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The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2009 (Unofficial Guides) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $11.08
You Save: $8.91 (45%)
New (45) Used (12) from $11.08
Avg. Customer Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 1241
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 864
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.1 x 1.7
ISBN: 0470285702
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.06875924
EAN: 9780470285701
Publication Date: September 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW
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Product Description
More than 4 million copies sold! This series is the only one that offers evaluations based on reader surveys and critiques, compiled by a team of unbiased inspectors. • Hotels, attractions, and restaurants in all price categories • Extensive information on shopping, nightlife, and sports • Easy-to-use, two-color design • Detailed, 2-color maps From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World "A Tourist's Best Friend!"
—Chicago Sun-Times "Indispensable"
—The New York Times Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide: - Exclusively patented, field-tested touring plans that save as much as four hours of standing in line in a single day
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Tips, advice, and opinions from hundreds of Walt Disney World guests in their own words -
Almost 250 hotels rated and ranked for quality and value, including the top non-Disney hotels for families -
A complete Dining Guide with ratings and reviews of all Walt Disney World restaurants, plus extensive alternatives for dining deals outside the World -
Every attraction rated and ranked for each age group; extensive, objective, head-to-head comparisons of the Disney and Universal theme parks
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| Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...
 A great resource August 23, 2008
34 out of 36 found this review helpful
This venerable Walt Disney World guidebook covers all the bases... and then goes further. It has a no-nonsense, cynical tone that is refreshing and sometimes funny. Anyone planning a visit to Disney will benefit from it.
Sound strange coming from a competitor? Well, it shouldn't. Though I am the author of The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World, the two books approach Disney from different perspectives. Whereas mine is a standard-size book with lots of color photos and factual detail; this one is a huge tome with tons of fieldwork and opinion.
The 844-page book goes into exhaustive detail, especially about topics outside the theme parks. A full 171 pages are devoted to Accommodations, including layout maps of the different Disney resorts, maps showing where non-Disney hotels are located, how to shop online for lodging, and a list of recommended websites that are good resources for this topic. There is even a list of 33 questions to ask the owner or rental company of a vacation home you may want to rent.
I especially enjoy the reader comments. These italicized quotes are a guilty pleasure for me; I like trying to picture the person behind the words. One mom describes choosing a Cinderella character meal at 1900 Park Fare instead of trying to book Cinderella's Royal Table at Cinderella Castle: "It wasn't easy to get, but I was able to get a reservation only about two months in advance instead of the 180-days-and-atomic-clock routine that the Royal Table requires. Maybe someday we'll do the Royal Table, but this time my daughter was delighted with the dinner at 1900 Park Fare."
Often the comments are blunt: "Lodging a complaint with Disney is like shouting at a brick." I've found in my own work how knowledgeable and passionate many Walt Disney World guests are; the comments in the Unofficial Guide reflect this.
I also look for the boxed sidebars from Disneyphile Jim Hill, called "Disney Dish with Jim Hill." These bits of trivia are always interesting, and sometimes very funny.
New for this edition is a small section with photos. These 16 color pages are right up front, before the table of contents. I especially liked the photo comparing a Disney hamburger with a regular McDonald's hamburger.
As for the book having some factual errors, I know firsthand that that criticism is unwarranted. Disney changes its ticket prices more than once a year, some restaurants change their menus quarterly, and Disney's shops can reinvent themselves almost at the drop of a pin.
Despite what all of us in the Disney community like to think about ourselves, no book, no web site, even no Disney executive is a perfect source of Disney World information. The place is just too big, complex and dynamic. Overall, the authors of the Unofficial Guide do a good job keeping their information updated.
If you go to Walt Disney World without a plan, you can easily waste precious time by not knowing what to do, or by doing the wrong things. Having good information can make the difference between having a fun, memorable vacation and having a tense one. The Unofficial Guide is chock full of reliable information. It's a proven tool.
Here's the chapter list:
Introduction
Part One: Planning Before You Leave Home
Part Two: Making the Most of Your Time and Money
Part Three: Accommodations
Part Four: Serenity Now! A Look at Disney-area Spas
Part Five: The Disney Cruise Line
Part Six: Walt Disney World with Kids
Part Seven: Special Tips for Special People
Part Eight: Arriving and Getting Around
Part Nine: Bare Necessities
Part Ten: Dining in and around Walt Disney World
Part Eleven: The Magic Kingdom
Part Twelve: Epcot
Part Thirteen: Animal Kingdom
Part Fourteen: Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney World
Part Fifteen: Disney's Hollywood Studios, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld
Part Sixteen: The Water Parks
Part Seventeen: Beyond the Parks
Part Eighteen: Shopping in and out of Walt Disney World
Part Nineteen: Nightlife in and out of Walt Disney World
Appendix, Indexes, Touring Plans and Reader Surveys
List of Maps
Best overall guide to WDW planning August 18, 2008
11 out of 15 found this review helpful
This is the guide that I recommend to all newbies and even veteran WDW visitors and I find myself purchasing yearly. Why - it has the most thorough descriptions and experiences of WDW. I typically purchase the Official Guide every year as well for its colored photos primarily however the Unofficial Guide for substance and research. Everyone I have recommended it to was more prepared after reading the Unofficial Guide than any other guide. I also like the Passporter guide and I use them in conjunction with each other (I carry the passpockets). However, If I only could chose or recommend one guide this would be the one.
As is the case with most guides that reflect 2009 - they are typically published in 2008. I was pleased to see the the Unofficial Guide did note some changes in the 2009 guide that occurred at press. I also use and appreciate their associated website touringplans.com and have found it helpful when things have changed since the book went to press as well as other items like renovations, construction status (think Contemporary), ride closures etc that are not always known throughout the year. This has saved me in the past from family disappointment as some changes occur without a lot of notice (press events) and would have caused major angst. I do not find the WDW official website to provide an easy navigation experience so the fact that they have this feature in this high speed internet world is an additional tool. I think this is another differentiator compared to other WDW guides. Most do not have associated websites and if they do they may not be updated frequently. I also enjoyed the new pictures and they are a fantastic addition. Another noted feature in the book and website welcomes comments or even corrections to the guide. The previous reviewer has some very specific updates that I encourage him to write to the authors. I don't know that I would have noticed those specific ones the previous review noted but I understand the point being made. A couple of years ago I noted changes that happened mid year that were in the book but I found a bit different when I arrived on property and I figured what the heck I'll send a note to the author via the website and figured I would never hear anything. Not only did I receive a reply but the update was noted on the website. I've never filled out the complete Reader Survey myself but I appreciate the comments from other readers that have done so and I have chuckled at the descriptions or opinions given. I may not always agree with an opinion but have been able to understand what the writer meant by their observation which was in itself helpful.
The fact that the book makes references to other websites, books and forum sites is another bonus. I also prefer the use of experts in their research. You don't see this noted extensively in many of the other books I've purchased or perused. Every year I'll pick up a new or try an updated version of a different WDW guide book and am typically not wowed. The free touring plans and very helpful. I admit being initially skeptical about them, however having utilized them, I now highly recommend reviewing them to get a sense of various viewing options. The book has also grown substantially over the years. I typically use it planning before a trip and I do not carry it to go to the park but will review it when I get back to the hotel. I don't carry the book due to its heft however I have cut out the plans and other items in the back of the book which is great that they keep this up.
I frankly have found this book has made the difference between people arriving on site being completely overwhelmed and lost vs. being prepared. Being prepared doesn't take the mystique out of WDW - its an incredible place, but its easy to be swept away not like floating down the Lazy river in a tube but tumbling feet over head landing in a 90 minute line with no fast pass, exhausted, crumpled map in hand wondering why this is fun?! You do not need to be a "commando" tourer to appreciate this book. While this was my style in years past I found as a casual tourer reviewing some of the suggestions and guidelines makes a huge difference in alleviating stress. WDW is huge and vast and exciting and magical. We try to visit at least twice a year and even then I am always amazed at how many things change year after year.
Disney enthusiast dream come true!! September 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I had heard alot about this book but never dreamed it was so full of information in regards to Disney. It has a ton of helpful tips and alot of suggestions I would have never thought of. These guys definitely do a thorough job of covering just about everything at Disney and do all the research and leg work for you so you don't have to. I highly recommend this book for the Disney veteran as well as the first time traveler.
"....And STILL CHAMPION!!!......" August 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
We've gone to "The World" for 3 years now in a row, this year will be #4, our 5th total. I've purchased this book for 6. In fact, I've purchased just about every 'help' book on WDW there is out there! Sehlinger & Testa put out the best, hands down....period. They're un-biased, independent, honest, and fair. As a single parent of two boys, I just don't have the time to spend the absolute hours/days it would take to gather the info and do the research these folks do for me with teams of 'professionals' gathered by the authors! If you've never been to "The World" or never tried to plan to go there before, we who have can tell ya just how much and often 'Disney' changes just about anything you can think of. The 'Guide' even gives us a web-page where we can check for up-dates and changes 'Disney' makes. They provide the research to help you plan your day(s) in each park, in-depth info for each attraction, dining, lodging (on and off property), when to go...., just about anything you may need to plan your visit to see "The Mouse". You can't do any better nor find anything to help plan your vacation more thoroughly than using this book to get you started......'The Best Out There' and "....Still Champion!!!"...PERIOD!
Unofficial Guide to WDW will save you Time & Money September 30, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've been to Walt Disney World several times (5>10) and have used several guides over the years. However, none has come close to "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World". It is by far the best guide I've used. It is complete with maps, touring plans (that can save you hours of standing in line for rides), and tips and tricks that are tried and true. Remember, it is a guide, and the suggestions are just that; but the suggestions are spot on every time. If you only have a couple of days or two weeks to spend at Disney, you'll get 10x your money's worth from this book in the amount of time and headaches it will save you. The book is incredibly thorough and addresses issues such as visiting WDW with children, newlywed/first-time visitors, or if it's your 50th anniversary... there's information specific to just about every age group or touring group size imaginable. Read it before you go. Take it with you into the park (there are pocket-sized pull-out guides in the back of the book), and make your own notes for future visits. There's also a supporting website with last minute changes and updates that keeps up with the Official WDW information. Personnaly, I don't think you can go wrong with this book. Highly recommended, especially for first-time visitors to WDW in Orlando FL.
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