The Complete Walt Disney World 2012

Highly recommended for great photos, great details, great advice!

I ordered this Disney guidebook before Christmas, and I'm so glad I did! I'm planning for a trip to Disney World in the spring, and had a friend recommend this book. She said author Julie Neal included literally hundreds of beautiful color photos (which is true), plus very detailed descriptions of every single ride at all the Disney parks. I've been paging through this book with my family since I got it, and we keep honing our must-do list based what the book tells us. For example, I probably wouldn't have considered Mickey's Philharmagic in Magic Kingdom until I read Julie's thoughtful and incredibly detailed review. She describes what happens in each scene, points out how cool the scene transitions are (for example, that sunlight from the Little Mermaid scene turns into the African sun from the next sequence about The Lion King), and even lists the show's six Hidden Mickeys. In Philharmagic's "Fun Finds" she lists a dozen secret little "Easter Eggs" to look for while at the attraction -- I can't wait to hear Goofy say Goodbye in five languages! I haven't even gotten to the book's other pleasures, for example all the photos of animals in Animal Kingdom, or how we picked to stay on Disney property at the Yacht Club based on the book's recommendations, photos and details. It's just a terrific guidebook, and anyone planning a trip to Disney World should have it!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Truly stunning photography

This Disney World guidebook is not only the most thorough, detailed and interesting Disney travel guide out there -- and I've read dozens -- it also has the most luscious visuals. There are (it says it on the cover) 535 color photos spread throughout its almost 400 pages, and they cover the gamut from landscapes to character portraits to architectural details. The topics the photos cover vary from every single Disney ride and show to fireworks, parades, Hidden Mickeys, animals (I could write a review just on the beautiful animal photos!), entertainers and hotel room interiors. I could go on and on. Do yourself a favor and add this Complete book to your Disney collection.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

My kids love this one

I bought this Disney book for me, but my kids have stolen it :) They love to look through it and pick out the rides they want to go on during our upcoming vacation to Disney World. It's very helpful that this book has a photo or photos on every single ride at Disney, so the kids know what it is without having to read anything. As for me, I'm looking forward to the fireworks and Tower of Terror!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

My new favorite Disney guide

If you are going to Disney World this year, The Complete Walt Disney World 2012 will be a great resource. It has ratings and reviews of all the rides and shows -- there are more than 700 attractions, believe it or not -- plus all the restaurants and hotels. Tips are spread throughout the pages. The hour-by-hour wait times for each attraction come in really handy when you are planning your day. At the end of the book are directories for telephone numbers and web addresses; incredibly helpful. It's all wrapped up in an attractive package, with literally hundreds of photos.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Tells the good -- and the bad -- about Disney World

If you’re going to be heading to one of the Walt Disney World theme parks in the future, it’s necessary to plan ahead. There are so many terrific things to see and do at each of the parks that you want to be sure you can do all your favorites -- and skip the losers. Therefore, I highly recommend that you get The Complete Walt Disney World 2012: The Definitive Disney Handbook. This book gives both the good and bad about each theme park. At the beginning of the Epcot chapter, for example, it says that some of the best reasons to go to this park are to ride Soarin', visit the dolphins at the Seas pavilion, the international cast, eating and drinking around World Showcase and the unusual shopping. For the worst aspects of the park, the book lists the impersonal nature of Future World, the lack of a parade, the non-kid-friendly focus, limited breakfast choices, the corporate nature of the park and many of its sponsored attractions, and, lastly, all the walking required. I agree with all of these thoughtful insights. Do yourself a favor and get this book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Covers more than just the theme parks

Kudos to the authors of this Disney guidebook! I like that they not only had amazing chapters on the four Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), but that they had equally detailed and in-depth chapters on all the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort. Here is the chapter list for this book: Best Bets What's New Magic Kingdom Epcot Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Animal Kingdom Water Parks Downtown Disney ESPN Wide World of Sports Activities Restaurants and Food Accommodations Planning Your Trip Walt Disney World A-Z Character Guide What Things Cost Telephone Directory Internet Directory As you can see, there is much much more than just the theme parks. I especially liked the thorough coverage of Disney's water parks. I've always been a big fan of Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon (and I still miss River Country!), and this book goes into detail and shows photographs I haven't seen anywhere. Every water park ride (slide) and attraction has a rating, description, fear factor, length, speed, height minimum (if any), and has some particular advice for families. There are even average wait times for the slides for every hour of the day. I've never seen this anywhere else. A really good choice for anyone going to Disney World.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Stunning photography, great attraction info

My neighbors own this Disney guidebook, and convinced me to get it for my own family. It is quite different from other travel guides for Disney World, specifically in two ways: the photography and the information on the attractions at the Disney theme parks. First the photos. The book is absolutely filled with sumptuous color photographs. The usual subjects are covered (the castle, Epcot's giant golf ball, etc), but also images you don't see so often. These include dozens of shots of the animals at Animal Kingdom (love the funny meerkat pic!), shots of ESPN Wide World of Sports I've never seen, multiple photos of my favorite show (Festival of the Lion King), many character portraits (including unusual ones like Thumper and Frozone), and I could go on and on. Even if you never plan to read this book, it would be worth it for the photos. Second, the info on Disney's attractions. I've never seen a Disney guidebook go into such helpful detail. Each ride, show, parade or fireworks display has at least one page devoted to it; many have multiple pages. My favorite ride, Toy Story Mania in the Hollywood Studios park, has three full pages, including an entire page on incredibly detailed tips to get a high score while on the ride. I also like the Average Wait Times listed for every single attraction, so you can plan your day with a little certainty. This is an awesome travel guide, and a must for anyone going to Disney World that wants to maximize their vacation.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

In-depth info on Disney's rides and shows

This book ought to be sold at Disney World! It has amazing depth in its coverage of the four Disney parks' rides, shows, parades, fireworks and other entertainment. The book rates and reviews all of them -- that's hundreds of attractions. It also rates and reviews all the Disney restaurants, shops and hotels. Tips and advice are spread throughout. One feature that is very helpful is that each ride or show is set off by itself on its own page or pages. This modular format makes it easy to find what you want (plus each chapter is color-coded). Other Disney guides I've looked at are not so organized, so it can be head-achey to look at them. I can't say enough about how helpful this book is! If you are planning a trip to Disney, do yourself a favor and pick it up.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

High quality throughout, in-depth info

This is the second year in a row that I've gotten this beautiful Disney guidebook. It's such a high-quality travel guide; not only the content but also the vibrant colors, paper quality and glossy cover; it just feels good in your hands. Inside is thorough, comprehensive information about all four Disney parks plus the water parks, Downtown Disney, resorts, dining, even all the activities like parasailing and miniature golf (and non-miniature golf). Again I was impressed with the level of detail and depth in this book. My family will use it again to plan our Disney vacation. Good job!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Beautiful book, great advice

I'm a travel guide junkie, and I was very pleased with this one from Coconut Press. Such a beautiful book, filled with stunning photos and blocks of colors. The advice is to-the-point and sometimes surprising. I learned a lot, and I'm ready for my trip now! Can't wait!!

Nice and compact - small enough to pack in a backpack. I loved

Nice and compact - small enough to pack in a backpack. I loved the pictures and the great advice. It has me so excited for my first trip!

Wow! What a pretty book.

Even after reading the reviews here, I was surprised how pretty this Disney World book is. There are literally hundreds of photographs -- all in color -- and lots of other color as well. I was also impressed with how white and high-quality the paper is. The cover feels really good in my hands, as it's laminated and glossy. This is really a high-quality book. From a quick skim of the contents, the information is just as high-quality :)

Colorful guidebook

Got this Disney guidebook in record time... a day early! Just thumbed through it so far, but very impressed with how colorful it is. Not just the photographs, but also graphics, maps and color-coded chapters you can see from the edge of the book. Nice purchase; can't wait to try it out on my next trip to Mickeyland!

Keeps getting better

I'm a true "Disney Geek" (at least that's what everyone tells me), and this guidebook is my absolute favorite. I buy the new edition every year, and am continually impressed with how the authors make each one better. I love grabbing this book off my bookcase if I have a few minutes to kill -- I open it up anywhere and start reading. I can almost guarantee I'll find something interesting that I didn't know before. And I've been to Disney dozens of times! Do yourself a favor if you're planning a Disney World vacation: Get this one! You're welcome.

Great for young and old

Having bought this guidebook to help plan a trip for my extended family to Disney World, I must say how helpful and really thorough it is. I learned all about not only the basics -- where to stay, how to buy tickets, restaurant info -- but also information particular to my family's situation -- handicapped access information, "Fear Factors" for small children, the kosher food scenario at Disney. Very complete; the title says it all.

The book rocks!

Very much enjoyed this Disney guide. Pretty pictures, maps, tons of info. I've never seen the Wishes fireworks photographed like on the cover. Anybody going to Disney should get this.

Learned so much this was a bargain!

If you look past the beautiful photos, there is something else to recommend this Disney World guidebook: the advice will save you both time and money. The great tips in these pages will teach you how you can save lots of time waiting in lines, and how to avoid wasting time doing things that are not fun. I also learned ways to save money on my lodging, on my dining, on activities and on park tickets. This Complete Guide is pretty to look at, but also really useful.

I love this one twice

I bought this Disney World guidebook last year (the 2011 edition), and was so impressed I decided to get the new one this year. What a terrific guidebook! Julie Neal should be commended on delivering such a quality product, and so helpful too! My family now can't wait for our next trip to Disney, after looking through the great photos in this Complete Guide. I'm glad the book has all the updates to my favorite ride, The Haunted Mansion. I can't wait to go through the new waiting line and look for all the fun hidden things this book details. Another ride I can't wait for is the updated Star Tours at Hollywood Studios. This book reviews all the new features in this "Star Wars" ride. Again, kudos! I'm sure I'll pick up the 2013 edition when it comes out.

Great book, but why not Universal?

Don't get me wrong -- I think this Disney World guidebook is excellent. It covers everything Disney, including the resorts, the places to eat, how to plan a vacation to go there, all the attractions and animals and characters. If you were just going to Disney World on your trip, this book is truly all you need. But my family is also planning to to see the Harry Potter stuff at Universal Studios, and I'd like a Complete Guide to that, too! It's my only complaint, tho :)

Highly recommend

I love this book. I usually get the updated version everyyear... very infomative..