5 comments about Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids, by Kids 2007 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids By Kids).

1. If you are planning a trip to Disney World and have kids...this is the book to buy! We have had so much fun reading, planning and preparing for our trip to Disney World. My little girl has memorized every page of this book and can't wait to take it to Disney with us for Character Autographs, Hidden Mickey Hints and so much more! This book is great for kids and adults, too. Lots of pictures, tips on Disney, entertainment for all, very helpful for your little one to feel involved in the trip planning. Also see the other Birnbaum Books...they are all terrific and fun for everyone...don't forget to take the book with you when you go!



2. My three grandchildren are going to Disney World in October this fall. I wanted to get something that was easy for them to read and understand. I can't wait until I can give them their own book. Their mom and I decided that we will take the suggestion in the book and wait until 10 days before we actually go. Their ages are 15, 10, and 7 and its the first time for them at Disney. This book has a lot of helpful hints and the more organized we are when we go the less time we will be wasting. 7 people altogether and thats a lot of people making decisions. I am writing an agenda so we don't miss a thing. Don't take everything the reviewers say as gospel. It's all a decision for each kid to make but this will help a lot. The cost is so much, we all want to make the most of a 7 day trip.



3. When planning our annual trip to Disney I alway order one of these as there are great kids tips and fun things for the kids to look at and anticipation of the big trip. We are huge fans and go every year our daughter is already planning the next trip out she is only 3. This guide book is her favorite thing to look and and remember wonderful times.



4. As a travel agency I have recommended Birnbaum's Walt Disney guide for years. As I was preparing to take my young daughter to Walt Disney World, I decided to purchase this guide. My daughter and I have read through it several times, anticipating our trip. There are some great suggestions for little ones in it. I would highly recommend it to anyone.



5. I purchased this book for my 9year old son before our 1st trip to Disney. He could easily read this book and it helped to build his confidence to see that other kids his age were doing the rides that seemed too scary to him. We brought it along for our vacation, and it helped prepare us for our next planned day. The book has many tips that you would never know without purchasing this book. This is definately a book I would recommend for kids. For adults... try the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, and plan on several months and a highlighter pen, to read it!

4 comments about Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando with Kids (Frommer's With Kids).

1. I had many doubts about going to WDW with a 5 year-old kid. Not only did the book help me plan but also it pointed out some other aspects that I had not considered before reading it. Not to mention that the way it was written makes the reading a pleasure. I simply loved it.



2. I purchased this book once we booked our 1st Family Disney Vacation! We will be visiting with a 2 and a 5 year old, and I was feeling a little overwhelmed! This book is helping me plan our days and gives FANTASTIC recommendations! From what restaurants serve chicken fingers (!) to height restrictions on rides...I feel extremely well-prepared for our trip!!



3. This is my third DisneyWorld guide. I get one each time to brush up and find out what is new. I liked this one. It gave a general description of rides and dining options. I especially liked that the author gave some input about the dining establishments.



4. Frommer's travel guides are usually my go-to resource when planning any trip, so when we decided to take the kids (ages 3 and 5) to Disney for the first time, naturally this was the first book I ordered. Luckily, I also purchased the Unofficial Guide to WDW, and that has by far proven to be the more useful book for planning this trip. The Frommers guide can't even come close to matching the level of detail available in the Unofficial Guide. It also directly contradicts some of the advice given in the Unofficial Guide. For example, on the question of whether to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours (EMH) to avoid crowds: Frommer's says yes, but the Unofficial Guide points out that while crowds may be thinner during the magic hours, they tend to be far greater then normal during the rest of the day, and that this outweighs any advantage from the EMH. They therefore advise readers to avoid any park on its EMH days, unless you're planning to go for the EMH and then take the time and trouble to move to another park for the rest of the day.
   
   In general, the Unofficial Guide takes a more "scientific" approach to its advice - they actually measure crowd levels and attraction wait times on various days, and continuously survey their readers about attractions and dining options, for example. The Frommer's guide seems to be based more on the experience of just the author (though she does seem to be very experienced, having traveled throughout Orlando with her five kids over the years). I tend to value this scientific approach and the experience of many people over that of a single individual but if you are more laid back about your vacation planning then the Unofficial Guide may be overkill. This one is certainly the more approachable of the two.
   
   Also, if you are planning an exclusively Disney vacation, note that this book only devotes a small section to Disney and also covers Universal, Seaworld, and other area attractions. This may be a plus if you plan to venture beyond WDW, but a waste otherwise. In fact, this book takes a somewhat cynical approach to staying at a Disney resort due to the additional cost involved as well as the fact that this makes it harder to leave WDW and explore the rest of Orlando. While this may be true, depending on the length of your vacation and the ages of your kids, this may not be a priority for you.
   
   One thing I did like in this book is the age recommendations for each ride. While the Unofficial Guide provides ratings by age group (preschoolers, grade school, teens, etc), and also provides touring plans for certain age groups, it does not break each ride down to a more specific recommended age. While I plan to use the Unofficial Guide to decide which attractions to visit, I used the Frommers guide to make a note of those that may not be appropriate for my kids due to age. This way I will not try too hard to convince them to try a ride which may end up being too scary, but won't be afraid to push them to try something that should be perfectly appropriate.
   
   All in all, I mostly found this book useful as a quick reference, to look up a phone number for example, which is much easier done here than in the somewhat unwieldly and overwhelming Unofficial Guide. But it is the Unofficial Guide with I studied closely and turn to over and over as the date of our trip approaches.

1 comments about Florida's Miracle Strip: From Redneck Riviera to Emerald Coast.

1. This was a fun read, especially for those who were children when the touristy gimmicks of the Gulf coast were in their prime. I loved the pictures and the background info on my favorite attractions.

5 comments about Along Florida's Expressways.

1. With "Along Florida's Expressways", Dave Hunter has produced a second indispensable travel guide. He is also the author of "Along I-75", the snowbird's best friend on their trip to Florida. "Along I-75" provides details of every gas station, hotel, restaurant, and more at every exit between Detroit MI and Lake Park GA, as well as "insider" information and historical notes. However, the shortcoming of that book is it abandons the reader at the Georgia border to make their own way to their Florida destination. For years, Mr. Hunter provided (free, on request) a bare bones pamphlet detailing I-75 from the border to Tampa, but that left many gaps. Now, with the advent of "Along Florida's Expressways", all gaps have been closed.
   
   This volume has the same basic design as "Along I-75": 25 mile strip maps, accompanied by pages of text. However, because so many different roads are covered in this book, it is not as easy to use as it's counterpart. Finding the pages which apply to your own travel plans can be difficult, so bookmarking them with a paper clip is recommended. Perhaps in future editons, tabbed dividers will be inserted to label and divide one set of highway maps from another.
   
   That said, it is hard to imagine any other improvements on this guide. No matter your destination, every service at every exit is detailed, making it simple to plan your trip.
   
   One fact worth noting: "Along Florida's Expressways" will be updated in September of odd years (ie., September 2007). The companion volume will be updated in September of even years. This schedule is just about right. In past, when "Along I-75" was updated annually, it was possible to skip a year and use the old edition for a second trip. However, after two years the information was too stale to be useful. Dave Hunter has filled an important niche with his two guides, and I look forward to new editions of both for years to come.



2. I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH ALL THE INFO AVAILABLE IN THIS BOOK. IT ARRIVED JUST BEFORE MY TRIP TO FLORIDA, SO IT WAS IMMEDIATELY PUT TO USE.



3. I have the I-75 book by the same author so I had to have the Florida book. This book is terrific!!! It tells you everything you want & need to know about Florida and the highways. It tells you gas, lodging, restaurants, sights of interest, and even where the police might be looking for you. Also, construction sights, speed limits, what kind of highway, even the author's tips on what lanes to be in and if there is another way around busy traffic areas. This is TERRIFIC!!!!!



4. We bought this after purchasing the "Along Interstate 75" book because we loved the I-75 book so much.



5. Along Florida's Expressways, 2nd Edition by Dave Hunter is another of Dave's Excellent travel guides, designed particularly for the fly/drive visitor. The book is filled with a wealth of information because the author and his wife personally drove every inch of the state's expressways in both directions. The couple tell points of interest you would never find on your own, vital information about rest stops, gas stations, museums, restaurants, and fast food places. But they also include fascinating trivia and fun facts that make the book a good read along the way. The many pages of detailed maps show just 25 miles at a time and tell everything you need to know! This is a MUST for your drive anywhere in Florida.

2 comments about Florida's Fabulous Trail Guide (Recreation Series).

1. This book brings Florid's Trails to life with many beautiful color pitures that make you want to be there! Full of excellent information about where you can hike, bike, and ride horses in the state of Florida.

   Full of lush color photographs that bring the different parks to life. Everything is covered from Pensacola, in the far west panhandle, to the keys.

   This book allows you to have a first hand view of what the scenary looks like and actual pictures of the many trails and waterways thoughout the state.

   If you like to ride bikes off road, hike in unspoiled wilderness areas, or ride horses in the backwoods this book is a must have. You could spend the next ten years just visiting the sites listed in this publication.

   Or just look at the awesome pictures and dream of being there...




2. I've lived in Florida for over 30 years and have just discovered new bike trails - only miles from my home - after reading through Florida's Fabulous Trail Guide. My friends and I have already planned two biking trips since I bought the book two weeks ago! The photos are inspiring too!

5 comments about Speedway to Sunshine: The Story of the Florida East Coast Railway.

1. Seth, you hit it out of the park on this one, baby!

   One could not possibly hope to find a more comprehensive, more enthusiastic, better written book about the Florida East Coast Railway.

   Buy this one and savor it - it's one of the best railroad books I've ever read!




2. Mr. Bramson has taken his long out of print history of the Florida East Coast Railway and updated it. "New and Improved" tend to be overused adjectives, but in this case they are totally accurate and well deserved.

   Mr. Bramson is the corporate historian for the FEC, and it's totally apparent in this work that he truly LOVES the railroad and it's people. The FEC is the railroad other railroads go to when they encounter problems because, in most cases, the FEC has "Been there, done that".

   In an age where railroad mergers have become commonplace, it's great to see one of the nation's finest railroads remaining independent.




3. If you have Bramson's first book then you will know why this should be in your collection. This adds the history of the railroad from the 1980's to present day. For all the fans of the Florida East Coast Railway, this is the Bible of the FEC history. Many great photos that Seth has been able to save from the dumpters over the years. Seth lives in Miami and is known as Mr. FEC in railroad circles. If you are into the great history of the development of the east coast of Florida and the railroad that went to Key West, then this is the book.



4. recieved the book in 3 days in excellent condition, the book is worth reading.



5. Having ridden the FEC since I was a child, this book was a dream come true. The pictures, maps, and narrative are incredible, whether you rode the FEC, are a modeler, or simply interested in Florida history. I bought the second edition with the expectation that there would be new information, diagrams, etc. I was disappointed. Mr Bramson's book is still "the" book on the FEC, but I highly recommend you purchase the first edition.

1 comments about Cruising Guide to the Northern Gulf Coast: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana (Cruising Guide to the Northern Gulf Coast).

1. You cannot find a better cruising guide. Mr. Young has done great research.

5 comments about PassPorter Walt Disney World 2008 Deluxe: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! (PassPorter).

1. I loved this handy leather luxurious guide because it is choke full of information at my finger tips and an organizer in one. The leather three ring made it easy to keep my family organized before, during, and after our vacation. I am a scrapbooker (creator of family and friend photo albums) and honestly I don't always remember to write everything down while on vacation. Each day has its own envelope that you can put all types of items inside and there are spots all over the envelope to fill in what you did all day long. From where you went and did; to where you ate. I give this guide my two thumbs up for ease and convenience.



2. Very helpful for information and organizing trip to WDW. Information is well presented and current.The ability to plan out day & event iteneraries is great!I would recommend this for anyone planning a vacation to WDW.



3. I buy one of these every year for our Disney trips. Although we are Disney Vacation Club members and do not NEED all the information packed into this, it is a great keepsake for us. Every year I fill it out with all our plans and trip information. I save ticket stubs and such in it. From year to year I look back at past trips to help plan our upcoming trip. The thing I like best is there are maps of all the parks and from time to time things change or attractions open or close in the parks, and my family will have Passporters to look back on in years to come.
   For people planning their first trip to Disneyworld this Passporter is loaded with helpful information. The Passporter and the latest copy of "Disneyworld With Kids" is all you need to plan a successful trip.
   I did buy the regular version, not the "leather" edition last year and the information was all there, but the binder was harder to add things into than the 3-ring binder styling of the leather edition, so this year I did the leather version again. Mind you, the leather version is pricier and if you're not hanging on to it "forever" like we are, the regular edition is a great value and chuck full of all the same helpful information.



4. I'm a member of a lot of Disney message boards, but wanted something in print that I could take along with me to the parks. This book is perfect. I love that it is three ring bound and so I can add pages to it. They show you with color-coding anythign that has been updated for 2008. I love the organzation pockets in the back.



5. This guide is so unique and is yearly created very lovingly by Disney lovers Jen and Dave. This deluxe edition is leather bound and comes with a pen. The guide itself has major info on all the parks, restaunts and detailed reviews/opinions on all restaurants. They give important facts plus ther opinions.
   
   This all makes the book worthwhile but most importantly the book becomes a souvenier guide for your trip. It comes with maps, checklists, envelopes for your air tickets, photos and momentos plus stickers and so much more.
   
   Your trip will forever be a magical memory with this guide. And you can always purchase extra forms and aquire updates from their web site.
   
   Thanks Jen and Dave for making Disney even more special.

5 comments about Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets (Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secre).

1. This book is a lot of fun. It's a great introduction to the concept of going to the parks and having a multi-layered experience. If you've been before, and you are going back, you obviously like Disney anyway. But it is fun (particularly for kids) to have an additionaly "mystery" to solve while walking the park and standing in line. The idea is that there are all kinds of "hidden mickeys" throughout the parks. A hidden mickey is basically a simple image of mickey's head: a large circle with two smaller circles connected (his ears). So the book explains all this, and has lists for where to find them. As a bonus, it also provides suggested iteneraries to avoid long lines and find certain hidden mickies. It's a lot of fun.
   
   The down side to the book, from my perspective, is that it is difficult to find any one thing. The authors break information up by the purpose they assume a given reader might have, but if your need doesn't match one of those, you find yourself looking in many different places in the book for info. Another problem, and maybe its a "user error," but we couldn't find many of the hidden mickey's based on the descriptions in the book. They just didn't seem specific enough. Finally, many of the hidden mickey's, to me were just circles - a real stretch.
   
   So I don't see this book as a definitive list of hidden mickies. I found this book to be more of a popularizer of a cool idea, with some very good ideas (e.g., the itineraries) added as a bonus. It's worth your dollars, but it won't be the best book on the subject written, I suspect.



2. We had so much fun with this! My kids were constantly searching for more. My husband & dad were a little skeptical at first, but were looking for them by the end of the trip. We found so many new things and enjoyed the search. We are Disney veterans and it made our trip much more interesting. Definitely will buy the next edition!!!



3. Some of my most enjoyable moments at Walt Disney World took place after my husband and I purchased Steve Barrett's Hidden Mickey's 2nd Edition! We began searching based on our location or ride line queue then that search continued at our resort and so on. This book gives you hints and tips on locating these Hidden Mickeys that have become pretty famous among visitors and fans, and when you really can't find Mickey, the book will list the exact location! After reading this book, I've become a fanatic and even find Hidden Mickey's in places there really aren't any - like my lawn where three pebbles fit the bill for a HM perfectly. This is a great way to entertain yourself or you children in lines at the parks or in shops and restaurants too!



4. I am a long time Walt Disney World fan and love the challenge of finding the Hidden Mickeys. This book was recommended by a friend who thought I would like to see some of the more challenging Hidden Mickeys. I was not disappointed. The author has made this into fun scavenger hunt for the whole family.



5. This book is wonderful! I started reading it and let my son who is fascinated with Hidden Mickeys read it too. I have seen him reading it for hours and now he wants to take it with him next time we visit Walt Disney World. I definitely recommend it.
   
   *Note - This book is more enjoyable if you plan on visiting Walt Disney World since it includes scavenger hunts to find Hidden Mickeys.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Walt Disney World (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. I set out to plan a vacation to WDW in 2 months time and was not sure it was possible until I read this book. The easy to read format answered all my questions (even questions I did not know I should be asking). The card system in Appendix B allowed me to layout our entire trip - what we wanted to see or skip and where we wanted to eat. Going around the park was a breeze with the cards while keeping our little ones entertained with the attractions best suited for them. Plus, the book has great tips and tricks ("Hidden Magic"), and some money-saving ideas as well. I felt I had really learned the Disney lingo ("Mickey-Speak") before even arriving. Reading this book before you go will assure you make the very most of your money, time, energy and make one "magical" trip for your family.



2. This is a comprehensive book great for the beginner...but...their information is not correct regarding the Disney Dining Plan. This is supposed to be a 2008 edition yet they do not have the changes to the DDP for 2008, nor do they mention the Disney Dining Plan Deluxe. It needs a reissue with some updated changes to be completely accurate for 2008.
   
   5/19/8 Wanted to edit based on comments received. Apparently, there is now an updated version with the correct dining plan information, as well as other updated information.



3. This book is pretty good for planning a trip. There are only 2 things I would like to say. 1) the phone number for reservations is incorrect. The book lists 704-wdw-dine and the real number is 407-wdw-dine. 2) the book gives very little info for people not staying at a disney resort, such as parking or how to get between the parks if you are not staying at a resort.



4. I've been on a lot of vacations, but tackling a Disney vacation is a different beast. This book is hands down the best planning guide I have ever used. It tells you everything you need to know and how to do it easily without wasting my time with info I don't need. It cuts to the chase without over planning and even gave me helpful hints I hadn't even thought about. We were traveling with a very diverse age group and the author really helped plan a vacation that the entire family could enjoy. So many books include so much useless information that this one was a breath of fresh air.



5. We bought two books, this one and the official guide. This book was by far so much better than the official book. It doesn't overplan and provides reviews for every age group as well as tells the truth about some of the rides. (the official guide painted a rosie picture of everything which turned out to be not true). It was very helpful with telling us when to go and what times of the year to avoid. We took our children and grandchildren so it was so helpful to have honest reviews of things to do and skip. With so much to do there, it was great to have someone map out what was appropriate. The cards in the back of the book were so helpful once we were in the park to reference what we had decided to do and not to do. I highly recommend this book!!!!