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The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World, 3rd Edition: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2020
About the author
Susan Veness
30 books14 followersSusan Veness is an international travel writer, solo author of The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World (now in its third edition), Walt Disney World Hacks, and Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Trivia, plus the co-author of The Hidden Magic Planner and the Brit Guide travel book series. She was among the first visitors to Walt Disney World in 1971 and has maintained a keen interest in Orlando and the theme parks ever since. Her eye for detail led her to become a contributor to a major Disney website and discussion forum, which she then parlayed into a job with the Brit Guide travel series as principal research assistant on their Orlando title in 2001. She now contributes to a wide range of sources, from the Internet to magazines, including online content as an Orlando expert for Attraction Tickets Direct, Orlando Attractions magazine and (jointly) for BBC America online, The Telegraph online and the Mail on Sunday newspaper in the United Kingdom. Her ambition is to spend a year touring Europe and then, possibly, to get some sleep.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 17, 2026
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Uncover hidden magic in this interesting guidebook that dives in to all things Disney World.
I really enjoyed reading about some of the hidden magic to look for around Disney World. Veness provides a variety of different details, some of which are obvious while others are a bit more cryptic to figure out.
The book is broken down by the different parks: The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. There is a short introduction before Veness dives in to the different rides, shows, and details around the parks. Each chapter also includes a timeline of the park, recounting different attractions and changes through the years. Within the chapters, there are also "Fascinating Fact" and "Imagine That!" sections that give more information about imagineering and bits of history.
As of 2026, the book is 6 years old so there are quite a few things that are out of date. Attractions like Muppet*Vision 3D, Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy, and It's Tough to Be a Bug!, as well as all of DinoLand U.S.A. are no longer running. It's easy enough to skip those sections or read through to learn the cool details that used to be there, depending how much time you have.
A fun read. It's a little dated, but a lot of the information is still relevant. I'd recommend looking at what attractions are still open before reading the section and picking the ones that are relevant to you.
Uncover hidden magic in this interesting guidebook that dives in to all things Disney World.
I really enjoyed reading about some of the hidden magic to look for around Disney World. Veness provides a variety of different details, some of which are obvious while others are a bit more cryptic to figure out.
The book is broken down by the different parks: The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. There is a short introduction before Veness dives in to the different rides, shows, and details around the parks. Each chapter also includes a timeline of the park, recounting different attractions and changes through the years. Within the chapters, there are also "Fascinating Fact" and "Imagine That!" sections that give more information about imagineering and bits of history.
As of 2026, the book is 6 years old so there are quite a few things that are out of date. Attractions like Muppet*Vision 3D, Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy, and It's Tough to Be a Bug!, as well as all of DinoLand U.S.A. are no longer running. It's easy enough to skip those sections or read through to learn the cool details that used to be there, depending how much time you have.
A fun read. It's a little dated, but a lot of the information is still relevant. I'd recommend looking at what attractions are still open before reading the section and picking the ones that are relevant to you.
April 13, 2026
Not for me. Hardly secrets but more useless facts (in my opinion). Not what I was looking for. I have maybe 10 things written down to look for while there this summer.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews