1 comments about 150 Day Trips South West Florida.

1. This book has very useful information and is well researched. It is divided into chapters such as Beaches, Museums, Scenic Drives, etc. Southwest Florida is a huge area and a location index or a better map should have been included, but the information alone is worth 5 stars.

5 comments about Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2007 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World).

1. Been to WDW many times, read and purchased many of the books, both from disney and others. I like a number of books for different reasons, and find I always come back to Birnbaums. Why? Every year it has the updates, you get some color photos , maps etc. I like a quick idea of what is new. I check off what I want to see each trip. There is enough info to get you interested, then I read online if I need more info.
   With kids it has all the info you need on the attractions ( age appropriate, height requirements etc).
   If you've never been to WDW, go to the library and read all the books, but this one you'll find in your carry on, because it is not too big, or wordy, gives you lots of tips and enough info to work on your travel plan.



2. This book is awesome but as a former employee of Walt Disney World in Florida I can say there are better guides out there. This is too official. There are other books out there that offer more true-to-life information and secret things that can make your trip go smoother. This is a good book to accompany a non-official Disney guide to help you with planning.



3. Okay, here's my experience with this book. My wife and I had gone to Disney World at least 6 times before our last trip with our daughter and family members. And let me tell you this book really saved our vacation.
   For starters we were a party of 13, and I knew that we couldn't just get off the plane and go with the flow as we had done before. You know how it is with a large party, everyone has a different idea as to where they want to go, at what time to get up, where they want to eat, etc. So I grabbed this book and started the adventure.
   This book really surprised me, I thought I knew all there was to know about the parks and hotels but I definitely didn't. Here are a few of the things that come to mind that I was able to organize because of this book:
   
   1. Disney has a luggage service, you call and they send tags for all your luggage you turn them in at the airport as usual before departing and when you get to your hotel room they are right there.Is that great or what?
   2. Disney bus takes you directly to your hotel.
   3. The book has every restaurant and food court in the parks and in their hotels. It gives you an idea of what they serve and if they have the Disney characters and at what time.
   4. Map of the parks and hotels, with pictures of each.
   5. Shows you a lot of other activities not just the parks: sports, camping, rowing, etc.
   6. Purchased the Disney food plan(more on this later)
   
   Now how can you use this info to better your trip? This is what I did:
   
   Since we had a relatively large group I first wrote down what everyone was really interested in doing. Then I flipped through the pages looking for everything they had their hearts set on. Then with the restaurant guide I reserved all our meals, and I mean all our meals, believe me it is worth it especially if you want meals in restaurants with the Disney characters. It's great to just arrive and enter and not be part of the long line of people waiting, especially with kids. Before going on I promised to talk about the Disney food plan, with this plan you get 2 meals a day in almost any restaurant, tips included (all the rest. I reserved accepted the plan) you can even dine with the characters with this plan (again reserve, reserve, reserve). And you also get two snacks ( popcorn, beverages, fruit etc.) a day. Believe me 2 meals is enough if you go to the buffets, and yes the food plan covers all you can eat buffets.
   Then with the book I made a schedule of our stay, with where we will be each day and the times and locations of the meals. Then I made copies of the schedule for everyone and laminated them.There was also a free day where everyone could go where they wanted. That way everyone had a copy, and everyone knew where we would be each day, this way everyone could get up in the morning when they felt like and arrive at the park that was to be visited that day.
   Everyone had a great time and there was no fighting over where we were going or eating, it was great.
   The book also has every phone number you will need for making any plans with Disney, and their customer service is excellent.
   We stayed in a Disney hotel and believe me it is not as expensive as you might think, family of 4 for about $1700.00.
   I used this book for all of that, and there is no price on a hassle free vacation with your family. So happy travels to all.



4. This book has helped me tremendously throughout the planning process of our trip. It is filled with helpful information. It has ticket prices and special event schedules. There is even a section that explains the least busy times of the year. If anyone is planning a trip to Disney, I think this book is a must have.



5. My mom and me went to Walt Disney world in september 2007. And this book helped us a lot. I give it five. If you are looking for a travel book get this one.

No comments about Landmark Vistors Guides Florida Keys (Landmark Visitors Guide Florida Keys) (Landmark Visitors Guide Florida Keys).

5 comments about The Unofficial Guide to Florida with Kids (Unofficial Guides).

1. Ms. Brandon takes the guesswork out of vacationing in Florida, with her common sense approach to this book. Information is organized in a user-friendly fashion that makes it easy and fun to include the whole family in the planning process! Her vast knowledge of the subject matter is apparent; she has given clear and concise descriptions of specific attractions throughout Florida, from a perspective rich with personal experience and humor. Indeed, it is an enjoyable book to read, even if a trip to Florida is not on the horizon!



2. I live in Central Florida, so I can say first-hand what an amazing book this really is. It has so many fabulous ideas and great vacation strategies. As a mother of 5, I know how hard it it to plan a well-rounded vacation. This book gives an outstanding variety of suggestions on places to go for kids ages 1 to 100! Give this book a read if you're going to Florida--you'll have the best vacation possible.



3. After our family's great success with The Unofficial Guide to Disney World, we eagerly snapped up The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids when the 2nd Edition was published in January, 2001. What a terrific book!

   We decided to take a weekend trip to St. Augustine, FL this past Wednesday, and left after work on Friday. With very little time to plan, I dug out this book and quickly flipped to the chapter dedicated to St. Augustine. There, the author gives a quick and interesting history of the city, as well as a map with recommended family resorts, attractions, and restaurants clearly marked. This section is followed by impartial reviews of each.

   The family resorts section goes over a number of cozy historical hand-picked bed & breakfasts and inns, with an eye towards children. It is very helpful in telling you what aged children are welcome, whether breakfast (and what type) is included, accurate rates, distance to nearby attractions, etc.

   The restaurant section focuses on dependable family-friendly local restaurants. This list is a godsend when you cannot stand the sight of another fast food restaurant, yet are afraid to try anything else.

   The place where this book really shines, however, is in the attractions section. Here the author and actual readers list and rate each attraction's appeal by age group! This feature is extremely handy in trying to sort through Florida's myriad of attractions with limited time on your hands and with an even smaller budget! We really liked the fact that the author points out lesser-known and less crowded attractions that are often overlooked by unprepared families.

   For instance, although we normally would never have stopped at anything called the St. Augustine Alligator Farm (I still grin at the name :)), we took the advice of the book and gave it a chance. It turned out to be terrific, one of my 3 1/2 year old's favorite parts of the trip! Another attraction that we would have certainly overlooked was Marineland, listed at the end of the chapter under side trips. Normally we wouldn't have given the park a second look, but we followed the book anyway and spent a fantastic Sunday afternoon there. Much smaller crowds meant that we got great seats at all of the shows, and we also got to spend a good bit of time talking with the animal trainers. My daughter even got to pet, feed, help train, and have her picture taken with a live dolphin! She was ecstatic, and I quietly whispered a thank you to author Pam Brandon for sending us here instead of the ultra-crowded Sea World where we could never have gotten that much time so close to the animals.

   I overrode the book's warnings about taking a preschooler to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum (rated in the book as 1 star out of 5 for that age group, although higher for older kids and adults). Sure enough, Ripley's was way too scary for my daughter, and I regretted not listening to the author's good advice. We could have saved $20 right there - more than I paid for the book!

   The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids saved us so much time and money in one weekend that it has already more than paid for itself. We are currently pouring through our copy working on our next trip. We spend a lot of time and effort on our family vacations, and we want to get our money's worth. We won't go back to Florida without this book. Highly recommended.




4. The book provides a very thorough representation of what there is to do in Florida with children, but I found a couple of things with which I take issue. First, on page 176, Brandon's advice for Waiting Line Strategies for Theme Parks suggests to use "elevator shoes for the short and the brave." Maybe Brandon doesn't understand that the height restrictions for theme park rides is for the protection and safety of kids and small adults, and legal liability of the theme parks! Getting your kids to stand up straighter, or putting heel lifts in their shoes (Brandon's advice) just so they will be permitted to ride an attraction is pretty lame, not to mention dangerous.

   In addition, I was shocked to visit St. Augustine Beach and see cars driving on the beach. I thought I had thoroughly read the St. Augustine chapter of the book. Guess not. The only mention of cars on the beach is on page 78, listed under Northeast Florida's Best Beaches, NOT in the St. Augustine chapter. I was very disappointed and felt that the driving on the beach is a hazard for young families, and is obviously downplayed both in this book and by the proprietors of beachside motels (particularly the author-recommended LaFiesta Oceanside Inn). All in all, a disappointing book which I feel I can't trust for further Florida adventures with my children.




5. We used this book on our trip to Florida this August and was a great buy. It is not a book that lists ALL there is in Florida, but what is BEST to see if you travel with kids. It gives insights that are a rarity in books of this type and it proved good both for things to do and for restaurants that pleased both kids and adults (from diner to real restaurants). We spared a lot of time and, consequentially, money.
   We used it together with a traditional guide book for reference, but we learned to trust the 'Unofficial' advice better.

1 comments about Fishing Florida's Coast.

1. This book gives a learned glimpse of some of the best of Florida's great fishing. I found it informative and useful.

No comments about Fodor's South Florida, 6th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

No comments about Touched by the Sun (Mciver, Stuart B. Florida Chronicles, V. 3.).

No comments about Hidden Florida (Hidden Florida, 7th ed).

No comments about Life and Times of Miami Beach.

No comments about A Guide to Historic Hollywood: A Tour through Place and Time.