This book is out of date, but it has great coaster pics. I wish that the author would revise this book - add more up to date coasters and more park reviews. That would make it great.

I am an enthusiast amd I love this book! HUGE color photos and detailed descriptions. This book is worth every penny.

This is a marvellous guide to roller coasters around the world, from the new, parabolic kind (e.g. Steel Phantom - Kennywood Park Pittsburgh, Viper - Six Flags L.A.) to the classic wooden coasters such as Thunderbolt (Kennywood), Collossus (Six Flags Great America), Comet (Six Flags Great Escape) and the Cyclone (Astronland, Coney Island). It also reports on the extremely exciting developments in Europe (Pepsi Scream Machine - Blackpool; plus the new wooden wooden sensation in rural Wales). For the devoted enthusiast this is the ultimate guide.

First of all, the photos in this book are just great! There are loads of excellent panoramic photos of big rides (Raptor and Mean Streak for example). The book also gives a good insight in the history of roller coasters.
Unfortunately there are some major mistakes. One example: It has a chapter about roller coaster designers which among others featuers Anton Schwarzkopf, who actually never designed a ride by himself. He was a great roller coaster builder, but all of his designs were done by a brilliant engineer named Werner Stengel. He designed about half of all coasters still running today (rides like Mantis, Raptor, Millennium Force, Great American Revolution, Expedition GeForce...) and is not mentioned in this book at all.
This from my point of view is serious and makes me thinking about what else is wrong in this book which I don't know about...

This book is awesome! I love all the concept art and stories behind all the attractions. Very good buy!!

The book list the "mountains" that have been build inside the Disney theme parks. Most thrill rides in these parks are located in mountains. SpaceMountain, SplashMountain etc.
Disadvantage is that the book mainly focus is on the American Disney Parks, HongKong, Tokio and Paris are hardly mentioned.
The book contains nice artist impressions of the Disney imagineers. However the technical drawings that are also interesting are missing.

Conclusion nice coffee table book, that you probably will read just once.

If you are Disney Theme Park Fan. A fan who loves the mountain ranges of Disneyland, then this book is for you. A lavish book that covers all the Mountain Ranges in all the Parks. Amazing drawings and explanations of all these fantastic mountain based rides in the Disney Theme Parks. This is a great behind the scenes look at some of the best Disney Thrill Coasters and a complete look and how they were designed and built. Excellent!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, but had a lot of detailed information on how the Imagineers took Walt's original ideas and made them into reality. It has a lot of great original concept art as well as photos of the original models that were constructed of each project. If you are a Disney 'Geek', you will love this book.

I really enjoyed this book. This the third book Jason Surrell has written about rides in the disney parks and although it isn't the most detailed of the three, it's still excelent in it's own right. His first two books,
The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies &
Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kindom to the Movies (Welcome Book)
are excelent very detailed stories of each ride at the various parks. The only reason The Disney Mountains comes in 3rd, is because it covers ten different rides (One of which, never came to be) and obviously cannot fit the same amount of detail in a book the same length as the previous two. Still though, a great read and fun for people that love the Disney Parks.

This book has everything that you want to know about Disneyworld. I used it many times, planning our trip.

This guide is perfect for someone going to WDW for the first time who just wants a general overview of fun things to see and do. It has lots of great pictures, and it's very easy to read. It does not get into the "nuts and bolts" of navigating around a themepark all day, and it certainly isn't objective, but it's perfect for the casual vacationer looking to get excited about their trip!

I found this book to be very helpful in all details. Although the maps are smaller and more difficult to see detail than the ones you pick up at the parks, they're not bad and are helpful for advance planning. I found the food section to be especially useful and you can trust what they say about the attractions. There are also some excellent tips to help you "navigate" your WDW experience and minimize the frustrations. The only complaint I have is that the pages don't tear out easily. I like to tear out just the pages or sections I want to take along each day so I don't have to carry the whole book. The strong high quality paper was not easily coaxed out and sometimes tore the printed part of the page. A box cutter would help, but who travels with those now?

I have been to Walt Disney World in FL many times (at least 12 in the past 10 years, I've lost track), and I still found things out about WDW that I never knew. It's helping me to plan my upcoming trip with ease.

For people who have never been to WDW- YOU NEED THIS BOOK! Let me tell you, WDW is bigger than San Francisco and it's countless resorts, restaurants, rides, shows and attractions can be overwhelming if you don't have a game plan. You will miss key things if you don't buy this guide.

The book highlights all the attractions in each of the 4 theme parks, plus Downtown Disney, the Disney Cruise Line, Waterparks, Resorts and recreation. It also has an extremely helpful "Good meals, great times" chapter which makes it easy to find the restaurants that are right for you. Many helpful bonus features are sample itineraries, character meal guides, timing tips and more.

I highly recommend this book- these people know WDW. I also highly recommend Walt Disney World!! So book your vacation today!

My boyfriend and I went to Disney for Spring Break this year and are planning another trip for either August or December. I need to replace my edition because it got wet during one of florida's storms. Anyway, this book is so well worth the price, it pays for itself quick. Not only do they give times when the parks are less crowded, it also gives descriptions of every resort, ride, restaurant, and absolutely anything else associated with the Mouse. The dining guides are especially helpful, they give price guides of which restaurants offer cheap options, since I'm a poor college student, lol. Also, they tell you which restaurants have vegeatarian options, a BIG plus for me being a vegetarian for 10 years. i read an earlier review about the Alien ride being closed, it will not be reopened unfortunately, they are making a Lilo and Stitch ride in its place. The tips in the book about the parades and Fantasmic are especially helpful, see the last show when it's offered---it's much less crowded!!! Also, if you don't want to see an earlier parade, go to Toon Town to see the characters or hop on a ride, the lines are far less daunting. Needless to say, I'm very grateful for the Birnbaum guide, i'm hooked for life:)

Gosh, golly, WOW!!!! Universal is great!!! This is about the extent of Ms. Monaghan's guide. You might as well get your information direct from Universal--at least then it's free.

This book was very helpful, it allowed us to be organized and well informed before every getting to the parks!

This is an excellent book for anyone intending to visit Universal Orlando. I bought several books and this is the only one that gives in depth details about the Universal parks. It describes each ride/show in great detail - very useful for groups with a coward like me in the party who does not want make a wrong decision to go on a ride and be unexpectedly scared out of my wits. At the same time the descriptions hold back enough so that all of the detail is not given away. Great descriptions of park dining opportunities, places to stay, ticketing options and all you need to know for these parks. The information is also all up to date and current, unlike some similar books which have out of date information. No pictures however and that is a pity.

I think that this is the best guidebook that covers Universal and one of the best guidebooks period. It helped us tremendously when we first visited the Universal parks and we continue to use it as a handy reference. It's well written and fun to read too. I heartily recommend it.

You can't go wrong with this book. Very up-to-date and thorough information. It is the best we have found on the market. If you are going to Universal, you must have this guide!

As a Disney World veteran, I still found this guidebook helpful. It has wonderful suggestions for adult and couples activities. There is also detailed information about Disney's resorts and event the concierge level rooms and suites (information that is difficult to find in other guidebooks).

I used this book to help plan my honeymoon in Disney, and it came in very handy! All of the little nooks and crannies they suggest are there, though the Japanese garden was tough to find. One item that I would have given higher marks to was the Bistro de Paris. Expect to spend at least 1.5 hours on dinner, but if you time it right (about 7:30) and ask for a window seat facing the lagoon, you should be having coffee just in time for Illumination with no crowds to fight. They gave it one heart short of perfect, but the above made it the standout dinner of the honeymoon!

This is the most comprehensive guide available for adults going to Disney. Not only does it cover all of the activities that you can do at the parks, but it also gives great tips for romantic interludes. The format is very well organized and the writing is straightforward and genial. The only drawback I perceived was the authors' bias in favor of certain resorts and restaurants. Unlike some other guides, however, this book is not just one giant ad for Disney. It gives the good and the bad about all of the attractions, resorts, and dining. Some of the information is a little outdated (especially concerning pricing and availability of certain planning materials), but overall it is a very solid guide, especially for couples who want a little romance while visiting the happiest place on earth.

The Perlmutter's have done an wonderful job of outlining the wonders of Disney for several years. Their book covers the romance of each Disney attraction, the general enjoyment/impression of each item, and they provide enough information about each item so that the reader can make a decision that's informed enough to say, "well, they didn't think it was too great, but that sounds perfect for my partner and me."

Truly, if you are going to Disney without too many children (though the Perlmutter's also do a great job of describing how to enjoy Disney's romance WITH children around), then you owe it to yourself to purchase this book. My wife and I have never been disappointed by their observations and having lived in Florida for several years we have been to WDW far too many times! You can of course enjoy the romance of Disney without this book; however, doing so is similar to the difference between saying, "I love you" to your partner as you both head out the door to work or saying, "When the sun reflects off of your hair each morning I can't help but fall in love with you all over again" while you're holding him/her in your arms. - Or saying something MUCH more eloquent if that just turned your stomach! :)

In preparation for our January 2003 trip to Disney World, I bought just about every book available (5 in all) to assist me in the planning process, including this one-- which looked promising. I've discovered that the key to a good Disney Guidebook is in its TIMLINESS. Things are constantly changing at Disney. That being said, it's important to note that while this book says "2002-2003" on the cover, the prices reflect those for 2001 and so do some of the attraction suggestions. While I know it must be challenging trying to keep up with all those changes, the Unofficial Guidebooks and others have done a MUCH better job of keeping pace. I would suggest that the Perlmutter's take it one year at a time in terms of publishing dates in order to deliver the best quality product for their readers. I will say that some of their suggestions are worthwhile, as long as they are still available.

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World is all you'll need to plan the perfect Walt Disney World vacation!
This book tells you everything you need to know from A - Z. After reading it, you'll feel like you just got back from Walt Disney World.
Birnbaum's Walt Disney World is perfect for first time visitors or for returning vacationers. It will help you pick a hotel, decide which rides to ride, where to eat and when to go. This book is a priceless vacation tool.
You will find because Walt Disney World is always changing that some of the information is outdated, just make sure you get the most recent edition. For instance, if you're going in 2006, get the 2006 edition instead of this 2005 edition.
This is a fabulous book!

Book is #1 to me. So informative, a must have for first timers or people who have been time and time again.

Park ticket prices in the book were not the same as the actual purchase price. The book has good infromation for planning a vacation, especially at Christmas time.

I love this book. It was the very first guide that I read. However, it has to be taken in perspective. This book is even better en tandem with The Unofficial Guide. Then you have all the information you could possibly need. The Unofficial Guide provides much needed balance, to the official line. This book will get you excited and high as a kite about your trip- which is great. It will tell you about all the wonderful things there are to do and great opportunities that are largely missed. The Unofficial will then proceed to give you a reality check about them and help you set realistic goals and have realistic expectations. This helps so that you're not disappointed. I used these two guides plus the Passporter (for organization) and we had the best trip in the world. We went in August, stayed on property, got around without having to rent a car or wait in long lines in the heat. We saw people looking like they were gonna pass out from heat exhaustion, but we sailed through our trip like a breeze and can't wait to go again. I read Fodor's, Frommer's (excluding the Irrevernt Guide), the Everything Guide, Rita Aero's,Eyewitness (waste of paper), Hassle Free Disney and tons more thru the years- NONE of the others are needed. The best plans are in the Unofficial guide, the best maps are in the official, the best planner is in the Passporter. The others were not used and not needed and a big waste of money.

This book has lots of useful information. The book is somewhat dated already. I realize that Disney changes frequently. If you are planning a trip for the end of 2005 or 2006 I would wait for the 2006 book to be released.