No comments about Fort Lauderdale, FL (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)).

1 comments about Florida Sights and Scenes of Fort Lauderdale (Florida, Sights and Scenes of).

1. This book contains beautiful photos of the Fort Lauderdale area and might be a good souvenir. It is not the travel guide type of book I was looking for, although it does contain interesting information about the photos in the book.

No comments about Travels in the Labyrinth: Mexican Art in the Pollak Collection.

No comments about Everything Family Guide to Coastal Florida: St. Augustine, Miami, the Keys, Panama City--and all the hot spots in between! (Everything: Travel and History).

No comments about Rand Mcnally St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida: Local Street Detail (Rand McNally Folded Map: Cities).

5 comments about Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2003: Expert Advice from the Inside Source.

1. Disney does not make something official for no reason. This book will give you more information than you can handle. I have been visiting WDW for 20+ years now and this guide always gives me information I did not know. A must have for ANY visit.



2. This is an official Disney guide, with all that implies for good or ill; the bias is obviously positive, but the information is reliable too. Disney is becoming the ultimate cradle-to-the-grave company, and that big-picture, we-even-brought-the-toenail-clippers efficiency is captured in this compleat guide to all things Disney in the Orlando FL area.

   The book begins at the beginning: Getting Ready to Go gives sound advice on when to go, how to get there, various ticket options and even sample schedules for each of the parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom) complete with must-see lists and tips for travelling with young children and maximizing the number of rides you get on. There are lots of color graphics, charts and tip boxes to liven things up and present material understandably. A planning timeline is oddly reminiscent of a wedding planner, with things to do 6 months before the trip, 4 months, 3 months, 1 month, 2 weeks and 1 week before. Yikes! Obviously Mickey is a better planner than me, who is grabbing a book the day before I travel and hoping to read it on the plane.

   The chapter on Transportation & Accommodations (including Disney cruises) is equally thorough, and then there is a chapter for each of the parks that includes maps, attraction descriptions (and sometimes pictures), shopping and entertainment information, and a Hot Tips section which did help us out. After reading the book we hit the ground running and made good use of our time.

   A hodge-podge chapter gives info about Downtown Disney, BoardWalk, Daredevil Disney, the water parks, spas, cruises and behind-the-scenes tours, and a Sports chapter covers golf, tennis, boating, fishing and swimming opportunities while you're in the area.

   Finally, the chapter on restaurants reminds you that even eating within the kingdom requires planning, but all the information you'll need is here. We picked out a few restaurants we thought we'd like, and then when we got hungry we chose based on crowds and our location. I feel we made an informed decision and were happy with our food, the experience and the way our time flowed. Again, graphics and charts lay out a lot of information in a clear way.

   When every detail of services and attractions is in the book, the problem becomes one of finding those details relevant to you, and this index is comprehensive but it is not exhaustive. If you want to squeeze every drop of fun from your holiday in Orlando, you will have to page through, marking and noting pertinent information.

   The ten coupons, all expiry dates in December 2003, were not helpful to us, featuring food and admission breaks at Disney Quest, Vero Beach and Hilton Head Island resorts, Dive Quest, Pleasure Island and the sports complex, Fantasia Gardens, mini-golf and Dolphins in Depth, but maybe they will be handy for you.

   This is a very helpful guide, well written and informative, though it could use a better index. Whether you are a plan-weeks-in-advance traveller or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants traveller, a novice or a seasoned Disney visitor, this official handbook will help you get the most from your trip.




3. I used to enjoy this guide, but since I read Bob Sehlinger's "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World," I will never trust Birnbaum again. Sehlinger doesn't play nice, while Birnbaum is required to, given that he has Disney's "official" stamp of approval. Meaning: Every attraction is worthwhile. Disney resorts are the only way to go. And don't even THINK about other offerings in the Orlando area (most famously, the Universal Parks). I don't think so.

   It's interesting to note that when Universal Studios Florida was in its infancy (circa 1991), Birnbaum included a page at the very back of the book concerning the park. Circa 1996, there was no mention of it. I guess The Mouse nixed it. (Should you be planning a trip to Orlando, by the way, check out the Universal Parks. They're out of this world.)




4. So much inside scoop with more information on anything and everything than you ever wanted. In depth analysis, recommendations, price ranges, etc. Great Book! Worth buying for a trip to Disney!



5. This is a wonderful book! I get it every year. It's very informative! I suggest all get this book!

No comments about Exploring Florida's Atlantic Coast Beaches: Including the Florida Keys.

No comments about Florida Historic Homes: A Guide to More Than 65 Notable Dwellings Open to the Public.

No comments about The Rough Guide to Florida 7 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

5 comments about Frommer's South Florida: With the Best of Miami & the Keys (Frommer's Complete).

1. Wow. I used to think that South Florida just meant Miami and palm trees. This book proved to me and my husband that South Florida is much, much more. I got the book on a bet with my husband, who insisted that So Flo was a lot of fun and not just laying out at a pool kind of fun. This book proved me wrong and I lost the bet, but boy was I glad to be a loser in this wager! This book is a must have for anyone who thinks that a trip to Florida can be hot and boring. Quite the contrary!! Thanks, Frommer's. We'll be back to So Flo very soon.



2. This is probably the best guidebook I ever read. The author has a really good writing style and it is genuinely interesting and fun to read (not that I'm suggesting you pick it over Fitzgerald or anything, just that it's a really well-written book). Her restaurant reviews are really excellent--just reading some of them made me start to drool. And while many of the restaurant listings are for priceyish places, she does list some great, fun, authentic, and in some cases, way off the beaten track yummy places to try. I trust her opinion completely!

   This is a really thorough guidebook, with good and honest hotel listings (one of the only people to vocalize what we all know--the Delano IS overrated!) and a great chapter on what to do and see if you want to do and see more than just the beaches of South Florida. The Miami coverage is awesome-- good tips on shopping, a really knowledgeable chapter on nighlife, and more.

   The Everglades chapter has a hilarious essay about how the author was reluctant to go the first time, and the coverage of the Keys, Palm Beaches, Boca, etc. are just as good. I usually expect a Frommer's guidebook to be a bit stuffier than this, but as soon as I read the intro, I knew I had to try this book, and I'm so happy I did. You will be too. It rocks!




3. Tourism generates over {$$$$} billion annually for the Florida economy, which is more than twice the entire GNP for Cuba. That is why there is a fierce fight for the Florida travel guide market. Frommer's is one of the best guides available.

   This South Florida guide is somewhat more expanded than "Frommer's Florida" Guide (see my review). If you are going to visit just MIAMI, the EVERGLADES, PALM BEACH, FT. LAUDERDALE or the KEYS, then you will find this guide more compact, lighter and a bit cheaper.

   The same great writing style that is in the Frommer's state guide is found in this more compact companion. The accommodation and dining recommendations are reliable and on the money. This guide lists the best restaurants that South Florida has to offer. A lodging and restaurant index would be a definite plus for this guide. As it stands now, if you have a restaurant you want to look up, you have to go through all the listings in the city you are in until you stumble across the name you seek or miss seeing it completely.

   The rating system is labored and difficult to understand. The explanation of the "new star rating system" is buried in the book and not indexed. It was by quirk that I found it. Strange.

   The Internet web site addresses provided for hotels could be more comprehensive considering that this is a 2003 guide. In today's world of "connectivity" you can visit the hotel sites and see the accommodations and rates prior to making reservations. And, website/email addresses are restricted to the lodging listings even though many of the restaurants now have their own websites with photos and menus and email to makes reservations.

   However, there are two significant areas in this guide that could use improvement: maps and hotels/restaurants.

   Regarding the maps: the maps in the guide are lackluster. More and better maps would greatly help the user.

   What put this guide on top of the competing guides is the clear and enjoyable writing style of the review. The introductions of the regional areas are the best of the guides I reviewed. You will do well if you have to chose just one South Florida guide and you select Frommer's.




4. Well, not really, but i've lived in south florida for 13 years and this book is a must have for anyone who lives down here or is thinking about visiting. Everyone thinks they have a true grasp of the miami scene, but this author actually does.



5. I work and travel to Miami. I think the book
   is a good guide but is insulting to adults.
   In the night life section, it is o.k. to be gay
   or lesbian but when you are an older adult the
   author will dog you and tell you that it is past
   your bed time for a good Latin music club. Hey,
   be nice and "inclusive."