Family Travel Books

The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2009 (Unofficial Guides)

Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $11.13

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

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:

1. Exclusively patented, field-tested touring plans that save as much as four hours of standing in line in a single day

2. Tips, advice, and opinions from hundreds of Walt Disney World guests in their own words

3. Almost 250 hotels rated and ranked for quality and value, including the top non-Disney hotels for families

4. A complete Dining Guide with ratings and reviews of all Walt Disney World restaurants, plus extensive alternatives for dining deals outside the World

5. Every attraction rated and ranked for each age group; extensive, objective, head-to-head comparisons of the Disney and Universal theme parks

Frommers 500 Places to See Before They Disappear (500 Places)

Holly Hughes

Amazon Price: $13.02 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Frommers Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $11.39

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

500 Places to See Before They Disappear enables passionate travelers and the eco-conscious to learn about and plan a visit to see rare cultural, historic, and natural places before they are irrevocably altered or even gone forever. Here are one-of-a-kind landscapes, fragile ecosystems, rare bird habitats, places to see the last remaining species of big game in the wild, cityscapes in peril, vanishing cultural kitsch, petroglyphs, and more—500 thoughtfully-chosen treasures that will inspire and enlighten travelers of all ages.

Each entry explains why it’s been included, gives its history, the nature of the threat against it, brief practical information on how to visit, and what visitors can to do protect it. A Geographical Index allows travelers to locate attractions across the world. Photos throughout the book help bring destinations to life.

Look inside some of the world's most endangered places (Click on images for more information)

PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2009: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! (PassPorter)

Jennifer Marx, Dave Marx, Allison Cerel Marx

Amazon Price: $16.29 List Price: $23.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: PassPorter Travel Press Amazon Marketplace: 6 new & used starting at $16.29

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Planning Guide 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Passporter's WDW book is a great organizer and planner. Although I visit Disney almost every year, I still like to keep up-to-date with its many changes. So for my 2009 Disney vacation, I purchased several new Disney World guidebooks. Ultimately, I found that my favorite guides were Passporter's and The Healthy Guide to Walt Disney World 2009: How to Eat Right and Stay Fit in Disney - The NEW Diet, Dining, Food, Fitness and Complete Weight Loss Book.

Passporter's Disney guide includes great mapping details, abundant general Disney info and a helpful journal. Well organized and easy to read, any Disney guest will benefit from its vast contents. It also contains clear, concise reviews and straighforward planning tips.

As I also like to maintain a healthy lifestlye while traveling, The 2009 Healthy Guide to WDW was very beneficial. A popular book within the Disney community, The Healthy Guide was best at updating me in the areas of 2009 Disney Dining, ADR's, menus, diet and fitness options.

Concurring with many Disney fans, I agree that authors Jennifer Marx (Passporter's) and Dan Green (Healthy Guide) have written the two best guides to assist guests on their Walt Disney World vacation in 2009.

Editorial Review:

The size and scope of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is enough to make the most seasoned traveler shiver. This guide covers each of the four major parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — as well as all of the Disney-owned hotels and over 300 dining options. Every map, photo, chart, illustration, and worksheet is in full color, with additional use of color to highlight important points, such as items that are new or have changed since the publication of the previous edition.

Frommer's 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up (500 Places)

Holly Hughes

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Frommer's Amazon Marketplace: 71 new & used starting at $4.48

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

I find nothing wrong with this book 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I put off the purchase of the book based on the other reviews. I purchased a fodors family travel book instead. I hated that book so I decided to go back with my gut instinct and purchased this one. I gave it five stars because I thought the other reviews were harsh and unjust. I don't feel the sections need to be in any particular order. Start at page one and read. Mark or just take note of the destinations that interest you. I don't think the destinations are unrealistic. If disney or a caribbean cruise is your idea of the ultimate family vacation then this is not the book for you. I don't say this offend anyone it is just that you may need to consider a different book for your needs. I do plan to take my kids to Asia, Africa, South America and so forth. You need not be wealthy to do so.

Editorial Review:

500 Places to Take Your Kids allows parents, grandparents, and kids to create a lifetime of shared memories while visiting destinations the whole family can enjoy. Here are cities, zoos, sports shrines, museums, castles, beaches, outdoor activities, and more—500 thoughtfully-chosen places that will enchant and beguile both the young and the young at heart.

Each entry contains all the information families need to help plan a trip: age ratings, service details, and nearby kid-friendly hotels. A Specialty Index organized by type of trip helps families discover places and activities for all ages and interests, while a Geographical Index allows families to locate attractions across the world or simply across town. Photos throughout the book help bring destinations to life.

Free companion podcast is available for download!

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2009 (Unofficial Guides)

Bob Sehlinger, Menasha Ridge Press

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $8.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

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®:

1. Every attraction ranked and rated for each age group, based on interviews and surveys of more than 7,500 families
2. When and where to go: the best times of the year and the best days of the week for each park
3. All the Disneyland-area hotels ranked and rated for value and quality of rooms
4. Field tested itineraries for adults and families with children that can save more than three hours of waiting in line
5. Complete coverage of Disney's California Adventure® theme park and Universal Studios Hollywood

It's a Treasure Hunt! Geocaching & Letterboxing

G & R Publishing

Amazon Price: $10.00 List Price: $10.00 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: CQ Products

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

PERFECT FOR NEW CACHERS! 5 out of 5 stars.
31 of 31 people found this review helpful.

This book is perfect for people new to the hobbies of Geocaching and Letterboxing! We wish that we would have had this book when we began a few years ago. There is a ton of helpful information (to include acronyms, special types of hides, how to make a rubber stamp, etc.) all in a very easy to read format. In addition, there are areas to document your finds and other achievements. We bought a few copies of this book to give as presents, but will be keeping at least one and ordering more very soon. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! VERY PLEASED OVERALL!

Editorial Review:

Geocaching and letterboxing are all the rage! These two new pastimes offer a modern twist to the age-old scavenger hunt by combining a hike in the outdoors with the technology of a GPS unit and the joy of gift-giving and receiving. This user-friendly book captures the ins-and-outs of the geocaching and letterboxing world and gives tips for finding and packing a cache or box, using a GPS unit, reading a compass and carving a signature rubber stamp - plus, there is room to record memorable hunts. Treasure Hunt is a must-have book for all the fortune-seekers and adventure-loving families!

The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Complete Guide to Walt Disney World)

Julie Neal, Mike Neal

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Coconut Press Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $2.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 60 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Should leave fans of Mickey smiling from ear to ear. -- Chicago Tribune

A thorough overview, with inside tips, facts and quizzes. With more than 400 color photos, it also makes a nice souvenir. -- Boston Globe

May be the most colorful, visually stunning and deeply researched guidebook on the market. A warm, loving portrait of Disney World, for people who want to love Disney World. -- Orlando Sentinel

Endless tips and trivia. -- Knoxville News-Sentinel

There are dozens of guides to Disney World, but I like this one by a husband-and-wife team who visited Disney World more than 700 times. They're not affiliated with Disney, but received much inside access by the company to provide very detailed descriptions of each ride, show and attraction. Among the gems are fun facts, suggested itineraries and little things to look for. -- Florida Times Union

Offers an in-depth history of the attractions and the parks themselves... and the most in-depth run-down of the two Disney water parks. -- Budget Travel

Book Description
The best-looking Disney World guidebook, The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 is also the most interesting. Its spectacular photography grabs your eye, then its fantastic wealth of information keeps you glued to its pages. Every aspect of Disney World becomes easy to understand, as color-coded chapters lay out everything one subject at a time, and gorgeous full-color images bring it all to life. Packed with details you just can't find anywhere else, every chapter is so helpful you'll find yourself sticking post-it notes everywhere.

The Planning Your Trip chapter offers a seven-step process to organizing your vacation, then a gold mine of practical information. As for theme parks, each ride or show gets its own article, many of which run several pages. Water parks are covered the same way, which makes the book the only real guide to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Even diversions such as parasailing, stock-car driving and surfing lessons are fully described and illustrated.

A new restaurant chapter is a collection of 88 reviews. The accounts are descriptive and honest, and include useful details such as which character meals can usually take walk-ins. The accommodations chapter covers each Disney resort with a photo-packed article as well as a comprehensive At a Glance sidebar. The combination gives you a nice overview of each complex, but also makes it easy to scan them all by price, amenities, location, or other criteria.

Supplemental Material
Like the most complete DVD set, the book is packed with bonus features. The best are the background articles on Disney's theme park attractions. For example, three side stories describe the history, science and set design of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Other columns cover the histories of Space Mountain and It's a Small World. An animal guide describes the odd behaviors you can witness at Animal Kingdom, from the forearm-licking of the park's kangaroos to the stick-sharing rituals of its exotic birds. Breezy feature articles cover the wacky histories of the Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella fairy tales.

The result is a hugely entertaining book, but one that doesn't flinch from the frustrating realities of a Disney trip. It acknowledges the long lines, the challenge of getting key restaurant reservations, the cluelessness you have on how to get a front-row seat to the High School Musical street show... and provides the magical solutions. Tip bars run across the bottom of most pages.

Fitting the visual beauty of its subject, The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 is printed on gloss paper in full color. The book is fully updated, with the latest park and resort information and current prices and policies.

101 Things You Never Knew About Walt Disney World: An Unauthorized Look at Tributes, Little Touches, And Inside Jokes

Kevin Yee

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ultimate Orlando Press Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $9.38

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Think you know Walt Disney World?

Do you know the backstory of Dinoland U.S.A. that unifies the entire land? Do you know how the former attraction named Dreamflight is commemorated in today's Magic Kingdom? Do you know how Ellen's Energy Adventure mentions the ride which preceded it? Do you know where the references to Horizons and World of Motion are? Do you know how Disney's Animal Kingdom pays tribute to the land it planned but never created? Do you know where the Hidden Kermit is located? Do you know how the four theme parks honor the years in which they opened?

You have probably heard a few "interesting facts" about Walt Disney World over the years. Perhaps you've heard that the windows on the second story of the buildings on Main Street honor individuals of note in WDW history? Or that the company plane Walt used to survey the eventual WDW property from the air now lives at the studios park? It's all true... but these are only two of the interesting facts pointed out in "101 Things You Never Knew About Walt Disney World." And those are only two of the best-known examples. Many of these stories deal with much more obscure, yet equally interesting, pieces of history of the theme parks. You haven't heard all these stories before!

The Complete Walt Disney World 2009 (Complete Walt Disney World) (Complete Guide to Walt Disney World)

Julie Neal, Mike Neal

Amazon Price: $18.34 List Price: $24.95 Not yet published By: Coconut Press

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The definitive Disney handbook
The only photo-driven guidebook to the No. 1 vacation destination, The Complete Walt Disney World 2009 is a must-buy for anyone planning a trip to Walt Disney World. Filled with over 400 photographs and packed with more factual information than any other Disney guide, the colorful book includes in-depth information on attractions, activities, restaurants and resorts that you just cannot find anywhere else.

Completely revised and updated
Though it does have all the latest Disney news, The Complete Walt Disney World 2009 is more than just an annual update. The new edition adds a 8-page What's New summary right up front, as well as incisive articles on saving time and saving money. New At a Glance summaries make it easy to find what you need in each theme park chapter, while attraction articles now include hour-by-hour wait times as well as lists of Fun Finds, Fun Facts and Hidden Mickeys. Insider tips appear at the bottom of nearly every page.

Winner of four national book awards
In the past year alone the book has been honored with four national awards. It won the coveted Nonfiction Book of the Year award at the 2008 Writer's Digest ISPBA and was named Travel Guide of the Year at the 2008 NIEA. It won Best Southeast Nonfiction (Silver Medal) at the 2008 IPBA and was named one of three finalists for Best Travel Guide at the USA Book News 2008 NBBA. The Walt Disney World Moms Panel praises the book for its "fabulous behind-the-scenes info about the parks."

With photographs on nearly every single page, The Complete Walt Disney World 2009 is printed in full-color on gloss paper.

Fodor's Walt Disney World® with Kids 2009: with Universal Orlando and SeaWorld (Special-Interest Titles)

Kim Wright Wiley

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Fodor's Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $10.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Entering its 20th edition, Fodor’s Walt Disney World® with Kids delivers the definitive but always-easy-to-access advice of former Disney Magazine contributing editor Kim Wright Wiley, who has logged more than 50 visits to the parks both as a keen-eyed journalist and as a parent. Every family needs her tips and insider knowledge to make the most of a trip to Walt Disney World.
Wiley not only rates attractions and rides based on their age-related suitability and "scare" factor, but also incorporates feedback from hundreds of families who, like her, have not-so-tirelessly field tested it all. Inside you'll find:
Ø Everything a family needs to choose the right hotel, including driving times to the parks from each property
Ø Full ratings as well as quick-reference charts for the most kid-pleasing rides and restaurants
Ø Must-see attraction checklists geared toward young kids as well as preteens and teens
Ø Time-saving tips, such as how to avoid crowds and lines at the park
Ø Insider's secrets and the skinny on "Hidden Mickeys"
Ø Cautionary tales and success stories from parents about their park experiences
Ø Convenient maps of Walt Disney World and Universal Studios
"Must reading for everyone planning to bring their family."–Katie Couric, NBC's Today Show