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| Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2008 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World) | 
 enlarge | Author: Birnbaum Travel Guides
Creator: Alex Wright
Publisher: Disney Editions
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $9.55
You Save: $7.40 (44%)
New (39) Used (11) from $9.55
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 1977
Media: Paperback
Edition: Rev Ed
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 7 x 0.4
ISBN: 1423103920
Dewey Decimal Number: 917
EAN: 9781423103929
ASIN: 1423103920
Publication Date: September 18, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: great condition
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 Covers the basics, outstanding photos September 18, 2007
62 out of 65 found this review helpful
Birnbaum's markets itself as the official guide to Walt Disney World and the book is so polished and professional that you could almost believe that the Disney people had a hand in preparing it. They also have the distinction of being one of a very few guides with extensive color photographs of the Disney World parks and hotels. The photos are uniformly excellent and do a great job of offering a window into the look and feel of the parks. Thera are also maps and graphics that are top notch. This certainly brightens up the book and for those who have never been to Disney World, it will help you gain a better sense of what the area looks like. The writing is very light in tone, it's easy to read and comprehend. When it comes to production values, this book is a beauty from cover to cover.
The downside of all the photos is that they leave less room for information such as in-depth coverage of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment outside of the parks. This is doubly true because Birnbaum's starts off with the fewest pages of any major guide to the Orlando area. While the authors have wisely added almost 50 pages to this year's effort, the largest guidebook to the area still has more than three times as many pages, and even the average size guides are nearly double the size. And those books are not filled with photos, they are packed with hard information and useful advice. In effect, Birnbaum's has sacrificed the detailed coverage to give you the beautiful photos and graphics.
In certain respects, this book is less well suited as a tool for in depth planning as it is a means to get excited about your trip. It is useful to the extent that coverage is provided for all the attractions and hotels. But it is of limited use since each entry is carefully phrased to emphasize the positive while doing almost nothing to offer honest comparisons, tell you where the best values are and which places are a bit overpriced, or tell you where you would really be best off spending your time. The authors certainly don't need to resort to snarky negativity, but a basic acknowledgement that some restaurants, hotels, and attractions are lacking in some way would add greatly to their credibility when praising the rest.
The Birnbaum's guide certainly has many fans, but before you buy, you should carefully consider what it is you're looking for. If your primary objective is to get a sneak peak of what Walt Disney World looks like and get a basic description of the area then this is an easy purchase. It will be a quick read and you'll have a decent idea of what to expect when you visit. If you have children, this would also be an excellent book for them to explore.
If you're more of a planner and want a lot of information, if you're curious about anything outside of the Disney Resort area, or if you want more general advice on how to approach a trip to Orlando then this book will not help you nearly as well as almost any other guidebook on the market. The acknowledged king of the detailed guides is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides). You'll find that Fodor's Walt Disney World 2007: with Universal Orlando and SeaWorld (Fodor's Gold Guides) and Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2008 (Frommer's Complete) are also solid efforts even if they are not as detailed as the Unoffical Guide. Depending on what you're looking for, it may well make sense to buy more than one guide.
A trip to the Orlando area is usually very expensive and, especially if you have children, problems and disappointments can be somewhat traumatic. Don't stint on the advance planning as it can greatly enhance the experience once you arrive. Good luck and have a great time visiting Walt Disney World!
UPDATE: When I first posted this review, I commented that the book is so well produced that you could easily believe that the Disney folks had a hand in producing it. I meant that as a compliment but it turns out that Disney does indeed produce the book. I've since noticed that this is published by Disney Editions, a Disney owned operation. So rather than a third party guide, this is literally written and published by the owners of Disney World. Having said this, it doesn't mean that the information is inaccurate or that the book has no merit. But it does explain the lack of any critical descriptions of any kind and I do think that readers should be aware of the source. Maybe I'm the last one to realize the connection and it will be no surprise to most... I just thought I should add the information to my review and let people judge for themselves.
 Not updated for 2008 September 20, 2007
17 out of 22 found this review helpful
We are going to Disney in January , so I purchased this book because I wanted to see the changes for 2008. I was surprised, and quite dismayed, to see that they had nothing about updated ticket pricing or the changes to the dining plan. This book was not worth the money to me. I expected that since they are the official guide to Disney, they would carry this information. I am going to return this book and just use my 2007 edtion!
 Don't waste your money December 16, 2007
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
Two far better books are The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 and The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World 2008. They are both far more reliable and offer lots of good ideas to help you get the most out of your Disney vacation. This one started out as a fine publication back when Steve Birnbaum was in charge, but since he passed away a decade or so ago it just keeps going downhill. This is the worst edition yet. Much of the information is still word-for-word what it was in 1980, and some of the attraction descriptions are 10 years out of date. The basics about tickets and other planning information is up to date, but there's nothing about the Disney Disney Plan. It's hard to believe this is a Disney product. In short, don't waste your money.
 A Favorite of Mine December 10, 2007
6 out of 11 found this review helpful
I love Birnbaum's Walt Disney World books and have been buying one a year for the past several years even if we don't go to Disney that year. (I like to compare what's changed from year to year.) This is an extremely informative book about everything in Disney World and more. When I'm preparing to go to Disney, I hghlight everything in the book I want to see and make a list from there. I also make notes of what I don't really want to see that year. If you're planning a trip to Disney World, this book is a must. My suggestion, though, is to buy it several months in advance so you have time to read it and study it so you can make the most of your trip.
Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2008 Book October 25, 2007
5 out of 10 found this review helpful
When I ordered the book it has "Rev Ed edition (September 18, 2007)" next to Publisher. Also the cover that they have posted is different from the first edition. When I received the book it was the same book as the one that I picked up about two weeks before (Of course I returned it). I was hoping for updated information regarding 2008. The Haunted Mansion refurb, EPCOT - Spaceship Earth refurb, wand removal, something about EPCOT's 25th Anniversary, MGM Studios name change - Effective Jan 1st '08 it is being changed to Hollywood Studios (from what I have read). But I guess that I'll have to wait and see if Birnbaum indead does do a revision to the book. I'll be going down in February. Can't wait!!!
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