The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2016

by Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa

Compiled and written by a team of experienced researchers whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World digs deeper and offers more than any other guide. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World explains how Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. With advice that is direct, prescriptive, and detailed, it takes the guesswork out of travel by unambiguously rating and ranking everything from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to rental car companies. With an Unofficial Guide in hand, and authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa as guides, find out what’s available in every category, from best to worst, and use step-by-step detailed plans to help make the most of time at Walt Disney World.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference

864 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2015

About the author

Bob Sehlinger is the creator of the Unofficial Guide travel series and author or co-author of over 25 travel guides. He makes his home in Birmingham, Alabama, where the catfish are jumping and the cotton is high.

Reviews

[Jamie Puleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beast, and I read the 2013 edition several years ago. This is truly the best book I've found for planning a trip to the most magical place on Earth. I will admit that I didn't read the entire book this go around, but I did skim through most of it. We have done three trips in three years to Disney, so it was interesting to see their thoughts about restaurants, rides, etc. I don't need as much help with Disney planning anymore, but I read it this time for the several chapters dedicated to Universal Studios theme parks in Florida. It was just as comprehensive with ratings for rides, hotels, and various tips to make the trip more enjoyable. Great, great guide!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed, very helpful guide. I only wish it had been a bit shorter, took a very long time to get through and it is heavy to carry around. Will still bring my copy with me when we visit in December! Definitely worth a read. Check it out.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book. My only problem is going to be remembering what I read because I really don't want to be carrying this thick monster of a book in the parks, but there is SO much to remember!! There are also a lot of things in the book which don't necessarily apply, so it's a matter of picking and choosing. We don't have very young children, so the tips for them don't apply to us...and as the kids aren't ready for the major coasters like Rockin'Roller coaster, we also don't need to include those in our plans. But there is plenty of relevant information to take into account. I will say that reading this book opened my eyes to how much I DIDN'T know. I'm glad we will have more time at Disney than last time because there's so much I didn't even know last time that sounds so amazing and I don't want to miss that much again.
I would definitely recommend reading the current edition of this book to anyone planning a trip. One of the greatest resources is the website where, for a small fee you can get a years subscription which also allows you to see pictures and floor plans of every disney resort room and how to word requests for the room you want. This way, you don't request a "water view" only to find that the room overlooks a puddle. Valuable information is hidden in these pages, people!!

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World details all of the options of Disney World and how to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. With detailed advice, it takes the guesswork out of travel by rating and ranking everything from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to rental car companies. Unlike a lot of guidebooks this shares the good, the bad and the ugly. I've been to Disney World before but it was about 20 years ago. This guide had a ton of great info even for people who have been there before. I liked that it shared ratings by age range for the rides and activities and included info on Universal. I give it 4 out of 5 wine glasses.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh baby. This is a whole lotta Disney. I'm glad we checked this hefty volume out on a Disney fanatic's suggestion; it definitely helped us get a sense for the lay of the land and all kinds of minutiae. It also convinced us that we'd be smarter finding cheaper vacation opportunities until we somehow find ourselves in the big money--this is especially because of the accommodations and modifications we need traveling with a little guy with many food allergies.

[Susan Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth every penny! This guide is amazing! I've been to WDW several times in the past, but with only 3 days to explore all Disney has to offer since I was last there 14 years ago, this guide gave me a touring plan for each park that kept our wait in line to 30 minutes or less, explained FastPass and how to use it, and gave us many other tips that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. I highly recommend it, even if you've visited WDW before.

[Lindsey Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike a lot of guidebooks this shares the good, the bad and the ugly. We've been to Disney before but it was about 10 years ago. This had a ton of great info even for people who aren't newbies. I also liked that it shared ratings by age range for the rides and activities and included info on Universal. It also includes info on some non-Disney hotels, which most guides don't seem to do.

[Cherish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a great tool for planning our August trip. I love the humor and the attention to detail on everything from where to stay, where to eat, and when to visit each park. This is very much appreciated as Disney world can be somewhat intimidating. I will be referring to it often as our trip gets closer. Definitely worth the money.

[Jaime Fertal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great. Has all kinds of info for dining, Hotel accommodations, park information. etc Tips for inside the parks!! THis book will work great for my next trip to Florida Disney world. I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book I got after we started booking our vacation so some of it was stuff I can use for a next time visit instead but hopefully the stuff I did get to use will help us save time to be bale to see as much as we can!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful. Wouldn't have been able to see Universal in 10 hours without it, and it helped prioritize the WDW days of the trip as well.

[Vinod Nair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too long and detailed. I wish the information was organized a bit better.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel both very overwhelmed and quite prepared. Now to obsess over this info for 5 months.

[daisychainsreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been to Disney World over 15 times, and I was still learning things that I had never even heard of in this book! Excellent tour guide, and for the avid Disney fan it is a great read too!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the only Disney guide I have read. I liked its advice to get the hell out of the parks in the middle of the day when the crowds get big.

[Love to read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide for an awesome trip!